Before doing your entire job, do a test on a small out of the way area first. To ensure not only that you like the color and look, but also proper compatibility with your particular slab of concrete. Many times you can have a contaminant on the concrete that is not visible to the eye. Also, most acid stains will not work once concrete has been acid washed, only a couple brands exist that are capable of staining an acid washed slab, so avoid acid washing and/or acid etching the concrete.
The stain will dry faster than water. For maximum reaction though, you should allow the stain to dry overnight to 24 hours. The longer it dries the darker it will be. The sooner you wash it off the lighter it will be.
Be sure to work from wet edge to wet edge.
Disregard the color of the stain in the bottle, it is nothing like it will be once the staining concrete is complete.
Disregard the color of the stain when it is applied to the concrete and while it is drying. You will not know the true color until it has completely dried and the residue has been washed off.
When mixing or diluting acid stain, use water. Use equal and easy to measure parts in your measurements, to help ensure you keep the color constant from bottle to bottle.
When mixing and diluting acid stain, it is important to add very small amounts of muriatic acid to maintain the acidic strength.
When dealing with an extrememly tight slab that has a mirror like finish, you will most likely have to do an extra coat to get the stain to take as the acid in the first coat opens the pores, allowing the following coat(s) to take. Alternatively, you can use a floor buffing machine with scrubbing pads to scrub down and help open the pores.
When doing more than one coat, there is no need to remove the residue between coats. Just be sure the first coat is dry. Walking on wet stain will leave footprints.
When doing more than one coat, it's ok to brush the first coat, but it's better to spray only, after the first coat to help hide any potential brush marks.
When pulling up carpet, removing any tack strips along the edge may potentially cause areas that need to be patched if the concrete breaks where the nails were. You can score or tape a border around the edge of the walls so you can then stain the border a darker color, or do more coats on the border than the center. This will help alot in hiding any patch work. Any glues must be completely stripped and sanded.
Don't forget to maintain a clean entry/exit point, adequate ventilation, and a safe working environment.
How to stain concrete with Fiestaflage Standard grade acid stains.
- Apply 1st coat and allow to dry completely. (1-2 hours usually)
- Apply 2nd coat and allow to dry completely. (Overnight - 24 hrs.)
- Wash off Residue which forms and allow to dry completely.
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Seal if appropriate.
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Wax if Indoors.
