Soy: An Alternative
to Acid Stain
A manufacturer of eco-friendly products has created a soy-based concrete stain that represents more than just the opportunity to market a green building product.
by Mike Dawson
The penetrating stain offers the simplicity of acrylic topcoats with performance that is closer to acid etching. SoyCrete is an acid-free, non-toxic stain for interior and exterior porous surfaces such as concrete, brick, stucco, fiber cement and natural stone. It has been certified by major national and international programs such as the U.S. Green Building Council. It qualifies because it contains no acids, it does not react with surfaces, and it is VOC-free.
This gives it characteristics more similar to acid-etched colorizing, which does not leave a surface that can be removed by wear or damage. "There is nothing topical to remove. It is all subsurface," Bennett says.
Like any topical coating, stains require a properly profiled concrete surface. If the surface isn't mechanically and chemically ready to receive, the coating is likely to fail, says Chuck Brunner of Smith Paint Products.
He said the product is essentially made up of three components. The first is the soy-based soy ester, which is an oil. The second is modified acrylic latex. The third is a vegetable-based pigment.
Companies referenced in this article:
The Stamp Store
Kemiko Concrete Products
Smith Paint Products
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