AcquaTint™ Gallery: Seamless Stain & Sealer Projects for Concrete
Step into the vibrant world of AcquaTint™! Our customer project gallery showcases the dual magic of stain and sealer combined, perfect for both interior and exterior concrete finishes.
By Justin Richardson
From Oops to Wow: A Black AcquaTint™ Makeover!
The homeowner kicked off their DIY project with a little hiccup: they had to spend 1.5 weeks removing an unexpected sealant from the new concrete. But once that was behind them, staining with AcquaTint™ in bold black was smooth sailing! They sealed the deal with the satin ProWax Polish™ for a sleek finish. The end result? Absolutely fab floors! A hot tip for fellow DIY-ers: if you’re thinking of staining, skip the sealant when pouring concrete. Spotlight on: AcquaTint™ Black and that gleaming ProWax Polish™.
Project Info:
- Project Completed In: 7 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 1500 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
This is one of the many diy projects we did on our new build. The hardest part of the floors for us was removing the old sealant that was put down on our new concrete at the time of pouring. That took us about 1.5 weeks to remove before applying this stain and wax. Applying it was quick and easy. We used the aquatint in black and satin prowax polish. We love the way they turned out! Definitely recommend! - Personal Tips:
Don’t get sealant on existing concrete at the time of pouring if you plan to do any staining. The staining was an after thought for us so we had to remove what was already placed. - Direct Colors Products Used:
1 x 5 Gal. Charcoal AcquaTint™ & ProWax Polish™ Satin Kit
3 x 1 Gal. Black AcquaTint™
Please be aware that each photo in this gallery showcases projects accomplished with our AcquaTint™ Tinted Sealer and is provided by actual customers, serving as a source of inspiration. However, since AcquaTint™ is semi-transparent, the final appearance of your project will be influenced by the initial color and condition of your concrete surface, and thus, your final results might vary. For the best results, we strongly recommend performing a small test on your specific surface before applying the stain to the entire project to ensure the final look aligns with your expectations.
Isaiah’s Barbershop Makeover: From Sticky Floors to Sleek Concrete
Isaiah Medina transformed adhesive carpet tiles into a chic industrial concrete floor for his barbershop. After some painting mishaps, two coats of Charcoal AcquaTint™ were applied. His tip? Proper grinding and a clean surface are key. Want more details on this transformation? Click here to dive deeper into the project.
Project Info:
- Project Completed In: 4 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 2500 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
My name is Isaiah Medina I’ve never done floors in my life. I recently started to open a barbershop with my wife. We have always been in love with concrete industrial looking floors. When we first purchase the space, it was covered in adhesive carpet tiles. So after removing them, it was covered in mastic. We figured we would work top down so we painted the ceiling’s first. Of course, all of that paint fell to the floor then we painted the walls white and of course we dropped some.
Then it was time to start the floors finally.
We rented a duel disk grinder, ground down the whole area, cleaned it really well, and then we applied the acquatint.
Two coats 15-20 hours apart. They’re very durable and easy to clean. - Personal Tips:
Spend the extra money and grind down your floors if you’re getting rid of a lot of adhesive.
It ensures that the stain or sealer gets really deep and provides a strong bond.
It creates a lot of dust, so make sure you use water to wet grind it to minimize that.
And don’t rush take your time make sure the floors are clean and have fun. - Direct Colors Products Used:
3 x 5 Gal. Charcoal AcquaTint™
3x 1 Gal. ProWax Polish™ Satin - Other Products Used:
Edco dual grinder
Harbor freight attachment & shroud to grind the edges
Harbor freight paper and tape to cover the edges.
Harbor freight 2 gallon pump to spray the sealer.
Steel Garage Revamp: Charcoal Elegance Achieved with Spraying & Rolling
Tackling the challenge of rejuvenating a steel garage, our DIYer went all out, blending the techniques of spraying and rolling. The outcome? A deep, stylish charcoal sheen on the floor, thanks to Charcoal AcquaTint™, complemented beautifully by the satin finesse of ProWax Polish™. A pro tip to share: Diversify your application methods to elevate the final look. Showcased products: Charcoal AcquaTint™ and ProWax Polish™ Satin Kit.
Project Info:
- Project Completed In: 5 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 1500 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
Interesting - Personal Tips:
Spraying along w roller application worked great for me - Direct Colors Products Used:
5 Gal. Charcoal AcquaTint™ & ProWax Polish™ Satin Kit
2 x 1 Gal. Charcoal AcquaTint™
Basement Transformation: Step-by-Step with AcquaTint™ and ProWax Polish™
This project took a 600 sq ft basement from drab to fab in just five days. It was a lot of hard work, with the bulk of the time spent on prepping the floor for AcquaTint™. They treated, cleaned, sanded, and then rolled on two coats of our Charcoal AcquaTint™. They finished with two coats of ProWax Polish™ for a sleek satin finish. Yes, it was a big job, but they shared lots of great tips to help other DIYers. Take a look at their day-to-day journey to a fantastic basement floor.
Project Info:
- Project Completed In: 5 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 600 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
Finishing approx. 600sq ft basement area with AcquaTint water based colored sealer and satin ProWax Polish - Personal Tips:
Entire floor job was about 26 hours of labor, most on floor prep (cleaning and hard troweled floor pre-treatment).
Day 1: It took 2 people 8 hours each to clean and apply hard troweled pre-treatment and rinse off using a wet vac.Rinsed floor twice after hard troweled pre-treatment to make sure no residue left behind. Let the floor dry overnight with heat on in the basement before proceeding.Day 2: Prior to applying AcquaTint, went back over the floor lightly sanding a handful of areas where sneaker prints from the hard troweled pre-treatment showed up.Tip – Don’t step in the area where hard troweled pre-treatment has sat for 20 min (which is pretty dry in most areas at that point) prior to rinsing or your sneaker prints will lightly etch themselves into the floor while rinsing. These areas will require sanding and we had a few. An hour (x 2 people) was spent lightly sanding a handful of sneaker prints and vacuuming up all the dust.The two coats of AcquaTint (one Day 2 and one Day 3) were applied with a 9″ roller letting the weight of the roller apply material.Tip – only put a small amount into your tray and always wet the roller by rolling it in the bottom of the tray to continue to mix what is in the tray. The pigment settles out pretty quick but is manageable. Apply some pressure to the roller before moving the roller from the tray to the floor so you are not dripping material from the roller. Always stir before adding more sealer to the tray. I would suggest pouring your entire amount of sealer into a pail before you start because it is easy to stir the contents in the pail. Use a coffee can or smaller container to transfer well mixed colored sealer into your tray.Work in small sections at a time (6′ x 4′). Move quickly but don’t freak out over lap marks. You will get them but rolling over them a second or third time as you work the small section helps and then the next coat rolls the opposite direction which further helps them blend in.Back roll the final roll before you move on to the next section. It took about 3 hours of labor (2 people 1 1/2 hours each) to apply each coat of sealer.Giving the floor two days to dry after the second coat of sealer brings us to Day 5 where wax was applied in the morning and again late afternoon.It only takes about 1 hour to apply a coat of wax over 600 sq ft. Only one person needed for wax.
- Direct Colors Products Used:
5 Gal. Charcoal AcquaTint™ & ProWax Polish™ Satin Kit
1 Qt. ProClean Degreaser™ Concentrate<
9″ Rollers, 4″ Roller kit, Medium Texture Scrub Brush - Other Products Used:
Goof Off where there was any paint or paint over spray on the floor
Sponge Swirls: Unexpectedly Perfect Shop Floors!
When traditional methods threw a curveball, the shop owners went with a sponge for their floor staining. Maybe it was the super smooth concrete? Regardless, the result was a unique swirl finish that was unplanned yet utterly captivating. Sometimes, happy accidents make the best designs!
Project Info:
- Project Completed In: 2 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 1200 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
Staining the inside part of our shop floors. - Personal Tips:
We used a sponge since rolling it on or spraying just did not want to work with us. Maybe the concrete was to smooth?
- Direct Colors Products Used:
1 Gal. Charcoal AcquaTint™
5 Gal. Charcoal AcquaTint™
Basement to Playroom: A Kid-Friendly Makeover!
What once was a plain basement has now transformed into a delightful playroom for the kids. With a touch of AcquaTint™ in Driftwood and a finishing satin sheen from ProWax Polish™, this space is now every child’s dream come true! Bright, playful, and ready for fun!
Transformed Basement: From Gloomy to Family-friendly Hangout
In this project, a previously dull and uninviting basement is rejuvenated into an appealing family hangout spot. The concrete floor was meticulously cleaned and refreshed with three thin coats of Charcoal AcquaTint™. The final result is a warmly tinted basement floor that drastically enhances the overall aesthetics.
Chic Salon Makeover with Natural Concrete Floors
This salon project embraced the raw beauty of unfinished concrete floors. By preserving the natural blemishes and adding strategic detailing, the space was transformed into a chic, modern salon (NoirLuxco Nail Studio and Spa, Katy, TX). The use of AcquaTint™ in Charcoal and Silver Gray, combined with ProWax Polish™, ensured a non-porous, durable finish. For a touch of sparkle, Mica Powder was incorporated. The result is a distinctive salon floor that is not only functional, but also visually engaging.
Project Info:
- Project Completed In: 5 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 1720 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
Salon had unfinished concrete floors I loved the natural state and all the blemishes so i opted to let those shine but add some details and bc the floors cant be porous I needed to seal them so I did just that and love my floors! - Personal Tips:
Fill gaps, holes and cracks.
Use the darker color first then lighter colors to diffuse it per se. - Direct Colors Products Used:
2 x 1 Gal. Charcoal AcquaTint™
5 Gal. Silver Gray AcquaTint™ & ProWax Polish™ Satin Kit
1 Gal. ProWax Polish™ Satin
- Other Products Used:
Mica Powder
If you’re inspired by these projects and interested in exploring more industrial and mottled-looking floor finishes, don’t miss our blog post: ‘Stormy Gray Vibrance™ Dye: Your Ticket To DIY Magic!‘ Dive into the world of DIY magic with our Vibrance Dye.
Complete Home Refresh with Light Charcoal AcquaTint
Check out how this house got a total facelift using our Light Charcoal AcquaTint™ and a satin ProWax Polish™ finish. The citrus etching didn’t work out, but a buffer machine did the trick. Word to the wise: either clean your sprayer really well after the first day or use a new one, so it doesn’t get clogged. This project is proof that AcquaTint can completely change a place, even when there are a few bumps along the way.
Project Info:
- Project Completed In: 6 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 2500 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
We used Aquatint sealer throughout the house and followed up with a wax coating. - Personal Tips:
The citrus etching did not work on our concrete. We had to use a buffing machine. We suggest using a new sprayer when applying sealer. We thought the sprayer would be fine to leave over night, but on the second day while applying the second coat our sprayer became clogged and caused some issues. Knowing what we know now, we would have ran warm water through the sprayer after the first day to clean out the tip or we would have used a brand new one. - Direct Colors Products Used:
2 x 5 Gal. Charcoal AcquaTint™ & ProWax Polish™ Satin Kit
4 x 1 Gal. Charcoal AcquaTint™
1 Qt. ProClean Degreaser™ - Other Products Used:
Industrial buffer with diamond pad
Commercial Upgrade: Faded to Sleek with Silver Gray AcquaTint
Got a commercial space that could use a little pep in its step? That’s just what this project accomplished. A faded gray concrete floor might not sound too inspiring, but with a helping hand from our Silver Gray AcquaTint™, it’s become a sleek and stylish foundation for the business. The result is a floor that not only looks great but can stand up to the hustle and bustle of commercial use. Check out this transformation for your own dash of inspiration.
Silver Simplicity
This commercial space really looks spiffy after applying some silver colored concrete sealer. And hey, if you like what you see here, check out our handy how to guide for applying AcquaTint™ tinted sealer!
Coffee N’ Crafts
The method used to apply tinted concrete sealer depends on the look you want to achieve. For Coffee N’ Crafts, a marbled, varied color was the mission for Brad Carlisle from William B. Carlisle Design. The best part about this renovation? They performed a complete space upgrade without having to rip up the concrete floor!
If you’re excited about transforming your indoor spaces, why not extend your creativity outdoors? Check out our blog ‘Charcoal Outdoor Stains: Real DIY Outdoor Projects You’ll Love‘ to discover fantastic ideas for your exterior concrete surfaces.
