How to Stain Concrete Floors
Many people are using patios as an extension to their living areas, and concrete floors are inexpensive and easy to maintain. Staining concrete floors is not that difficult. It requires a little planning, preparation and labor. You can learn how to stain concrete floors yourself to create a great looking patio and save a few dollars in the process by saving on labor costs.
Items Needed:
- Tri-sodium phosphate
- Putty knife
- Wet/dry vacuum
- Rotary floor scrubber
- Stiff brush
- Concrete stain
- Concrete stain applicator (sprayer)
- Concrete polisher
- Microfiber mop
Instructions:
Learn about surface preparation. You must clean the surface of concrete thoroughly prior to staining. If you do not bother with this step, you will be very disappointed in the results. You must remove mastic, pet urine, paint spots, oil and grease from the concrete surface. Stain needs to penetrate the top layer or surface of the concrete in order for stain to be absorbed and evenly applied. Any residue left on top of the concrete blocks the stain absorption and creates a blotchy looking mess.
Purchase concrete cleaner. Carefully select a cleaner that does not etch the concrete floor. Etching affects the content of lime in concrete and ruins the staining work. Tri-sodium phosphate is a concrete cleaner, which can be purchased and mixed with water to clean the surface.
Prepare the concrete floor. Scrape the concrete using a putty knife and vacuum up all debris and dust. Rent a floor scrubber (rotary design) with nylon pads and go over the floor with the Tri-sodium phosphate water mixture. Mix denatured alcohol with hydrated lime to form a paste and apply it to the floor to remove mastic and calking residue. Allow the paste to dry and remove using a stiff brush and vacuum the floor again. One last time, go over the floor using the scrubber and cleaning mixture. Wet/dry vacuums remove the last of any debris and moisture. The concrete floor should be thoroughly dried before proceeding to stain.
Select a concrete stain. Choose between an acid-based or an acrylic stain. Stain is applied using a sprayer.
Stain the concrete. Follow the instructions on the stain you purchased from the manufacturer. Be sure and pay careful attention to safety instructions. Cover or move lawn or patio furniture, gas grills or anything else that could be hit by over spray.
- Protect the concrete stain by polishing. Use a microfiber mop that is at least two feet wide to apply wax. To apply wax properly, soak the mop in the wax and use a pump sprayer to spray the wax onto the concrete floor. Use the mop to spread the wax evenly across the floor. Polishing adds a shine to the floor and helps protect the stain.