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Step 1
Purchase a concrete stain at a home improvement or paint supply store. Acid stains can be mixed to create custom colors.
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Step 2
Cover areas around the concrete floor including walls, wood trim and metal to protect them from the stain.
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Step 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.
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Step 4
Test the stain color on a small area of the floor to make sure you like the color.
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Step 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.
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Step 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.
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Step 7
Protect the stained floor by applying a sealer. This also gives the stained concrete a shiny appearance.
Comments
dagnew21 said
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 said
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: magnar_corp51@hotmail.com
khenderson said
on 9/3/2008 We were just faced with just that decision of whether to use acid stain or a water based stain and opted for the water base stain because it was not hazardous. We did three coats of a Behr semi-transparent stain and it is GORGEOUS!! Looks like leather. We sealed it with two coats of wet look sealer. We are so happy we opted for the non-acid option.
pinklady said
on 4/29/2008 Have you looked at water based concrete stains. I was looking at Sim Stain which simulates acid stain but is non hazardous. The stain absorbs into the pores of the concrete for permanent color with variation like acid but is alot easier to use. The pictures on the website look good just wondered if anyone has tried.
chamm said
on 2/16/2008 When purchasing an acid stain, you need to make sure you go to a specialty store that sales decorative concrete products. These products can be found in some of the box stores, but are limited to 2-3 colors. Make sure that your bottle stated ACID STAIN, and not Concrete Stain. Difference. Acid Stain is made from Hdydrochloric Acids and Metallic Salts, that react with the free lime in the concrete. A Concrete stain is basically a thinned down paint and comes in a wide range of colors. Acid Stains normally only come in 8-10 earth tones.
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