Concrete Staining

Concrete staining encompasses a broad range of techniques, products and processes. The look desired and current condition of the concrete are important in determining which ones to use. While most concrete can be stained, not all concrete will look great with staining alone. Concrete that is badly damaged, stained or contaminated it can usually benefit from the application of a concrete overlay or grind & stain system. Click to learn more about the overlay and grind & stain.

Stained concrete floors are an excellent choice for at-risk basements that experience occasional water issues. It will not solve or correct water issues but will not be harmed in a flooding event, hold moisture or promote microbial growth. We design our systems to be breathable enough to allow moisture to pass through it when excessive levels exist. Unlike epoxy and other heavy mill coatings that completely seal off the concrete up to a point, at which coating failure is inevitable.

What are the coloring options?

With hundreds of brands and manufacturers the choices are many. For simplicity I will break it down into the main categories we use and why.

Acid Stains are made up of an acid solution of metallic salts. They react chemically with concrete to change the color. They naturally achieve a variegated, mottled and rich color variation. Colors are limited to earth tones and can be diluted to achieve many different coloring effects.

Dyes are pretty self explanatory. Made up of very small pigment particles they penetrate deep into the concrete. They can be diluted more or less, applied using different techniques depending on the look desired.

Both of these coloring options are transparent, they work well to accentuate natural texture already present in concrete.

Picking concrete stain colors is much different than picking paint swatches, they should be viewed more as a general starting point because much of the look is a result of the artistic abilities of the artisan applying them.

Check out our color charts

Acid Stains Dyes

It is very useful to share photos you may have found online that display the look you are going for. If we haven't already done one similar we will do some sample mock ups to recreate the look

We use only the toughest sealer on our stained floors to make sure they last a lifetime. It's made right here in MN and is environmentally friendly and very low VOC. Never needs to be waxed!

Benefits of stained concrete flooring: