Best Concrete Stain – Reviews and Buyer’s Guide

Also referred to as a sealer, concrete stain is used to extend the lifespan or restore the aesthetic value of concrete surfaces. This means that picking the best concrete stain and a proper preparation of the concrete surface will ensure you get the best results.

With the many brands of concrete stains in the market, finding the best concrete stain for your surface can be a challenge. With the right guidance, however, you can be sure to get one that is perfect for your concrete surface. In this review, we show you how to pick the right stain for your surface.

Best Concrete Stain in March, 2019

1. VIVID Acid Stain Walnut – Best All-round Stain

This acid-based stain from Concrete Coatings is manufactured specially for those who want a total transformation of their concrete surfaces. This is because it colors the concrete surface to bring out an elegant and variegated outlook. Once it dries up, you can be contented that you have the best concrete surface in your neighborhood.

The colors produced in each part of the concrete surface are distinctive with multi-colored intensities and are captivated into becoming a permanent part of your concrete surface. In fact, the VIVID Acid Stain can make over your ordinary concrete surface into an opulent look of marble or granite. Due to the nature of acid-based stains, however, color is not guaranteed.

If you are looking forward to transforming your concrete surface with an excellent stain, then the VIVID Acid Stain might be your best choice.

2. Kemiko Stone Tone Concrete Stain (Garden Gold) – Best Concrete Acid Stain

This single component reactive stain endeavors to change an ordinary concrete surface into an elegant surface with marble or glazed resemblance. This stain can be ideal if you want a luxurious looking floor. As an acid-based concrete stain, it provides a decorative and a low-maintenance concrete floor finish.

This stain is ideal for areas such as walkways, driveways, patios, a dining area, and a rock work among other interior and exterior concrete surfaces that you desire to transform into a high-quality yet cost-effective color to improve your floor outlook.

To apply it, you can use a stiff or medium bristle brush even though a plastic garden sprayer is the best method of applying the stain on your concrete floor. Owing to the chemical make-up of this stain, it is advisable to clean and rinse any acidic stain on the concrete surface before application.

After the application, the stain will effectively react with the minerals present in the cemented floor to produce the natural feel and look of the floor or stone. Each of the concrete surfaces, however, absorbs the stain in different degrees of intensity to create spectacular, multi-hued color variations that make even the uneven surfaces to appear flawlessly aged. Regardless of what you are working on, the Stone Tone Stains blends in to improve any setting.

We recommend this Stone Tone Stain to people looking to stain a variety of surfaces in their homes to bring out a luxurious look both in the interior and exterior surfaces of their home.

3. VIVID Acid Stain Coffee – Best Stain for Driveways and Garage Floor

This is a yet another great acid stain for Concrete surfaces because it is capable of bringing out the natural variegated appearance of a concrete surface. If you are planning to transform your driveway but do not know which stain to use, this one might be the best option for you. This VIVID Acid Stain features a high-quality formulation that delivers an average penetration to bond with the minerals in the concrete, thus making the stain strong and durable. The efficient penetration also makes the stain to blend effectively so that it doesn’t chip, fade, or peel off after sometimes.

As the best stain for driveways, it penetrates the concrete surface at varying degrees of intensity to produce equally unique colors while evenly blending to become a permanent part of your driveways and pool decks. It actually produces unique colors that are also striking to the concrete slabs.

4. VIVID Acid Stain Mahogany – Best Easy to Use

This VIVID Acid Stain -1 Gal – Mahogany from Concrete Coating is manufactured to deliver the best-variegated color to concrete surfaces. If you fancy a luxurious mahogany outlook on your patio and other concrete surfaces around and inside your home, look no further than this acidic stain. It is formulated to penetrate the top layer of your concrete to strongly bond with the minerals inside the concrete in order to bring out not only a durable color for your surface but also an excellent variegated appearance. The strong binding with the concrete components makes it difficult to crack, chip, or peel even when exposed to extreme conditions.

5. Acid Stain DIY Kit – Best DIY Stain

If you intend to stain your concrete all by yourself, then Acid Stain DIY Kit is the perfect choice for you. This Acid Stain comes with a kit aimed at providing the customer with the requisite instructions and products necessary for completing an excellent stain application. The kit comes with an EnduraColor Reactive Concrete Stain, cleaner, sealer, neutralizer, and complete instructions for acid staining. As a result, you don’t have to hire a painter to get the staining done. With it, you can save the money you could otherwise have used to hire a professional.

In order to have a proper application exercise, it is advisable to use a surface conditioner or coating stripper. First, ensure the concrete surface is cleaned well with cleaners or a degreaser and then rinse it with a neutralizer. Make sure all the acidic and chemical stains are removed before application.

We recommend this kit to people who love the experience and satisfaction of staining their homes all by themselves.

6. Concrete Stain Concentrate Just Add Water, Charcoal – Best Water Based Concrete Stain

This concrete stain is designed and manufactured for people who want to make dazzling concrete surfaces in the shortest and easiest manner. It is a water-based stain that is formulated with quality and fresh ingredients that are ideal for concrete floors, pool decks, driveways, patios, and any other concrete surface you intend to make stunning.

In order to have the best and durable results, it is advisable to thoroughly clean the concrete surface. This is because cleaning the surface opens up pores for easy penetration and for stronger binding with the concrete elements. Since this is a water-based stain, there is no need to clean up after application. This is because it leaves no residue or chemicals that will necessitate a clean-up. The stain can also be ideal for wood staining, statuary painting, art and craft, and faux finishes.

We recommend the stain to people who want a great water-based stain for their concrete floors and surfaces.

7. Concrete Acid Stain Brown Mosaic – Best Concrete Stain for Patio and Pool Deck

If you are looking for a stain that is formulated specifically for professional use, then Concrete Acid Stain | Brown Mosaic is ideal for you. This professional grade product is manufactured for use on both exterior and interior concrete surfaces.

Since this is an acid stain, it provides you with a stronger bonding with the concrete elements even on the toughest surface condition. The strong binding makes the stain permanent, thus giving your surface a durable, marvelous, and stunning outlook.

It comes with detailed application instructions for easy application process while aiming to achieve the best staining outcome. Just like other acid-based stains, it also requires thorough cleaning of the concrete surface before application. After application, proper flushing of the residue is important in order to remain with a clean concrete surface.

If you are a professional stainer, then we recommend using this concrete acid stain for your projects.

Buyer’s Guide

Getting the best concrete stain is the first step toward making a decorative outlook on any concrete surface. In the market, you will find all manner of concrete stains. This means that you will find poor concrete stains that offer a thin layer and great concrete stains that provide the change you desired on your concrete surface.

By knowing quality-controlling factors, you will be able to identify the best stains that will change the outlook of your concrete surface once and for all. In this regard, here are the factors to consider when shopping for the best stain.

Formulation

The type of formulation is possibly the first thing you ought to consider. Go for the solvent as well as the acid-based formulations since they are the ones that provide the quality and strength of stickiness with the concrete surface. It is also worth noting that water-based concrete stains are also great even though they are not as powerful as the acid-based stains.

Penetration

A more penetrating concrete stain is able to reach deep into the concrete pores to make an even greater bonding. However, excess stain penetration increases the cost of application. As a result, make sure the penetration that occurs is just enough to provide the desired colors.

Color Density

The color density of the stain you intend to buy is also an important consideration. Achieving a good and dense color for your surface is one of the most important things during application. The color density is responsible for either producing a decent or a poor appearance depending on the concrete surface condition and whether the application process is efficient enough.

Toxic Ingredients

Concrete stains certainly have various toxic compounds. However, it is worth noting that acid-based concrete stains come with more toxins. If you wish to buy an acid-based stain, therefore, it is important that you apply and store it with extra care. Water-based stains, on the other hand, are non-toxic thus very safe to use.

Application

The ease of application is also an important aspect that you should consider when buying a concrete stain. Although the application process of concrete stains seems to be similar for all products, you may consider choosing a stain that needs the least preparation procedure prior to application. Moreover, make sure to check the compatibility of the stain you intend to buy over the concrete materials you intend to apply it on.

Is it a new concrete surface or old one, is it contaminated with grease and dirt, or does it have patches? Those are some of the questions you ought to ask yourself before spending money on a particular stain.

Dilution

How easy is it to dilute the stain? Some products like acid-based stains come ready for use while others like water-based stains need to be combined with other components like base resin and pigment. Stains may require to be diluted with muriatic acid or water, especially if you intend to lighten the tone as opposed to using the stain in its full strength. Whatever dilution product you use, however, it is important to stir or shake it well before application to ensure the pigment is evenly distributed.

How long is the drying time?

The drying time is an important consideration since it determines how you plan your projects. If the drying time is long, you might need to start with the sections that you need to open for use as soon as possible. In most cases, the chemical stains take the longest time to dry because they have to give the stain more time to react. The stain residue is then rinsed so that the surface is allowed to dry before applying a sealer. On the other hand, water-based stains take a shorter time to dry and no rinsing is needed.

How much cleaning is needed?

You also need to consider how much cleanup is required after application. Acid-based stains require a thorough cleaning after application in order to neutralize the surface and to remove any stain residue that might be there. As a result, you also need to buy a neutralizing solution to clean the surface before rinsing it with clean water. The extra requirements might prove a bit expensive. Moreover, high precaution is required when cleaning because acid-based stains contain toxic elements.

On the other hand, water-based stains don’t need any neutralizing solution when cleaning, which makes its cleaning simple and easy. Simply clean the surface using mild soap and water. In fact, there is no need of cleaning a concrete surface after using a water-based stain since the stain is absorbed into the surface effectively. As you can see, the extent of cleaning is dependent on which type of stain you use.

Conclusion

Although concrete stains enhance the appearance and maintain your concrete surface, they might also come with health risks, especially if you are using the acid-base stains that contain toxic compounds. The best concrete stain will also have an easy application procedure.

Even though all the listed stains are top rated and reasonably priced, the right one for your needs will depend on your preference or professional requirement. With the right concrete stain, you will definitely achieve the outlook you want for your concrete surface.

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