Acid Staining

Acid Staining

Acid staining is a reactive staining process that uses inorganic metallic salts dissolved in an acid and water solution.  This solution, upon contact with the cream in a concrete floor, starts a chemical reation that forms a permanent chemical bond between the stain color and the concrete surface.  Any acid stained concrete surface should be a marbled translucent surface with varigated color that varies in intensity across the floor.  True acid stains are limited to about 8 colors, normally earth tones, of which blues and greens are for indoor projects only.  Set in Stone Maui has developed methods to get a rich tonal variation in both polished and top coated surfaces.  Using repair materials that are stainable allows us to consider staining older or badly cracked surfaces, with a better chance of those repairs blending into a cohesive surface.  A word of caution!!!....Not all slabs are stainable!!!....older concrete that has been subjected to multiple floors over the years have much of the reactive chemicals in the surface that the acid reacts to leached away.  This makes it harder the color intensity that a client or designer might be after.  Always consider the  history of your concrete and try to design to its strengths.