Top Things To Consider Before Staining Your Concrete
Stains instead of paints are used to add color to concrete. The translucent quality enables stains to penetrate and react chemically with the porous concrete to provide a fade-resistant color. Unlike paint, stains don’t chip or peel. Give your dull and worn-out concrete a lustrous look by applying a concrete stain that will both complement the look of your house and protect the integrity of the surface. This guide outlines how to stain the concrete surface.
Is it Possible to Stain Old Concrete?
Stains are effective in restoring glaze to dull, shabby concrete surfaces. Slabs with none to minimal cracks, blemishes, and other flaws are ideal for staining. Stains enhance the appearance of the surface; they don’t conceal defects. Applying it to flawed concrete will not hide its imperfections, nor will it mask the original color or texture of the surface. Ensure the surface you want to coat, whether old or new, is free of such visible faults.
Types of Concrete Stains
Depending on your visualization of the final product, you can either choose from acid stains or water-based stains.
- Acid-Based Stains: Such stains lightly etch the surface, allowing it to penetrate more easily. Once it reacts chemically with the pores, it becomes a permanent part of the concrete, highly resistant to fade, peels, and chips. They furnish the concrete with earthly shades such as tans, browns, terra cottas, and soft-blue greens.
- Water-Based Stains: Available in dozens of standard colors including black, white, and metallic tints, this category offers many options to choose from. Polymers and pigments are blended to create water-based stains and they, like acid stains, penetrate the surface to achieve a permanent color, ranging from translucent to opaque pigments.
Steps to Prep and Stain Your Concrete Surface
It is essential to prepare the concrete for the staining steps to follow. As mentioned earlier, the stain does not conceal cracks and blemishes; neither does it mask unpleasant stains from dirt, oil, grease, organic matter, or weather exposure. Once you’ve removed the stains from the surface follow the steps mentioned below
- Apply the coat generously, allowing it to coat the concrete fully.
- Thereafter, allow the surface to dry before hosing down the area and mopping any residue.
- Lastly, apply the sealer using a roller or a pump garden sprayer.
Concrete Stain Colors
Stains are a great way to add decorative effects to concrete both indoors and outdoors. Try to keep it simple by employing just one color in a certain hue that will complement your property’s visual aesthetic. Natural earthly tones are in high demand since they blend in very well with different structures. Natural tones also highlight the pattern of surfaces stamped to look more like wood or stone to make them appear more realistic.
How Much Does it Cost to Stain a Concrete Surface?
It is indeed very cost-effective to get your concrete surface stained at a rate of $2-$10 per square ft for a single color. However, it is subject to a hike if the preparation requires more effort, or a complicated pattern, such as a sawed design or stencil work, necessitates the use of multiple colors, or custom graphics.
Staining Concrete Design Ideas
Here are a few one-of-a-kind flooring and patio ideas that might inspire you to get started:
- Use stained concrete floor art to create artistic surfaces that are not only beautiful but also practical, durable, and cost-effective.
- Let outdoor landscapes inspire distinctive faux finishes, including those of breath-taking streams, rocks, and sand.
- Match your driveway to the exterior of your house by using concrete driveway staining methods.
- Apply dark brown acid stain to give your driveway a rustic look.
- Rejuvenate your patio by adding a stained border.
- Make your stamped concrete patio look like brick or stone pavers
Painting vs. Sealing
The painting will execute a bolder, opaque display for a lower price. However, stains are likely to last longer than paints, the result being almost permanent with regular sealing. Stains normally don’t fade once applied, whereas paints are a short-term alternative that will endure normal wear and tear, lasting for only about a year.
How to Clean Your Stained Concrete
- Rinse your concrete with a garden hose.
- Apply a small amount of liquid dish soap and scrub the surface with a push broom.
- Continue to rinse with water once you’re done scrubbing.
Let the surface dry for 24 hours, or use a leaf blower to achieve immediate effects before sealing.
