The Antiquing™ Trial System is the smart way to test stamped concrete stain colors before committing to a full project. It includes 3 of your choice Antiquing™ colors in 4 oz sample sizes, your choice of sealer, and 6 foam brush applicators — everything you need to test colors on your actual stamped concrete and see exactly how each one will look on your specific surface before ordering the full quantity.

Stamped concrete is unique because stamp pattern depth, surface texture, age, and any existing color all affect how a stain looks on your specific surface. The same color can look noticeably different on a deep slate stamp than it does on a shallow brick pattern, or on a freshly poured patio versus one that's been weathering for ten years. Testing on your actual concrete is the only reliable way to predict your final color — and the Trial System makes that test affordable, easy, and complete.

How Antiquing™ Stain Works — and Why Sealing Is Not Optional

Antiquing™ uses a solvent carrier to suspend and deliver pigment across your stamped surface. The solvent flows naturally into the recesses, grout lines, and texture of your stamp pattern, depositing pigment in the low areas while leaving the high points lighter. This creates the characteristic shadow and highlight effect that gives stamped concrete its depth and dimension. As the solvent evaporates, it leaves the pigment behind in the texture of your surface — producing the antiqued finish.

But here is the critical point: once the solvent evaporates, the pigment is sitting in your surface, not bonded to it. Until a sealer is applied over the top, that pigment will wash off with water, foot traffic, or rain. The sealer is what locks the Antiquing™ finish permanently in place.

Skipping the sealer — or delaying it — is not an option. This is a 2-step system by design. Stain without sealer is an unfinished project.

Why You Need to Test on Your Actual Stamped Concrete

The variables that affect how Antiquing™ looks on your specific surface include:

• Stamp pattern depth — Deeper stamps create more dramatic shadow lines because more solvent and pigment pool in the recesses
• Stamp pattern style — Slate, flagstone, brick, cobblestone, and ashlar patterns each interact with the stain differently
• Surface age — Older stamped concrete has different porosity than fresh pours
• Existing color — Concrete that was originally colored with integral color or stamp release agents will show through and affect how Antiquing™ layers on top
• Surface contamination — Even properly cleaned concrete can have varying porosity that affects how the solvent carrier flows

Testing 3 Antiquing™ colors on your actual stamped concrete shows you exactly what each color will look like in your stamp pattern, with your specific texture and existing surface conditions. The Trial System lets you see the result before you commit to a full-size kit.

Why Testing Saves You Money — and Your Project

A single gallon of Antiquing™ in a full-size kit costs significantly more than the Trial System. If you order a full kit, apply it to your stamped patio, and discover the color isn't what you expected, you have a problem: removing topical stain from stamped concrete is difficult, expensive, and rarely produces a clean result. The most practical fix is to apply a darker color over it, which limits your options dramatically.

The Trial System is the insurance policy against an expensive mistake. Three small samples cost a fraction of one full kit, and they give you confidence that the color you order is the color you'll get on your actual stamped surface.

Choosing Your Sealer

The sealer is the second step in this system, and it affects both how the color looks and how long it lasts. Your Trial System includes your choice of sealer so your test reflects exactly what your finished project will look like. We offer three options:

• EasySeal™ (solvent-based) — Penetrates deeply and dramatically enriches the Antiquing™ color, producing the deepest, most saturated shadow and highlight contrast. Important: EasySeal™ has strong solvent fumes and requires excellent ventilation and strict solvent safety precautions during application. Best choice if color depth and contrast are your priority.
• AcquaSeal™ (water-based) — A low-odor, water-based option that's easy to apply and comfortable to work with. Color richness will be somewhat less intense than EasySeal™, but still a beautiful result for many applications.
• HydroCryl™ (water-based hybrid) — Our highest-performance sealer. HydroCryl™ delivers protection comparable to a polyurethane sealer without the complexity of a two-component system, and it's water-based. The best of both worlds: the durability of a hard-film sealer with the ease and low odor of a water-based product.

Not sure which to choose? If maximum color depth and contrast is your goal, start with EasySeal™. If you want high durability with easier application, HydroCryl™ is the right pick. AcquaSeal™ is a solid choice for lower-traffic areas where ease of application is a priority.

How to Use the Trial System

1. Pick your test area carefully. Choose an inconspicuous section of your stamped patio — a corner that will be permanently covered by furniture, an area behind a planter, the back edge near a wall or fence. Test on the actual surface you plan to stain, not on a different slab. Stamped concrete varies from pour to pour, and a color that looks great on a sample piece may look different on your patio.
2. Clean and prep the test area the same way you'd prep your finished project — degrease and rinse thoroughly. If the area has any existing sealer or coating, use Destiny™ Stripper first.
3. Mark out 3 test sections, one per color. Label them so you remember which is which.
4. Apply each Antiquing™ sample with a separate foam brush — 2 brushes per color (one to apply each color, one for sealer per color). Never reuse a brush across colors — even small amounts of cross-contamination will affect the result.
5. Allow the stain to dry for at least 8 hours. The solvent carrier needs time to fully evaporate before sealer is applied, even on small test patches. Skipping or shortening this step will produce a result that doesn't match what you'd get on the full project.
6. Apply your included sealer over each dry test section. This is not optional — unsealed Antiquing™ will wash off. The sealer is also part of the final appearance, not just a protective coat. What you see after sealing is your true finished result.
7. Allow to sealer to dry to see the final color and sheen.
8. Compare the results and pick your color and sealer. Once you've chosen, order the full-size system that matches your project size.

⚠ Safety

Antiquing™ is solvent-based. Apply in a well-ventilated area, wear chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses, and keep away from ignition sources during application and while the solvent is evaporating. If you selected EasySeal™ as your sealer, the same solvent safety precautions apply for that step as well.

Direct Colors: Made in the USA Since 1997

The Antiquing™ Trial System contains the exact same Antiquing™ formulation as the full-size kits — just in sample quantities. What you see in the trial is what you'll get on the full project.