Dropping Some Acid Stain

Update time! Things are really starting to pick up. Getting the first course of blocks down was pretty time consuming, mostly because I had to get everything placed just so. Of course I also had regular assistance from the rain fairy.

Once the first course was set, the second went in really fast. And here we are!

The next course will be above grade. I really hate gray and I really hate the look of bare concrete, so I wanted something nicer than plain concrete blocks. My initial plan was to use colored split faced blocks. However one of the drawbacks to living this far out is that getting large heavy things delivered can be quite costly. I did find one place that would sell in smaller quantities, but while considering the price of the blocks and delivery I looked into some alternatives.

One thing I kept coming across was acid stained concrete. Usually this is done to floors and the results can be stunning. I could not find any examples of it being done to blocks, however, so I decided it was time to experiment.

I got sample sizes of some Vivid brand acid stain from Amazon. First I did some sample swatches on a couple different block types. From left to right they are Mission Brown, Weathered Terracotta, Amber, Caramel, and Jade.

Then I used a stain pad to apply the stain in a mottled pattern.

After four four hours I hose the blocks off and give them a light scrub with a wire bush.

Here they are after they dry. I will most likely apply a sealant that gives them a permanent wet look. Because reasons. 

Here they are dry stacked to give me an idea how they will look once they are installed. The blotchiness is because they got wet overnight and are still drying off.

Personally, I think this is much better looking than the split faced blocks. Besides, I've started noticing how common split face is in cheap crappy retail buildings. The local Walmart, Burger King, and Taco Bell: all built out of split face.

Yeah, my blocks are way better.

So now I have three gallons of acid stain being shipped my way. They won't be here until Wednesday, so I'll have to find something else to do this weekend. Until then, have some chicken photos.