Product Brochure

12
Non-acid Stains
Non-acid stains treat concrete dierently than an
acid stain. Instead of altering the structure of the
concrete, non-acid stains create a layer over the
concrete surface, lling pores and leaving behind a
at, smooth nish.
STAINING STEPS
In order to stain concrete, the concrete must be
cured to its proper strength. This can take up to 48
hours (which feels more like forever than it actually
is), but with concrete curing products this me can
be nearly cut in half. Powerblanket’s Concrete Cur-
ing Blanket helps keep concrete at stable tempera-
tures above 50°F, making cure me 2.8 mes faster
than open air curing. This is especially helpful when
staining concrete in places where temperatures are
variable or close to freezing. Make sure your con-
crete creaon cures correctly. Once the concrete is
cured, you can move on to the staining process.
According to industry experts, the best way to stain
concrete is as follows:
Thoroughly Clean and Prepare Concrete
• Begin washing down the concrete surface.
You won’t want any food crumbs or shoe scu
marks to get in the way of the stain, so make
sure to give it a good scrub down
• Remove any layers of glue, sealers or curing
membranes that might prevent the stain from
contacng the concrete
• Apply a concrete acid cleanser to the project
surface to ensure the concrete is as porous as
possible. Once it has dried, rinse the concrete
with water
Apply Concrete Stain
Aer the concrete is no longer wet from rinsing,
use a brush to spread the stain across the project
surface. If it’s a puddle you can splash in (don’t), it’s
too thick. If it disappears right aer applying it (i.e.
it absorbed into the concrete), you need more.
Once your inial layer is down, allow 24 hours of
drying before doing another layer of stain, even if
it’s the same color of stain.
Most stains have diculty drying in cold tempera-
tures. If a concrete staining project must happen
in the dead of winter, a Concrete Curing Blanket
can save the day, allowing the stain to dry within a
controlled environment.
Every modern home uses concrete in
one way or another...and its use has
revolutionized America’s infrastructure
Civil + Structural Engineer Magazine