Color staining garage floor concrete is a DIY project that has grown in popularity. With it comes the many questions as to which type of stain or dye to apply to a garage floor. Well, Legacy Industrial has made that decision much easier with the arrival of their DeltaDye water-based penetrating concrete stain.
Fortunately for us, Legacy sent a sample kit of DeltaDye concrete stain to review. Before discussing the impressive results and the benefits of DeltaDye as a garage floor stain, it’s first important to briefly learn the proper methods and materials for concrete staining.
The process of color staining bare concrete permanently changes the concrete color at the surface. It is typically achieved by applying a reactive stain or dye to the concrete with a pump-up sprayer. However, a paintbrush or a paint roller can be used depending on the stain.
Once the staining process is complete, a clear topical coating is applied to the concrete to seal and protect the stain (as well as the concrete). The clear sealer makes the otherwise dull-looking colors “pop” with vibrancy.
The most well-known stains that people are familiar with for a garage floor are acid stains. Here is one such example.
Acid stains are reactive. Once applied, they react with free lime on the concrete surface to produce beautiful and translucent earthy colors with nice patinas. Veining, variegation, and mottling are what they are most known for. It’s a popular look that people want in their garages.
OK, we see the question coming. Why would you use a water-based concrete stain like DeltaDye instead of an acid stain for a garage floor?
The reason has to do with the characteristics and requirements of acid staining. If you are not familiar with the acid staining process, some of these characteristics can cause poor results. They can also cause the inexperienced to shy away from such a DIY project once they learn the steps required.
The first characteristic you are dealing with is acid. Safety precautions need to be taken before you begin the application process. It’s easy to get caught up trying to achieve the look you want and forget you are working with a dangerous chemical.
A lesser-known but far more important characteristic is that the amount of lime on the concrete surface will affect how well the stain performs.
Old concrete, previously acid-etched concrete, or concrete treated with grinding typically will not have sufficient lime available at the surface for the acid to react with. The result can be a poor stain outcome that looks faded and may even wash out during the required rinsing process.
Furthermore, because acid stains are reactive, you have less control over the final look. The stain can be darker or lighter than you may have anticipated. You are also limited with color selection. The organic nature of acid stain can only provide natural earth tones for color.
Finally, acid staining is more labor-intensive and takes longer to complete. The acid generally needs to remain on the concrete for a minimum of five hours or more to fully react properly. The surface is then neutralized to return the concrete from an acid state to a basic state.
The concrete is then washed by scrubbing to remove all unreacted stains and stain residue. It’s not uncommon to go through more than one scrubbing. If this step is not done properly, the remaining residue will cause problems with your protective clear coat.
Now, let’s discuss why a water-based penetrating stain can have many advantages over an acid stain.
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Benefits of DeltaDye water-based concrete stain versus acid stain
Some water-based penetrating concrete stains can have distinct advantages over acid staining and DeltaDye is no exception. DeltaDye is available in 24 different colors. It works by penetrating the pores of the concrete and creating a permanent stain that is vibrant in color with a variegated and translucent look.
Just like an acid stain, DeltaDye is UV resistant and will not fade. This makes it an excellent choice for garage floors exposed to sunlight as well as patios and walkways. Some water-based penetrating stains and chemical stains and dyes are less UV resistant. They can fade over time if exposed to sunlight.
Water-based stains are also eco-friendly. They will not harm your skin, there are no toxic fumes or VOCs to worry about, and they are safe for vegetation. Water-based stains typically have a larger coverage rate than acid stains as well.
Additionally, acid stain is reactive and has a somewhat undetermined outcome. You can control the coloring and design much better with a water-based stain. This is done by regulating the amount of stain you apply, the application method, as well as the ability to accent with other colors.
Water-based concrete stains do not require neutralizing or scrubbing either. Once the stain has dried on the surface it is ready for a clear coat application. This particular feature takes a lot of the labor out of the process and is a huge time saver. It can reduce the entire application process down to a single day depending on the clear coat you have chosen.
Concrete Surface Prep and application for DeltaDye
Concrete surface preparation for a stain is the same regardless of the product. You first need to clean the concrete. The surface has to be free of any paint, coatings, sealers, oils, waxes, dirt, or any other substance that would prevent the stain from penetrating the concrete. Any repairs that need to be made to the garage floor should be done at this time.
Concrete repairs should be done with a cementitious-based product if possible. Resin-based concrete repair products such as epoxy or polyurea will repel liquids and not allow the stain to take.
If the surface repels water then light sanding or etching will need to be performed before DeltaDye can be applied. If water will not penetrate, neither will the stain.
Our recommendation is to use a pump-up garden sprayer with a circular spray pattern. This type of application can provide a more variegated look. However, you can also apply DeltaDye with a paintbrush or roller.
If using only one color, apply a single coat to the entire surface. Mottling will be achieved through the varying degrees of porosity in your concrete. You can then darken the color or achieve “acid effects” by applying additional stain in random and irregular patterns.
If using more than one color, it is recommended to apply lighter colors first as a base color and then accent with the darker colors. You can also add water to colors to make them lighter. You can make stains darker, but you can’t make them lighter.
The stain generally needs 30 minutes to 1 hour to dry. Once dry, you can apply additional coats and/or accents and colors. It is up to your imagination how you want it to look.
Concrete stains need to be sealed with a topical clear coat
Once you stain your garage floor you will need to seal and protect it with a film-forming clear coat. The clear top coat protects the stain and wets it out to make the color pop and look vibrant. Most stains will look dull and sometimes even ugly until you get the clear coat applied.
For a garage floor, Legacy Industrial recommends their HD6600 MMA acrylic sealer, SEC Sealer (epoxy), or Nohr-S polyurea sealer.
If you don’t have a busy garage and want the easiest sealer to apply, then the HD6500 in a matte finish or HD6600 MMA would be a good choice. We did an article on HD6600 here a while back. This type of sealer does not require any additional concrete prep other than what is required for DeltaDye. Once the stain dries, you can immediately begin applying the sealer.
For garage floors that will see medium to heavy-duty use, the epoxy SEC Sealer or Nohr-S would be a better choice. Examples of such use are car maintenance and repair, home improvement projects, workshops, etc. You can read about Nohr-S here. These types of coatings are extremely durable and will last for years.
If choosing a sealer other than HD66500 or HD6600, you will first need to acid etch or lightly grind your concrete before applying DeltaDye. Higher performance coatings such as epoxy and polyurea are more resinous and require a more porous concrete surface to achieve a good mechanical bond.
Unlike acid stains, this type of concrete preparation will not affect water-based stains such as DeltaDye. It will reduce the coverage rate of the stain though since there will be better penetration of the stain at the concrete surface.
Purchase DeltaDye water-based stain and kits
Legacy Industrial can’t make it much easier to purchase and apply DeltaDye stain to your garage floor, patio, walkways, or even the interior of your home. They include instructions, videos, tech sheets, and links to the various clear top coat sealers they recommend. They also have the option of purchasing DeltaDye in kit form.
If you are not sure about what color/s you want, then we highly recommend first purchasing the sample kit. You can test the colors in an inconspicuous area of the garage floor or other concrete to see how they look. You can even practice combining colors.
Our results with DeltaDye water-based stain
Legacy Industrial sent us a sample kit of DeltaDye that comes with four 4oz. pump sprayer bottles. You can choose up to four colors. The colors we received were Lead, Gold, Red, and Blue.
They also sent us their HD6600 sealer as well. We were excited to give DeltaDye a try and applied the samples to a small section of a garage floor to see how they would look.
The concrete we applied the stain to was older and had some surface imperfections and fine spider cracks. This type of surface only adds to the character of the stain and helps to create an effect that some people find desirable. Your results will vary depending on the condition of your concrete.
Because penetrating water-based stains and acid stains are translucent, concrete imperfections and repairs will show through and add to the character of the floor.
To illustrate, we purposely left a circular stain on the concrete that was made from a tire and wheel laying on the surface. You can see how it shows through in some of the images. It is a good example of why it’s important to get the concrete as clean as you can.
We also want to point out that the concrete had been treated to grinding a year previous. As you can see in the following images, the grinding of the concrete did not affect how well the concrete took the stain.
As we stated, this is one of the advantages of using a penetrating water-based concrete stain. An acid stain would not have worked well on this floor.
Lead and Blue were applied next to each other in one section and then Red and Gold were applied next to each other in another section. We did this to show some of the color contrasts. You also get an idea of what a stain looks like before it is sealed.
The small pump bottles create a fine spray and we felt that it wasn’t going on as heavy as it should, but we liked the results nonetheless. It just requires more pumping. In hindsight, we should have unscrewed the tops to sprinkle heavier applications on for some accenting.
The first thing we noticed right away is that the lighter-colored stains quickly took on a variegated look since it was absorbed differently by the concrete. The color also darkened in the fine spider cracks. The Blue stain in particular was stunning in this regard.
What was interesting was the color Lead. Because it was much darker, it did not show as much variegation as the lighter-colored stains. Two applications of each color were applied and we only had to wait about 25 minutes between coats.
We then did two separate sections of Blue and Gold. After these had dried, we sprayed a small amount of Lead stain over the Blue in a couple of areas and we did the same with the Red stain over the Gold. This helped to create a mottled look of different hues. We can see how you can get creative this way with just two colors and your imagination.
After our samples had dried completely, we treated them with two thin coats of the HD6600 sealer. The sealer rolled on easily and provided a glossy look that made the color stand out.
Taking a good picture proved challenging for us and the one we posted here doesn’t do the stain justice. The gloss of the sealer created an overpowering shine due to the overhead lights. We couldn’t take the picture in the dark or with a flash, so we finally had to edit it and take some of the gloss out. It would have been much easier if we were photographing an entire floor and not one small area.
Final Thoughts
We found that DeltaDye water-based penetrating concrete stain truly provides a stunning look and is very easy to apply. We liked how the color intensity varied as it was absorbed by the concrete.
Admittedly, the older concrete with the fine spider cracks made this stain pop with character. If you are applying it to fairly new concrete then you will not get quite the same look that the fine spider cracks provided.
If you are going to seal the stain with HD6600, then the entire process couldn’t get much easier. The hardest part of the job may be clearing out your garage floor and cleaning the concrete. This combination of stain and sealer can make for some fairly easy DIY decorative concrete projects in and around the home for the garage floor, walkways, patios, and pool decks.
If you are someone who is inclined towards automotive repairs and maintenance or other projects in your garage, then we would recommend that you use an epoxy or polyurea clear coat sealer instead. Remember that this will require that you properly prep the concrete for these types of sealers before you begin the staining process.
Do we think that DeltaDye water-based concrete stain provides the same results as an acid stain? No, not quite, but we feel that it’s close enough for most people who don’t want to deal with the acid staining process.
Though the colors of DeltaDye are vibrant, acid staining can sometimes provide some stunning effects due to the lime-reacting process that is hard to replicate with other stain types.
Keep in mind, however, that DeltaDye provides a better color selection than acid stain and a more controlled outcome for the look you want to achieve.
In short, we highly recommend DeltaDye if you want an easy-to-use DIY concrete stain that will provide excellent results. It’s Eco-friendly, UV resistant, and provides a vibrant, translucent look that is similar to acid stain.
Our home is > 50 years old and we recently decided to upgrade the bare concrete garage floor which was stained, cracked and unattractive looking. We had a reputable contractor install an epoxy system but unfortunately neglected to carry out a moisture test…It is now bubbling up due to hydrostatic pressure (yes, the garage is below grade and yes, we should have paid more attention to that nagging efflorescence…) and will have to be redone. The contractor has offered to return and re-grind the floor but the question is what to replace it with? As I understand it, if the moisture levels allow, we can use an epoxy primer as described in some of your articles (my worry is this will just drive the moisture elsewhere). If the moisture levels are too high for that and we have to return to some form of concrete, I like the idea of a concrete stain to disguise the imperfections, but is there then a suitable sealer for our situation? Or will we just have the same problem as now with the ground moisture trying to escape upwards? Is there a “Gore-Tex” for garage floors?!
Hi Tony. The first thing you need to do is a proper moisture test using two or three calcium chloride kits. This will tell you exactly how much moisture you have and if you are eligible for a moisture vapor blocking epoxy primer. This article here discusses moisture testing and where you can purchase these kits. We recommend placing them in the areas where the coating came up. They need to be over bare concrete to get an accurate reading. Keep in mind that moisture blocking coatings are not inexpensive and they do require an aggressive grind of the concrete surface before application. This here is an example of such coatings. You will not find a suitable sealer if you stain the concrete. Clear acrylic coatings actually breathe and can let small amounts of moisture vapor pass through the coating. However, if you have so much now that it causes epoxy to delaminate, it will just cause the acrylic to turn white underneath and possibly bubble up and peel as well.
Have you considered interlocking floor tiles? These are a popular solution for basements and concrete slabs that have moisture issues.
What color, or combination of colors,, would I use to create a pearlized medium gray?
Hello Pam. You can’t get a shiny and/or metallic pearl look with stains. Only metallic coatings can do that.
Hi Shea,
Thanks for responding to my question. I am anxious to try your product as I painted my porch that surrounds my house on two sides using a recommended concrete porch and garage floor paint from HD and it peeled within a month. I had to power wash it iff and it was such a mess. I need to get it right this time. I think the water based stain will work much better.
I don’t actually mean pearlized. I would like a mottled medium grey using a medium and light grey together so that it isn’t flat but a soft mottling. instead of a high shine finish I want a very low lustre. Which colors would you suggest and which primer/sealer in your line?
Pam
Hi Pam. Just to avoid confusion, All Garage Floors does not manufacture or sell garage flooring products. We are an informational website only that is here to help educate and inform our readers. Delta Dye is available from Legacy Industrial. There is a red link at the top of the article that takes you directly to Legacy Industrial where you can check pricing or call with questions.
The fact that your paint peeled within a month is concerning. Was any concrete prep done beforehand? Did you check to see if the concrete was sealed? Sealed concrete will inhibit paint and dyes from penetrating properly.
For the dye color, give Legacy Industrial a call and ask for Scotty. He can recommend the colors for you. Remember, when working with stain you always start with lighter colors first then work towards dark. You can’t make a darker stain lighter with a lighter color. They also carry an excellent MMA clear acrylic sealer and have an additive to tone down the gloss if you like.
Thank you for this information.
Hi, I need to pressure wash and repair a 60 year old driveway with cracks and some areas of exposed aggregate. In reading all the comments. I think the polymer-modified concrete patch will work the best before I water stain and seal it. My question is if I do this is, how long do I need to let concrete patch set before I stain it and would I need to put any primer etc.. on it. I understand the old driveway will have a lot of areas which will absorb the stain differently due to cracks everywhere but should I mix a few colors to give it a variated old world look? I am trying to do something to this old driveway as it is in poor shape.
Hi John. Many of your answers depend on the type of polymer-modified repair product you use. The scope and depth of the repairs is going to help determine what to use. We recommend contacting customer service for either Ardex Americas or CTS which carries Rapid Set. You should discuss with them the scope of the repairs that need to be made so that they can recommend the correct product/s. Also, be sure tell them that you would like it to accept a stain. It may be best to do all the structural repair and fills first and then apply an overlay over the entire driveway to make it look almost new. The overlay will accept a stain in a more consistent manner as well. Without the overlay, it’s going to look like a patch work of concrete repair that’s been stained. I don’t think you will get an old world look out of it.
Great article!!! Standing the test of time with questions still coming in.
We are debating doing a stain on a patio and have decided on waterbased stains. However, we are in a final discussion if we want to tile the area later. If we apply the stain without a sealer will the concrete still be able to accept a tile without having to grind off the stain? Some of us think it will be okay and others think that the stain alone (sealer or not) will ruin the concrete and no longer be porous enough for tile application later without creating more work down the road.
Hi Sutherlands. Proper stains do not leave a film or coating, nor do they seal or protect the concrete. They impart a permanent color change of the concrete through a dye or reaction (acid stains). That is why stains typically have a clear coating applied over them. It makes the color pop and protects the concrete. If you do not apply a clear coating over the stain, then the stain will have no effect in terms of laying tile. However, what you want to avoid are what we refer to as the fake stains. These are actually tinted acrylic coatings that leave a film on the concrete. They do not permanently stain and the coating will prevent laying of tile unless it is mechanically removed.
Thank you for taking the time to explain!
Hi!
Can you tell me can this product can be used for indoor interiors and would the existing floors news grinding/sanding before using this Water based delta dye? (Really would like to avoid sanding the concrete floors first)
Hello Gj. Much of your question depends on what type of clear coat you plan to apply. DeltaDye can be applied to most concrete without further prep provided that there is not a sealer present and that the concrete is not troweled to a very smooth machine finish. The clear coat is another matter. If using an acrylic clear, then like DeltaDye, most can be applied without further prep. However, if you want to use something more durable than acrylic, then it will require prep of the surface via etching or grinding in most cases.
We are turning our heated(in ground heat) garage into a large play area for our small terrors…I mean children. What sealant will be best? No cars or chemical spills, just 4 kids playing.
Hi Meagan. I have to say I had good chuckle 🙂 The easiest solution would be to apply an MMA acrylic sealer. Two thin coats would do it. No further prep to the concrete is required if the concrete is accepting the stain. The other option would be Legacy’s SEC epoxy sealer. It’s even more durable, but it would require a light etch of the concrete before staining. If you call Legacy Industrial and ask for Scotty, he can advise you on the whole application process and clear coat choice.
Will the Delta Dye be good and permanent on an old outdoor concrete patio 30′ X 30′ in Wisconsin?
Hello Barbara Ann. Yes, DeltaDye is a permanent stain. A clear sealer needs to be applied over it to provide protection and make the colors pop.
I am building a cabin slab on grade concrete. The concrete had fiber mixed in to it to add strength. If I use your product will all the fiber lines show?
Hi Deanna. Just to avoid confusion, DeltaDye is not our product. We do not sell garage flooring. The article is a review and the product was supplied by Legacy Industrial. There is a link in the article where you can purchase it. To answer your question, as long as the concrete is finished to a smooth surface without any of the fibers sticking up, it should accept the dye fine. However, where you run into issues is if the fibers are exposed. They typically need to be sanded off or lightly torched to burn off before a dye and sealer can be used. If you contact Legacy Industrial, they can provide more information for you.
Hi, I just had poured a 30 x 64 pad for a Versatube metal barn. I’m a small-time hobbyist with a couple of classic cars and a boat. I do a little bit of work on them and am also putting in a small wood working shop. Should I stain and seal prior to erecting the building? Should I use the light duty or heavy duty sealer? Also, not quite clear on how to do multiple colors. I get that I need to do light colors first, but when I apply the darker colors, do I completely go over the top of the lighter colors or only over the areas where I want the dark colors to appear. Thank you for your time and reply.
Hello Michael. It is always recommended to wait until the building is constructed before doing the floor. It’s the same reason why flooring is the last thing to go into a new house. Ongoing construction of the building is sure to damage it somewhere. There are various ways to do multiple colors. The interesting thing about stains and dyes is that no two floors look alike, even if you use the same colors and application process. Darker colors applied directly over lighter colors will affect how the darker color looks vs how it looks when applied to bare concrete. You can choose to leave bare areas of concrete when applying the lighter colors and then overlap the lighter colors with the darker colors. Or, you can do lighter colors over the entire pad and disperse the darker colors in random areas of your choosing. We always recommend testing in an inconspicuous area first to see how the colors react with each other.
I’m not aware of what light duty and heavy duty sealers you are referring to. Can you elaborate please? Will you be parking cars in the building or working on them?
Thank you so much for your reply, it is already VERY helpful. Re: the light duty vs. heavy duty sealer, I was referring to the following in the article:
“If you don’t have a busy garage and want the easiest sealer to apply, then the HD6525 would be a good choice…For garage floors that will see medium to heavy-duty use, the epoxy SEC Sealer or Nohr-S would be a better choice.”
Thank you again.
Hi Michael. The HD6525 is now HD6600. It’s a good choice for medium-duty work and just parking vehicles. It does not require any additional concrete prep (etching) before the dye is applied. Nohr-S single-part polyurea is the better choice if you will be working on cars or performing heavy-duty projects. It requires that you lightly etch the surface first before applying the dye.
The dye results are beautiful. I was going to do my garage (new construction) with Rust Bullet DuraGrade products based on another of your reviews. This seems even easier, cheaper, and I like the outcome a lot.
Will there be any problem using Rust Bullet DuraGrade Cear as the sealer over the DeltaDye stains? I am not confident the HD 6600 sealer is sufficient for my use, and I don’t want the prep required for the Nohr-S or SEC Epoxy Sealer.
I like the features and ease of application of DuraGrade. The durability is a big plus, too.
On another topic, your site is turning me into too much of a flooring geek. ? Thank you for the great articles!
Hi Fred. DuraGrade Clear can be an excellent option for a durable clear coat over color-dyed concrete. If the concrete will accept the dye just fine, then DuraGrade will work well. Yes, we understand becoming a flooring geek. That’s how we got started!
I have an open garage floor (think covered carport) that is older concrete that I would like to “stain.” My three desires are to 1) improve the look. 2) have a surface that will hold up to daily golf cart use, and 3)provide a non-slick surface for safety.
Any suggestions you have to accomplish this would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Rocky. DeltaDye would be a good choice for the stain. For the clear coat, you will need something that is U.V. stable or it will amber (turn yellow) and slowly degrade due to the U.V. exposure. Legacy Industrial’s HD6600-MMA acrylic would be a good choice. It’s U.V. stable and would not require etching of the concrete surface. They have an optional non-slip media that you could mix in with the HD6600 before application. The only prep for the concrete would be a good cleaning.
Hi Thank you for the excellent information through-out the site. I am looking for some guidance on the best way to color & limit moisture/water intrusion into the slab. (Assuming the water intrusion maintains increases the humidity). Secondarily, I would like to seal/improve the density and permeability of the driveway, sidewalks, and paver walkways to ensure they last as long as possible.
Background:
We had a home built a year ago and the concrete (…Still looks great)1 year later has a white/grey-white appearance when dry and naturally darkens when wet. The 900 sq-ft garage will flood during heavy rains coincide with high-tides. We are expecting 2-8″of flood water 2-3x per year.
The water recedes as the storm passes and the tides go out but leaves a few puddles and a lot of humidity/moisture in the garage. When the garage is soaked the edges appear damp for several days.
The garage walls are cinderblock and are planned be painted with a (Loxon) primer-sealer and then painted with a water repellant colored product.
The driveway to the garage is slightly sloped.
The garage sees light traffic with periodic car use. Primarly to be used for beach supplies and a bar/hang-out place.
The driveway gets multiple cars parking on it regularly. And to fit multiple cars on the driveway several maneuvers are required which are leaving black tire marks from the turning.
—-
Regarding the garage coloring –
I am looking for a Grey-Bluish-whitish color with some depth.
Regarding the garage finish –
I am looking to make the color standout but avoid a high-gloss/slippery finish.
Regarding the driveway –
Limit/reduce the black tire marks
Regarding Maintenance –
Lastly – Limit the need to maintain the finish ever couple years.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts & ideas!
Pete
Hello Pete. You definitely have a unique set of circumstances. For the garage: The clear film-forming coating is what makes concrete stain colors pop with vibrancy and some depth. Otherwise they tend to look dull and lifeless. The problem here is that there is far too much moisture being introduced to the concrete too many times each year. Concrete is like big stone sponge. It likes to suck up moisture – more from below ground than above. And that much moisture in the concrete will ultimately cause a quality coating to fail. Lesser performing acrylic coatings can breathe and allow moisture vapor to pass, however, the amount of moisture you have in your concrete with the first flood will cause an acrylic coating to cloud up on the underside and turn permanently whitesh-looking.
The only type of sealer we would recommend for all of your concrete is a penetrating sealer. These are non-film forming sealers that penetrate and react with the upper most surface of concrete. They form a cementitious gel-like layer at the sub surface. This layer is what helps to protect the concrete surface from salt damage, stains, tire marks, etc. depending on the type of sealer used. You can apply a penetrating sealer over concrete that has been color dyed or stained, but it will not change the look of the color. It will not achieve depth or make the colors pop. We can make some sealer recommendations if you are still interested in pursuing the project.
Hi Shea – Thank you! Setting aside color for the moment… what are some of the better options for sealing/densifing these floors?
Regarding color – Is good old fashioned garage floor paint a lower risk option?
And it sounds like a metallic epoxy is out of the question too, yes?
Pete
Hi Pete. Unfortunately, you are correct. A metallic epoxy would not work for the reasons mentioned. Coatings with that much moisture will be compromised and delaminate at some point. Garage floor paint will not fair any better. However, it’s cheap and much more easy to reapply when it begins to peel up. Scrape it up or pressure wash/blast it off when it does. Let the concrete dry out and then reapply. We do not recommend it for a driveway though. Hot tires will peel it up and it will get slippery when it rains.
There are two great penetrating sealer options for densifying and protecting your concrete from the elements, including salt. The first is the GhostShield system. It consists of first treating the concrete with their Lithi-Tek 4500 densifier. You then wait a week and apply their Siloxa-Tek 8510. We have a full article on the GhostShield products and process here. The second is Concrete Sealer USA’s two step system. It involves their PS103 densifier and PS100 salt and oil repellent sealer. It’s a slightly better value and works extremely well. You can read our review of it here. Both articles have links where you can check pricing for vendors we recommend.
I have stained and sealed a previously stained and sealed concrete walkway and patio. The stain and sealer is coming off in certain places after about 2 weeks. Can you recommend a fox? This stain looks like some I could definitely use thanks
Hi Jody. Did you use one of these fake stains? Also, what product/s where applied before (previously stained) and how did you prep the surface for the new product you applied?
Can these be used on outdoor concrete bar?
Hi Linda. Most concrete bars are troweled very smooth or polished smooth after the concrete cures. Stains such as these can be used, but it will require roughing the surface up with 80-grit sandpaper before applying it. The sides need the stain rubbed on with a sponge to get the concrete to absorb it instead of running off down the side first. A clear sealer or polishing of the concrete can be done after it has dried.