Ok, final few questions on acid stain before I try it!

17 years ago

I've read everything everyone recommended that I could find on DIY acid stained floors. I have a few quick gaps to fill before I start it on Thursday.

It's a young slab (14 months old, never lived on). We want a rich color (using Kemiko Cola stain), not a faded pale one you can see through. I've gotten conflicting opinions on how long to leave the first application of stain on the concrete before washing it off. FabCrete recommends 24 hours before washing, and then baking-soda and water. Local pro recommended only *1 hour* after application before washing. (I thought that after 1 hour the stain would still be wet and there would be hardly any change at all to the floor.) He said that after it dries, if i want darker, I can do it again for another hour. That seems like a collosal PITA, doing it one hour at a time, once a day until satisfied. He also said I could cut the kemiko by 1/2 again (instead of 1/1 water, do 2/1) and let that sit longer.

So, first question - how long should I wait on a young slab between application and washing?

Next question - the first time I wash, do I use the baking-soda mixture, or do I wait to wash with that until I'm sure I'm happy with the floor color and won't be applying a second coat?

last question - how hard to you clean the floor after the last stain? One site says you clean until no more residue comes up; Febcrete says you wash gently, don't scrub. Which is it?

Sorry about the long post, but I know I only get one shot at this, and I really want to do it right!

Featured Answer

cat_herder
Original Author

17 years ago

Update! I stained the floors, and they turned out really spectacular. I used Kemiko's cola stain for the first coat, for 1 1/2 hour before mopping. After it dried, I did a second application with 2/3 cola and 1/3 golden wheat. Mopped with baking soda after an hour. The color turned out to be a rich rich rich orangy-brown, with gold highlights. I put one coat of acrylic sealer, then grouted the lines (it was cut into 4x4' squares), and after it dried, did a second coat of sealer. The result is truly unbelievable!

I wouldnt' have even dared to try it without your help. I saved about $6k in the process, and ended up with a result that is prettier than any pro job I've seen in our area (not a lot to choose from). If I can figure out how, I'll post a couple of pictures of the result. Anyway, THANK YOU AGAIN!! You guys are worth the price of admission.

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Comments (10)

xposedflooring
17 years ago
Ok as far as how long to wait before applications- after you apply the first coat you will see the concrete start to bubble, that is the acid stain reacting with the concrete etching itself into the concrete, that usually takes about 30min, then wait about another 30min after that, a total of about one hour, depending on how the acid reacts with the concrete.

Second question is you wait until you are done with your final coat to use baking soda, just rinse with water inbetween coats, just remember you might have to rinse 3 or 4 times in between coats.

Third question is after your last coat, you clean untill there is no residue left.

Good luck with your flooring and if you have any questions just give me a hollar.Hope this info helped.

Andy
www.xposedflooring.com
xposedflooring@aol.com
floorguy
17 years ago
The products your fixing to use may not be the same as the product your getting info on from the pros. I'd be more inclinded to go with what the manufacturer of the product wants you to do.

I do know, if you want that aged leather look, DON'T spray the room like you would be painting a wall. Skip around and spot the floor all over, overlapping some places and not other places. Hard to explain.... but don't get a pattern going, make it random.
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arkansaswifey
17 years ago
cat_herder:

Please post pics of your floor! We are in the process of trying to decide if we will do acid stain for our den after falling in love with a friend's floors. I would love to see how yours turned out. I don't think ours will be a diy project because our floors are old and currently have carpet and vinyl flooring. The pros seem to be concerned with the glue residue and tack strip holes. From what I've been told we will have to do an overlay process which produces a thin layer of new concrete that can then be colored, stamped, etc.
cat_herder
Original Author
17 years ago
Another update! The paper will be removed from the floor (after painting) early next week, and I should be able to get some good pictures of the floor then. Sorry about the delay, but the floor has been covered since we finished sealing it. (all except the kitchen, which the idiots didn't cover becuase they "ran out of paper." (ARGH!) We'll have to reseal that part of the house, but I guess that's a small price to pay, comparatively.) Pictures will come!
rjinga
16 years ago
hey cat herder...did you ever get around to taking photos? I know this is an old post, but I'd sure like to see how it turned out...
cat_herder
Original Author
16 years ago
Yes I did! Not sure how to post pictures, though. Is there a FAQ link for how to do that?
rjinga
16 years ago
do you have an account on photobucket? if not it's free, go there sign up, and then you can upload the photos from your computer.

On the main page (after you set up an account) you will see 3 tabs, and you will probably us the upload photos from my PC option, then just below that are 3 buttons that say browse..click on each one of those one at a time, find your photos on your computer and then tell it to upload (when you are through adding all the photos you want).

Once uploaded there will be 4 links directly beneath each photo you have uploaded...you will click on the 3rd one down (HMTL tag is what is says) higlight it or however you do a copy option with your mouse...once you have it copied, you will open back up the post from GW that you were typing then paste it right into text box.... before you submit the GW post you can preview and you will actually see it.

I hope this helps...if it's clear as mud, let me know...

www.photobucket.com
breezytoo
16 years ago
Bump
mdc08
15 years ago
Cat- I want to stain our floors and we are pouring a slab next week.... please post pictures!!! I can't wait to see them!!!! BTY, did you dilute the 1st application?