Concrete floors have been around since the early 19th century. With time, technology has improved drastically. While concrete floors were dull in past, today they are treated for better shine and color.
Two of the most common methods to give shine and color to rough concrete flooring are acid stains and water-based stains. Acid stain method has been around for a very long time. This process uses chemical reactions between the acid and the lime at surface of concrete. This reaction produces beautiful color patterns at the concrete surface.
Water-based concrete stains are relatively newcomers to the market.
On the other hand, DeltaDye stains method is relatively a new process. It is a water-based technique in which the dye penetrates the concrete floor. Being someone who has used both these stain methods, I will tell you which one is better.
Diverse color range, durability, eco-friendly nature, and more color control are some of the upsides of DeltaDye concrete floor stains. The downsides include fast penetration and relatively less UV stability. Overall, DeltaDye is an improvement over acid-based concrete stains
Benefits of DeltaDye Concrete Stain
DeltaDye is water-based concrete stains manufactured by Legacy Industrial. DeltaDye comes in 24 different colors. It is water soluble. DeltaDye does not need acid to give color to your concrete. The unique chemical properties give DeltaDye the following benefits over traditional acid-based concrete dyes:
Large Variety of Colors
The fact that DeltaDye is water-soluble makes it more diverse. Currently, DeltaDye is available in 24 different color options. You can choose any of them to brighten your concrete floor.
DeltaDye is available in 24 different colors.
Personally, I like Amber for outdoor floors. On the other hand, I like my indoor concrete floors in Mahogany color.
UV Stability and Longevity
People often think water-based concrete dyes fade very quickly. Well, this is true to some extent. Water-based concrete dyes used to perform poorly in outdoor conditions. They showed instability in the presence of Ultraviolet (UV) radiations coming from the sun. Resultantly, the floor color faded quickly.
Water based concrete dyes show instability in the presence of UV rays coming from sun. DeltaDye is relatively more stable than its counterparts.
However, the DeltaDye is a major improvement in this regard. It shows good levels of stability under UV exposure. You can, hence, use DeltaDye on your outdoor garage floor as you can use it for coloring indoor concrete floors.
Environment Friendly Nature
Apart from variety and durability, water-based concrete stains are also environment friendly. Unlike acid stains, they are chemically benign. They do not release any toxic fumes upon application. They are not harmful for vegetation either.
DeltaDye is eco-friendly both in usage and production
Furthermore, water-based stains such as DeltaDye have more coverage area. For equal quantities, DeltaDye will color bigger portion of your concrete floor than any acid-based stain. Greater coverage area not only makes them easy on your pocket, but it also indicates a relatively sustainable production pattern.
More Color Control
The problem with acid based concrete stains are that they are indeterministic. They depend on chemical reactions which no one can control. Resultantly, you never know what shape your floor will take.
DeltaDye gives you more color control during application
On the other hand, DeltaDye gives you more control. You can mix different proportion of different dyes. You can also know beforehand how your floor will look like after DeltaDye treatment.
Enables DIY Approach
It is not only difficult but can also be hazardous to use acid based concrete stains. This is due to chemical properties of acids and how they can be dangerous for someone who is not an expert.
You can apply DeltaDye on your own. Isn’t it great?
On the other hand, water-based dyes such as DeltaDye is very safe to apply. You can very easily apply it on your own without needing any professional help. Isn’t it great?
Drawbacks of DeltaDye Concrete Stain
Every good thing has few issues too. So does DeltaDye. Following are the two problems that I experienced using DeltaDye to color my concrete floors.
Less Reaction Time
As soon as you apply DeltaDye on your concrete floor, it absorbs the mixture. The concrete gives you no time to rectify any mistake that you may make.
WARNING=
DeltaDye has a less reaction time and seeps in the concrete very quickly.
This can cause some problems for the first timers. Unexperienced people may not be aware of the proportions they need to get a desired color pattern with a specific intensity. Less reaction time will give them no chance to improve their color mix.
Relatively Less UV Stable Than Acid Stains
Although DeltaDye is a major improvement than other water based concrete stains, it is still not as good as acid stains when it comes to UV stability.
WARNING=
DeltaDye is less UV stable than acid stains
What this means is that you may find DeltaDye fading quickly than any acid stain. This is especially true for outdoor conditions where there is a chance of direct sunlight hitting your floor.
DeltaDye has better UV resistance as comapred to other water-based concrete stains.
Having said that, DeltaDye still performs better than its counterparts when it comes to showing UV stability. It is just that acid concrete stains are a bit better.
Conclusion
On the whole, DeltaDye, a water based concrete stain, is better than other acid stains. This is because DeltaDye comes in a large variety of colors. It is more UV stable than other water-based stains. Moreover, it is eco-friendly and gives you more application control. Additionally, you can apply it yourself. It is not dangerous.
On the other hand, quick setting time and less UV stability as compared to acid stains are few of its drawbacks. Nevertheless, the pros of DeltaDye far outweigh it cons.