Welcome to Colonial Floor Care’s Concrete Staining blog!

We will be discussing the many exciting options for concrete staining, coloring(tinting) and polishing that are now available to dramatically enhance your conrete floor’s appearnace and durability.

What is concrete staining?

Decorative Concrete Staining is considered one of the most popular ways to achieve delivering color to gray concrete. Chemical stains can be applied to new or old, plain or colored concrete surfaces. Although they are often called acid stains, acid is not the ingredient that colors the concrete.

Metallic salts in an acidic, water based solution react with hydrated lime( calcium hydroxide)in hardned concrete to yield insoluble colored compounds that become a permanent part of the concrete.

Several companies manufacture chemical stains that are variations of three basic color groups: black, brown and blue-green. however the color possibilities are virtually endless.

Designers are waking up to the fact that there’s more than wood carpet and tiles. There’s nothing that can’t be done.

The acid in chemical stains opens the top surface of the concrete, allowing metallic salts to reach the free lime deposits. Water form the stain solution then fuels the reaction, usually for about a month after the stain has been applied. Other factors that affect the outcome include:

Cement properties and amount

Admixtures used

Type of aggregate used

Concrete finishing methods

Concrete age and moisture content when stain is applied

Weather conditions when stain is applied

Efflorescence

Next time we will discuss the dramatic increase in the use of concrete as a design element in home construction and restoration, and of course, the green properties of concrete! Learn more about our terrazzo restoration, terrazzo cleaning and floor polishing services by clicking these sites!

Colonial Floor Care serves Miami, Dade, Broward, Ft Lauderdale and Palm Beach!