Blog Post

HOW TO STAIN YOUR CONCRETE PATIO

  • By Southport Concrete Corp.
  • 20 Jul, 2018
You can beautify your concrete patio and radically transform its appearance by applying stain. Stain gives a rich, almost three-dimensional look to the patio and sets it apart from everyone else's ho-hum gray slab.
Below is a list of tools and materials needed as well as information on how to prepare the concrete, apply the stain, and then seal the finished surface.

TOOLS AND MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THE JOB

You can obtain all the needed supplies and tools from a local home improvement store or from online vendors. Here is what you will need:
  • Concrete stain
  • Concrete sealer
  • Muriatic acid
  • Pump-up garden sprayer
  • Plastic flower watering can
  • Garden hose with spray nozzle
  • Scissors
  • Rubber floor squeegee
  • Trisodium phosphate (TSP) powder
  • Plastic-bristled brush
  • Five-gallon bucket
  • Eye goggles
  • Face mask
  • Rubber gloves
  • Rubber boots
Protecting yourself from the harsh muriatic acid is important, so don't skimp on the safety equipment listed above.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE

Once you have gathered the necessary tools and supplies, you are ready to begin working.

1. THOROUGHLY CLEAN THE PATIO

Adequate surface preparation is the key to making your stain adhere and will give you much better, longer-lasting results. To clean the patio, begin by spraying it down with a garden hose to wash away any loose debris and to soften stuck materials.

Next, prepare a solution of trisodium phosphate (TSP) in a clean bucket by following the manufacturer's directions. Then apply the solution with a scrub brush. Scrub the surface of the patio with the brush, paying extra attention to any prominent stains or spots. Rinse the patio with a garden hose to remove the remnants of the dirty TSP solution.

2. PREPARE THE MURIATIC ACID

After the cleaned patio has dried completely, the next step is to etch its surface with muriatic acid. This step will create a raw surface for better stain adherence.

Before applying the muriatic acid, be sure to put on eye goggles, face mask, rubber gloves and rubber boots. Wear long pants and long sleeves, as well. If the acid splashes on your skin or eyes, it could cause chemical burns that require medical attention, so be careful when working with the acid.

Once you are prepared, pour the proper amount of muriatic acid into a flower watering can filled with the specified amount of water. The instructions that come with the muriatic acid will inform you how much acid and water to use; however, in all cases, always pour acid into the water, never the other way around.

3. APPLY MURIATIC ACID TO THE PATIO

After mixing the muriatic acid solution, spray the surface of the patio with a garden hose and also spray nearby landscaping plants to protect them from accidental acid splashing. Next, carefully pour the muriatic acid on top of the damp patio.

After applying the muriatic acid, allow it to soak into the concrete for about twenty minutes, and then rinse the acid from the patio using a garden hose.

4. APPLY THE CONCRETE STAIN TO THE PATIO

Allow the patio to dry at least two full days before applying stain. Once the patio has dried completely, you are ready to stain the surface.

Add stain to a pump-up garden sprayer, then spray it using even passes over the entire surface. Don't over-spray any areas, and keep the coat fairly light. Allow the first coat to dry completely, then apply a second coat with the sprayer.

5. SEAL THE NEWLY STAINED PATIO

Once the stain has dried completely, the last step is to apply a gloss sealer to the stained surface. This step will provide a shiny, smooth surface and increase the overall resilience of your stained patio to damaging chemicals and weather-induced wear.

Apply the concrete sealer to the patio using the same pump-up sprayer and use light coats, just as before. Allow each coat to dry completely before applying another. Finally, allow the sealed, stained patio to dry for a couple of days before permitting foot traffic on its surface.

If you are in need of new concrete patio, then be sure to contact Southport Concrete Company for assistance. Southport Concrete can handle any job, and their expert service will leave you smiling and satisfied.
By Southport Concrete Corp. 20 Jul, 2018
When completing any construction project that involves a foundation, the use of concrete pilings is essential. These columns that have been pre-cast and cured before installation provide needed support and reinforcement to the foundations used by your home or business. They have many qualities that make them beneficial to a variety of projects:

  • Cost effective: When anything is manufactured on a massive scale, your costs decrease substantially from having something custom poured.
  • Superior quality: Being pre-cast, pilings are checked for every sort of defect before being installed, giving them an additional safety advantage.
  • Underwater usage: There are several instances in which the pouring of concrete in certain types of subsoil or other environments won’t set. The use of formed piles easily takes care of that issue.
  • Convenience: With a wide selection of piles all ready to go, you are able to select what you need and install them at your convenience.
  • Adaptability: Trying to pour the exact shape you need is a thing of the past with concrete pilings available in square, round, octagonal and other shapes.
  • Incredible strength: Because of the nature of the piles, the reinforcement used inside is more likely to stay put without getting disturbed or moving its place. They also have high bending and lateral resistance to hold their strength in adverse conditions.
  • Eco friendly: With no leftover materials to clean up at the installation site, piles are the most environmentally friendly option when supporting your foundation and in other applications, such as retaining walls, embankments and cofferdams.
By Southport Concrete Corp. 20 Jul, 2018
Southport Concrete Corp is a leading builder of seawalls  in the Southport area. A seawall is a barrier that prevents waves from inundating property and land. These concrete walls are ideal for areas that are susceptible to hurricanes and frequent flooding. During storms, the sea level, as well as lake and river levels, can rise dangerously high and threaten communities and natural areas. The wall stops the water in its tracks and keeps communities from sustaining millions of dollars' worth of damages. Despite their name, our walls can be built near any large body of water, and our company can construct the following types:

  • Curved
  • Vertical
  • Mound
By Southport Concrete Corp. 20 Jul, 2018
You have a lot of options when it comes to building materials in Southport, but there are some that are more high-quality than others. At Southport Concrete Corp., we offer ready-mix concrete. As a product that is made in a factory, it offers the highest quality possible, as it is regulated under specific conditions. Being carefully monitored while it is mixed, it allows maximum economy at every turn. It is a convenience for contractors because it can be delivered to most jobsites. If a truck can get there, the ready mix can get there. It can also be poured directly from the truck into handling equipment or formwork, minimizing loss and mistakes.
By Southport Concrete Corp. 20 Jul, 2018

Although the terms cement and concrete are often used interchangeably, cement is actually an ingredient in concrete.

Concrete is basically a mixture of paste and aggregates. The aggregates are crushed stone or sand and gravel; the paste is made of water and Portland cement. Concrete material happens to get stronger as it gets older. Portland cement is not the name of a particular brand of cement; it’s the generic term for the type of cement utilized in almost all concrete (ex: stainless is a type of steel and sterling is a type of silver).

Pervious concrete, also known as "green concrete," is a choice that helps combat building code issues with storm water run-off.

Cement is composed of 10 to 15 percent of the concrete mix, by volume. Then through a process called hydration, the cement and water harden and bring together the aggregates into a rocklike form. This developing and hardening process continues for years, again meaning that concrete gets stronger as it gets older.

By Southport Concrete Corp. 20 Jul, 2018
There are many residences that need to use a septic tank. If you find yourself in such an area, consider what Southport Concrete Corp. can do for you. We can cast septic systems  for you, and we have been operating in Southport for almost 20 years. We can inspect your location to design a septic system that is perfect for your expected needs, bringing you long-term plumbing solutions.
By Southport Concrete Corp. 20 Jul, 2018
Concrete driveways are durable and attractive, and they provide a solid, reliable parking surface for vehicles. However, maximizing the lifespan and appearance of your concrete driveway depends upon making the right choices both before the concrete is poured and for many years after that, too.

Below, we’ve listed some important things to keep in mind in order to prevent premature concrete driveway failure.
By Southport Concrete Corp. 20 Jul, 2018
Concrete is an ideal construction material for countless numbers of applications due to the substance’s strength, reasonable cost, and ease of installation. Paving surfaces is one of the many uses for this flexible medium. However, concrete is prone to crack, and it is normal for even the best-laid concrete surface to develop hairline crevices.

While these tiny cracks are often insignificant, they are unsightly and detract from the overall appearance of the paved surface. You can preventing these cracks by installing contraction joints; below is more information about these important features and their installation.
By Southport Concrete Corp. 20 Jul, 2018
If you're hoping to replace your tired old countertops with something more modern and durable, you've likely considered popular options like quartz, granite, marble, or solid surface. However, many homeowners do not realize that concrete makes an excellent countertop and has plenty of advantages.

Just like any other countertop surface, there are specific advantages that concrete offers. How do you know if concrete is the right choice for your new or remodeled kitchen?
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Concrete is one of the most versatile construction materials currently available. You'll find concrete used for everything from seawalls to countertops.

But not all concrete is exactly the same. When you choose concrete for a building project, you may have several options for the mixture contents and the laying process.

In this blog, we compare two common laying processes: precast concrete and onsite ready-mix pouring.
By Southport Concrete Corp. 20 Jul, 2018
Though concrete is incredibly strong and resilient, untreated concrete can be stained in some circumstances. This is primarily due to the internal crystalline structure of concrete at the microscopic level.

Concrete consists of tiny cement particles locked together with sand and other crushed materials. In between these particles lie tiny air gaps that can be filled with just about any liquid that comes their way. That includes water, paint, oil, and other fluids dropped on the surface of unsealed concrete.

As a consequence, you can’t merely wipe concrete stains away. Instead, you have to treat the stains with the right methods, chemicals, and tools.

Below is a brief guide to removing two common but tough stains that affect concrete.
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