Here are four simple steps to acid stain a concrete floor yourself:
Step 1: Clean
You don’t want to stain a dirty floor and seal in a bunch of dirt or contaminants.
So, use a basic all-purpose cleaner like Kemiko Neutra-Clean to remove any dirt, grease, or wax before you begin. First cover walls, moldings, and doors with plastic and duct tape.
After diluting it with water, Neutra-Clean can be used to clean your floor with a slow-speed floor machine. Then thoroughly remove any excess liquid with a mop. Do not let Neutra-Clean dry on your floor.
Step 2: Stain
After the floor has completely dried, mix Kemiko stone stain with equal parts water and apply a coating to your floor with a plastic hose-end garden pump sprayer.
Be sure you hold the nozzle about 18 inches away from the surface of the floor and spray an even covering over the floor. The liquid shouldn’t puddle. That means you’ve used too much, but the floor should get thoroughly wet with the solution.
The solution will likely fizz after you’ve applied it, and is no cause for concern. Allow this layer to dry completely, which will likely take a few hours depending on temperature and humidity, and then repeat the previous step to evenly apply a second coat.
Step 3: Scrub
After the second coating has completely dried, you will need to scrub the floor to remove residue using a stiff bristle brush and some more Kemiko Neutra-Clean all-purpose cleaner.
It will not affect the stain. Again, the cleaner should be completely removed with a mop or wet vacuum. Don’t let it dry on the floor’s surface.
After thoroughly cleaning the floor, wipe it down with a clean white towel to see if it needs to be cleaned again. Any color wiping off onto the towel means there’s still residue left.
Step 4: Seal
The final step is sealing the floor with a protective coating. Select your floor sealant based on the results you want. Buff-on wax or acrylic sealer is good for most interior floors.
We recommend Kemiko’s Stone Tone Sealer II. Apply it with a plastic hose-end garden sprayer. After applying the first coat give it an hour to cure and add a second coat.
Then wait a full 24 hours before walking on your squeaky clean, newly treated floor.