Stained Concrete Flooring: Creating A Custom Feel Under $500
When we bought our home with an unfinished, walk-out basement we were excited to design the space ourselves. We wanted it to be both functional and inviting without it feeling dingy and dark, like a basement.
Luckily, we had a lot of natural light coming in from full size windows and the sliding patio door on the east side of the home, so we constructed the living space and bedroom in those areas to take full advantage of the window views.
The focal point of the basement was to be a full sized, wrap around bar. My husband designed the layout around an alcove that had the perfect niche for showcasing the liquor bottles. We chose a dark walnut base finish to offset the light oak trim and paneled doors throughout the rest of the basement.
With all the other custom elements of the basement coming together perfectly it made sense that the flooring makes a statement, too. We chose to stain the concrete because it was in almost perfect shape with only a few small cracks, and it was very clean.
Since we were already at budget and had not yet bought furniture, we decided to tackle the project DIY. The whole process from start to finish took 3 days, including drying time between sealer coats. We completed the project in 2016 and it still looks as beautiful as it did then.
Safety First
Since you will be working with chemicals, be sure to take the recommended precautions listed on the products. We always wore plastic gloves, goggles, and a respirator mask.
Do Not Do It Unless Your Concrete Floor Is Nearly Flawless
The biggest thing we had going for us was the condition of our concrete floor. There were no permanent grease stains, paint marks, or substances that could not first be removed with Xylene.
We also had minimal cracks in our concrete. There was one larger crack that we had someone come to grind out and fill that surprisingly added a beautiful rustic element to the floor once we were finished staining.
The preparation of the floors was the most tedious part of the process. Even though they were clean to begin with, we still had to first remove several marks and built-up residue with the Xylene and a small wire brush.
We vacuumed the floors and washed them thoroughly with a small amount of mild soap and water before we began.
Prepare the Walls and Tape the Baseboards
This only applies if you already have drywall and baseboards installed. Most of our basement walls were already drywalled, so we had to protect them from the pump sprayer by taping up painter’s paper 12” from the floor.
Our baseboards were not installed yet, but you would either need to remove them or use painter’s tape to cover them during this part of the process.
The “Marbled” Effect
To achieve the marbled look, we chose two complimentary acid stain colors and applied to the concrete using a pump sprayer one color at a time. We bought three sprayers. One for each color and one for the sealer. We continuously sprayed enough stain on the surface for it to run and pool up, and then repeated the technique across the whole floor.
We allowed the first coat of stain to dry and reapplied to any areas we missed, or that seemed to soak up the stain more than other areas to ensure an even and cohesive look.
Once we achieved our desired look, we neutralized the surface by washing it with a solution of 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda per gallon of water. We repeated this process a few times to ensure all the white, chalky residue was gone to prepare for the sealer.
Sealing the Surface
Once the surface was completely dry and free of residue, we used a paint roller with ceiling extender to smooth on a solvent-based polyurethane sealer. We chose the solvent-based vs. the water based due to its extreme durability. We did have to evacuate our home for two days with the windows open and fans at full blast to get rid of the solvent smell before we felt we could safely come back home with our two small children.
The water-based solvent is recommended for indoor use because it is odorless, and in retrospect I wish we would have used that. I cannot attest to its durability, however.
We applied two coats of sealer allowing each coat to dry overnight.
On the very last day, we applied a wax sealer to give the floor a glossy texture which should be reapplied every couple of years, or more in high traffic areas.
Conclusion
We are extremely happy with how our stained concrete floors turned out for less than $500.
The project itself was not too laborious and we completed it quickly. It completely transformed the look of our basement with a classic, high-end feel that is both durable and functional.
We purchased our acid stain, sealer, and wax from Direct Colors. All other items we purchased from Amazon, or a local home improvement store like Home Depot.
We followed instructions on the products for dry times, clean up, and safety measures.
