How To Stain Concrete – 4 Simple Steps

Many people are intimidated by do-it-yourself projects around the house. In reality, most of these projects are easy to do as long as you follow the instructions. Staining concrete is a simple process and once you learn it, you will wonder why it took you so long to give it a try. So if you have a patio, sidewalk or basement floor that needs revitalized, give stained concrete a try!

How to Stain Concrete Floors

Make certain that the concrete you want to stain has not been stained or painted before. The surface needs to be porous and when it is painted or stained, it has been sealed. You will first need to gather all of the necessary materials to ensure that the job is done quickly and correctly.

1. Tarp
2. Hose and broom
3. 4” paintbrush
4. 9” tear resistant deck paint pad
5. Telescoping rod
6. Bucket of water
7. Rags
8. Water based concrete stain

Below are the 4 simple steps associated to get stained concrete floor described in brief.

#1 Pick Your Color

Concrete staining options have various levels of stain coverage. An opaque stain will give you more coverage. Use the manufacturer’s color chart to pick the colors that you like. Take the color samples to the area that will be stained. Outdoor spaces will be in different lighting than indoor spaces. Once you have the narrowed your color selections down, get small samples and do a small test on the concrete to pick the final color.

#2 Prepare the Concrete

This is the second step of staining concrete. Remove everything from the area including furniture and planters. Then sweep the area thoroughly to remove all residue and loose particles. Using a hose and broom, scrub the concrete to remove the rest of the dirt and residue. If there are things that are stuck to the concrete, be sure to scrape them off. Once the concrete is completely clean allow it to dry for 24 hours before applying the stain.

#3 Applying the Stain To Concrete

After the 24 hour drying time, it is time to apply the stain. Put your paint pan on the tarp and pour the stain into the pan. Apply the stain along the perimeter and all seams using the paint brush. Then, using the paint pad, start applying the stain over the rest of the area, is sure to use seams as natural divisions in the area and only stain one area at a time. Work quickly and keep your strokes in a similar pattern. Once you have most of the stain out of the paint pad, use the remaining stain left on it to soften the edges from your previous strokes. Then add more stain to the paint pad and continue staining.

Remember that the concrete will not have a perfectly consistent finish; parts will absorb the stain differently and will have shadowed effects throughout. If you filled in any holes or cracks in the concrete, the fill will absorb the stain more quickly than the un-filled areas.
Never apply stain to concrete in the direct sunlight. Wait and apply it when it will be a cloudy day or when there is sufficient shade over the concrete. The stain dries too quickly in the sun and will look sloppy because you will not have had time to soften the strokes and blend them together.

#4 Wait 24 Hours To Get Stained Concrete Floor

While the stain will be dry to the touch after about four hours, wait at least 24 hours before putting furniture and other items on the stained floor. The stain has to cure at least 24 hours or it will be easy to chip and scrape if heavy pieces of furniture are slid across it.