Concrete floors can be treated with concrete stains or concrete paints.
Concrete floor stain vs dye.
Rather than coating the floor in one entire color concrete stains create a pigmented marbled effect.
Floor and concrete stains are usually easier to apply than paints but they require more frequent reapplication to keep looking fresh.
Eagle acid stains create marbled variations of color eagle acid stains create marbled variations of color on cured concrete by chemical reaction with the minerals in the concrete.
Concrete surfaces are dull and gray but they don t have to remain this way.
Dyes are much smaller in particle size than chemical stains or acrylic stains thus allowing for easier penetration and.
Stains can be applied quickly and offer color options but do not protect the concrete.
Concrete stains are a suspension of color pigments.
Use caution when applying.
The color of stains and dyes is quite different once it is applied on concrete.
Water based stainsmost water based stains are more of a paint designed to bond to concrete and like paint they come in a broad range of colors.
However it might take a reddish brown color after reacting with the concrete.
The below concrete stain colors were achieved with surecrete s eco stain a water based semi transparent concrete stain floor concrete color these colors of stain are applied on gray concrete with stain applied at full strength no dilution with two applications and is sealed with a penetrating color enhancing sealer.
This is similar to paints but the stain pigments must be smaller to penetrate into the concrete instead of staying on the surface or they would wear or wash off.
As with floor paints there are two primary types of floor stains from which to choose.
Every concrete floor will react with its own unique pattern.
The best choice.
This leads to a mottled or variegated finish.
Stains tend to etch concrete s surface instead of penetrating.
However they are a surface coating only because the particles tend to be too large to absorb into the concrete.
Once sealed with clear sealer your floor will pop with an elegant look.
The development of synthetic dyes has widely increased the array of colors for decorating concrete flooring walls and structures.
Buy concrete stains or concrete dyes.
For example a stain may appear dark green when you buy it from the shop.
Acid based and water based stains.
Color can be added to concrete with the use of concrete stains or dyes.
Dyes are different from stains in that they contain very fine color pigments along the lines of an ink solution that can easily breach into the tight construction of concrete.
Epoxy can add shine.
Paint covers and protects the concrete but requires more work.
Concrete stains are typically water based and have none or a low voc content.
As an artist i like how water based stains give you a longer working time than with dyes which gives you greater control over color.