Concrete dyes are not UV stable, so they are generally used on interior surfaces. Unlike stains, they can be mechanically polished. Dyes are plant-based and give color by penetrating deeper into concrete, as they have a smaller particle size than stains. Due to this, dyes provide greater color saturation to concrete floors.
Concrete dyes are also pigment particles, but they are many, many times smaller than what stains contain, and the pigments actually dissolve rather than in suspension. The carrier is often a solvent such as acetone or alcohol, although in the case of Tru Tint Dye, water is the preferred and safest vehicle. The nature of the dyes allows them to penetrate the concrete almost regardless of the “openness” of the surface. A rough analogy is that stains are a form of paint and dyes are more like an ink.
Dyes are preferred for those burnished and polished surfaces that will be difficult for stains to penetrate effectively. This often comes into play with commercial floors and custom concrete countertops, as those surfaces are often highly polished or polished. Concrete dyes work fast and are not as tolerant of errors as stains. If you use a solvent vehicle, keep in mind that they often dry almost instantly, leaving little room for major errors.
Tru Tint dyes, mixed with water according to instructions, are much more tolerant and allow application with spray, roller or brush. By the way, polished surfaces tend to be indoors, which is good because that's another difference between the two types of products. Dye particles do not show good light fastness. In other words, they tend to fade in sunlight.
That makes dyes a bad option for patios, driveways, etc. Some companies claim that their dyes are UV-stable, but that's a bit misleading. In that case, they added some UV absorbers in the product, which does coat the dye particles with that protection, but it is often short-lived, since the absorbers have a short shelf life. The tint color palette is usually a little smaller than that of spots, but it will still provide plenty of options for most projects.
Acid-based stains change the color of concrete by reacting with the salts and minerals it contains. They create a translucent effect, rather than a dull finish, and the look will often vary, creating a mottled, textured look for your floor. Of the two types of stains, acid stains are traditionally lower maintenance than water stains. Pigments for concrete are different from dyes and stains in that they must be mixed with concrete before it is poured.
While dyes and stains only change the color of the top layer of concrete, pigments color all of the concrete used. Once the pigment is added, it cannot be removed. Concrete spots are a suspension of color pigments. This is similar to paints, but the pigments in the stains must be smaller to penetrate the concrete instead of staying on the surface, or they would wear out or wash away.
Concrete dyes are usually water-based and have no VOC content or have a low. Before you get to the coloring phase, you need to make sure you have the right tools on hand to pour the concrete. For example, a stain may appear dark green on the container, but it acquires a reddish-brown color when it reacts with the concrete. While a sealant is recommended, but not required with penetrating or film-forming stains, it should be applied to acid-stained concrete surfaces to fully develop the desired marbling effect.
Unlike concrete stains, which chemically react with calcium hydroxide in concrete, dyes are non-reactive and color when penetrating concrete or other porous cementitious surfaces. Penetrating stains do not react with concrete, but they do sink into pores, permanently changing the color of the concrete surface. Both stains and dyes are generally easy to apply, but chemical stains require at least five hours of drying time between coats, so the stain has enough time to react with the concrete. However, because the dyes penetrate the concrete quickly, they leave very little room for error during application.
Before applying any of these products, it is essential that the concrete surface is thoroughly cleaned and free of any contaminants, and in the case of penetrating stains, the surface must be sufficiently porous and contoured to accept a stain. Acid Stains Cleaning a surface before applying the acid stain is also very important, but it must be done without the use of chemicals that can prematurely trigger a reaction with minerals in the concrete. These methods of coloring your decorative concrete floor can be used together or separately, depending on the effect you want to create. Hard troweled concrete requires good surface preparation to open the surface and make it sufficiently porous.
The application of dyes and dyes for concrete requires protective equipment such as a respirator, goggles and rubber gloves. . .
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