Are Stained Concrete Floors Right for You?

With all of the hype going around these days about the ruggedness and versatility of stained concrete floors, many folks are uninformed or have unrealistic expectations of what to expect from the process. This informal piece is designed not to scare you and turn you away from the product, but it is intended to better inform you on what to expect from your stained concrete floors.

As mentioned earlier, stained concrete floors are a very versatile form of flooring. They are very rugged and hold up to foot traffic well. There are endless possibilities of design that may be utilized such as acid staining, water based dyes, scoring, engraving and polishing just to name a few. Finishes may range from satin to high gloss, and may include tinting. Your slab is basically a blank canvas waiting to be transformed into a one of a kind masterpiece.

Of all the important things to remember when installing a stained concrete floor, the most important thing to not forget is that stained concrete floors are by nature a rustic form of flooring! If you prefer a uniform flawless finish, you may want to consider ceramic tile, wood, carpeting or one of the other manufactured forms of flooring on the market. Also be aware that all concrete slabs in the gulf south crack. For proponents of stained concrete floors, these cracks add to the character floor. There again, if you're not willing to live with the cracks, you should really consider another type of flooring.

The process of acid staining is based on a chemical reaction. The acids, salts and lime deposits in the top layer of the concrete react with each other to produce the rich earth tones achieved in this process. Because this is a chemical process and no two batches of concrete are the same, a unique hue of the colors used makes your floor different from everyone else's. Therefore, uniform color matching is virtually impossible.

Acid staining does not change the texture or finish of the concrete! The most common misunderstanding between stained concrete contractors and home owner/contractors is that rough spots in the slab left by finishers will be miraculously smoothed out during the staining process. DO NOT EXPECT THIS TO HAPPEN!  at the beginning of the job, your stained concrete contractor should walk you through the job and discuss what the finished product should look like. Rough spots should be addressed and pointed out to allow you the option of changing the score design or stain color to better mask them if possible. The sealer and finish coats are not thick enough to cover up all of these spots, and they will take on a different appearance in certain light.

Imperfections and flaws such as footprints, leaves, pine straw and trowel marks are common in concrete slabs. These marks will most often show up in the finished product, hence producing the rustic finish earlier described. Red chalk lines, crayon, permanent markers and spray paint may cause permanent marks in your slab. Nails left on your slab that are allowed to sit out in the weather during the framing process will also permanently stain your floors. Although it is impossible to control every aspect of your job, it is very important that you communicate this type of information to all of the trades that come before the stained concrete contractor.

I hope that this brief overview gives you a better idea of what to expect from your stained concrete floors. As stated before, this tutorial is geared not to steer you away from stained concrete, but to prevent any unrealistic expectations from the process. ALWAYS ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE THE PROCESS BEGINS TO AVOID PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD.