Today I decided to start a bit of work on the slab. When I poured it, I didn't do a great job on the form so I wanted to add some character to the slab. I used a charcoal release powder/colouring when I poured the concrete, but it really lacked lustre in my opinion. For the past couple of months I've been thinking of finishing options and I opted to use concrete stain.
To prep the surface, I first rinsed off the leaves and dirt that accumulated over winter. Then I purchased some 120 grit sanding discs for my angle grinder (same grinder I used to cut all my brick!) and sanded down the slab. I didn't push too hard as I only wanted a bit of the aggregate to show. The trick with concrete stain is that it reacts to the lime in the concrete, so the aggregate in the concrete (being pebbles etc) will not colour. Once I sanded all the surfaces and smoothed the edges, I hosed the whole slab down with water and then dried it with a towel.
I purchased a stain that is made by W.R. Meadows and is called Spectrum 930 Patina Acid Stain. I chose to use the "Cinnamon" colour. To apply it, I poured about .5 litre into a plastic container and used a synthetic paint brush to apply it. I would've taken pictures of the application, but you need to brush the acid well or it applies unevenly causing dark spots etc. The acid is hydrochloric acid, so it does require PPE such as acid resistant gloves, goggles etc. Once the acid stain was all applied, I left it on for about 4 hours.
As the picture indicate, the stain was very dark to start. Once it dries and is rinsed, it leaves a slightly lighter, but nice colour with a patina look to it.
Before I get too far, there is that large section on the dome that requires some stucco. That will be this weekends project, so I can continue on with the rest of the cosmetics.
Stay tuned for more updates!
Frenchy
