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What Is Concrete Staining?
Staining concrete is an excellent and affordable way to add character and beauty to your concrete surfaces. Stains can be used to produce fantastic colors and designs for both indoor and outdoor concrete surfaces.
Numerous patterns can be created using concrete stains. Continue reading as we go into detail on some of the more popular designs that are out there.
Before we go into what patterns are available, you should know what precisely concrete staining is. Concrete staining consists of applying a stain to the surface of your concrete that will seep into the concrete’s pores and color it, ranging from translucent to opaque, depending on the product. There are two types of concrete stains that you can use, acid- and water-based.
Acid-based Stains
Acid-based stains only come in earth tones, though they’re considered more long-lasting than water-based. The majority of acid stains are a blend of water, hydrochloric acid, and acid-soluble metallic salts.
This form of staining works by permeating the surface and reacting on a chemical level with the concrete. The acid in the stain gently etches the concrete, which lets the metallic salts seep into the surface easier. Once the stain reacts, it becomes a part of the concrete itself and will not fade or peel away.
Water-based Stains
If you’re looking for a more vibrant appearance for your concrete, consider using water-based stains. These concrete stains are available in a much wider variety of colors. Most water-based stains come in a myriad of standard colors, though some even come in metallic hues.
Water-based stains are usually a mix of acrylic polymers and colored pigments. The stain penetrates the surface of the concrete, similarly to acid-based stains, save for the chemical reaction that acid provides.
Popular Stained Concrete Patterns
Complementary Colors
If the interior decor for your space is mostly brown, then a tan, beige, chocolate, or even orange stain will complement your space beautifully. Brightly colored interior decor can be complemented as well. If your decor is orange, for instance, a blue stain will work wonderfully in your space.
Complementary colors are also important, aside from working with your decor. If you’re using two colors in your staining pattern, keep complementary colors in mind when choosing which colors to go with.
Solid Color Patterns
This style of staining isn’t nearly as bland as it sounds either. Going with one color can complement many design themes without taking away from the rest of the room. The looks that you can achieve with a solid color vary as well.
A single coat of stain that has been diluted can be applied to achieve a semi-translucent look to your concrete. You can also use two or three coats to the concrete to make a deeper, more robust look. This popular design idea is frequently seen on patios, driveways, and walkways.
Mottled Patterns
By diluting the stain and coating it multiple times in separate areas, you’ll obtain a look that almost appears both translucent and opaque. You can have many areas throughout the concrete that are all different shades of the same color.
Though mottled patterns are usually applied with one color, they can be made with multiple colors. Using more than one color to create a mottled pattern can create a stunning look that’s difficult to duplicate.
With a mottled pattern, your concrete will have waves and splashes of color throughout that creates a beautiful, elegant look to any space.
Tiled Patterns
This look is created by masking off the faux grout lines and staining the individual tile squares to the preferred color. These squares can be stained as light or dark as you prefer for your design.
A tiled pattern will give your floor the look of real tile without the hassle of cleaning grout lines in your floor. There’s no worry of discontinued tile styles either as all you need is the color stain that you want.
Decorative Stencil Patterns
Before staining, the shape or shapes you want on the floor will be masked off with a stencil. The remaining areas of the concrete can then be stained as you favor. After staining the most substantial part of the floor, the shapes will be unmasked and stained to the desired color.
Some popular shapes that home and business owners have stained onto their concrete are compass roses, company logos, and decorative floral patterns. When it comes to stenciling your stained concrete, the only limits are your own ideas.
Faux Floor Patterns
This pattern typically requires several different colors of stain and is one of the hardest designs to create. Though the end result is well worth the effort. Most concrete contractors have the tools and experience to handle this pattern, and the finished product looks strikingly similar to the real product that it’s mimicking.
A faux floor pattern can be achieved with smooth concrete and look amazing, but for the most realistic results, this pattern is best utilized with stamped concrete. When used in tandem with a stamped concrete surface, the finished product is nearly indistinguishable from the real thing!
Marbleized Patterns
The application for a marbleized pattern is somewhat similar to mottled designs. The stain will be applied in lighter and darker areas throughout the concrete. However, the application is slightly different from swirling the stain as it’s meant to make it look like genuine stone.
Scored Patterns
When the concrete is cut depends on the color choices for your concrete. If you’re choosing a single color for your concrete, the pattern will usually be cut after the concrete has been stained. If your pattern requires multiple colors, it’s typically better to score the concrete before staining it to provide a more crisp design.
This technique works well with tiled patterns and decorative shapes. Scoring the concrete will make any tiled pattern look almost identical to an original tiled floor. Most decorative designs that can be created with stenciling can be made with concrete scoring as well. This just depends on your preference of having cut lines or colored lines.
Wrapping Up
All of these stained concrete patterns ideas have different techniques and costs. It’s essential to keep complementary colors in mind when choosing your stain colors as well.
You have numerous patterns to choose from if you’re looking into having your indoor or outdoor concrete stained. The designs we’ve discussed earlier are some of the most popular among both home and business owners. You should have all the info you need to move forward with your concrete staining project, so we wish you the best of luck!
