Anyone use concrete stain on patio?

carefer

I have been looking at staining and sealing my back patio concrete. I wish we would've stained & stamped it when it was poured, but I left the details to my husband to coordinate with the contractor...apparently guys don't care about details, lol. Not sure if I should use acid or water based?

Any tips or tricks on applying, or products to use or not to use? I could use all the help you ladies can give me!

Thanks!

 

FoxinFiji

No I've never done it but the color that is added to the concrete when it is mixed is supposed to me much better than the stain added on top.  I've heard the stain wears away pretty easily.  Do you live in a snowy climate?  If you ever put salt down on that patio the coloring will become blotchy and eventually disappear. 

jessicaclare

If you stain it, you'll probably have to restain it at some point. It can also be difficult to get an even finish if you haven't done it before. If you are really set on doing it yourself, make sure you apply a good sealer on top of it and reseal it every 1-2 years.

You could talk to the contractor or a local concrete supplier about doing an overlay on the patio. They can do certain stamps and finishes on those.

Also, just in reference to the salt comment from the above poster, you really shouldn't ever use salt on concrete, unless you want it to pop and chip. My dad and husband are both masons (my dad owns a masonry company) and this is a HUGE annoyance for us when we have people that poured a driveway last year, salted the crap out of  (even though we very specifically tell them not to) and then want it redone when its popping all over the place.

carefer

Thanks for the info ladies! I'm in California, so no snow/salt.