How to Stain an Interior Concrete Floor

Applying an acid stain to an interior concrete floor can be as attractive as natural stone, ceramic tile or other expensive flooring products. It does not coat the floor, but rather reacts with the concrete to produce color with a mottled effect that replicates the look of stone or marble. This durable flooring solution is usually available in browns, tans or other earth tones.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Purchase a concrete stain at a home improvement or paint supply store. Acid stains can be mixed to create custom colors.

2. Cover areas around the concrete floor including walls, wood trim and metal to protect them from the stain.

3. Prepare the concrete surface according to the stain manufacturer's instructions. Ensure that the concrete is clean and dry. For a new concrete floor, make sure it has had enough time to properly cure before the stain is applied.

4. Test the stain color on a small area of the floor to make sure you like the color.

5. Use a saw with a diamond blade to score the concrete surface to create a pattern or simulate grout lines. Score lines are also used to define areas where different colors of stain will be applied.

6. Apply the acid stain to achieve the desired pattern or special effect. Use a greater amount of stain to achieve a richer color. Allow the stain to completely dry and then apply a second coat. Wait for the stain to dry and then scrub off any stain residue.

7. Protect the stained floor by applying a sealer. This also gives the stained concrete a shiny appearance.

Tips & Warnings

• Hire a professional contractor to stain your interior concrete floors.
• Acid stain can be applied to new or old concrete.
• Do not use acid wash to clean the concrete floor before applying an acid stain.
• A concrete floor that is not smooth may not yield an attractive result.
• Don't walk on or clean the newly stained floor for at least 24 hours or as recommended by the manufacturer.

Resources

• Find a contractor to stain your interior concrete floors.

[duranee]

on 10/5/2009 To 356M - It's not necessary to score the concrete. We've done the whole house without any scoring and love the result. It's sooo easy to care for. Wouldn't go back to carpet for anything.

[highcloud]

on 9/5/2009 Ah... this is a great article. I like the ideas here. 5*

[drillguy]

on 9/5/2009 i found some great diamond blades for concrete staining and scoring at http://www.toolguy.com

[dagnew21]

on 1/26/2009 Khenderson: Is your Behr latex paint still on your concrete floor? If not, don't feel bad. As a professional concrete resurfacer, Behr is keeping us busy! Both Behr (Home Depot) and Quikcrete (Lowes) concrete 'stain' is nothing other than watered down latex paint, and it will peel off your concrete in a matter of months, just like ANY paint you apply to concrete. Avoid these mis-labeled and mis-leading products at all costs. Our company has a portfolio of failed concrete where the homeowner used these two products. It is a film-forming latex acrylic coating, not a stain! Oh, for truth-in-labeling in this country....

If you really want to stain your concrete, there are a couple decent non-acid stains that look great, but I believe they are only available to contractors. Anyone can dump acid on their concrete and see what happens...but if you want to do it well, its very tricky

[356m]

on 11/11/2008 I have a brand new concrete floor I want to stain not sure though if I will use a water base or acid. Anyway can anyone tell me if its absolutely necessary to score the concrete? It already has some natural lines or cracks. Please email response to: [e-mail]