Direct Colors DIY Home Improvement · Episode 26
Listen to this episode
Age works against a slab in two opposite directions. Indoor concrete keeps getting harder and denser until stain cannot penetrate; outdoor concrete erodes and loses the surface cream the reaction depends on. Justin Richardson on telling which problem you have, layering a topical stain over acid stain when the aggregate is showing, and diluting the first coat to build contrast.
14 min 19 sec · Download MP3 (19.7 MB)
For this job you need: CitrusEtch™ · EverStain™ · Antiquing™
Not sure which is right for your slab? Send us the details — the free project consultation is a person, not a form letter.
The written guide on this topic, with photographs: Stain Old, Rough Concrete Floors.
Editor’s note. This episode was recorded some years ago. The transcript below has been corrected where the facts have changed; nothing about the technique has been altered.
- “DCI Hard Trowel Floor Prep” is now CitrusEtch™ and “Liquid Colored Antique” is now Antiquing™.
- “Sprayable Satin Finish Sealer” is now EasySeal™ Satin. “Krystal Kote High Gloss Water Based” corresponds to today’s water-based high-gloss option, HydroCryl™ — a current equivalent, not a claim that the formulation is unchanged.
- The temperature figures (solvent above freezing and under 85°F, water-based not below 60°F) and the stated phone hours are left as spoken but have not been re-verified. Follow the instructions supplied with the product, and check current hours before calling.
- The “about 90% of the DIY homeowner market” figure is Justin’s estimate from the time of recording, not a measured statistic.
- The sign-off’s RSS-feed line and social links have been dropped — the list included Google+, which shut down in 2019, and Twitter, now X.
- Housekeeping, applied to every episode in this archive. The spoken sign-off has been rewritten to point here rather than at the old directcolors.com/listen address. The RSS-feed line, the social-media list and any pointers to retired photo-gallery, blog or video pages have been dropped, along with pointers to pages that have since been retired or superseded by the links under What’s Next — in some episodes that removes a whole sentence or a short exchange. Every speaker says “design consultation”; the service is now called the free project consultation, and we have used the current name throughout rather than send you to a page that no longer exists. Run-on speaker turns, duplicated intro lines and obvious transcription slips have been repaired without changing meaning. Nothing bearing on technique, safety or product choice has been altered; those changes are itemized above.
Still accurate, and the core of the episode: interior slabs harden with age and need profiling; exterior slabs erode and lose their surface cream. Exposed sand or aggregate is the signal to reach for a topical stain over the top rather than expecting acid stain alone to carry it.
What you need for this job
Old concrete is the hardest case in this archive, and the honest answer depends on the slab.
- Open up a slab that has stopped reacting
- CitrusEtch™
- Color that reacts
- EverStain™ Acid Stain — test a corner first with the EverStain™ Trial System
- Color that does not need a reaction
- Antiquing™ Stamped Concrete Stain or EasyTint™ Tinted Sealer
Old slabs are worth checking before you buy. Send photographs through the free project consultation.
Full transcript
Shawna Turner: You’re listening to podcast episode number 26, Successfully Staining Older Concrete. If this is your first time listening, then thanks for listening. I’m Shawna Turner, General Manager with Direct Colors. This week our Senior Sales Manager and Technician, Justin Richardson, joins us to talk about how to get the best staining results out of an older concrete slab. He’s got some great ideas to share with you today, so let’s get started. Welcome to you, Justin.
Justin Richardson: Hi Shawna. Thank you.
ST: What challenges should customers expect when staining older concrete?
JR: Those challenges will vary depending on whether the project is an indoor floor or outdoor concrete. Interior slabs become harder and denser over time, requiring either mechanical or chemical profiling to open the pores and allow the acid stain to readily penetrate the concrete. CitrusEtch™ is a safe, easy to use product for chemically profiling concrete floors. This will give your best acid staining results on older concrete, especially concrete where water does not soak easily into the concrete.
JR: Older outdoor concrete will erode over time with exposure to the elements, losing some of its surface “cream”, which is essential to successful acid staining. If you do have exposed aggregate or sand, that does not mean you can’t acid stain, but you may want to apply a topical concrete stain like Antiquing™ to enhance the color after the surface has been neutralized, cleaned and dried, and before sealing. Take an honest assessment of your concrete before staining to make sure you have the products you need to do the best job possible.
ST: Which products do you most commonly recommend for older concrete projects?
JR: There’s no reason you couldn’t use acid stain on older concrete. It’s one of my personal favorites because it permanently changes the color of the concrete, and our customers use it all the time. Sample testing on the slab with proper surface preparation is very important for older concrete projects, to make sure you’re going to get the color results you’re looking for. It’s more difficult to achieve a marbled acid stain look on heavily textured, weathered or rough exterior concrete. Consider using two colors to create more color contrast and movement on the slab.
JR: If sand or aggregate is a problem, another option for really beautiful results is Antiquing™ after you’ve applied the acid stain. After completing all the acid staining steps, apply the antique to dry concrete in a contrasting color to darken the color or accentuate features like cracks and enhance appearance. It’s very easy to use — shake very well, pour into a fence and deck sprayer, and apply.
ST: What application techniques would you suggest to enhance the finished look and overcome imperfections?
JR: I have a couple of suggestions. On interior slabs, no matter what, you’ll get color variations on the concrete even if you apply a saturating, even coat of acid stain. Existing imperfections in the concrete will not be hidden by acid stain, but sometimes those imperfections will work to your advantage instead of against it. Our acid stains, particularly the Coffee Brown, can be diluted with water for the first coat and applied full strength for greater color and texture variation. Older, weathered concrete could definitely benefit from using Antiquing™ to improve the color outcome.
ST: What advice would you offer customers about sealing older concrete, and which sealer would you use?
JR: When it comes to sealing concrete, you have options. Direct Colors offers both solvent and water based acrylic sealers. Solvents are easier to apply and always make the color pop more, but because of odor you have to be very careful about using them indoors. Solvents can also be applied anywhere above freezing and under 85°F. EasySeal™ Satin is our most popular outdoor sealer, and a water-based high gloss such as HydroCryl™ for interior. Water based sealers are preferred for indoor use for their low odor, but they can’t be applied below 60°F at any time. Acrylic sealers are by far the easiest sealers to apply indoors or out, and comprise about 90% of the DIY homeowner market for that reason. Consider your gloss expectations as well as the location of the project carefully before selecting a sealer.
ST: Any final thoughts for our DIY audience?
JR: Don’t let a project intimidate you. Start small with a patio or an office. Don’t rush or short cut the process. Follow the instructions and sample test on the slab you intend to stain. Take your time — it’s kind of a fun process. Take advantage of the customer service available at Direct Colors. If you prefer not to call about your project, send us a free online project consultation and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours. If you would like to call at 877-255-2656, we have technicians on duty M–F, 8:30–5pm. We’d be happy to visit with you about your project and recommend the best products for your use. We want you to be successful, so get in touch!
ST: Thank you for joining us today, Justin, and for the helpful advice on staining older concrete. Many of our customers have projects like this and are afraid the results won’t justify the work or expense. I hope we’ve changed some minds with this podcast and our listeners will give a patio or porch project a try! If you have questions, call one of our expert technicians at 877-255-2656 and we’ll help you select the best products and technique for your needs. If you prefer email, send in a free online project consultation and we’ll get back to you within 24–48 hours. Direct Colors DIY Home Improvement podcasts were produced twice monthly for your enjoyment, and the show notes live here in the Direct Colors listening archive. Thank you for joining us!
What’s Next
- The written guide → Stain Old, Rough Concrete Floors
- Profiling the slab → Concrete Surface Preparation · the prep episode
- Restoring an old patio → Restore an Old Concrete Patio
- Layering colors → Using Two or More Acid Stain Colors
- Shop → CitrusEtch™ · EverStain™ · Antiquing™
