How to Apply Concrete Stain to a Driveway
Driveway staining is an inexpensive way to bring your front yard hardscape to life with colors, textures and faux finishes. With the wide variety of concrete stains available at home improvement stores, you can be confident you'll find a finish that will complement both your home's exterior and your landscape. Once you see the finished product, you'll wonder how you ever tolerated the dull, gray slab you had before. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Dish soap
- Concrete degreaser
- Broom
- Power washer
- Drop cloths or sheets
- Painter's tape
- Efflorescence blocker
- Gloves
- Protective goggles
- Concrete stain
- High-pressure, low-volume sprayer and compressor
- Low-nap roller
Instructions
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Measure the length and width of your driveway and multiply these numbers together to find the square footage. Don't forget to include sidewalks and other unconventionally sized sections that you plan to stain along with your driveway. Knowing the square footage of the area you plan to cover will tell you how much stain and sealant you need to purchase for your project.
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Scrub any grease or oil stains with a degreasing soap. If typical dish detergent won't get the stain out, try a commercial concrete cleaner, available at most hardware stores. Clean these areas thoroughly, as any leftover stains will show through your finished work.
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Pressure wash the entire driveway. Clean dirt, grass and weeds from any crevices in the driveway. Once the driveway has dried, sweep it to remove anything you might have missed.
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Cover the areas surrounding your driveway with plastic drop cloths secured with painter's tape. Be especially careful around areas where the exterior of the house touches the pavement. If the stain you chose is biodegradable, you won't need to worry about protecting your surrounding yard. Otherwise, cover the grass, hedges and garden beds as needed.
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Spray your driveway with an efflorescence blocker if you've had previous problems with efflorescence. Efflorescence appears in the form of white, powdery particles formed by salt in the ground that absorbs through the concrete.
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Wear protective clothing, gloves and eyewear. This is especially important when working with acid-based stain.
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Spray the stain on with the high-pressure sprayer. Starting in one corner, hold the nozzle 2 feet from the surface and spray across the width of your driveway in rows. Regardless of your desired finish, you'll need an even base coat.
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Keep pets, people and cars off the driveway until the stain dries. Check the package to find out drying time.
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Spray additional layers of stain according to the finish you want. Many textured finishes involve layering different colors or spraying heavier layers of stain in certain areas. Allow each layer to dry before applying the next. Wait at least a day for your stain to fully dry.
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Apply three to four coats of concrete sealant with a low-nap roller. Allow the sealant to dry according to the manufacturer's instructions before returning vehicles to your driveway.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have a freshly poured driveway, wait at least a month before treating it with concrete stain.
Many paint stores offer samples of concrete stain to help you determine which color looks best on your driveway. Test a few stains in an inconspicuous area to see how they look on your driveway.
Certain acid-based stains require additional application steps. See the manufacturer's instructions for details specific to your product.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
