Concrete Stain Concentrate Just Add Water, User & Eco-Friendly Semi-Transparent Professional Grade Cement Stain, Concrete Resurrection Brand (8 Ounce, Winter White)

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.

Color is perfect and it went on great. It does drive quickly and I believe over time it’s going to protect my counter from food and drink stain. Priced very well and great for the DIYer

So this product is marketed towards more of a decorative application with concrete engraving and staining. I used it as just a stain on my already stamped concrete patio. The manufacturer states that the actual color will vary depending on the porosity and type of concrete. For me, I was expecting a more brown tint and it came out more orange (especially in the sun) than I anticipated (see picture). But that's a risk I was willing to take and I am happy with the results.The color did not change much between one and two coats. Instead the coverage/depth is what changed with my type of concrete. With one coat, I could see more of the concrete texture underneath and it almost looked like it was granite or stone. After applying the second coat, it almost like it was painted on. So keep this on mind when deciding how many coats you'd like. You'll also want to make sure to spray it on evenly and cover anything you don't want stained. It will stain things you didn't think will take stain, like aluminum siding or screen frames. You might be able to take it off, but it will require serious scrubbing.I used a deck sprayer Chapin Clean 'N Seal 2-Gallon Poly Deck, Fence, and Patio Sprayer 25020 to apply it and used the 1/2 gallon/min nozzle as recommended by the sprayer mfg. I was able to get almost exactly 300 sq ft of coverage with one bottle. I had to order another bottle to finish my patio (About 400 sq ft total) and apply the second coat.Admittedly, it may have been cheaper if I had gone to my local hardware store to pick up a stain. But all-in-all I'm very happy with the results and would do it again for future projects.As a bonus, Engrave-A-Crete's customer service was top notch and very helpful and quick to respond. Also, if you need to expedite your order, you'll have to go to there web site to order but it costs a little more.