Berry Stain Removal Instructions
Concrete Stain And Sealer Patio Makeover
A few weeks ago we decided to restore the concrete stain and sealer on our stamped concrete patio. The acid stain was faded, there was a grid work of rust stains from a long-since removed hot-tub, and discoloration from planters were everywhere. It was high-time this stamped concrete patio received a facelift.
We live in San Franciscos East Bay community of Martinez, CA, where the intense summer sun takes a toll on decorative concrete stain colors. Maintaining concrete patios, pool decks, and driveways with a professional-grade concrete sealer ensures they stay as beautiful as the day they were poured. Unfortunately our patio and pool deck concrete had been so poorly maintained it would need more than a fresh application of concrete sealer wed need to perform a full restoration. This weekend challenge was to restore the 12 year old acid stained and stamped concrete to its original condition in two days. Like most of our home improvement projects we had a deadline to meet and this one happened to be a 4th of July BBQ.
It turns out that two days was more than enough time for this project and the professional-grade products we used gave us beautiful results at a great price. The total cost for a 600 square foot patio was just over $400.
Step 1 Deep Clean and Prep the Concrete
It took two of us a little more than two hours to entirely prep a 600 square foot concrete patio.
Step 2 Choosing the Perfect Concrete Stain Color
What We Used:
Clean & Prepare Surface
Clean your concrete patio floors with an organic concrete cleaner and degreaser. The concrete must be free of debris, dirt and oils. Generally, a generous sweeping, scrubbing, and rinsing should do the job.
Protect surrounding areas from acid stain overspray
Tip: I used caution tape stretching from the trees to the house to try to keep the birds away during the project. This seemed to work pretty well, as the birds normally hang out on behind my house and make a mess.
For excessively dirty concrete patios read Surface Preparation For Acid Staining.
You May Like: How To Remove Sliding Glass Door From Track
Tips On Staining Concrete Patio
Patina-Stained Patio by Gregg Schalen
First of all, in order to stain the concrete, you need to make sure that it is not painted or stained, because concrete has a porous structure so once it is stained, it is so to say sealed up. So, for this project you will need:
- 9 tear-resistant deck paint pad, paint pan & handle
- 4 paintbrush
- broom and hose
- concrete stain
So, have you decided on the color yet? There are semi-transparent stains, as well as opaque ones. If you are unsure about the intensity of the color make a little test on a small strip of the concrete. It is best of course to familiarize yourself with the instructions before starting the project.
Next step is to prepare the patio concrete for the procedure. Make sure that you remove all of the furniture and planters from the patio and sweep up the floor. If there are other elements that cant be brushed away, scrape them off. As the last step of preparation, wash the patio and allow it to dry for 24 hours.
Incoming search terms:
- Best Concrete Stain for Patio
- staining concrete patios yourself
Apply Stain With Plastic Garden Sprayer
Apply the Stain
Fill an all-plastic garden sprayer half way with water and then slowly add stain, careful to avoid splashing. Apply the stain with an all-plastic garden sprayer. Start in the corner and randomly spray the mixture, holding the nozzle of the wand approximately 18 inches from the floor. Apply the mixture generously, allowing it to fully coat the concrete…just short of puddling.
Also Check: 12×12 Brick Patio
How To Clean Concrete Patio Try These 5 Ways
To clean concrete patios, you can wash with vinegar and baking soda mix or specialty concrete cleaner. To get out rust stains, youll need oxalic acid and a pressure washer. Mildew stains come out with bleach and pressurized water. Lastly, you can remove grease stains with cornstarch and degreaser.
Are you looking for how to clean concrete patio? With just a few easy steps, you can transform a dirty space into the shining focal point of your outdoor living space.
I know how important it is to keep your outdoor spaces spic and span. More than looking good, a clean concrete patio can give you peace of mind and prevent you from slipping. Therefore, Ive put together this foolproof guide that you can follow.
Cut The Kerfs If You Need Stain Patterns
Cutting kerfs is optional if your concrete floor is already cut or you dont need any stain patterns on your patio. You use a saw to cut the concrete patio into sections to stain each part with different stain color. Use a piece of chalk to draw straight lines on your patio to indicate where the saw will cut. A board with a straight edge makes it easy to guide your saw and cut the desired straight kerfs. Misting your blade using water will help contain the dust.
You May Like: Alumawood Patio Covers Pros And Cons
You Can Customize Your Patio To Match Your Preferences
Concrete staining offers a high degree of customizability. For example, you may be seeking a special finish or texture for your concrete patio. Or, you may want your patios color to complement your existing hardscape designs in your backyard. Todays top concrete staining specialists will welcome the opportunity to create the patio of your dreams.
For Driveway Stains Caused By Dogs
Lately, all the dogs in the neighborhood seem to think your driveway is the perfect place to pee. Neutralize the odor that is driving them to mark their territory there by mixing together 7 cups vinegar, 7 cups water, and 1 cup baking soda. Saturate the area with the solution, allow it to dry, then hose it off. The stains will be cleaned off and neighborhood dogs will find a different place to relieve themselves.
Related: How to Treat Common Carpet Stains
You May Like: How To Get Deck Stain Off Concrete
You Can Choose From A Variety Of Colors
Todays homeowners have more stain colors than ever from which to choose. In fact, you can choose a different color for every room in your home and still have hundreds of options to consider for your patio. You can even bring your concrete stainer a picture or swatch of your dream color you have in mind for your patio and ask if they can customize a stain for you.
Can You Stain An Existing Concrete Patio
Stains are effective in revitalizing dull, lackluster surfaces with minimal to no damage. An existing concrete slab with major cracks or spalling is usually not a good candidate for staining because any patchwork is likely to show right through the stain.
Like stains for wood, concrete stains are semi-transparent and are intended to enhance rather than disguise the surface. They will not hide cracks, blemishes or other flaws in existing concrete. Nor will they completely mask an underlying color or conceal the texture of the surface.
The Concrete Studio in Dallas, TX.
Recommended Reading: How To Build Patio Roof Attached To House
Applying Acid Concrete Stain
You can use a pump sprayer or a paint gun to apply the stain. While the pump spray will require a bit more work, it will cost you much less than purchasing an air compressor that you will only use one time. Pump sprayers only cost $20-40 and can be stored away easily.
Spray slowly in a circular motion and make sure that you get an even layer covering all areas of the slab. You can use a push broom to work the acid stain into areas that are bumpy or not receiving the stain very well. Be generous with the amount of acid stain that you spray but dont create puddles.
Pump Sprayer from Home Depot.
Types Of Concrete Stain
If youre a parent, the word stain probably doesnt make you think of something beautiful or decorative. Nonetheless, concrete staining is a great way to turn a slab of gray into luxurious concrete with color or shine. Concrete experts generally use one of two ways to stain concrete: acid and water-based stains. Each one has a specific purpose, but which one should you use?
Don’t Miss: Removing Dog Urine From Concrete
Is It Better To Paint Or Stain Concrete Patio
Concrete stain embeds the surface to color it translucently, while opaque concrete paint covers the top of the concrete but is subject to chipping and peeling when improperly applied. Concrete stains go on quicker, dry faster and take less work than concrete paint, but they offer no significant protection.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
Just like everything else, having something means having another responsibility. Having a dog means you also have to be responsible for it including its urine. You can try to train your dog to pee in the right place. Just do not scold them because it will be counterproductive.
You can never really get rid of the smell of dog urine by just cleaning normally. It really takes time and effort. You just have to pick the one that works best for you.
The most practical way is preventing your dog from urinating on your concrete patio. It saves you the trouble of having to do all those cleaning steps. Dogs smell their own urine, and it signals them that it is okay to pee in that same area again.
There are ways that you can do to stop this from happening again. You may use a fence or barrier to block them off from that area. You could also install motion detector lights. Another option is to train your dog to pee in a designated area, and give your pet treats and rewards if the act is done in the right place. Once the dog is conditioned to its new designated area for peeing, it will just go to that place every time the urge to pee is there. It is always better to give positive reinforcements to the dog rather than providing punishments.
Dont Miss: Standard Patio Sizes
Don’t Miss: How To Keep Outdoor Umbrella From Blowing Over
You Can Restore And Renew Damaged Stained Concrete Patio
Not all hope is lost when your stained concrete gets any form of damage. You can still manage to restore the elegance of your patio floors using several methods. Sometimes all you should do is to apply a fresh coat of wax to it. Other times its an overhaul project that takes a few days to renew the outdoor patio. Heres what we put into a patio concrete restoration process at Southern Illinois Epoxy.
Tools And Materials You Need
You need a few tools to stain the concrete patio, which are not so hard to find. You can get it from any hardware store. Youll need to gather the following materials.
You need to get a heavy-duty cleaner to get the basic clean. Also, having a plastic drop cloth will help a lot in that case. Try to get a paintbrush or paint roller from the store as its going to help you a ton in applying the sealer at the end. Also, get a circular saw to cut down and shape out everything in the first place.
If you can gather plastic spray bottles and garden sprayers, thats going to help you a lot as well. Lets take a look at a great concrete stain that you can use in that case.
Recommended Reading: Removing Mildew From Outdoor Furniture
How To Stain A Concrete Patio
Applying concrete stain is a cheap and effective way to transform your concrete patio into a more attractive and enjoyable space. Concrete stain comes in many colors and also helps to protect the patio from water damage. Applying concrete stain to your concrete patio is a relatively easy job however, due to the drying time required for the stain, it will take several days to complete. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you turn your concrete slab into something more appealing and inviting:
Step 1 – Safety First
When preparing your concrete patio for staining and when applying the sealer, you should wear adequate protective gear to protect yourself. Many of the chemicals used to clean and prepare your concrete patio are dangerous and toxic and you should use a filtration mask. Always make sure to wear your safety eyeglasses and gloves when working with dangerous cleaning materials.
Step 2 – Pressure Wash the Patio
Step 3 – Clean the Patio With Acid
Using the acid based concrete cleaner, follow the mixing directions and use your heavy-duty brush to scrub the concrete patio slab. Depending on the type of acid cleaner you’re using, you may be able to rinse the surface right away or you may be required to allow the acid cleaner to sit for a few minutes before rinsing. While continuing to make sure that you wear your protective gear, follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly.
Step 4 Wait Until Patio is Dry
Step 5 – Apply the Concrete Stain
Maintenance & Final Thoughts
To clean, blast the patio every few weeks with a water hose or use dish soap and a stiff brush to remove tough stains like bird poop, dried-on leaves, etc. . Five months later, my patio still looks like new and is holding up well under regular foot traffic, a messy toddler and weather.
Stenciling is not a perfect art. There will be many times when the stencil doesn’t line up perfectly or the paint bleeds through. Embrace it! The end result is gorgeous and the imperfections make it even more so. Another thing to take into consideration is time â I spent about 12 hours total on this project, spread out over two weeks . But it was fun to have something easy to work on in the evenings while I listened to podcasts. And the best part? I totally transformed my outdoor space for about $85 â a fraction of the cost of a new concrete slab.
Stenciling your patio is an easy, inexpensive way to make a big impact on your outdoor space.
Cassidy Garcia
Stenciling your patio is an easy, inexpensive way to make a big impact on your outdoor space.
Read Also: How To Install Stone Patio Over Grass
Phase Two: Apply The Concrete Staining
Once your existing concrete is fully cleaned and prepared, its time to apply the stain. Many stains feature a mixture of acid and color that produces a chemical reaction with the lime and calcium in your concrete when applied. Its important to exercise caution during the staining process to avoid unintentionally staining nearby patio furnishings. Here are some steps a skilled technician will take to protect your property during the staining process:
- Carefully apply color samples so you know how your finished patio or floor will look with the stain you choose
- Mask off surrounding areas to prevent unintentional staining or damage
- Ensure weather conditions are ideal before applying your stain
Remember that staining is a permanent process. Once you apply the stain, you cant remove it or start over if you dont like the results. The safest path is to work with a professional who will apply color samples to give you an accurate representation of how your concrete surface will react to the stain.
Use Dish Soap To Clean Cement
Its no secret that dish soap comes in handy for more than just dishwashing. This degreaser is highly effective at cleaning up concrete stains while avoiding the use of harsh chemicals.
Simply combine two gallons of warm water and two teaspoons of dish soap in a bucket, then dampen a mop with the cleaner and get washing. This is one of our favorite strategies to clean a concrete patio if youre only dealing with light stains.
Read Also: Fixing Patio Chairs
Removing Mold Mildew Or Moss
Sweeping alone isnt enough to remove mold, moss, or cement from other organic matter. To clean mold stains on your cement, you have to kill the spores or plant material causing the problem.
For really stubborn mold or mildew stains on cement, use a solution of 1/4 cup oxygenated bleach mixed into 1 gallon of hot water. Let this sit in place for 15-30 minutes, then rinse and dry the surface.
Recommended Reading: How To Level A Patio Base
Do You Have To Acid Wash Concrete Before Staining
Schmidt also warns against acid etching of floors before staining. A lot of people think they need to acid etch the concrete like they do before applying a paint or coating, to get the paint to adhere. But acid washing depletes the lime content, which is what the minerals in the acid stain react with.
Recommended Reading: Paver Sand Vs Play Sand
Stained Concrete Patios And Floors Are Low
Stained concrete patios are durable, water-resistant, and require little in the way of care or maintenance. You dont need any special tools and can keep them looking sharp with just a broom and dust mop. Stained concrete is also known for its pet-friendly nature, making it a great choice for the estimated 99,000 Denver households with pets.