A stained concrete floor makes a durable and beautiful flooring choice. Staining concrete floors yourself is easy, although you should avoid the one big mistake we made. Anyone with concrete floors in their garage, basement, porch, or patio should seriously consider this simple and easy process.

 

These are the steps that will get you a stained concrete floor.

 

1. Choose your concrete stain
2. Prepare and clean your floor
3. Apply the stain
4. Seal your floors

 

CHOOSE YOUR CONCRETE STAIN

A water-based concrete stain will satisfy most homeowners. It is similar to the one used by. While acid stains can provide a more durable finish, they can also be more challenging to apply.

 

You will need to choose between a semi-transparent or solid stain. The semi-transparent stain will allow substantial color variations, while a solid stain will look more like paint. Consider the appearance and condition of your concrete floor and your final design goals.

 

CLEAN AND PREPARE YOUR CONCRETE FLOOR

You will need to clean your surface before you start any painting projects thoroughly. To remove dirt and dust, use a vacuum cleaner or a broom. Next, wipe the surface with mild soapy water. To remove all dirt and debris from outdoor areas like concrete patios or walkways, you can use a pressure washer.

 

Although the floor was in excellent condition, this step will be where you fill or repair any cracks using a product such as this crack sealant or this pourable concrete filler. To remove sticker residue from concrete, you may need to use a paint stripper. 

 

It would be best if you allowed the concrete to cure for at least two weeks before you apply any stain.

Concrete driveway spring hill fl will move on to the next stage once your floor has dried completely.

 

APPLY YOUR STAIN

Stains are usually applied with a paint sprayer or sprayer, but you can also use a paintbrush and a paint roller. The brush could edge corners and give quick coverage with the roller. Although this method may take longer, you don't need additional equipment or have to prepare the area to spray.

 

Keep "wet edges" when applying stain. This means your new paint is only used to an edge that hasn’t dried yet. The equivalent of applying color on a "dry edge" is to apply two coats. This can result in darker or less transparent areas.

 

Semi-transparent stain colors will "intensify" or darken with each coat. Keep applying new coats until satisfied. Make sure that each skin is dry entirely before you apply the next. Dry time may vary depending on your circumstances.

 

 To achieve the desired color, we used three coats. To minimize brush strokes, we alternated the direction in which our paint was applied - first, and it went lengthwise, then it went widthwise.

 

Be sure to plan your escape route when staining or painting floors, so you don't get stuck in a corner.

SEAL YOUR CONCRETE

Once the final coat has dried, you can take your stained floor. There are many types of concrete sealers, including low-luster sealers, which will give your feet a dull or matte finish. Shiny or "wet look" sealers that shine. 

 

They will be applied in the same way as your stain. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure that your chosen color can be used on stained concrete.

AVOID THE MISTAKES WE MADE

Allied Concrete survived being dragged across by appliances with no damage. Two years later, we decided to change the color to match the flooring in the home. It would have been as easy as staining the original stain.