Concrete staining for your home
New face of design with concrete used to bring colour and pattern to surfaces
Concrete has traditionally been held in pride of place as the ultimate in building and practicality, however a new face of concreting has emerged which is leading the material to be used as a design feature.
Concreters are now being asked more than ever about concrete staining as more people opt for this look in many of their household areas, previously dominated by boring grey concrete slabs. Concrete staining has proven particularly popular for driveways and outdoor areas that may have previously been limited in what colour and design look could be achieved. Although, those customers looking to achieve a clean modernist feel have begun exploring concrete staining for interior areas with the inexpensive and versatile nature of the finished product making concrete staining an attractive option.
Concrete staining is actually the process of acid staining and it is not really a staining process at all, more of a chemical reaction between the acid stain and the cement in the concrete. This means that it can occur after the concrete is already set, unlike adding colour pigment to wet concrete.
The types of patterns and effects that can be stained onto a concrete surface are almost endless with the application tools ranging from mops, brushes, rollers and sprayers. From these different tools, different final effects can be achieved depending on what is desired, such as a smooth flat colour or a pattern. In fact, there is even a move towards concrete being used as a surface option within kitchen and bathroom areas due to the patterning options available through concrete staining while also being less expensive and more durable than most tiling or stone alternatives.
While concrete staining is an attractive option from a home design standpoint, it is also an ideal option for covering any areas that may have a build up of marks and stains such as a garage with substances such as rust and oil can be covered with a concrete stain.
Additionally, concrete staining can be a DIY job with at-home concrete staining kits available at most hardware stores. Although it should be noted that these are smaller in size and are better suited for smaller areas of concrete.
Overall the benefit of concrete staining is that it is a far cheaper alternative than most other indoor and outdoor surface coverings or design options while having long lasting durability. Due to the nature of concrete itself, stained concrete won’t fade, break, scratch or require top-ups or replacement. Of course, as a negative to this durability, the colour cannot be changed once it is applied as it is a stain that will mix in within the concrete.
