Furniture & Other stationary Objects
An area rug with a tacky bottom was placed under a dining table on this acid-stained concrete floor. A year later it could not be removed without taking the concrete sealer and stain with it.
The sealer and floor finish on an acid-stained concrete floor is a form of plastic. Most plastics tend to bond together, so you should avoid placing anything on your floor with a plastic or acrylic bottom, such as air mattresses, painters tarps, planters, furniture coasters, storage bins and certain types of matting. Otherwise, when these objects are moved, they may lift the sealer and color right off of the floor. If you do keep such objects on the floor, make sure to use a fabric in between, or attach felt-bottomed pads. Products made with cheap or poor quality rubber will also stick to acid-stained concrete flooring, and can leave yellow or brown staining. Quality rubbers (those based on nitrile) are generally okay but should be tested before being left in place permanently.
A special note regarding furniture: The concrete sealers and floor finishes used for acid-stained concrete flooring are extremely durable, but the hard bottoms and constant movement of tables and chairs in a restaurant, office building, dining room or entertainment area, will eventually scratch or wear through them unless preventive measures are taken. In such areas with high activity, we highly recommend attaching special pads to the legs of all furniture, as well as heavy stationary objects, like large appliances and equipment. Expanded Technologies in Kenosha, WI, has a great selection of high quality furniture pads. This is a quick and inexpensive way to extend the life of your floor and reduce your maintenance costs drastically.
Protective pads for furniture and other heavy objects are a small measure that can extend the life of an acid-stained concrete floor indefinitely.
Also, be very careful of runoff water from plants, which often contains tannins, lignin, fertilizer or plant food. Over time, these trace chemicals will discolor and permanently stain your sealer.
Finally, NEVER EVER apply tape of any kind, for however short a period of time, to an acid-stained concrete floor. Just like matting with a plastic or rubber backing, tape will pull up concrete sealer and stain when removed. Painters should know better, but historically, they are one of the biggest sources of damage to acid-stained and decorative concrete flooring. This type of damage is not covered under an acid- stained concrete floor warranty, so you should warn painters beforehand and plan to recover any repair damages from them, so you will be able pay to have it fixed.