Concrete Stain Concentrate Just Add Water, User & Eco-Friendly Semi-Transparent Professional Grade Cement Stain, (8 ounce, Chestnut)

This is really easy to use but they are right, it is lighter than you think and whatever you think you need, buy extra. Granted, this was my first time and took a lot more than probably should have. Never could get the marbled look I wanted; I bought 4 colors, but I think it was more my doing than the stain. In the end I got a dark red finish which looks good with my brick.

I had a new pool installed and the concrete contractor really really messed up. I can’t even explain how bad it was or what happened, but you can see the before photos I’ve attached(ones that look terrible) and yup that was a brand new slab 1100sq ft on a brand new house. So after negotiating some money back, <- I know I’m crazy I should have had him rip it out, but to save you the details I didn’t. I first had to strip the existing sealer(I did this with bed sheets and xylene). It’s important to make sure the concrete doesn’t have any sealer remaining. You can also etch the concrete to open the poors too but I do not. After this I wanted a specific gray so I experimented with all kinds of antique’s and stains. It was really hard to find a stain that didn’t include a sealer in it so after about a month of experimenting with different Behr gray stain from Home Depot( was alway too blue) I came across this company on amazon. I read some reviews and decided to buy a small bottle of white and charcoal. As soon as it came in I began experimenting. First try was too light, second try too dark, then after sleeping on it, i tried again and came up with a good color that I liked. ( start with a white base and add small amounts of charcoal until you get it. Then test it on a small piece of concrete. A little charcoal goes a long way. It is important to use small amounts or you will rip through your bottles quickly during your tests. So I ended up using the caps of the bottles for my measuring(micro level). Ultimately I ended up with 1 part white, 3/4 parts charcoal and 4 parts distilled water. This created an almost solid stain in a decent medium gray. I then sprayed it on with a cone tip sprayer, then applied a second coat. Unfortunately it rained right after but the stain was dry so It stuck. The next day, I applied liberally Brickform Antique-it in dark gray over top with a soft bristle brush. <- this gives it a natural aged realistic stone highlight look. I waited 2 hours then applied two light coats of diamond clear sealer by Euclid( commercial grade sealer) I ended up contacting the company directly instead of buying my bottles from amazon because they sell a 32oz bottle and if you buy 8 or more there is a discount. I needed about 8 32oz bottles for my project. It’s kind of expensive but the alternative to have a company come in and do it would have been way more. Oh yeah here’s a tip. Use a paint brush for your testing instead of sprayer. I’d recommend this product as it turned out great. It was easy to use, shipping was quick and they have some really awesome colors. The only thing is you really have to seal it in or it will probably wipe off on traffic areas. Even though it says penetrating, in my experience it did penetrate the concrete but I could still wipe some of it(top layer) off with a really hard scrub. <- I should have etched it and probably wouldn't have had this. Oh yeah another tip. Have some xylene and scrub brush handy while you are testing. It will pull it off. Anyway. Hope this helps someone.Update::So I originally stained and sealed this in October. It went through a harsh buffalo winter and pretty much still looks great. However I did notice some small areas scattered around where the stain had come off a little. Almost looks like the concrete didn’t absorb it quite right or maybe it is that it was a new slab of concrete and hadn’t settled yet. I also did a very light coat of sealer so maybe that’s why too. The spots look like small scratches or blotches no bigger than a dime(some smaller) the rest of it still looks amazing and is very durable with the sealer I used. I’m going to touch it up with a paint brush and re-reseal. Still 5 stars.

It does what it says. You have to know the color you desire.

I was concerned about ordering this. Most of the photos were going light to dark. I had a dark (Boston brick- more deep red/ gray tone) look brick tile (clay, I believe) and I wanted the Chicago brick look (more peachy/ golden tones). I ordered the terracotta color. I put multiple layers (i think 4 or 5) to get the color I wanted but "I love", so worth it.

I'm from the old school of using acid stains. I had a personal project at home and I was needing to re-stain a couple of concrete columns. Very impressed with the ease of use and the coverage of this product. I do feel that it will fade fairly quickly if not sealed, but then again after 15 years the acid stain faded with no sealer. So always seal your stains. Looks like water based stains are in my future and this company will be the first I turn to.

I applied the Firebrick color, unmixed with other colors, to a new concrete walkway in front of our 150 year old brick home. (you can see both in the picture). I used a small hand-pump sprayer. I diluted the stain approximately 4:1 and mixed it thoroughly. This short walkway took 3/4 of the 32oz bottle. Yes, it looks more brick-like than the raw concrete did. No, it isn't quite what I expected.The stain itself arrives as a thick red "paint". It is not powdered, nor would it be easy to apply undiluted (although probably possible). Even with a sprayer you don't get a huge area covered with the amount of stain in the bottle, and it seems to soak in pretty fast leaving a look that is almost "splotchy". I'll leave it like this for a few weeks before deciding whether to add another coat, or try a different product. Maybe it will naturally propagate through the concrete and even itself out more.Overall:1. Easy to mix and apply.2. Color was pretty good.3. Doesn't smell.4. Doesn't go as far as you'd think.5. Doesn't result in a really nice and even appearance - at least with one diluted coat. 2+ applications may be better

SO easy to do yourself. I had a contractor lined up to do this for me for $1500 but he never showed to do the work. Glad he did not. I used a grey as a bae color with onyx and slate added after the grey dried. The colorant that spilled onto grout lines scrubbed right away with water. Did I already say so easy to do yourself? This job took less than 4 hours to complete. Followed up the second day with sealant. Before and after pictures show the results. Closeup of the first window I did shows detail.

Bought this from a seller on Etsy. This is actually the 2nd one he sent me. I had chosen his "moss green, distressed" option. First one looked like a faded black. Had to take it out in bright sunlight to try to see even a trace of green in it. Seller obligingly sent me a second one; told me to scrub it down to get the green I was looking for. All I got was a dull gray. In desperation, I bought this product. Decided to go with their "chestnut" color to match a new shower curtain I had just bought. Product was easy to apply. I was elated with results. Great product. Great company.