I need some recommendations on what to use for restaining concrete steps
on our breeze way. The stain on them now is getting worn and I'd like to
clean them up and restain them. It's in a covered area but it is a high
traffic because it's basically the main way we enter/leave the house.

Does anyone have some ideas on not only restaining the steps but also on
how to remove the old stain from them?

Question:
I applied a concrete stain to a large 8-year-old concrete patio in Reno,
Nevada€”an area subject to somewhat extreme temperature variations. I
initially washed the patio with a mix of muriatic acid and water to
clean it. I hosed it off, waited a day or so, and applied the stain with
a sprayer, following the manufacturer's directions. Two years later, the
patio now has areas of peeling. I would like to re-stain the whole patio
again to make the color more uniform. I have heard that if you have
washed a patio with muriatic acid, you cannot acid stain it. I am trying
to find an expert who can tell me how to properly prep the surface,
apply the stain and protect it. The stain I initially used was an acrylic.

Answer:
The product you used€”a tinted acrylic stain€”is not an acid-based
concrete stain. It is a translucent concrete paint and is topical, which
means it forms a colored coating on the surface of the concrete that
will wear over time if not maintained. The surface preparation for these
types of stains usually requires acid etching to open the surface to
allow the acrylic to adhere to the concrete. But once concrete has been
acid etched, the ability of a true acid stain to take is diminished. You
will need to do a test to see how the acid stain takes to get a true
indication of color and effect.

As far as your particular situation, you should strip off the remaining
acrylic stain and clean the surface with soap and water and a clean
water rinse. After the area dries, apply the stain, following the
directions provided by the stain manufacturer. If you're concerned an
acid stain won't take, you may want to reapply the same acrylic stain
after cleaning the surface. No matter the stain you use, protecting it
with a sealer and proper sealer maintenance will be key to keeping the
stain looking good. In your area, plan on resealing every 12 to 16 months.

On Wed, 03 Sep 2014 22:48:24 -0400, ng_reader wrote:

Question:
I applied a concrete stain to a large 8-year-old concrete patio in Reno,
Nevada€”an area subject to somewhat extreme temperature variations. I
initially washed the patio with a mix of muriatic acid and water to
clean it. I hosed it off, waited a day or so, and applied the stain with
a sprayer, following the manufacturer's directions. Two years later, the
patio now has areas of peeling. I would like to re-stain the whole patio
again to make the color more uniform. I have heard that if you have
washed a patio with muriatic acid, you cannot acid stain it. I am trying
to find an expert who can tell me how to properly prep the surface,
apply the stain and protect it. The stain I initially used was an
acrylic.

Answer:
The product you used€”a tinted acrylic stain€”is not an acid-based
concrete stain. It is a translucent concrete paint and is topical, which
means it forms a colored coating on the surface of the concrete that
will wear over time if not maintained. The surface preparation for these
types of stains usually requires acid etching to open the surface to
allow the acrylic to adhere to the concrete. But once concrete has been
acid etched, the ability of a true acid stain to take is diminished. You
will need to do a test to see how the acid stain takes to get a true
indication of color and effect.

As far as your particular situation, you should strip off the remaining
acrylic stain and clean the surface with soap and water and a clean
water rinse. After the area dries, apply the stain, following the
directions provided by the stain manufacturer. If you're concerned an
acid stain won't take, you may want to reapply the same acrylic stain
after cleaning the surface. No matter the stain you use, protecting it
with a sealer and proper sealer maintenance will be key to keeping the
stain looking good. In your area, plan on resealing every 12 to 16
months.

Thanks ng for the response but I see this is for Nevada on an open patio.
My climate here in Illinois is much different than that and like I already
mentioned this is in an enclosed breeze way that connects the back door of
the house to the garage.
I'm wondering if the instructions you posted would apply to my situation?

On Wednesday, September 3, 2014 11:24:24 PM UTC-4, wg_2002 wrote:
On Wed, 03 Sep 2014 22:48:24 -0400, ng_reader wrote:



Question:

I applied a concrete stain to a large 8-year-old concrete patio in Reno,

Nevada--an area subject to somewhat extreme temperature variations. I

initially washed the patio with a mix of muriatic acid and water to

clean it. I hosed it off, waited a day or so, and applied the stain with

a sprayer, following the manufacturer's directions. Two years later, the

patio now has areas of peeling. I would like to re-stain the whole patio

again to make the color more uniform. I have heard that if you have

washed a patio with muriatic acid, you cannot acid stain it. I am trying

to find an expert who can tell me how to properly prep the surface,

apply the stain and protect it. The stain I initially used was an

acrylic.



Answer:

The product you used--a tinted acrylic stain--is not an acid-based

concrete stain. It is a translucent concrete paint and is topical, which

means it forms a colored coating on the surface of the concrete that

will wear over time if not maintained. The surface preparation for these

types of stains usually requires acid etching to open the surface to

allow the acrylic to adhere to the concrete. But once concrete has been

acid etched, the ability of a true acid stain to take is diminished. You

will need to do a test to see how the acid stain takes to get a true

indication of color and effect.



As far as your particular situation, you should strip off the remaining

acrylic stain and clean the surface with soap and water and a clean

water rinse. After the area dries, apply the stain, following the

directions provided by the stain manufacturer. If you're concerned an

acid stain won't take, you may want to reapply the same acrylic stain

after cleaning the surface. No matter the stain you use, protecting it

with a sealer and proper sealer maintenance will be key to keeping the

stain looking good. In your area, plan on resealing every 12 to 16

months.



Thanks ng for the response but I see this is for Nevada on an open patio.

My climate here in Illinois is much different than that and like I already

mentioned this is in an enclosed breeze way that connects the back door of

the house to the garage.

I'm wondering if the instructions you posted would apply to my situation?


I think the answer is more specific to what is currently on the steps?
Concrete can be stained when it's wet by mixing in coloring, then applying
more coloring on top, ie stamped concrete, or it can be stained with a
variety of products designed for cured concrete. Also, what some call "stain"
is actually more of a paint product, instead of being absorbed, it forms
a film.

Thanks ng for the response but I see this is for Nevada on an open patio.

My climate here in Illinois is much different than that and like I already

mentioned this is in an enclosed breeze way that connects the back door of

the house to the garage.

I'm wondering if the instructions you posted would apply to my situation?


I think the answer is more specific to what is currently on the steps?
Concrete can be stained when it's wet by mixing in coloring, then applying
more coloring on top, ie stamped concrete, or it can be stained with a
variety of products designed for cured concrete. Also, what some call "stain"
is actually more of a paint product, instead of being absorbed, it forms
a film.


If it peels, it ain't stain.

On Thu, 04 Sep 2014 08:24:48 -0400, Norminn
wrote:

Also, what some call "stain"
is actually more of a paint product, instead of being absorbed, it forms
a film.


If it peels, it ain't stain.

+1

Concrete stains I've seen applied are liquid dyes. This is a surface
coloring, which does wear off in traffic areas.

Powered dyes can be added to cement when mixing and then poured into
forms. This type is often stamped with large rubber pads to give
design and texture. The color is throughout the concrete.

OP: (have a look)

http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/how-to-add-acid-stain-to-a-concrete-floor/index.html

Thanks for all the help guys much appreciated. I'm not sure how the
previous owner stained the steps so it looks like I'll have to do a
little more research.
I didn't even know where to start so your links/posts gave a place to
start.

On Sun, 07 Sep 2014 00:47:30 GMT, wrote:

Thanks for all the help guys much appreciated. I'm not sure how the
previous owner stained the steps so it looks like I'll have to do a
little more research.
I didn't even know where to start so your links/posts gave a place to
start.

Maybe post a photo on a free hosting site with a URL link back here.