Applying Stain
Step two - applying stain.
Caution:
Completely cover and saturate the concrete well, but not so much as to cause it to puddle. Work in sections, from wet edge to wet edge. Do Not Walk in wet stain as it will cause footprints. Work your way back and out. Ensure you have a towel or a place to remove your shoes when leaving the project area to prevent accidental tracking onto unintended areas.
If you choose to brush the stain, such as for borders or multiple colors, be sure to use a soft bristle brush, in a circular motion, to avoid back and forth straight line brush marks.
If you intend to brush the overall area during staining, then it will need a second sprayed only coat to help hide any brush marks. You should only brush the first coat and then spray a second coat. You can either back spray as you go, or you can allow it to dry and spray a second coat.
Pro Tip:
You
can do highlight coats with the same or a darker color, by holding the
sprayer wand higher up and raising and lowering the wand as you go, or
by just misting. When
doing multiple coats or highlighting, there is no need to wash the
residue between coats, just allow it to completely dry before walking
out and applying more.
When doing old and new concrete sections together, stain it all and then do additional coats on the lighter sections to help blend them in with the darker sections.
Allow the Stain to Dry and Sit up to 24 Hours
While you can leave the stain on longer than 24 hours if you need to, it's pretty much reached maximum reaction at 24 hrs.
The stain reacts with the concrete during this time to achieve the final color it will become, and a light powder residue forms. Some colors have more residue than others. The stain needs to sit dry for at least a few hours before neutralizing and rinsing. The longer the stain sits, the darker and richer the color becomes.
Important Tip:
Riverstone and Weathered Wood has the best chance of achieving lighter grays when neutralized and rinsed after only 3 or 4 hours, where the other colors do best when allowed to sit overnight or longer.