To improve upon the looks of your concrete floor, concrete staining is the most convenient and economical way and is a very interesting DIY project.The alternatives, like epoxy, tearing out existing concrete and replacing with new or decorative overlays, are not recommended for do-it-yourselfers and can be very expensive. However, before you get started with a staining project, here are a few things you should keep in mind.

Concrete staining is of two types: acid floor stains and acrylic stains. Acid stains are caused by the chemical reaction with free lime on the surface and give a translucent floor with natural looks. Acid staining gives spotted, multicolored and multi-hued coloring. Because every concrete reacts differently to acids, the outcome is exclusive in the sense that no two floors can have same type of acid stains. Acrylic stains on the other hand are water borne pigments that seep thru the pores and adhere to the surface of the floor, thus producing a more consistent semi translucent color as if obtained from a dye. A very positive aspect of acrylic stains is that they help to conceal some of the defects or discoloration, but acid stains on the contrary, tend to highlight such limitations.

Acid and acrylic stains work equally good on many of the floors and you have to choose one, depending on the kind of looks you wish to have.

Nevertheless, under certain conditions one may deliver better results than the other. For instance, exterior concrete older than ten to fifteen years may not be to hold acid stains as it has already lost most of the free lime on its surface. Under such circumstances acrylic stains will work very well because of its increased porosity over time. You can’t get this with epoxy garage paints. Acid stains work well with newer concrete because of the availability of free lime. A good feature of acrylic stains is that it will be able to conceal minor repairs like patches and scaling on an old floor. Any patching materials will stand out with acid stains. For smooth trowel led interior surfaces with less porosity, acid stains are usually better because they don’t require as much penetration to color the concrete.