Concrete Floor Stain

Concrete floor stain is a technique that helps enhance the appearance of your plain-looking concrete flooring. When acid-based chemical stains seep deep down into your concrete floor surface, it transforms the latter’s color, pattern and texture, depending on the chemical stain used. In fact, it gives it a more permanent result than the finest paints. Often, they can resemble the texture, and look and feel of expensive tile floors. In order to get that stylish look we have helped many of our clients.

Liven up your home! Choose Concrete Floor Stain

Concrete floor stain is usually available in earthy tones and tans, but with an intelligent mix of colors, one can come up with some unique shades that resemble marble, wood, natural stone or leather. Now, with technology at hand, it is easy to move beyond earth tones and come up with attractive shades, designs, textures and styles to dress up your home floors.
These colors do very well on a driveway, deck back, patio, family room floors, countertops in kitchens, on an interior surface, on new concrete or as an overlay or on existing concrete. They can successfully be used in commercial complexes and residences.

How it works

This process works both in new homes and in remodeled homes where you want to replace old wooden flooring with concrete floor stain. The process involves a chemical reaction of inorganic salts and hydrochloric acid on cement, resulting in unique coloring. It works equally well on new and old concrete and will not chip or stain. When set, it resembles marble in earthy tones.
If however, there are blemishes in your existing flooring, they will show up in your new stained flooring too, but attractively. Depending on your color scheme, you can customize colors to make a unique shade just for your home.
If you’re not sure what to expect from this process, have a test done on a small patch since it’s difficult to tell the result of a chemical reaction. This will tell you if the color you get is really what you want or you can make some adjustments till you reach a desired effect. Uniformity of stain cannot be expected because of uneven reactions from different parts of the concrete. So, be prepared for this. This variability gives this medium its wide appeal.

Prepare the floor for concrete floor stain

If you choose to go the DIY route to concrete stain your flooring, here are a few tips to help you prepare the ground before you actually start the job.
First, sweep and mop the floor with soap and water and rinse until all the soap has gone and the floor dried. Look for any flaws in the floor and note them down separately as cracks, grease spots, spilled paint, pet stains, etc.
Now, spray strong detergent on grease stains and rub hard with a scrub brush. Keep wiping the spot with a damp sponge, and rinse the area thoroughly after each wipe. Now, allow it to dry completely and examine the spot to see if it has gone completely. Use the same method to remove any more grease spots by using a concrete liquid for degreasing which you can obtain from any home improvement store.
Use a scraper to take off the concrete floor any latex paint spillage, while for other kinds of paint stains, use paint stripper. Keep rubbing these spots with paint stripper till there is no evidence of the stain there. Now, fill any cracks using patching material and check that the label that is a concrete acrylic mix with a low-shrinkage warranty. Before buying, see whether the label says it can absorb the acid stain. If it can, it will help with blending colors on the new floor.
Lay out sand on the entire floor using a concrete floor grinder. Remove any sealants or dirt or grime that might have gone through the concrete surface with a fine abrasive head. Now, pick up any debris and wash the floor clean with a wet mop and keep rinsing it until it is entirely free of any dirt particles. Let it dry for a while before you apply the stain of your choice.

Costs involved in concrete floor stain

This is a professional job, so it’s best to call in the experts, but should you wish to do it yourself, you might like to. The cost for this project will vary accordingly and also on the project’s complexity and area to be put under stained concrete.
Prices of concrete floor stain begin at about $4 per square foot, which includes the minimal amount of preparation, a coat of stain and sealer each. However, prices may go up to about $15 per square foot and would include several colors, fine design engravings, thin overlays, and sandblasting. Prices depend on the complexity of the job, the materials needed and labor to complete the job to professional standards.
If you find these prices on the high side and would like to take on this project yourself, you’ll be encouraged to do so by the cost per square foot this entails. It’s barely $0.65 per square foot if you work on it—so it’s well worth considering a professional!

Advantages of concrete floor stain

There are many advantages of having your floor redone with concrete floor stain.
They make your cheap and drab flooring look smart and expensive, just like tiled and stone flooring. They also lend a certain charm and grace to your room at a minimal cost. They are also easy to maintain—all it needs is that you sweep and swab it and perhaps wax the floor once a year to keep up its shine.
Concrete floor stain comes to you with a whole host of advantages: First, they extend the longevity of the flooring by adding on a surface layer that protects it from any erosion. They are energy efficient in reducing your bills by remaining cool in the summer months and using a few throw rugs in the winter.
They are a good choice for people suffering from allergies, as it does not retain any allergens or dust mites and are eco-friendly, as they do not require any wood or green cover to be cut.
For free advice and inspection call us now!