Stained Concrete

• Customers who want to see the natural character of the concrete, with color added, rather than a uniform opaque floor.
• Interior concrete floors in homes, retail spaces, restaurants, salons and barbershops, showrooms and offices.
• Patios, covered outdoor areas and appropriate exterior concrete, with a protective finish chosen for outdoor and UV exposure.
• Concrete where natural variation, mottling or an aged, stone-like appearance is part of the appeal.
• Not a fit for customers who want a perfectly uniform color, or who want cracks, patches and repairs completely hidden. Solid color, metallic, flake or quartz systems suit those goals better.

1. Inspect the concrete. The existing slab, previous coatings or sealers, contamination, repairs, cracks and overall condition are evaluated, because all of them affect how stain takes.
2. Prepare the surface. The concrete is cleaned and mechanically prepared as required so existing sealers, coatings, contamination or other materials do not prevent the stain from interacting with or penetrating the concrete. The preparation method depends on the existing slab and the stain system.
3. Address appropriate defects. Cracks, pits or damaged areas are repaired where needed. Repairs may remain visually different after staining, because repaired material can accept stain differently than the original concrete.
4. Apply the stain. The selected acid or water-based stain is applied for the desired color and appearance. Multiple applications or colors may be used when appropriate to develop additional variation.
5. Complete stain-specific preparation. For reactive acid stain, the surface must be properly processed and cleaned after the chemical reaction before the protective finish is applied. Water-based systems follow the preparation requirements appropriate to that stain.
6. Apply the protective finish. Stained concrete receives an appropriate protective sealer or finish to help protect the decorative surface and make routine maintenance easier. Exterior finishes must be appropriate for sunlight and weather exposure, and traction should be considered on patios and other surfaces that may become wet.

• Staining preserves more of the concrete’s natural appearance than an opaque resin coating, and every stained floor develops its own variation.
• Acid stain chemically reacts with components in the concrete and creates natural color variation. The result is intentionally variable and can look mottled, aged or stone-like, and the exact final color cannot be controlled as precisely as a solid coating because the reaction depends partly on the existing concrete.
• Water-based stain offers a broader range of colors and generally allows greater control over the color direction than reactive acid stain, while still letting natural concrete variation show.
• Stain does not hide the condition of the slab. It will not completely conceal cracks, patches, previous repairs, aggregate variation, surface imperfections, permanent discoloration or differences between old and new concrete, and some of these can become more noticeable after staining.
• Stain does not level an uneven floor, repair structural concrete problems or create the uniform appearance of a solid-color coating.
• A sample area can help establish the color direction, but it cannot guarantee that the entire slab will look identical.
• Existing sealers, coatings, adhesives and contamination can interfere with stain penetration or reaction and may require additional preparation or removal.
• The protective sealer or finish becomes an important part of the maintenance system.
• Smooth sealed concrete can become slippery when wet, so traction should be considered where appropriate, especially outdoors.
• Final color depends partly on the existing concrete color and composition, the age and condition of the slab, previous repairs, porosity, preparation, stain type, the number of applications and the protective finish. Stained concrete is a naturally variable decorative finish, not a perfectly uniform manufactured floor.

• Total square footage.
• Interior versus exterior application.
• Condition of the concrete.
• Existing coatings or sealers, and adhesive or flooring residue that must be removed.
• Amount of surface preparation required.
• Crack, pit and surface repairs, and existing contamination.
• Acid stain versus water-based stain.
• Number of colors or stain applications, and the complexity of the desired decorative effect.
• Edge and detail work, stairs or vertical surfaces.
• The protective sealer or finish selected, and any required traction.
• Accessibility.
• Drying and curing conditions. Return-to-service timing depends on the stain system, preparation, number of applications, protective finish, temperature, humidity and interior or exterior conditions, so we give project-specific return-to-service instructions with the completed system.
• Complex decorative projects receive a custom estimate. Existing coating, sealer and adhesive removal can add to a project and is evaluated separately.

Regularly remove loose dirt and abrasive grit with a soft broom, dust mop or vacuum. Clean stained concrete with a mild cleaner compatible with the protective sealer or finish, and avoid harsh acidic or highly abrasive cleaners unless they are specifically approved for the installed system. Clean spills promptly. The protective finish can wear over time, particularly in high-traffic areas, and may eventually require maintenance or reapplication depending on use and exposure.

• Metallic Epoxy Floors — Dimensional, one-of-a-kind metallic finishes.
• Solid Color Coatings — Clean, uniform color for garages, shops, utility spaces and commercial interiors.
• Polished Concrete Floors — Interior concrete ground, honed and polished to a durable finish, with no resin coating.

See all Epoxy Panda services, or read the overview of residential coatings and commercial coatings.