Tired of looking at your “Plain Jane” driveway or patio? By upgrading to a stained concrete driveway or patio will improve the overall look of your home. In fact, concrete stains can improve the look of all concrete items, including driveways and concrete buildings.
Acrylic, polymer and acid based stains are the most common methods. Acrylic and polymer satins work simply by seeping into the porous surface of concrete. Acrylic stains are waterborne and have pigments that seep into the pores and adhere to the concrete, therefore creating a more consistent, semi-translucent color like that of a dye. Acrylic stains will help mask imperfections whereas acid stains actually accentuate them.
Giving a concrete patio or driveway surface a permanent color will help prevent peeling, cracking, fading or becoming dull. Homeowners are increasingly learning how to stain concrete to help improve the look of their homes.
> The look you want will determine the type of stain you will need to choose in order to achieve the look.
- Acrylic stains are great for old concrete because of its increased porosity over time. If repairs need to be made such as patching pop outs or scaling, then acrylics may be the better choice to help disguise those repairs.
- Acid stains work well with newer concrete because of the availability of free lime. For smooth, trowelled interior surfaces with less porosity, acid stains are u usually better because they don’t require as much penetration to color the concrete.
Although concrete driveways or patios are not our forte, we can provide custom plants to get you there. We love all things concrete and love seeing many innovative uses! Contact Standley Batch at (800) 325-8084 or www.standleybatch.com.
