If I Had Carpet Down Can I Acid Stain The Concrete Beneath?

Yes. Hooray! However, the speed at which the ‘hooray’ is reached is largely dependent on whether the carpet was attached to the concrete below or not. As in, glued.

Carpet without glue will not affect acid stain as there is no physical barrier between the stain and the concrete it’s trying to sink into/attach to. If there are tack strips with nails into the concrete around the perimeter, this area can be turned into an artistic border, making your newly-stained concrete floor just that bit more unique.

If the old carpet was glued to the concrete, then a stripper and/ or a scrubber will be needed to remove the material. This will require some serious elbow grease, but it is a vital first step before the acid-stain touches your concrete if you want a consistent, stable finish. Residue and solvents from the glue may still be present and create a ghosting in the stain, which is unpredictable (and not in a good way). The concrete surface may need to be ground down to remove the glue residue and a micro-topping for the entire surface may be necessary.

Either way, whether your concrete is dealing with glue residue or not, the concrete experts at Stone Surface Specialists will be able to tell you exactly what’s needed to create the effect you want, and better yet, they’ll be able to do all the work for you. Give us a call today to schedule your FREE concrete consultation at 801 856 0164.