Updated January 2022
A stained concrete floor is a great and durable flooring option, and – good news! – staining one yourself is a surprisingly easy task (although you’ll want to avoid one major pitfall we fell into). So anyone with a garage, sunroom, basement, porch, or patio with a concrete floor should seriously consider this super simple process that you can do without any fancy tools or equipment.
Here are the simple steps to getting you a freshly stained concrete floor:
- Choose your concrete stain
- Clean and prepare your floor
- Apply your stain
- Seal your floors
Sounds easy, right? Well… it is!
Step 1: Choose Your Concrete Stain
Most homeowners will be perfectly happy using a water-based concrete stain like the one used by Behr. Acid stains may provide a longer-lasting finish, but they are more complex and unpredictable to use.
Beyond just selecting your stain color, you’ll want to decide between a semi-transparent or solid stain. A solid stain will have a more paint-like finish, whereas the semi-transparent will let the color variation of the concrete still show through. So consider the condition and appearance of your existing concrete floor, as well as the final look that you are hoping for when making your choice.
For our project we chose a Behr Semi-Transparent Concrete Stain in “Tuscan Gold” to give our sunroom’s unfinished looking concrete floors a warm wash of honey-gold color:
Step 2: Clean & Prepare Your Concrete Floor
Just like a traditional painting project, you’ll want your surface thoroughly cleaned before you begin. Use a broom or vacuum cleaner to remove all the dirt and dust bunnies and then follow up with a mildly soapy wet rag to be sure that it is squeaky clean. If you’re staining an outdoor area like a concrete patio or walkway, consider using a pressure washer (we love this guy!) to fully remove any caked-on dirt or debris.
Our floor was in great condition, but this is also the step where you’ll want to fill or repair any cracks (using a product like this crack repair sealant or this more pourable concrete filler). You may also need to use a degreaser or paint stripper to remove any stick residue that’s been left on your concrete . Also, new concrete should be allowed to fully cure for several weeks before applying any stain.
Once your floor is completely clean and dry, you can move on to the next step.
Step 3: Apply Your Stain
While stains are often applied using a paint sprayer or pump sprayer, you can also use a trusty ol’ paintbrush and paint roller. The roller gave us quick coverage on the large areas while the brush helped us edge around corners. While this application might take a bit longer, it doesn’t involve any extra equipment and you won’t have to do as much prep to protect the surrounding area from the spray.
The key with any application technique is to keep a “wet edge,” meaning that you’re overlapping your new stain only on an edge that hasn’t dried yet. Applying stain over a “dry edge” is the equivalent of doing two coats, which may result in a darker or less transparent finish in those spots.
With a semi-transparent stain, the color will darken or “intensify” with each coat so keep applying fresh coats until you are happy with the result. Just be sure each coat is completely dry before applying the next (dry time will vary based on your conditions). We did 3 coats to get our desired color. We alternated the direction of our application – first going lengthwise, the widthwise, then back lengthwise – to minimize the appearance of brushstrokes.
Just be careful to plan your “escape route” whenever staining or painting a floor so that you don’t paint yourself into a corner!
Step 4: Seal Your Concrete
The final step is to steal your stained floor once the final coat is dry. Concrete sealers come in a variety of finishes, from low-luster sealers (which will give you finished floors a matte or dull finish) to glossy or “wet-look” sealers that really add a lot of shine. These will be applied in a similar manner to your stain, just make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and that your chosen stain is suitable for application on stained concrete.
Avoid The Mistake We Made
Our stained concrete floor held up great – even surviving some appliances being dragged across it with no scratches to the finish! But about two years after we finished the project, we decided we wanted a more chocolate brown color to flow better with the floors inside our house. We thought it would be as simple as staining over the original stain. Nope!
We tried a darker semi-transparent stain (a color called “Loden”) over our existing floor and it gave us the streaky, almost dirty results seen below. We’ve heard from numerous other DIYers since that applying a darker stain over a lighter stain never looks good at all.
So what did we do instead? We ended up painting the stained floor instead and it went great!
So you can follow our tutorial for how to paint a floor if you want all of the details on that process (spoiler: it’s similar to this and just as simple!).
We also later went on to paint a decorative stencil to this same floor to add even more interest to what was once a plain, boring ol’ concrete floor.
So long story short: there are lots of great options for upgrading your concrete floors. Just choose your stain color a bit more carefully than we did!
More Flooring Projects
If you would like to read about other flooring projects we’ve done, please check out the posts below:
- Refinishing Hardwood Floors 101
- How To Install Hardwood Flooring Yourself
- How To Select Hardwood Flooring
- How To Install Hardwood Floors Without Nails
- How To Install Click-And-Lock Cork Flooring
- How To Paint A Floor
- How To Remove Carpet
*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
amy says
Your sunroom is such a gorgeous space. This looks like a fun project that made a huge visual difference. Way to go!
sceniclady says
Looks like the perfect opportunity for a large floor stencil!
Can’t wait to see the after tomorrow….
lime in the coconut says
Ok…you guys just made a possible PIA project look easy peasy! We stained our floors…but acid stained them. It WAS a bit bigger of an ordeal. Also loved the outcome…but now 5 years later we are trying out some carpets to cover them…just a bit!
nowstaretr says
Just wanted to make you aware of http://www.myperfectcolor.com which sells color matches of Behr paint and sends you small samples to test anyone of them. I am not sure if they have the concrete stain colors but they do for the wall colors.
Christine says
It looks awesome! I love it, thanks for posting this. Our garage floor needs a little TLC and I think this will do just the trick!
Concreteman says
At 61 years of age, and after building at least 7 houses I finally tried Behr Latex concrete stain. It is pitiful. It sits on the surface, does not penetrate, and does not last!
There is NO substitute for the chemical reaction of an acid based stain.
Brian says
Yeah they should tell people to first test the floor by dumping a little water on it to see if the floor absorbs it at all. If not you just need to spray a chemical on it to open the pores up and it would have come out perfect. The acid does this is why you had better results!
Angela says
I just tried Eco-Stain. AND LOVE IT! We had some bad cracks and “heaped up” cracks, so we used a concrete grinder. Then cleaned several times (vacuumed it 3 times, and mopped it 6), and then applied the stain. Its water-based so no potent odor or harshness. Didn’t have to neutralize it either. I’m getting ready to seal, which will be tomorrow.
bill says
Try etching the concrete first to open it up to staining. Also did you use the solid color stain or transparent one? Because the solid is designed to sit ontop.
win says
Hello.
I saw you speak in Richmond about your blog and I had a few ideas for you to do in your spare time. :)
You have a GREAT site.
1. The how to section is great. Can you make videos of each and post them on youtube? I found nine videos on youtube under the name johnpetersik. Let me suggest that you put a remote mike on the speaker, add more lighting and get a better video camera.
2. Do you collect all emails with aweber or constantcontact?
3. I live an hour away from Richmond. How much do you charge to go to someone’s house for decorating advice?
4. Have you taught a decorating seminar?
5. Do you stage homes to help them to sell? Realtors and owners will pay big bucks for that service.
6. Do you have gift certificates? A good wedding present for a young couple would a decorating consulatation with you.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Win,
Thanks for the helpful hints! As you probably gathered, we’re pretty busy these days- but whenever we have a spare moment we’ll look into your ideas! As far answering your questions go:
1. Someday when we have the time and the funds we’ll definitely look into it. Good idea!
2. We don’t collect (or share) emails because we never want to hound people. We can disperse info to plenty of people by doing a blog post, using twitter, or using the fan page that we set up on Facebook! It’s a great system and nobody feels badgered or pressured.
3. We only do virtual decorating consultations- here’s a link to two of the services we offer (this info can also be found on the tab under the header that says “design advice.”
4. Nope, never taught a seminar as we’re busy writing content, answering emails/comments, running our shop, and doing virtual decorating consultations. Someday when we have a moment it would be lots of fun, though!
5. See above answer. Sounds fun! Someday…
6. We do offer gift certificates (in many increments) in our shop. Feel free to check ’em out here.
Thanks again for all the ideas!
xo,
Sherry
Cindi Edwards says
I actually have a question. We made the mistake of adding the Concrete darker stain over the lighter stain and the results are awful. What did ya’ll do to correct the mistakes. I’m at a loss of what to do now. Sincerely, Cindi
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Cindi,
Isn’t it annoying that no one tells you (the can! the guy at the stain counter!) that you can’t use a darker concrete stain over a lighter one- even years after the first stain application?! We ended up painting the floor an opaque color with porch and floor paint and it came out awesome. Here are those details:
https://www.younghouselove.com/how-to-paint-a-floor/
Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Cindi Edwards says
Thank you so much for responding so quickly. I love the lookof your floor with brownstone. However, I really didn’t want a glossy look. I was told to try a cleaner and etcher. What to you suggest? This was once a outdoor dog kennel turned into storage/laundry room. We used the colors sunbaked clay/loden
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Cindi,
Unfortunately we don’t have any experience with a cleaner and an etcher but visiting your local Home Depot or Benjamin Moore store and speaking with the stain & paint specialist should provide you with all the info you need! Good luck!
xo,
Sherry
Tracy says
Thanks for the information and pictures, it isn’t easy to find help with DIY projects. I have a couple of questions for you, please. I am interested in blending 2 or 3 colors together for a multi-color blended effect. In step 2 you stated: “Two or three coats should do the trick (the color intensifies slightly with every coat, so keep going until you’ve reached your desired color saturation).”
Question #1: Did you let the stain dry between each coat and how long between each application?? My idea is to work in small sections as I do with blending paint on walls to get the result I am looking for then move on.
Question #2: Can I go back and touch up areas if needed, before applying the clearcoat??
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Tracy,
Our memory of the floor-staining process (we actually did it almost two years ago) is that we didn’t need to wait long between coats because by the time we got to one side of the large room the other side of the room where we started had pretty much dried. Your idea to work a few colors of stain together at the same time is a great one- you’ll want to work pretty fast but it’ll definitely look a lot better than layering each color, which might yield iffy results. You can definitely go back and touch up areas (raw concrete will suck up a number of coats with no problem). Hope it helps! Happy staining…
xo,
Sherry
Rob says
great site, thanks for all your info. i’m trying to stain my 35’x15′ poured concrete slab and i was wondering did you like the stain from behr and would of kept it if you had a darker color? my other question is do you have to put a topcoat on it like a gloss sealer or just leave it like that. thanks for your help,
Rob
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rob,
I definitely think we would have loved the stain if we had the foresight to choose a darker more neutral color (like a deep tan/medium brown that flows with the rest of our home’s mocha hardwood flooring). It was a great finish because it was semi-translucent so it really hid dirt and also brought out the beauty of the concrete floor beneath.
Oh and we didn’t seal the concrete with a gloss (which we thought would keep things looking casual and allow us to add stain down the line). But even without sealing it, you can see that restaining it later was not really an option at all (it came out so gross we would never recommend it). Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
paula says
what causes the white spots, once u apply the semi-stain
and u waited before applying the sealer. 2 days later some of the sones had white powder patches
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Paula,
We didn’t have any experience with white spots so I’m afraid I’m of no help, but perhaps calling the paint & stain specialist at Lowe’s or Home Depot or even Benjamin Moore will help? We also didn’t seal our concrete, we just stained it but left it raw which really wore well and held up perfectly (and also allowed us to paint the concrete a few years later without worrying about adhesion). Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Linda says
My covered balcony has a concrete floor on which the previous owner used an adhesive to hold down indoor/outdoor carpet. I removed the carpeting, but am having trouble removing the adhesive. I have used a toxic adhesive remover and scraper on my front porch which had the same carpeting, but I don’t want to use it again since it was messy, smelly, hard to clean up and even ate through rubber gloves. It stung really bad and now that I have a naughty, nosy dog, I don’t want to use anything that can burn her paws. I have a cobblestone stencil I’d like to use with
patio paints. Have you ever tried them? They’re supposed to be durable, especially since the floor is not exposed to the elements. Thank you.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Linda,
You’re so smart to think about your sweet pup’s paws. I definitely think approaching the concrete floor with something more mild and less toxic is a great idea. We haven’t actually experienced what you’re talking about with the adhesive so we don’t really have any suggestions but you might want to talk to your paint professional at Lowe’s, Home Depot or Benjamin Moore. And as for the stencil, it sounds like a great idea! Good luck!
xo,
Sherry
Eagle says
Using a floor buffer with a scrubbing pad would be a good alternative to solvents or chemicals. You can usually rent one for the day for around $75.
A full day with one would probably be overkill for just a front porch, but you could also use it to clean up the garage floor a bit, also.
Chris says
I am curious why you decided to skip the etching stage of prep that is recommended by Behr. We are planning to stain an interior room, so it would be great to skip the etching stage since it’s pretty tough to hose down an interior room! Is there any difference in how your concrete took the stain with washing vs. etching? Any advice would be appreciated!!!
Thanks,
Chris
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Chris,
When you know you’re dealing with raw, unstained concrete (which is naturally extremely porous) the etching step isn’t necessary since the concrete will suck up the stain without any issue whatsoever. Etching becomes extremely important if your concrete has been sealed or if it’s dirty or stained, but since ours was clearly untouched (it was hidden under a wall to wall carpet) we knew we only had to do a little sweeping/vacuuming and then could get right down to staining (and it worked like a charm). Hope it helps!
xo,
Sherry
Jenn says
I’m planning on staining our basement floor over the next couple of weekends. In the floor painting post you said that you waited 6 days before walking on the floor. What are your opinions on wait time for a stained floor?
Thanks!
Jenn
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jenn,
You’ll want to follow the advice on the floor stain can that you choose (since timelines can vary by brand). I would also add a bout 24 hours to that if you can, just to ensure a flawless finish. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
JD Wiswall says
I have worked on a few floors too, and the floors I see with the Behr semi-transparent stain on them never seem to hold up. I have found a great product called Eco-Stain and it comes from a company in Florida called Surecrete. The stuff is very easy to work with and they have instructions on thier website on how to install. You can make all kinds of cool designs on the floor with a brush, some tape and the stain. Then you seal the color in with one of thier sealers. Thier waterbased materials are very eco-friendly and work the best of all the waterbased materials I have found. One last comment. I don’t see why anyone would use a brush to put down a sealer on a floor. Why not use a 9″ or 18″ Roller that is lint free and get rid of the Brush Strokes. Save you about 2 hours in application over a 200 sq foot space.
Chris says
Hey guys- Just found you site, it’s great. Anywhooo, me and my Fiance’s dog destroyed our carpet in our dinning room. I was thinking about staining the cement, but the more I lookin in to it, it appeared to be more costly than I thought, till I found your site.
Did you guys prep your floor at all, or is it rough and unfinished?
Thanks
Chris
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Chris,
We just did what we mentioned in the post above. Nothing more! It’s easy and cheap and our raw concrete floor sucked everything up without needing to be treated beforehand. It’s an extremely porous material so yours should do the same! Of course you’ll want to wash it down with soap and water first to remove any pet stuff so it’s clean when you stain it. Good luck!
xo,
s
Andrew C. says
We’ve seen so many floors with such smooth finishes. Our concrete is not rough but certainly is not glassy smooth either. Will or does a good couple coats of polyurethane create the smooth finish were looking for?
YoungHouseLove says
Good question! I would ask the paint professionals at your local home improvement store if they have a clear finishing coat you can apply over stain for a smooth and glossy finish. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sue says
Great site. I wish that I had done a little more research before I started my concrete-patio-staining-project. I didn’t know the difference between acid stain and laytex based stain. The hardware store down my street only sold latex opaque stain (Thomson) and so I didn’t even know that Semi-transparent was an option either! Live and learn! So here’s my mistake. I took two colors, and planned to mix them, a brownish color and a terracotta, for a Tuscany feel. The problem is that the colors really didn’t mix well. I’m an oil painter (hobby) and figured it can’t be that hard, but it really is. I used a roller, and tried to roll in the second shade in a soft, blended pattern but depending upon how dry the section of stain was, it just didn’t mix nicely. So I tried to add more depth, dabbing a brush in random sections with a second coat of the brownish color, but on top of the terracotta it didn’t look brown at all, it looked cream-colored. Ick. I’m not explaining this very well but the point is it looks nothing like the effect I was going for. So I bought a third shade of stain, a purple-y-brown. I’m using an 11 x 13 piece of cardboard, tracing around it with a 1-inch brush (making fake “grout lines”), in a staggered brick pattern. I completed 2 rows, and I don’t even know if I like it (wish I had splurged on $300 stencil sets online but….trying to save money) , if I should keep going…or if I have any better options. Figured I should let it dry, and see what it looks like in the daylight. I’m certainly not going to fool anyone into thinking the patio floor is tiled…but how cheesy is the faux tile look? I don’t know if I like it, or if it looks stupid. Can I send you a photo, and can someone tell me what they think? THANKS!!!
YoungHouseLove says
It sounds nice! Why don’t you live with it a while and maybe ask a few friends what they think. We have learned that most changes take a while to get used to, so they look jarring for a few days. And if you decide it’s not your cup of tea you can always paint right over the stain for a smooth, matte, and seamless look (with porch and floor paint, see our tutorial about that on our How To tab under the header). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Axel Reese says
We have just poured a light tan colored concrete floor in our sunroom. If you use a semi transparent gloss do you still have to seal it? Do you seal first or gloss first. Does the gloss make the floor slippery or simply shiny. The room connects to our swimming pool room so we don’t want the floor to be slippery, just nice and shiny. Thank you for your help.
Axel
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Axel,
Many products are different so our advice would be to follow the instructions on the can to ensure whether you need to seal things afterwards. The stain we used did not require that and was not slick at all. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Pat and Bruce says
Nice site and good info. We’re remodeling a home and just applied Behr Solid Concrete stain to the old (1978) concrete floor that was under carpet for 30 yrs. Needless to say, much prep work and the Behr Solid stain went on nicely and looks great after 2 coats, however we’re debating whether to seal it our not. Did you use a sealer and if not, what kind of shape is your floor in? Did you experience paint chips or other flaws in the product?
Thanks again,
Patricia
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t use a sealer and the floor held up perfectly. We have since painted it a rich brown color but the stain really was durable and lovely until the day we painted over it (we wanted a more solid and opaque look). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Bob says
I like your comments about not following the directions exactly. Sometimes that’s actually ok. The semi-transparent is “supposed” to be sprayed on, but I can see how applying with a brush would give it a unique appearance. It’s usually good to follow the manufacturer’s directions, but sometimes it’s ok to bend the rules a bit.
Jenny says
HAHA…so I am an avid reader but did a google search on painting and staining concrete floors and you all popped up as one of the first results!!! Love it. Guess I should have searched through your posts a little more before I started googling!!!
Hope you all had a great New Years!
Lisa says
Hi! Your house is beautiful and your site is so helpful! I take it that you did not use the Behr concrete primer before staining your concrete. Is that right? I’m about to stain an interior, low traffic floor with Behr semi-transparent concrete stain and I am really on the fence about whether or not to prime it. I sanded the concrete with a concrete grinder (it needed it!) and etched it with the Behr etching solution, so it is quite porous at this point and I’m leaning towards skipping the primer. It doesn’t sound like you had any peeling or problems. I am planning to put the high gloss sealer on it. I don’t know if that makes a difference. I appreciate any comments or suggestions you might have. Thanks. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, didn’t use the primer at all- it sucked it up like a sponge and was extremely durable. It shouldn’t have any bearing on the sealant. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Pam says
We have 2 small boys & 2 large dogs. You can imagine the state of our carpet. We live in a tri-level where the family room is half underground. I’m confident there is concrete below the carpet. I kept thinking it would be cheaper to just rip it up & got with concrete but then I got researching to find how expensive getting it acid stained etc. could be….until I found your instructions. Both your instructions for staining & for painting the concrete floor gave me hope. Thank you!
Amanda Sevall says
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that when I did a google search for “how to stain concrete” a picture of you staining your sunroom porch floor showed up!! Thanks for the tutorial. I’ll be undertaking this project over the weekend on our really small front porch!! :)
LJ says
Thanks for sharing your experience- it just so happened it was exactly what I needed to find! We have a dining room with a concrete floor/once patio (some weird after-thought of past homeowners.) It hasn’t survived our 2 kids, dog pee and moldy weather leaks (the nerve!) Until we have an extra $100k for a structural overhaul, we have to find a quick fix (one that will withstand my dear geriatric dog). My question is: what design options would you go for knowing the concrete floor has 2’x2′ squares already mapped out with some bizarre grouting past? ( I know, weird! It looks like the concrete was laid out as tile!)Do we tape off for darker or lighter contrast- or even plain concrete for rustic design? Or would you let the natural texture show through using one color, no tape? And would you still do concrete stain over paint?
YoungHouseLove says
We wouldn’t emphasize the odd grouting by making the floor a contrasting color, we’d actually just paint everything chocolate brown (not stain it, use floor paint) so it minimizes the treatment for a cohesive look. Just visit your local home improvement store for help.
xo,
s
Twila says
I have a question my walk way up to my house is concrete and ugly, I was think of staining it, do you think this would work???my house is painted tan and dark brown what color would you recommend??
YoungHouseLove says
It would definitely work! Just grab the booklet full of stain colors that you can choose from and cut each square out and see what looks best with your house. Maybe something light mocha or sandy colored to work with the tan and brown? Good luck!
xo,
s
Jim says
I realize that the original post/pics are from two years ago. But, the original stain did look nice and you did a good job, even if you weren’t happy with the end-color. I am researching to do our newly built large detached garage/shop. I would love it if Sherry came to help because she is not only now experienced, but she is HOT. Thanks for sharing your experience. Oh, did I mention that Sherry is pretty.
John says
Thanks for the step-by-step instructions! I’m planning to stain my living room floor next weekend. It’s been covered in carpet since the house was built. I had a friend (DIY guy) and he mentioned that the grade of concrete matters. Can you elaborate on this for me, i.e. does it matter and if so, how do I determine if my slab is going to look good after staining?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually haven’t heard that. Maybe ask around at your home improvement center? We just went for it and ours looked great.
xo,
s
Pierre Fassie says
A WORD OF CAUTION ABOUT CONCRETE STAIN
This week (Oct. 2010) I have used Behr semi transparent concrete stain on a brand new outdoor covered back patio. The concrete had cured for over 2 months and I cleaned and etched it with a recommended professional product; I then rinsed very thouroughly and let it fully dry.
The stain I used was “STC-23 Moroccan Dunes”.
1) The color didn’t at all come out as presented in the Behr brochure; it looks a sort of maroon (reminds you of brownish earth or, worse, like smeared dog poop).
2) Although I used the advised foam roller (as picked by the salesperson) it was very difficult to spread that stain evenly. I had to buy another gallon of the product for a second coat and in place it’ll still need a 3rd coat.
3) It looks like paint, not at all like stain.
This was an extremely frustrating experience. It cost me far more in time and money than I expected and I am completely dissatisfied with the results. The salesperson reconforting advice was that it would wear out in 3 to 4 years.
I advise to stay well away from this product or at least from that specific color: STC-23 Moroccan Dunes.
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry about that bad experience! We definitely recommend the stain that we mentioned- it worked out really well!
xo,
s
Linda says
I also used Morrocan Dunes from Behr.. what a mess! I was looking for advice how to stain this purplish brown a lighter color…but I dont think you can! According to what I have been reading…start off with your lightest shades and use darker as you go…because once its dark it stays dark. I am staining the outside of my house walk and driveway that has been stamped. To take away this horrible purple I toned it down (did the cracks) with a dark brown and now it looks like I have red and black concrete. Very wrong for Las Vegas! Only good thing is the sun will fade it eventually. I also used anti-slip product in the wet look sealer, which made it even darker. But at least no one will suffer 3rd degree burns if they had fallen. You get what you pay for. I say leave your concrete alone.
Gwen says
Hi!
I’m preparing to stain my 1982 cement patio slab. The concrete is very porus; water just soaks right in. I’ve seen three or four posts here and there about the Behr semi-transparent stain looking like paint. And that’s my fear. Yours looks just great and is the color I’m leaning toward. Have you had any problems with peeling at all?
YoungHouseLove says
None at all! We can’t vouch for other stains or colors but the one that we used by name is definitely great!
xo,
s
Stuart says
Did you have to blend the doorway transitions. I will be stripping the carpet out of a bedroom that goes to wood floor halways. I’m worried about a large (1/2″ to 1″) doorway trims once the carpet is out and i’m to bare slab.
YoungHouseLove says
We didn’t have to do anything around the transitions since everything looked seamless (but perhaps you could add a wooden or stone transition strip if you think that would polish things off).
xo,
s
kathy says
I just looked at the behr semi-transparent, and it recommends that I buy the clean/etch, then the bonding primer and apply before the stain. You didn’t do that and it worked ok?
YoungHouseLove says
Nope, we knew our concrete wasn’t sealed so it was porous and ready to suck up the stain. Worked like a charm!
xo,
s
Gwen Porter says
Hello Dear Ones! Well, I’ve finished the patio staining project and wanted to let you know that it has turned out just fine! I was trying to get it done before my sister arrived on 10/21 and had to battle the weather. I got really creative with duct tape, plastic tarps and fans!! I did have some scratching from moving the chairs around, but figured out that was because it wasn’t completely dry when I put the furniture back. After the second coat which I applied on 11/15 and in much nicer weather, I allowed it to dry for 36 hours before putting furniture back. So far so good! Here’s a link to pictures I’ve posted on Facebook! Thanks for your advice; you gave me the confidence to tackle the job!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=100179&id=1233304522&l=a584f1dff8
Gwen
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! Congrats on a fantastic job (involving fans)!
xo,
s
Jean Godwin says
I am considering staining some of the concrete floors in my house. Once you have removed the old carpet and pad, there are tack strips around the walls that must be removed. Once the tack stripe are removed, it will leave holes in the concrete, some worse than others. What preparation must take place to repair the damage left by the tack strip removal before beginning the staining process?
YoungHouseLove says
You can get concrete fillers (select one in a similar color to your floor so it blends) to fill those holes before staining. They come in a tube from places like Home Depot or Lowe’s. Good luck!
xo,
s
Carrie says
I know this is an old post and that you’re not even in this house anymore, but I was wondering how slippery the floor turned out after you used the Behr’s Semi-Transparent Concrete Stain? I’m considering doing this in my basement, but don’t want to slip and kill myself doing something lame like laundry (IMO, there are better ways to die!).
Thanks, Carrie
YoungHouseLove says
We definitely ran in and out of that room in the snow and poring rain and it was never slippery. It was a very matte finish, perhaps because we went with transparent stain and not something thick and shiny (it soaked right into the concrete, so it had the same porous rough feeling of unstained concrete). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Elle S. says
This is sooo incredibly late commenting, but first of all, awesome job!! Second, do you know anything about staining/painting outdoor concrete (steps and walkways, specifically)? I have searched for information on the web, and can’t seem to find a reputable source for a somewhat doable DIY approach to this. Most of what I find refers to staining indoor concrete (basements or garages), or the decorative stamping process for walkways and driveways, which is nice and all, but not in our budget and definitely not our casual style.
We have boring, basic and gray concrete front entry stairs (with no safety rails, I might mention!!) and a matching walkway. It’s just …blah. Covering it with stone or brick would result in an increased elevation, which is no good since the walkway is currently flush with the driveway and doing so would cause a tripping hazard! We really are just looking for a simple camouflage of some sort. I’m concerned that simply painting would not be durable enough in such a high traffic area. Any ideas? Thanks! And again, great job!
YoungHouseLove says
You can use the same stuff! Just be sure it’s formulated for indoor/outdoor use (ours was) since it’ll be exposed to the elements. But it should be the exact same process so just go to your local home center and see what the experts recommend and read the can to see the specific application steps/timing, etc. Good luck!
xo,
s
amanda says
Hey there!! I am kinda late on this reply tooooooo BUT what do you think about concrete stain on a 10×10 patio that is surrounded by grass?? Would it be risky? It is a small space….don`t know if it’s worth the time or if I can convince my husband!!
Thanks again….Amanda
YoungHouseLove says
I think it’s a perfect spot for stain if you want to add some color or depth or interest!
xo,
s
amanda says
Thanks for your quick response to such an old post! Do you think I could paint a stencil over the concrete stain? I dont want to use oil based porch paint because of the process and time it takes to cure. Thanks again!
YoungHouseLove says
Sure! Just ask what they recommend at your home improvement store. Good luck!
xo,
s
Crystal says
Hello. I tore out carpet in the dining room and laminate/ linoleum(?) floors in the kitchen. The kitchen has some old residue left on it. The dining room has nails in the cement around the edge of the room from when I pulled out the little wood strips under the carpet. How do I remove nails from cement? And what prep should I do before staining? These floors have never been painted or anything that i know of but they also don’t just suck up water if it’s poured on them. Help! Thank you so much
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, we haven’t tackled anything like that, so your best bet might be googling around or asking a pro at your home improvement center. Good luck!
xo,
s
Jeremy says
Sherry is smoking HOT
Dan says
Hi Sherry,
This video may be helpful in dealing with the carpet removal post above: http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete-floor-videos/replacing/removing-carpet.html
Dan
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for sharing Dan!
xo,
s
Nichole says
Ok, so I know it is an old project but obviously this post is still helping people like me with this project. I wanted to share my love of it and the technique I used. I started out with the deck sprayer like Behr recommends, but I didn’t like the way it looked simply sprayed so I back-rolled it and built up the coats. All in all, I was totally stoked with my six coats of “stain”. I did use the primer since the floors I “stained” are our main living areas that our two year old and our 90lb dog like to enjoy life in and Behr said it would add to the durability. I waited 2 hours between each coat. Can I just say, LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Incidentally, I wonder if the back-rolling technique would have allowed the darker stain over the lighter in your case since it is super thin and controlled each coat.
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds so pretty! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Chelsea says
Hello! Loving your blog! Googled ‘concrete stain’ and found you. Thanks for the tutorial!
I just had a pad of concrete poured for a screened in porch in our backyard and was dying to try staining it. However, the texture of the concrete is rough like a typical sidewalk, not smooth like yours in the picture. Is there something I have to do to my concrete before I try staining it? I can’t find that step anywhere and I feel like I’m missing that step…
THANKS!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I think you could still stain it the same way, just use a rough surface roller that’s meant for nappy surfaces. Hope it helps and good luck!
xo,
s
Andrea says
Hello! I am going to attempt to stain our concrete floor in a bedroom so my question is this. This room has the 12×12 stick on tile that I’m going to scrap off and after I clean the surface with soap and water would it be okay if I put a layer of floor leveler just to have a nice clean canvas to start with or do i just patch what needs patching? Also what
will I need to apply to the floor to give it that shine?
Thanks
YoungHouseLove says
I’d ask at the home improvement store- never added floor leveler and don’t know how it’ll stain. As for the shine, you want to use the semi-gloss stain (not the flat stuff) since adding anything glossy afterwards (that’s not meant for foot traffic like the stain itself) could cause it to be dangerously slippery. Good luck!
xo,
s
Dell says
I want to stain the concrete in my house is it necessary to etch the concrete or can I just make sure it is very clean…. I watched the video and I can not bring a hose in my house.
YoungHouseLove says
I would just grab some etching stuff to be on the safe side since you can’t hose things down and clean them really well. You could go without it and do a small test to see how it goes, but it might be nice to etch it all just to be thorough.
xo,
s
Heather says
We are renting a 1960s home that had the carport turned into a den very soon after the house was built so no oil stains on the concrete. I have a few questions. I like the look of porch paint but due to house layout, schedules and doggie door located in that room I don’t think we can do that. So I’m thinking stain would be our best bet with quicker drying time. Additionally the concrete has cracks. Do we need to seal them or something? Also how do you pick the color? Does a darker color stain cover up more? Right now the room is brick and paneling walls that we plan to paint a light beige/taupe color. Just not sure where to start on the whole “room” takeover. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I’d go to your local home improvement center and ask them what they’d recommend for cracks. They have a deck of colors (or a booklet) for you to choose from there too, so that should help. Darker stain just looks darker (and might cover up a smidge more) but since the concrete isn’t very light it’ll probably hide stains no matter what. Good luck!
xo,
s
JOHANN says
Hi There
Ive oxide my new cement floors with powder. When I put on the stain it looks very muddish. How long must I wait after oxiding the floor? Some floors of our newly build house are still raw without oxide. Must I just put the oxide on top of that white cement floors. On the bottle they recommend the ALBANY colour to be diluted 1 to 4 with water. Must I dilute it more? Thanks for this site. I am living in South Africa, no help here, and I am using CEMCRETE CRETESTAIN. Hope this will reach you… Thank you. Johann Malan
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry Johann, we don’t have any experience with using oxide, so your best bet would be to ask a pro at the paint/stain counter what they think. Maybe try calling or emailing an American company like BenjaminMoore.com or something? Wish I could help!
xo,
s
JOHANN says
Thank you for coming back to me so quickly. I really appreciate it.
WITH THE OTHER FLOORS THAT ARE NOT YET BEEN OXIDED, DO I USE THE STAIN JUST OVER THE RAW CEMENT?? IT IS 230 square metres.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, it goes right over raw concrete- it doesn’t work over sealed concrete I don’t think. I would just read the can if you can – it might have more info.
xo,
s