How to Fix Bad Concrete Stain Job – Reasons and Solutions

Have you spent sweat and tears behind a paint job, only to find that it turned out horrid? Well, sometimes the stain chips off or doesn’t sit well.

After all, staining concrete can be quite a tricky task if you don’t have the basics mastered. However, the good news is that this isn’t all that difficult.

In case if you’re curious about how to fix bad concrete stain job, you’ve come to just the right article. Here we’ll show you the main reasons why this occurred and how you can fix it.

Did it sound like your thing? hop right in as we go on this journey together. Let’s go!

Why Did Your Concrete Stain Job Get Ruined?

Painting any kind of surface can be a huge hassle. But when it comes to painting concrete, things are a little different.

Firstly, regular stains are not designed for concrete since they peel off.

Another reason why stains sometimes won’t sit is the lack of prep.

Even if you want to create paint poured concrete walls, prior prep is an absolute must!

So, let’s take a look at these cardinal factors in detail.

Reason 1: You didn’t prep the surface

Like we previously mentioned, prepping the concrete surface is a must.

That’s because it’ll be easier for you to estimate the finished result. Moreover, every concrete surface is made differently.

As example- the concrete floor stain that you saw online might be impossible to recreate. In case you still want to feel fancy, you could pick some excellent insulation for concrete floors.

Coming back to prepping, first determine how porous the concrete is, and how the stain will be absorbed by it. A good way to gauge this is through a simple test.

#The water on concrete test

This test will determine the quality of the concrete. You’ll be able to guess if the paint might react or end up patchy.

To do this, simply take some water and spray it evenly on concrete walls. If the water gets absorbed evenly on the concrete, you’re safe.

However, if the water beads or gets repelled in some areas, then there’s no way that the stain will sit well. Here you’ll need some additional preparation.

After completing the water test, mark the areas that need some extra help.

Then you can manually sand the surface to get rid of any layer of dirt or opt for a chemical cleaner. This will degrease and clean any dirt.

Reason 2: You used the wrong stain

All formulas of paint or stain won’t sit well with concrete. Before purchasing one, do some research beforehand.

Even if some stains claim that they’re compatible with concrete, the reality is quite different.

Most cheap commercial stains are useless. A nice trick to filter the good from the bad is to read the instruction labels.

If the product mentions doing an acid wash on the concrete beforehand, it’s not worth buying. Look out for the words “acid stain.” The more unadulterated it is, the better.

Now, if you have the colossal mistake of applying a poor-quality stain, then you must remove it before you paint.

Reason 3: You scratched off some stain

So, you’ve sealed and waxed the stain and feel super proud. As you admire your work, you notice some horrid scratched on the stain.

Before panicking, check how deep the scratches are. If it’s somewhat shallow, then a coat of wax can fill it in.

But if the scratch removed quite a bit of the stain and wax, you’ll need to strip off the wax and repaint the stain.

Use a wax remover for this purpose and then use a fine tip brush to fill in the stain. Afterward, clean and reapply the wax.

Reason 4: You stained the wrong area

Lastly, you can mess up a concrete stain job by coloring the wrong area.

If you find yourself in such a dilemma, you’ll need some acid wash and a brush to clean off the unwanted stain.

Simply add one-part acid with 5 parts of water. Next, dip a brush in the solution and scrub away the stain. After it’s removed, quickly wash off the area with water.

Don’t forget to wear some safety gear in case you have an acid splash on yourself.

How to fix bad concrete stain job?

Alright, we’ve discovered some main causes of a bad concrete stain job. With that out of the way, let’s see how we can fix it.

When it comes to fixing a bad stain job, the solution also depends on why the stain was ruined in the first place. If it’s for lack of prep, you’ll need to ensure an even application.

But if you’ve used the wrong paint, then you’ll need to remove the whole layer and start over. In short, the technique will differ. Similarly, filling the void below concrete stairs has some unique steps.

Thus, let’s look at the solution one by one.

1. Use another coat of stain

Sometimes all you need is another layer of paint to hide any imperfections or accidents that may have occurred.

Perhaps you’ve brushed against wet paint and smudged some off. Or else, the color deposit may not have been according to your taste.

If these problems sound like yours, then simply reapply another coat of paint and you’ll be good to go!

2. Strip the paint off

If you used the wrong paint or you accidentally splattered some, then the best option for you is to strip off the paint and start from scratch.

Use an acid wash or sanding machine to save loads of time and effort.

Conclusion

Here comes the end of our post. We hope you enjoyed your time and learned some new and useful tips.

If you have any further queries on how to fix bad concrete stain job, don’t forget to let us know in the comments below.

Until next time, stay happy and take care!