Acid Staining Concrete: Why Not to Do It Yourself

For those homeowners who would like to tackle renovation and remodeling projects themselves, the important thing to keep in mind is that they need to identify which projects are best suited for a DIY approach, and which ones should be delegated to the professionals. In some cases, companies like ours, can leverage experience, technical knowledge, focused attention, and advanced equipment in order to ensure the best possible results.

Acid staining concrete is an example of a type of job that we have found to be better delegated to a professional company. It is a complex process that’s success depends on your ability to identify detailed characteristics about the concrete. Additionally, it absolutely can be cheaper to have your acid staining done professionally instead of trying to tackle the process yourself. If you would like to learn more about acid staining concrete, please get in touch with us via our Contact Page to learn more about staining concrete.

Acid Staining Concrete is a Complex Process

At first thought, it may sound easy to spray stain on a concrete floor. A homeowner might imagine that the process will be similar staining wood or applying paint. However, acid staining concrete is significantly more involved and complicated than that. After all, this stain is not simply a form of paint, dye, or other pigment-based coloring substance. Instead, we are talking about a solution that includes concentrations of acid. Even with specialized equipment, this process can involve 7 separate steps and the entire process can take from 5 to 7 days to complete. When you take specialized equipment and experience out of the equation, the acid staining could take much longer and the result may not be ideal.

While there are plenty of videos available online which claim to show how “easy” the process of acid staining concrete can be. The best advice that can be given about these sorts of things is to always take them with a grain of salt. Sometimes things that can look easy on video are much harder to manage in real life at home. You should also realize that often the people who upload these clips have more of an interest in selling a product than making sure you achieve the look that you want.

Acid Staining Concrete Depends on the State of the Cement

One thing that is not always mentioned about acid staining concrete is that much of the outcome is dependent on the condition of your concrete surface or slabs. The way that concrete turns out will be different from place to place, not just because of the difference in mineral content or ingredients and materials, but also because of what the concrete is subjected to or exposed to prior to staining. How was the cement mixed? What was the weather like when the concrete was poured? How did the surface get finished? How hard is the slab? How porous is it?

The relevant questions go on and on, and the answers to these will all have an effect on the final outcome. Classic Concrete Staining has extensive experience working with different kinds of concrete surfaces, and we apply this knowledge to every job that we do. Furthermore, as we have continued to build up our experience, we have also been developing and refining our procedures and techniques in order to better serve our clients.

Acid Staining Concrete can be Cheaper if Done by Professionals

An unfortunate thing that happens all too often is that a DIY-er can attempt acid staining concrete, but gets a less than desirable result. We often get calls from people who are unhappy with the results of their attempts, and have realized they need help. When we arrive, we see things such as splotchy colors, unsightly scratched or peeling sealer, or even strange orange coloring that is very far from what the surface was supposed to look like.

Many times the problems in acid staining concrete application can be traced to a lack of the specialized equipment needed to adequately prepare the chosen surface prior to staining it. Sometimes there is a problem with the technique used to apply the stain. In other cases, the stain is improperly finished and sealed.

Unfortunately, in most do it yourself attempted cases the best way to fix the problem is to simply do the job over again, from start to finish. Therefore, instead of saving money, the homeowner ends up spending the equivalent of two jobs or more. This type of thing really drives home the point that it can be much cheaper in the end to simply hire a professional to do the job, from the very beginning.

Contact Us Today – Acid Staining Concrete Is Our Specialty!

If you would like to avoid the potential need for a redo, get in touch with us via our Contact Page so that we can work together to evaluate your floor for proper diamond polished and stained concrete!