This question was asked by - Peter Clifford

I would like to colour a newly laid 30 square metre concrete drive with Smart colour (Licorice). Please could you advise the amounts of prep material, colour and sealer (satin finish) required for this. Many thanks

As the concrete is new you will need to leave it a minimum of 30days before trying to stain to let the concrete cure.

Before staining you will need to acid wash the surface to remove any loose dusty surface from the concrete using the Eco acid If you are looking to apply a single solid colour to the concrete I would recommend using the Solid colour stain (medium grey) you will need 1 x 32oz kit to do your area. The solid colour stain will be much quicker, easier and cheaper than the smartcolour (you would need at least 3 x 32oz bottles to get a solid uniform colour). Then finally to seal I would suggest the WB25. I have listed all the relevant products below, I would highly recommend watching the installation videos before you start the job. http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/Eco-Acid-profiler.html http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/Solid-Colour-Stain.html http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/WB-25-eco-friendly-satin-concrete-sealer.html http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/Application-Brushes.html Drew Palin

This question was asked by - Chris Helliwell

My drive laying company has gone out of business I have a 260sq m area which does not match the colour of the more recently laid extra 60 and how much do you think it will cost to get the 260sq m recovered

The Solid colour stain was designed to colour large areas of concrete 1 uniform colour, if you combine this with the smartcolour (diluted) you will get the same 2 tone look that Imprinted concrete should have.

Take a look at the videos section at www.adsealcolours.co.uk this will give you some idea of what is involved. Endura Solid Stain (ESS) Smart Colour Stain (SMART) Drew Palin

This question was asked by - Sam Butler

I have recently made a concrete table for use inside. I was looking at possibly using your smart stain to make it a darker shade as it didn't really come out as dark as I had liked. Wondered what it was like to use on new works. Also was looking at your polyeurethene gloss sealer. Was just looking for some advice really.

Yes the Smart colour will be ok to use and the High gloss PU will give a very nice gloss finish.

In regards to the prep work you will need to acid wash and profile the surface to remove any dusty material from the surface and to increase the porosity (there are a couple of videos on the website to show you what to look for when prepping the surface). Smart Colour Stain (SMART) Eco Acid [profiler] (EA) High-gloss Polyurethane Sealer (HGPU) Drew Palin

This question was asked by - Jon-Luke Kirton

We have a a large driveway (approx 200m2) with standard red block pavers. We would like to change the colour of these to a slate grey colour (we have a period character sandstone and traditional scottish slate house). What products would you recommend for this look to be achieved?

To completely change the colour of the paving is entirely doable, I have linked below the products you would need and if you check out the videos section you will find how to guides for the prep and the application.

Firstly you would need to remove any sealer that might be on the surface using either the Solstrip or Easystrip 1000 for acrylic sealers or the Easystrip 2000 if it is a Polyurethane sealer. Once this is done you will need to profile the surface to make it porous to accept the stain then you would apply the Solid colour stain as a base colour, then a diluted Smartcolour to give the 2 tone antiqued effect. After the stain has cured for 24 hours you will need to re apply a sealer coat. Solid Colour Stain (SOLID) Smart Colour Stain (SMART) EasyStrip 1000 Coating Remover (ES1000) Eco Acid [profiler] (EA) Drew Palin

This question was asked by - Mike thomas

i want to add some colour to some outside cured concrete on a roadway in a green or brown which would be the best product

It really all depends on what you are looking for as the finished product. If you are just looking for a solid uniform colour the the best one to use would be the Solid colour stain (link below), if you are wanting a more translucent or mottled colour or to have a few colours together then the Smartcolour would be best.

Solid Colour Stain (SOLID) Smart Colour Stain (SMART) Drew Palin

This question was asked by - toby graham

Hello, I have an imprinted concrete driveway in terracotta. Is it possible to change the colour with one of your stain products

Yes it is totally possible to change the colour of your concrete.

You would first need to remove the old sealer using the Stripping solution (link below), then apply the Solid colour stain. If you want to just have it one colour then you can finish here by applying a sealer over the top. If you are looking to give it the 2 tone look then Imprint should have you can apply a diluted coat of the smartcolour (a darker colour), allow to dry and then seal. http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/Solvent-Stripper-SolStrip.html http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/Solid-Colour-Stain.html http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/Smart-Colour-Stain.html Drew Palin

This question was asked by - Jason Winslow

Hi I'm looking to enhance an area of concrete and was wondering if you might be able to do smaller 'tester' samples at all? At the moment the concrete has just been laid and is it's natural colour. We think we'd like it to be more of a slate / charcoal sort of colour but not sure, so we'd like to trial a couple of tiny areas first. We also like the idea of stencilling, and considering a grey finish with lighter grey / white-ish pattern. What product(s) would you recommend, and can you do little samples? Kind regards, Jason

Firstly as the concrete has just been laid you will need to wait a minimum of 30 days to allow the concrete to cure before applying the stains to the surface.

You will then need to acid wash the surface to remove any dust or dirt and to profile the concrete to allow the stain to penetrate properly. I would then suggest using the Solid Colour Stain to the surface, this will give you an opaque colour in whichever colour you choose. Then if you are looking to use any further colours you will need to use the Smartcolour stain over the Solid colour. Both these colours are available to by in a 4oz tester size. http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/Solid-Colour-Stain.html http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/Smart-Colour-Stain.html http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/Eco-Acid-profiler.html Drew Palin

This question was asked by - Meriem

I would like to acid stain a concrete floor that has been grounded with 200 grit pads and densified, will the adseals smart color dye work on the concrete?

For the Smartcolour stains to work properly the concrete need to be porous enough for the stain to soak in. Please look at the videos section on www.adsealcolours.co.uk, the last video shows you what you need to look for in regards to the prep.

Drew Palin

This question was asked by - Ron Turnbull

In April or May I want to paint or stain my driveway which looks bland. Would take 10 - 12K to replace :-(( The house was built back in 1971 and the driveway is concrete but has a rough "tamped rough finish". I hear conflicting info regarding painting or staining the concrete. Can you advise me - should I paint or stain ? There are 2 cars sitting on the driveway. Can you recommend a product of yours that would be best suited and how best to apply it.

I would forget about painting, the paint will start to wear off after a few months.

Staining on the other hand (as long as the prep is done correctly) soaks into the concrete to form a permanent bond. I would suggest using the Solid colour stain (link below) as this is the quickest and easiest way to brighten up tired looking concrete. For Prep, mixing and application please review the videos section on the site. Solid Colour Stain (SOLID) Drew Palin

This question was asked by - Proinsias

Hello. I have put an inch thick cement coat on top of a block wall and have carved out the cement to imitate real stone shapes. I would like to add a realistic mottled stone finish to imitate grey limestone or slate. Can I apply your product by hand-brush? Would your translucent range be suitable/

Newlook do a specific stain for vertical surfaces called Wallstain (link below), if you use 3 or 4 different colours you can achieve a very nice natural looking wall.

http://www.adsealcolours.co.uk/WallStain-Solid-and-Translucent.html Drew Palin

This question was asked by - John Pascall

I have a piece of coloured imprinted concrete that I would like to clean and seal. What do you recommend I use? Approx 30 sq. yards.

Hi John

Thank you for your enquiry. To clean the paving you are best using a power washer, if there are any oil stains you can remove them using our surface degreaser (linked below). Once clean and dry you can then apply the sealer (again linked below). http://www.adseal.info/AdSeal-Super-for-block-paving-sealer-and-imprinted-concrete-sealer.html http://www.adseal.info/Surface-Cleaner-Degreaser-and-Oil-Remover.html Drew Palin

When it comes to colouring concrete surfaces like patios and driveways not all products are created equal. Michael Palin, Managing Director at Adseal explains more.

With summer now upon us, many homeowners are looking at their driveways, patios and other paved areas with a view to realising improvements. For some, it might be case of breathing new life into an old concrete surface where time, traffic and the good old British weather may have taken their toll. For others, it could be a desire to realise something more creative such as a picture, a pattern or another design feature, possibly inspired by the numerous interior design and gardening programmes now on TV. Whatever the motivation, there are different ways of achieving the same goal. Paint. Best known but is it best suited? Paint is a widely used solution for colouring or recolouring concrete surfaces in the UK. But just because it's a common choice doesn't necessarily mean it's the best choice. Certainly paint has its attractions. It's cost-effective for a start both in terms of product pricing and the labour costs needed to install it. In fact, paints tend to be fairly low odour and fairly low in their use of hazardous chemicals meaning they can be applied by the untrained user. Paint also comes in an enormous range of colours and those colours are usually predictable. Putting that another way, the colour you see in the tin is the colour you'll end up with on your driveway, patio or paved area. Paint does have its drawbacks however. These stem largely from the fact that paint doesn't permeate the substrate it's being applied to. Instead it adheres to its surface. As a result, paint can be prone to cracking, peeling and flaking. It can also fade over time. Plus, while paint can be used for some detailing type applications, there are other alternatives out there better suited to the task. Related posts - Acid Etching and Chemical Stains, Water Based Colour Stains.

No all our sealers are UV stable

This question was asked by - Denise

I want to stain a large kitchen/hallway but not sure on colours do you do a sample kit?

Yes there are 4oz kits/bottles of each of the stains which are used as testers/samples available to purchase on our website.

Drew Palin

This question was asked by - Alison McKie

Hello, I have a natural blond sandstone hearth and wanted to check which of your products would be best for colouring it.

Unfortunately the stains and dyes that we sell are designed for use on concrete surfaces and not suitable for use on natural stone.

Drew Palin

This question was asked by - John

Will this work on block paving.

Yes they will, they are ok to use on any concrete based product, just bear in mind that the coverage will be severely reduced, by at least half.

Drew Palin

This question was asked by - Diane Lee

Hello, can I stain the stone splashback wall tiles in my kitchen

Unfortunately no, the stains are only for use with cement based product not natural stone.

Drew Palin

Thank you for my product it arrived on Sat done the compass Sunday and I am so pleased with it. Not exactly like the picture I wanted but I think it is much nicer dye and it  was so easy to use. It  went on perfectly Thank you so much for all your help couldn't have done it with out you Regards Nuala McGill