If you want to give a look to your patio concrete that will astonish your guests and will break the monotony of the concrete, the patio acid staining method is what you are looking for.

This method consists in staining concrete, which can be either inside or outside, with chemical acidic products which are able to penetrate it. When the acids enter in contact with the concrete, they start a chemical reaction that allows the color to actually soak in the concrete. The color obtained from acid staining can indeed last forever, if it is properly maintained. Moreover, since the color is not on the surface of the concrete, there will never be the risk that it will chip or peel.

Patio acid staining is a very easy procedure which can be performed by almost every one; it is necessary to remember though that before applying the acid stain for your concrete patio, the concrete surface must be accurately washed with water and not acidic soap and must be completely dry. After you make sure that the concrete is completely dried out, you can start staining the concrete patio: wear the protective equipment recommended by the acid manufacturer and check that walls and objects are covered to prevent any accidental contact with the acid.

You can now spray the concrete patio staining; it is usually recommended that you spray from a distance of 18 inches and that you repeat the process twice. To acid stain a concrete patio, it is necessary that the first color that is sprayed is left to dry completely, and only after the concrete is no longer wet, the second dose of color can be sprayed. When even the last color applied is completely dry, you need to scrub the residual color which has remained on the surface; to properly do this, you will need a medium stiff-bristled brush and a solution obtained mixing together water and ammonia.

After the scrubbing is done, the water and ammonia should be quickly removed, preferably using a wet vacuum; a long exposure of the concrete to the ammonia could ruin the whole concrete patio acid staining process you just went through. At this point, we need to apply the sealer; there exists several types of sealers depending on where you need to use them. If you have to apply sealers in interior environments, it is suggested that you use urethane or epoxy based sealers; for exterior environments, you can use an acrylic sealer, either a water based one or a solvent based one. Just keep in mind that the acrylic will make your color become darker; so you should consider this when you choose the color for acid staining a concrete patio.

Even the sealer should be applied in two cycles, and it is necessary that 6 to 8 hours pass between one cycle and the other. And there you have it: your concrete patio in a completely different look! Just remember that to maintain the staining you need to periodically wash the concrete with a water and vinegar solution; and do not forget to re-seal stained concrete every 2 years. Follow these simple instructions and your patio or deck stain will beautifully last for years.

If you are in search of more information on concrete patio staining, ask one of your local stores for suggestions or even demonstrations; concrete staining has become so popular that there are many places where you can check out free demonstrations or register for classes where you will actually be taught the process of concrete staining. You can also take a look online to find out more about this technique. Several websites offer step by step guides on how to stain concrete for free, which you can print out and have always on you while you are working on your concrete patio. You can also look for a patio acid staining video which will show you all the phases of the acid staining process.

Don’t be discouraged if you never did any paint work; despite the fact that acid staining has to be performed with great accuracy and care, it will be enough to follow instructions to correctly perform it and to achieve surprising results. Give a different tone to your concrete patio and don’t hesitate to do it yourself; when you will see your new concrete your work will be highly repaid.