Iron Sulfate Block Stain

The retaining wall and basement walls looked pretty ugly as bare block, so I cheated and used 1 part Iron Sulfate mixed with 3 parts warm water to make my own stain. The concrete stain in stores is way too expensive.

I may play with the colors a bit before sealing the blocks, but it is a vast improvement to me already. It has an old stone look I think. Much less glaring than unstained.

I also stained the front deck. Of course, Gerald did most of the work, and it looks great. It will lighten up a bit in a week or two. We were too tired to wait to take the plastic down, so I'll add some better photos later. It should look very nice once the finish grade is established and the landscaping is in.