Minwax Gel stain on concrete?
Question:My temporary front porch (only there for about 6 months until I can build a deck) is concrete and UGLY. I was just in the basement and found a can of Minwax Gel Stain. I'm a DIY idiot so I thought I would ask...would it possible to use this on concrete? I'm not looking for a "wood stain" look...just kind of an aged look. Would this even stain the concrete? Or would it just wash off? What could I expect?
Thanks in advance!
Answers:
Use TSP warm water and a scrub brush !
It would probably discolor the cement, but I do not think that you will be happy with the results. Also, it will probably "bleach-out" as sun shines on it and end up looking like you just spilled oil on your porch.
If the porch is only temporary, then why mess with it? Or is this an older concrete slab that is showing it's age?
Have you thought about painting or staining the concrete? It will last longer and look much better than what you are thinking.
If the concrete is pitted and has surface holes from the rocks popping out, them you could just resurface it with a coat of new cement. If done properly, this will make the area look new and will last for as long as needed.
All you need to do is to first wash down the porch with a solution of water and muratic acid (purchased at most hardware stores). This should be mixed approxmately 1 part acid to 10 parts water - add the acid to the water not the water to the acid! Brush this mixture around your porch using a nylon broom - if you use a straw or corn broom it will be ruined. Let the acid mixture sit and burn the surface of the porch for a while then wash off with clean water. Make sure that the acid does not dry on the surface and use plenty of water while rinsing to completely dilute the acid.
Once you have cleaned the porch and let it dry, then you can resurface it. I'd suggest using some ceramic tile thinset as a primer just before coating with a silica sand and portland cement mix (about 50/50). You can add some dye to the cement mix and thinset if you want a color other than gray. Once mixed you can use a trowel or a tile grout float to apply the thinset and the cement. The thinset only has to applied heave enough to cover the surface and act as a bonding agent - don't let this dry before applying the cement. The cement coat will not have to be applied thick either just enough to fill any holes or low spots.
You can brush a texture on the surfce (we usually use a swirl pattern) or whatever you want. I would not recomment a smooth surface due to the possibilities of it being slick when wet.
Once the cement is set - usually a couple hours if applied in a thin coat, you should spray a light mist of water over it to slow down the setting process. If the cement dries too fast it will crackel and powderize so keeping it moist once it begins to set is very important. Keep any trafic off it for atleast 24 hours (more if allowed) and keep spraying it off and on for that time also.
We have resurfaced many porches and even sidewalks this way without any problems. I amn sure that this will more than work for you.
I hope this helps you with your question or atleast gives you some extra ideas.
My appologies for any typo's or mis-spelled words, my tping abilities are not as good as they should be and this spell-checker is not working again.
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