Water-based stain

A non-reactive stain carrying fine pigment particles into the concrete's pores, offering a wide color range and more predictable results than acid stain.

What does water-based stain mean?

Because it does not depend on a chemical reaction, color is more uniform and available in blues, greens, and brights that reactive stains cannot produce. Penetration and durability depend on the concrete being porous, so a hard-troweled or previously sealed surface must be opened by grinding or etching. Uneven porosity produces uneven color.

In practice

Interior decorative floors increasingly use water-based stains because a client can actually be shown the color they will get.

Related terms

More on staining & coloring