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The look of this floor was achieved by using a diluted
batch of Kemiko Malay Tan stain, along with a bit of
Cola stain and diluted black accents. It was finished
with a clear sealer.
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| This concrete was covered with SureCrete microtop ping,
then stained with a mix of two or three diluted Eco-Stain
colors. The floor was then sealed with Dura-Kote 100, a
100 percent epoxy sealer. |
It's the varying amounts of calcium hydroxide that cause
the mottling and marbling variegation in the translucent
acid- stain pattern, Sullivan says. "That's why every
job is different - because every piece of concrete is different."
"There are ways to alter the final color, to make it
lighter or darker, by changing the initial (amount) of water
in the stain:' says Barbara Sargent, representing Kemiko
Concrete Products. You also can adjust the amount you spray
to achieve different looks and tones, she adds.
Still, in the end, some factors about acid staining remain
constant, says Shellie Rigsby, owner of Acanthus Inc. in
Plano, Texas. "Acid stains can be manipulated but not
controlled. They can be anticipated but not guaranteed."
Safety and other concerns
With acid stain - also called reactive, chemical or penetrating
stains - customer expectation is a big hurdle to clear, Rigsby
emphasizes. "You can give customers a sample board,
but they've got to realize acid stains won' t reproduce exactly
as seen."
Temperature and humidity affect color development, says
Thorne. If you apply the same color on the same slab at different
substrate temperatures, say one at 45 F and the other at
70 F, the resulting colors will differ. "If you have
low humidity, the water in the acid stain will evaporate
at a faster rate and not allow the full chemical reaction
to take place," he explains.
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