Combination of acid stains and dyes, laid out with specialty pin striping tape on white concrete.

Concrete Polishing

In my first column I had the opportunity to discuss how to produce a proper “scratch pattern.” In this issue I will focus on producing graphics which can either highlight your polished concrete or become the focus of your floor.

Graphic design can be produced before or after the full curing of the slab, utilizing saw cuts, specialty tape, stamping or stenciling. In this article we will focus on the methods used following a full cure, in conjunction with acid stains and acetone-based dyes. These stains and dyes can be applied to gray, white and integrally colored concrete.

You will note the conspicuous absence of overlays. To date no overlay works with a densifier to allow the creation of a long-wearing, densified polished floor. The polymers that provide for the flexion and flowability of a self-leveling overlay interfere with the cement and densifier. If you require a self-leveling overlay you will be forced to utilize a topical sealer to protect your work.

Why do acid stains, and more recently some dyes, work with a densifier without requiring a sacrificial sealer? When you read an acid stain manufacturer’s disclaimer, it will state that their product will last as long as the wear surface to which it is applied.