Staining Concrete Countertops

The first step in staining concrete countertops is deciding which type of stain to use, acid or acrylic. For this project we used an umber acid stain. Acid stain produces the most natural appearance and a rustic or old fashioned look is what we were going for on this countertop.

Choose your color of acid stain and dilute it to at least 3 parts water: 1 part acid stain. Remember you can always go darker, so start with a lighter (more diluted) color.

Use a small sprayer to apply the stain. It's a good idea to have a separate sprayer with water to wet the surface first.

Spray the stain on the front edge or face of the countertop first. This will prevent runs or drip marks. Continue by spraying the rest and flooding it with stain. Let it dry and you will see the color mottle out. when it dries it's not going to look so good. The sealer will take care of this. Spray it with water to get a good idea of how it will look with sealer. If the color seems to light, you can reapply the stain. The color will darken as you apply more stain.

Once the staining is done, you must neutralize the entire surface to prepare it for sealer. Dilute ammonia to 5 parts water: 1 part ammonia. Spray it on and flood the surface. Then rinse thoroughly a few times. Let it dry completely (usually overnight) and it's ready for sealer.

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