How to Stain Concrete Part 2
So in yesterday’s post I left you standing in Home Depot crying out for help not knowing which stain to choose to stain my concrete floor. I mean who needs all these choices anyway!? I need simple friends. Simple. Good heavens I make things complicated enough on my own!
Enter in my daughter….”mom look at this!”
Could it be that my decision was already made for me? Could it be that this gallon of “oops” semi-transparent stain was just sitting there calling out, I’m 9 bucks! Pick me! Pick me! You don’t have to tell me twice. Game on!
So off to the check out I went with Behr stain and sealer and Scotch Blue Painters tape in hand.
Once I decided on my pattern (18″ tile squares) I cut my tape to cover the existing unfinished concrete to make my faux grout lines. I couldn’t find the size I needed at the store so I just bought one close to double the size I wanted and planned on cutting it in half. Now it’s nearly impossible to cut tape in a clean crisp line with a box cutter, at least for this chick but that’s ok because I wanted my “grout lines” to look….well…..”natural” like stone. Clean crisp lines are nice but honestly that kind of exactness adds more madness for me and let’s face it at this point I’m just wanting to get this par-tay started!
Alright here’s what I started with.
I made myself a little “tile” template from a piece of cardboard and used it as a guide to stick down my Scotch tape for my squares. I also used yard sticks for straight edges. I started in the corner and placed my template on a angle because this pattern fools your eye and makes a room look much bigger. (Little decorator secret there for ya.) Trust me on this one.
The directions suggest using a pump sprayer to spray the stain on. I choose to use a rag because I am hardheaded and like doing things my own way I felt like I’d have more control over where the stain went.
It went on and soaked in like butter! Yippee! I rubbed it on in different “patterns” some circular, some vertical, some horizontal. Remember I was going for the look of tile so I wanted all of them to be different. I put more stain on some squares less on others.
I removed the tape pretty much right away because I am impatient but also because the longer tape stays on the harder it is to remove. This Scotch Blue tape is awesome! Did I tell you that it stuck to porous concrete and helped me get the exact lines I wanted? No bleed through! Try it. You’ll lurve it.
The next day I sealed it with the Behr Low-Luster Sealer. For the sealer I did use the sprayer and then used rags to really rub it in.
As you can see, my lines are somewhat varied and that’s exactly how I wanted them. I am completely thrilled with the end result! I couldn’t have asked for it to have turned out any better. It’s exactly what I wanted and even though it’s going to be covered with sawdust most of the time, just knowing that all this prettiness is underfoot makes me happy.
Well there you have it my friends. I hope this post inspires you to take a chance and try something new. You never know what you can do until to try!!! Feel free to comment with any questions. I’ll do my very best to answer all of them in an upcoming post.
Click here to see how I stained my garage floor.
That’s awesome Beth!!! I need a workspace like that! That floor is amazing. Great job!
Nancy
This looks amazing Beth!! I just pinned it!
What a workout!! But gorgeous!!
You’re right on with that Sue. It was a major project!!!! But worth every ache and pain that came later. Thanks Sue!!!
Blessings,
Beth
That floor is totally amazing, I am in awe .
Beautiful! We added a room to our house on cement slab… Had it scored at an angle first, but into 4′ squares! (really large addition to be made into 4 different rooms! The bad part was that we grouted all the scoring to make it look like huge pieces of tile! Wish we had stained it first, because we had to scrub all the charcoal-colored grout. We used a dark brown, with swirls of black blending to make it look like old leather! Came out beautifully, too, though. Just a LOT of time on our hands and knees! The scrubbing did make it look like worn leather, though… Would never do it again because of time, but I really like your way with the tape… I may try it in my basement! Thanks!
Hi Jean,
Thanks! I agree scraping all of that would be a nightmare! I can’t imagine!!! I’m super pleased with how our turned out and happy to say it’s held up really well over the years.
Thanks,
Beth
What could you do in an old basement with paint scattered around. Is staining even an option. Love this look. Thanks
Hi Jodeen,
You will need to remove the paint with a stripper or pressure washer first. Thanks for reading!
Beth
Hi,
How long ago did you do this and has it chipped or faded? I’ve read a few posts that stated the behr did both those often.
Thanks
Hi LaDonna,
This has been on my garage floor (that I drive on and off of everyday) for two years now and has held up wonderfully.
🙂 Beth
Do you live in the snow belt? I want to know if it holds up to the road salt.
Hi Frank,
I do not live in the snow belt I do however live where there’s LOTS of ice and the roads get a brine coating almost weekly sometimes. My floor has held up perfectly and it’s been almost 4 years since I stained it.
Thanks!
Beth
Thank your daughter! Aren’t daughters great.
BEAUTIFUL
i always wanted to do this in my bedroom but was told i would have to do some kind ocf acid wash first?
I didn’t use any acid and didn’t have any problems. Just test a spot in the corner and see what happens. Has it been sealed?
That is beautiful! We are finishing my basement & I am seriously considering trying this. BUT…my concrete has already been painted a gray color. Any idea if/how I should remove that first? Thanks!
I would remove the paint. As to how I’m not sure about that one. 🙁 Usually paint seeps into the concrete so try stripping it first and then go from there.
Thanks!
Beth
if it’s already painted, maybe you could substitute concrete paint instead of stain. Ask about this at a paint store.
I actually did my basement several years ago by painting the concrete first to make a beige base coat I let it dry thoroughly and then taped off my tile design and sponged on various shades and amounts of brown and taupe. I let that dry thoroughly and pulled up the tape and it looked great. So you can work with a base coat of paint and let it be your grout color.
Thanks Karen. Very true!
They make a buffer machine with pumice pads you could run over floor. Will smooth the concrete and take off any loose surface paint.
Thank you Bob!
wow, that looks so darn cool. What are you going to do when you drip paint on it 🙂
I actually dripped paint on it yesterday and it wiped right up! BAM! I was so happy. That stain soaked right in I’m telling ya! I also plan to use drop-cloths for added safety. 🙂
Pinned!
Thanks!
This is beautiful!! A lot of work, but oh the end results are amazing!! Now I am thinking where can I try this………….
Thanks Sally!
I’ve been wanting to do this lately. Thanks for the inspiration! It’s beautiful.
Thanks Angela!
Your floor turned out amazing! I have a nasty concrete floor that needs a makeover, so this tip was perfect! I hope you’ll come share this at Knick of Time Tuesday – http://knickoftimeinteriors.blogspot.com/2014/05/knick-of-time-tuesday-135-vintage.html
Blessings,
~Angie
Thanks Angie! Gurl make that “nasty concrete floor” beautiful!!! 🙂 I’ll check out your link.
Blessings,
Beth
This is a awesome post and I thank you for this post I have a laundry room/office area that has nasty carpet underneath is concrete and I was going to put down tile but it is a huge room and would cost me a fortune so I am going to try this probably in September when it is cooler thank you so much
You’re welcome Brenda! I’d love to know how it turns out.
Blessings,
Beth
Could these same materials be used on a driveway outside? Would it hold up?
Tracy
Tracy,
I haven’t used them for that but I think they would. Then stain soaks into the concrete and if sealed properly I wouldn’t think it would be a problem. Sorry I don’t have a more “concrete” answer. 😉
Blessings,
Beth
We have stained, stamped cement outside on our walkway. My husband powerwashes it every spring and puts another coat of sealer on it…much like you would maintain a deck.
Pure genius. It looks even better than real tile. And I’m sure was probably half the headache. Wow!
It takes a strong person to make great changes as you do, keep seeking these changes and enjoy this therapy, yard work is healthy for the soul. 🙂
Did you clean your concrete first? Or was it new? I want to do this in my basement, but am concerned about the prep.
Hi Jackie, it was new. If yours is fairly clean of spots and debris I think it will be ok. Using the semi-transparent stain really helps to create a varied look so as long as you don’t have really big spots everywhere the variations will somewhat blend in. I hope this helps! Good luck. 🙂
Blessings,
Beth
This is gorgeous, and we love the variations in the “tile”. Is the concrete slippery, or did you put anything into the stain or sealer to “rough it up”, maybe sand?
Thanks for the great information.
Chris
Hi Chris,
I did seal it and it is a little slippery when it gets wet. You could add sand though. This also has to do with how it is poured…there are many different ways to smooth it before it sets so that will mainly be up to you and your concrete pourer. 🙂
Blessings,
Beth
I have just finished the in tire upper level of my home, but with a baby coming in Feb. YAH! More room is definitely needed. Do you think the stains or other products used could in any way be harmful to an infant? Love the look, Great Job.
Hi Holly,
I would check with the manufacturer of the products you are using to be sure.
Thank you,
Beth
Will show this to the fella’s! The barn is up and everything just about set. I wonder if they would let me have a go at the front part office. Great job just purdy!
Thanks Rosie!
That is awesome! Did you etch the floor before starting? How’s the color showing after some time? I love it!
Hi Jeff,
Thanks so much! No, I didn’t etch the floor before I stained it. It’s holding up GREAT! I even stained and sealed my garage floor recently (read about it here-https://farmfreshvintagefinds.com/stage/stain-garage-floor/ ) and it’s holding up fabulously as well! Thanks for your kind comments!!!!
Blessings,
Beth
Absolutely brilliant! For 23 years I had a garage with a dirt floor, I finally had it poured this year and wanted to do something different. I came across your post and the floor looked like my kitchen lino, I loved the look so I tried it and I think it turned out excellent. I used the Behr cleaner and etcher to make sure the new cement was good and porous, took me about 8 hrs to lay out the grid and 4 hrs to stain. I used the rag method with circular pattern on each tile. the next day I touched up some that I thought were too light, now I am ready to seal. Thanks for the great Idea.
Yay Darren!!!! I’m so happy to hear that his worked so well for you. Email me a photo farmfreshvintagefinds@gmail.com Bravo! Bravo!!
Blessings,
Beth
Thanks for this article. I have been searching for budget friendly ways to update our basement and this was super helpful. I included a link for you in a post I wrote about it as well!
Thanks a bunch!
Heather
Thanks Heather! So glad to have you here and thanks for sharing the link.
Blessings,
Beth
Got to try this on my outside concrete slab, should it matter if I use roller brushes to apply?
Hi Sharon,
I tried using a roller and just didn’t have as much control of over the stain. It worked just not as well. Thanks for stopping by!
Good luck,
Beth
Did you acid wash this concrete first? It looks beautiful… Most places reccomend that but I didn’t see that in your steps. Curious!
-Alisa
Hi Alisa,
No I only used stain on the concrete. Acid washing is an option but I’ve never worked with acid before and the thought of it scared me. That’s actually why I decided to stain it instead. Thank you for your question!
Blessings,
Beth
Absolutely love this. My next project (one of many) is to stain the wraparound porch in a tile pattern just as you did. I know I can do it, but the stain choices are overwhelming, like you said. I will follow your tutorial. I also didn’t want it to look all even and perfect. So, like you, I will lay out imperfect painters tape lines and rag on the stain. I am so excited to see your results that I know I can do it. Thanks for posting. If only I can find an OOPS stain, too.
Your floor looks amazing! Awesome job and I just had to stop over and tell you what a great job you did on this project! Pinned and shared:)
Thank you Wendi. That means a lot to me as I know you know what goes into a project like this. 🙂
Hugs,
Beth
Nice!! Spoke to me because that was my exact dilemma. Walked into Home Depot
And lowes, stood there for hours trying to figure out which paint was the right one
(too many choices confused me) But your post was precise , straight to the point and
Like you, I want something different and I like the tile idea. Thank you. Inspired to take on this project
Kerrie,
I’m glad to help! Let me know how it all turns out!!!!
Blessings,
Beth
Looks nice!
Hi! I came upon your barn floor makeover while I was browsing pinterest for ideas for my covered concrete patio! You did a great job, the floor looks really good!
I did want to ask you – what kind of sprayer did you use for spraying on the sealer?
Your concrete floor looks amazing. Working with concrete on a daily basis I am always so amazed at all the ways we can make it beautiful. Great job!
Awesome idea. Think we will try that in our basement. I need a new work space.
Your floor looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Renea!
Wow! That floor looks amazing! It seems like a lot of work and patience but worth it. It looks so much like tile. Love it. 🙂
Thank you Lisa!
😉 Beth
Wow looks great, quick question, would this stain be suitable if exposed to alot of sun and dust and humidity etc?
Hi Ali,
I’ve used it in our barn and garage so that’s all I can speak for. It has held up wonderfully.
Thanks for your question,
Beth
I just gound yor post and i just love it. I m wondering if this can be used on really porous concrete. My lil porch is just nasty and i seriously getting crazy with the look of it. I m dying to give this a try and just wondering if it will work just fine on my concrete. Thank you.
Hi Joly,
I would think that the more porous the better. The stain needs something to adhere and seep into. Good luck with your project!
Thanks,
Beth
Thank you for posting this! I am having the same dilemma! So many complicated choices…just want it simple. I have a new 3 season room with smooth concrete floor & have been looking for a stain & sealer that will be easy to apply & care for (Not some type of paint or sealer that will chip off…but a penetrating stain & sealer. I also just want to just enhance the gray concrete color, make it more finished looking. Looks like you achieved that look! You were lucky enough to find a “oops” gallon…so does that mean they usually custom mix the colors? (I just want a warm gray to enhance the concrete when I rub in the color).
Hi there,
Yes, you can have the gray color mixed. Good luck with your project!
Beth
We enhanced the gray at the store, also, but bought a charcoal-colored additive to “sprinkle” on the wet paint to blend 2 colors of gray. Looks very natural, especially outside, where normally dirt gets in the natural-looking stone surface.
Sounds awesome!
🙂 Beth
This cement floor looks amazing! I want to do this, however I am having a hard time finding the instructions. Are you able to assist me?
Hi Tami,
The detailed instructions are included in the post. Thanks for reading.
Blessings,
Beth
I’m in the process of remodeling my basement. I have been laboring over the decision about what to do with the floor. I never knew stained concrete could look so beautiful. You have addressed help me make my final decision.
Thank you for your kind words Victor. I’m glad I could help.
🙂 Beth
Looks amazing. Thank you for sharing your experience!
You’re welcome! Thank you for reading.
🙂 Beth
I love it and I am inspired to do this to my studio floor thank you heaps for showing this 🙂
You’re very welcome Carolyne. Thank you for your kind words.
🙂 Beth
Hi Beth,
Stumbling onto your post could not have come at a better time. I am in the process of building a garage/shop and decided on in floor radiant heat. More money than I thought we would spend but then I realized with the in floor heat I would not need to lay a laminate flooring to make the space feel warmer. So I have realized instead of putting that extra cash into the flooring it justifies installing the radiant heat. I am now super inspired to attempt staining the concrete. Your floor looks absolutely amazing, I mean really don’t we all love budget friendly projects with results like yours. WOW! I was wondering if you have done similar applications but to make it look like wood flooring. If so would love to see pics. I also enjoyed your wit. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Wanda! I haven’t done any to look like wood but would love to try sometime. I would think that by placing the tape differently to create wood lengths it would work well.
Good luck with your project!!!
Beth
do u think if the surface ( like in my pool area) is textured it would still be slippery ?
Hi Diana,
If the concrete is textured the finish shouldn’t affect the texture.
Thanks,
Beth
Love this idea and how it turned out, pinning now for future reference for y basement.
Thanks Deb!
I’d like to do this but was wondering about the fumes. Was the Behr product bad? I tried to use a stain in another room but the fumes were terrible don’t think it was Behr though. By the way I love the look!
Hey Donna,
No this is a water based product so the fumes were minimal.
Thanks,
Beth
Hi Beth,
This is Silvia, i have a question for you, My floor was made with white cement and blue paint but But it was done wrong and left me white and blue parts, I could do this to fix it?
Hi Silvia,
Without seeing it I really can’t say but it sound’s like you need to clean it really well and repaint it. I hope this helps.
🙂 Beth
We like that look…but my concern is with a sealer floor will be slick. .we plan to store our motorcycles in there ..slick floor would be bad..any idea how to keep a rough texture ??
Hi Ann,
In my opinion the concrete slickness has more to do with how the concrete is smoothed out when poured. If your concrete is already a little rough that will be ideal. If it isn’t I would experiment with adding a little sand to the topcoat to create a little roughness. I hope this helps! Good luck with your project.
🙂 Beth
What would you suggest if part of floor had been painted. Can you still use a stain? Do you have any suggestions for a wood like finish?
Hi Mary,
In my experience stain with not adhere to a surface that’s already been painted. As far as a wood look you could use several different colors of brown to create that.
Thanks!
Beth
This is just beautiful. I am looking for something to do in my living room that is pet-proof. I am thinking about a two toned treatment, though so the ‘grout’ lines are a darker grey than the ’tiles’. Did you put just one coat of sealer on it? Is easy to clean?
Hi Cindy,
I put two thin coats and yes it’s very easy to clean.
🙂 Beth
I’m renovating a house I plan on using as a rental. Has an add on, dining room; concrete floor. I think this concrete stain is going to be perfect in there! Then I won’t have to worry about spills or other tenant problems! I put up a barn-wood ceiling in that room so a rustic floor will be perfect. That and an area carpet will do the trick. So glad I saw this post
Thank you! I think it will work well for you too. Good luck with your project.
🙂 Beth
Trying to do something to my garage floor, its about 4 years old with some stains but nothing major. The only part i’m concerned about is that the garage has to be empty. Do you think its possible to do one side let it dry, move everything over and do the other side?
Sure! I don’t see why not.
🙂 Beth
I didn’t have as good of luck with my tape on my concrete floor I had painted the whole thing with roller and then planned on doing checkerboard patternn but due to bleeding ended up ragging a sponge look on top then since it was plain ass some color blocking to look like rugs which i stenciled with craft acrylic paint then sealed held up fantastic till we decided to rip up concrete to put drains in floor for moisture we had in walls Now have to come up creative way of stenciling all the edges about 3 ft wide to make the center now appear as the rug word of warning my off white rug shows tracks from wheels on my computer chair and always looks dirty
my sealer didnot make my floor slick but did make it sl more washable with mop
Hi Pammy,
That’s great!
Beth
Beautiful! I was just wondering if it was difficult to take the tape off and how you did that? Would you stain a square then take the tape off right away? Thanks!
Hi Ellse,
Thank you! It was actually very easy to remove. When I was all finished I just grabbed one end and pulled it all up.
🙂 Beth
love this floor!!
just curious what kind of sprayer did you use to put on the sealer?
Thanks
Hi Amber,
Thank you! I didn’t use a sprayer. I used a roller for all of it.
Have a GREAT day!
Beth
Your floor is beautiful. I’ve never used stain before, I’ve used the paste Kiwi shoe polish in the cans, black and Cordovan and used quilters tape for the grout lines and then seal it. It was always small areas,. Every one thought it was great. I have a concrete basementnow and this would be easier. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Hi there! Tried this technique on new concrete and had disastrous results. It looks so awesome but scratches off with my fingernail. Behr will not stand behind the product since we didn’t etch the concrete first or use their primer. Any advice?
Hi Halley,
Oh goodness! So sorry. It sounds to me like something was going on with the concrete. I have had literally hundreds of people message me after doing this technique with great results. I’m not sure how I could help as there are so many factors from concrete type to temperature conditions that could be a factor. I would suggest that if all else fails you could just paint it a solid color.
Thanks for reading,
Beth
Do you have a list of materials you used for this project. What kind of rag did you use, and do you think I could use a paint roller to cover the floor with sealant?
Hi Ashley,
I sure do. All the materials are listed in the post. Just scroll through and you’ll see all of it. As far as the rag I just used what I had available. I hope this helps!
Thank you for reading,
Beth
My husband and I want to do this to an outside patio cement slab on the backside of our house; however, hubby was questioning if the sealant makes the cement slippery when wet?
Hi Lori,
The slipperiness has more to do with the finish of the concrete than it does the sealer. Our concrete was “broomed” so that it wasn’t extremely slick. It will really depend on how your concrete was finished. If it’s slick when it gets wet now it will likely be slick with a sealer.
I hope this helps!
Beth 🙂
I would like to do this to our patio, but picking the color scares me. It looks like the color you choose was quite dark, almost black. Is that correct? I love the way yours turned out, but it appears quite a bit lighter than the color on the paint can. Does the stain turn out lighter than what you put on?
Thank You!
Hi Terry,
It’s actually a light gray. Keep in mind the stain is semi transparent so it’s much different that using paint which is thick and not transparent at all. You could always try out the color in a little corner or inconspicuous area to make sure you like it.
Hope this helps,
Beth 🙂