Hi Stephen,
The acid will not eat through rubber or plastic but it will corrode metal. So use a sprayer with only rubber and plastic if you can.

Cheers!

Very cool. Glad it went well and take care!

HI Adam, spraying the solution in figure 8 type patterns or random z type patterns helps a bit. The stain will react differently with each slab of concrete due to the varying levels of limestone etc. I spray the entire surface. Spraying at 50% for the original coat would give you a lighter surface. But spraying at 50% after a base layer has already been laid won’t lighten it. You could apply a different color though to have some highlights which would give your finished floor a more varied look. It’s definitely an art and you never know 100% how it will turn out. Let me know what you ended up doing. Cheers

Followed your directions with the walnut stain but got very little if any variations. Did I apply too much? Does every part of the surface need to be covered? Or will it “blend” as it reacts?

Also, if I dilute more than 50% will it lighten even more?

Thanks Pete

Thank you Pete I just saw this notification haven’t been online much. Thank you for your reply!I ended up doing it with the muriatic acid and using ammonia to neutralize and then the Behr concrete dye 3 different colors, followed by Behr wet look sealer.
Gabi

Hi Gabi! You’ll want to use concrete acid stain / reactive stain. Do not use muriatic acid. Muriatic acid is dangerous stuff, but used in very small and diluted doses to etch concrete. It will not color concrete though and is completely different from an acid stain. Concrete acid stains can be purchased at local concrete supply stores or online http://amzn.to/1YroCAa – more info can be found here: http://www.diypete.com/how-to-acid-stain-concrete/

Hey Adam!

The manufacturers will all typically recommend 28 days. To be honest I never wait that long and have been fine. I typically wait about 7-10 days. That’s up to you if you want to go before 28 days — but I’ve had no issues and have done a number of patios to help friends and family.

As for a finish, I do recommend texture of some sort (vs hard troweled) — for an outdoor finish. My patio in the video is skip troweled so it has some random trowel marks and texture. Broom finished is another option. If you choose to go without a texture — you can use SharkGrip in the sealer which is a clear silica sand. (I’ve mixed it in epoxy garage floor paint — and sealers in garages to make the surface gritty to prevent falls). Let me know if that helps. Cheers!

Also, with an outdoor patio, will I have an ice skating rink if I stain and seal the patio WITHOUT broom finishing the concrete?

TYIA