Staining & Coloring Concrete

Take an older home on the beach in need of radical change. Add a designer and a concrete contractor, both of whom are comfortable thinking outside the box. Give them carte blanche and as much time as they need. Allow their creative juices to simmer. What do you get? 

Contractors, subcontractors and suppliers can sometimes be put in adversarial roles. Because of the low-bid mentality that still dominates most construction sectors in the United States, trust is not always what it should be.

The decorative surface was going to be troweled and stained. But after Brock was hired, he made another suggestion: a stamping job instead, using the Coquina Stone With Sea Shells feathered texture mat from Proline Stamps. Impressions of shells, sea horses and assorted sea life would improve traction and complement the seaside setting.

In fact, it was recommended that we avoid promoting this product and, if we had to sell it, that the variegated results should be disguised by buffing with a colored wax.

The techniques featured in this beloved annual feature may give you the look you’re after for finishing that one job. Or, they may provide the spark you need to come up with something new.

Wisconsin is not exactly the epicenter of the decorative concrete universe, but this determined contractor is making a splash with his beautiful work.

At the seventh annual Concrete Decor Show in San Diego, California, world-class instructors and eager students from around the globe joined their talents and enthusiasm to breathe new life into the outdoor surroundings of the Bannister Family House, which provides a home-like environment for people with family members in long-term at the nearby hospital.

A concrete contractor working with acid stain enjoys the challenge of layering colors when there is only one shot at the job and a limited color palette. Learn how to achieve more color variations than clients expect.

Does the use of admixtures change the intensity of integral color?

SoyCrete is also used in vertical applications, as seen on this exterior wall.

Some say avoid this combination altogether. But others say it can be done well — as long as contractors are aware of potential pitfalls.

In the previous two articles, I discussed my bread-and-butter designs. I probably do one of those designs every other week and sometimes twice a week. They’re quick and easy once you become familiar with them. Practice drawing them on your warehouse floor a couple of times until you get used to the routine.

Today’s contractors who love the look of acid stains but loathe the labor and time required to get the job done have more ways than ever before to bypass the troublesome application using safer-for-all water routes.

On their own or combined with acid stains, dyes offer color options that allow the imagination to soar. Plus, they can be a lifesaver when your acid staining job goes south.

It’s more dainty, more elegant, like between silk and cloth with hard-eners. The grays and browns last forever. He also likes to sprinkle color on top of the concrete with a brush to create freckles, just like real stones offer. 

From presale to reseal, educating customers in how to maintain their decorative concrete is a lengthy process.

Longtime artist and acid stain master Gaye Goodman, 66, wasn’t always a guru of colored concrete.

She spent the early part of her career creating batiks and abstract paintings. Forms found in nature often served as her inspiration. She finally landed in the decorative concrete industry and truly blossomed.

Over the last few months I’ve had multiple projects with issues related to color. I feel it will benefit Concrete Decorreaders to understand the process for corrections as well as some simple tips and tricks for achieving desired results.

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