First, the surface is etched with muriatic acid or EZ Prep and pressure washed to clean off dirt, remove loose aggregate, and open the concrete pores. Next, a very thin "skim" coat of the acrylic cement mix is applied by trowel. This is to provide maximum absorption into the pores of the concrete. Patterns are laid out using reinforced tape when the skim coat is dry. A second coat is applied using a drywall hopper in a random spray pattern, or troweled for multi-hued color variations. When this coat is dry, the tape is pulled, revealing the patterns, and two to three coats of solvent based sealer is applied using a roller. This sealer coat penetrates and softens the skim and spray coats and bonds all layers to the concrete. When dry, these two layers become a permanent part of the existing concrete, providing outstanding weather and stain resistant properties.