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How To Stain Concrete Floors

If you're set on staining your concrete yourself, the directions here will show you how you can do it on your own. While the presenters ...

Diections, instructions, and instructional videos show you how to stain concrete floors
and create beautiful artwork with acid stains.

If you're set on staining your concrete yourself, the directions here will show you how you can do it on your own. While the presenters of these instructions and videos are good to remind you of safety while using acid stains to decorate concrete, I also wish to stress the point. Above all.....safety. Protect your eyes, body, and your breathing.

Concrete Staining Instructions

Directions and techniques for applying acid stains are all fairly universal, basic, common sense. Still, different contractors have different techniques and tips they use in their concrete creations that make them unique.

NOTE: While this information is about how to do it yourself, staining and decorative concrete is NOT generally considered a typical do it yourself project. If you need assistance, find a local concrete contractor here.

Do It Yourself Concrete Staining Guide
This free guide covers the how to basics of staining concrete. The guide also comes in a downloadable PDF so that you can take it with you or into the field.

How To Stain Concrete Floors
A simple guide with godd basics and tips. Of course, like the rest, they're trying to sell you the product to do your project. It's up to you but the information is still free.

Concrete Stain Application Methods
While this article touches on most of the universal points of decorating concrete with stains, it is very informative and makes a few points that the others don't. So, I thought I would throw it in as well.

More Stained Concrete Directions

Applying Acid Stains

Application Techniques For Special Effects

While preparation, cleaning, applying, neutralizing, and cleaning up are all pretty basic and universal in most application guidelines, they're not entirely responsible for the really cool and classy patterns and colors you see in some of the nicer floors and projects. There are design, color, and style techniques for applying stains that go beyond any one concrete contractors imagination. Read through acid staining techniques for special effects for some really imaginative ideas and techniques for staining.

A few important points to keep in mind -

Safety, Safety, Safety
So often, folks go to great measures to mask and cover the surrounding structural elements that might get damaged from acid stain and still forget to seriously protect themselves. A simple pair of gloves ain't gonna cut it. While equally as bad, compared to your eyes and lungs, an acid burn on the skin should not be your only concern. Wear goggles, protective clothes, and take precautions to avoid breathing the fumes.
Super Clean Preparation
If you're going for a certain look, you don't want some unseen blemish, overlooked stain, or inconsistency to mess up your chances of getting that look. Because just as it's named, it is stain. You generally get one shot before it becomes a compromise.
Test the concrete
If you're staining older established concrete, it may not accept an acid stain the way it should and may do better with acrylic water based stains. Don't take color charts as the gospel. They're only a general reference and so if possible, test an area to see if it will take using an acidic base.
Neutralize, clean, and dry
After you neutralize the acid, it's extremely important to make sure all the residue that's left from the process is cleaned up completely or you may get unwanted blemishes. And while this may seem unnecessary to mention, allow the concrete surface a lot of time to dry before applying sealer over the newly stained concrete.
Maintenance and cleaning your stained concrete floor
Generally, a periodic light dust mopping and damp mop are needed as with any other floor. Using a dust mop or soft bristle broom is prefered over a standard broom so not to scratch and dull the sealer surface. A neutral mild cleaning agent is usually all that's needed. Sealed stained floors will eventually need to be re-sealed and so the concrete floor will accept a new coat of sealer best if the old sealer and surface are neutral.

Diections, instructions, and instructional videos show you how to stain concrete floors
and create beautiful artwork with acid stains.

If you're set on staining your concrete yourself, the directions here will show you how you can do it on your own. While the presenters of these instructions and videos are good to remind you of safety while using acid stains to decorate concrete, I also wish to stress the point. Above all.....safety. Protect your eyes, body, and your breathing.

Concrete Staining Instructions

Directions and techniques for applying acid stains are all fairly universal, basic, common sense. Still, different contractors have different techniques and tips they use in their concrete creations that make them unique.

NOTE: While this information is about how to do it yourself, staining and decorative concrete is NOT generally considered a typical do it yourself project. If you need assistance, find a local concrete contractor here.

Do It Yourself Concrete Staining Guide
This free guide covers the how to basics of staining concrete. The guide also comes in a downloadable PDF so that you can take it with you or into the field.

How To Stain Concrete Floors
A simple guide with godd basics and tips. Of course, like the rest, they're trying to sell you the product to do your project. It's up to you but the information is still free.

Concrete Stain Application Methods
While this article touches on most of the universal points of decorating concrete with stains, it is very informative and makes a few points that the others don't. So, I thought I would throw it in as well.

More Stained Concrete Directions

Applying Acid Stains

Application Techniques For Special Effects

While preparation, cleaning, applying, neutralizing, and cleaning up are all pretty basic and universal in most application guidelines, they're not entirely responsible for the really cool and classy patterns and colors you see in some of the nicer floors and projects. There are design, color, and style techniques for applying stains that go beyond any one concrete contractors imagination. Read through acid staining techniques for special effects for some really imaginative ideas and techniques for staining.

A few important points to keep in mind -

Safety, Safety, Safety
So often, folks go to great measures to mask and cover the surrounding structural elements that might get damaged from acid stain and still forget to seriously protect themselves. A simple pair of gloves ain't gonna cut it. While equally as bad, compared to your eyes and lungs, an acid burn on the skin should not be your only concern. Wear goggles, protective clothes, and take precautions to avoid breathing the fumes.
Super Clean Preparation
If you're going for a certain look, you don't want some unseen blemish, overlooked stain, or inconsistency to mess up your chances of getting that look. Because just as it's named, it is stain. You generally get one shot before it becomes a compromise.
Test the concrete
If you're staining older established concrete, it may not accept an acid stain the way it should and may do better with acrylic water based stains. Don't take color charts as the gospel. They're only a general reference and so if possible, test an area to see if it will take using an acidic base.
Neutralize, clean, and dry
After you neutralize the acid, it's extremely important to make sure all the residue that's left from the process is cleaned up completely or you may get unwanted blemishes. And while this may seem unnecessary to mention, allow the concrete surface a lot of time to dry before applying sealer over the newly stained concrete.
Maintenance and cleaning your stained concrete floor
Generally, a periodic light dust mopping and damp mop are needed as with any other floor. Using a dust mop or soft bristle broom is prefered over a standard broom so not to scratch and dull the sealer surface. A neutral mild cleaning agent is usually all that's needed. Sealed stained floors will eventually need to be re-sealed and so the concrete floor will accept a new coat of sealer best if the old sealer and surface are neutral.