Concrete Dyes and Water Base Stains

Concrete dyes, tints, or washes are gaining popularity in the word of architectural concrete as an alternative to acid stained floors.
 

Solvent-based or alcohol based dyes can be used to achieve brighter, more vibrant colors and increase the palette range as compared to the more limited options of earth tone hues found in traditional acid stains. Most dyes are packaged in concentrated form, allowing more flexibility to achieve the desired look.  Dyes can be used full strength to attain greater depth of color or, dilute with water or solvents to produce paler shades or a lighter, more translucent color wash 
 
Dyes are generally composed of fine acrylic pigments mixed with a quick drying solvent or alcohol.  With little to no residue left from the stains, clean up is usually minimal and dry time is almost instant.  Unlike acid stains, dyes do not react chemically with with cement-based materials.  Instead, they contain very fine pigments that penetrate into the concrete surface. This allows for little down time and quicker applications on most jobs.
 
Says Bob Harris of The Decorative Concrete Institute, "For greater versatility, I like to use  dyes because they allow me to achieve vibrant tones such as yellows, blues, and purples to name a few.  Unlike acid stains, dyes do not react chemically with with cement-based materials.  Instead, they contain very fine pigments that penetrate into the concrete surface."

Water Based Stains

Water-based, or acrylic stains are quickly growing as an alternative to traditional acid-based stains and are growing in popularity due to their ease of application, limited clean-up, and broad range of colors.

Most water-based stain are a blend of fine pigments, acrylic bonding agents, and plasticers. These products bond to the surface rather than chemically react with the concrete like traditional acid stains. Because of this, wear-based stains can be made with a broader range of colors, applied with more versatility, and leave little if no residue to clean up. They can be applied full-strength or diluted to create a more translucent look. With glazing techniques they can be made to look like faux marble or stone.

Because acrylic stains do not chemically react to concrete flooring surfaces, certain limitations exist. Like any coating, acrylic stains require a properly prepared and profiled surface.