Masonry Staining: A Great Option for Masons and Contractors

Words: Dan Kamys

By Don Foster

The dreaded punch list — it can be a terrible experience to receive one when you thought the job was done. How many times have you completed hours, days or weeks of work, only to have your payment withheld because of an imperfection that is now drawing everyone’s attention? How many times have you torn out an imperfection and replaced it, only to have it not match or have it look like a bad patch job?
[caption id="attachment_13215" align="alignnone" width="275"]Before proven masonry staining. Before proven masonry staining.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_13214" align="alignnone" width="275"]After proven masonry staining After proven masonry staining[/caption]
When this issue concerns aesthetics, a DIY proven masonry stain kit can be one of your most useful tools. Not only can it can get you off your current punch list, but it can also help keep you off it in the future. An added benefit is that you can add staining to your current list of services and make additional money where you never could have made money before. In the before and after pictures, you can see a repair that was made with brick chosen to be the best match in terms of size, texture and color. Nonetheless, color differences were still apparent with both brick and mortar. When selecting the brick, the mason knew he had not found a perfect match. He showed the customer and offered to make the repair and then to stain the wall to improve the color match for an additional charge. Planning ahead paid off. The mason’s competitors couldn’t find a matching brick either. But they didn’t have masonry staining in their bag of tools. The customer hired the man with the stain kit, who was able to charge for repairing the masonry and for changing the color of the brick and mortar afterward. It was a win for everyone and no longer an eyesore for anyone viewing the wall. The advantage went to the mason with the stain kit. The proven masonry stain kit allowed the brick and mortar to look natural and breathe naturally. The surface looked and felt like real brick. There was no unnatural shine, even when it was wet. This product is not a paint or paint-like stain. It cannot be sprayed and is applied with a 1-inch brush for mortar joints and with a 2-inch brush for modular brick. A proven masonry stain is one that is completely absorbed into the masonry. Once the stain is absorbed, it cannot ever peel, crack or blister like a paint-like stain can because it does not create a layer and does not seal the masonry. The masonry looks and breathes naturally and cannot trap water that might create a freeze/thaw problem. Proven masonry stain can never damage masonry of any kind. To determine whether a proven masonry stain is a good candidate for your installation, simply throw water on the wall. If it darkens and starts to soak into the masonry, it is a good candidate for a proven masonry stain. Staining can be a great addition to any contractor’s business, as the number of potential customers with mismatched repairs or additions is significant. Just drive through any town or city, and you can see the need for this service. It is just that many contractors do not know that masonry staining is an option. Staining is a great option that can improve customer satisfaction by resolving problems or eliminating them before they arise. It also will beautify your work by removing potential eyesores, and provide opportunities for additional revenue.
Don Foster is founder and vice president of Masonry Cosmetics Inc. He has experience with every aspect of brick manufacturing and sales, and has been staining masonry for over 30 years. Contact Don at brickmen@gmail.com or (888) 698-8705. Visit www.masonrycosmetics.com for more information.
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