Can You Stain An Existing Concrete Floor

Staining is by far the most popular method for enhancing both commercial and residential concrete floors.

Can you stain an existing concrete floor.

Concrete stains can mimic any type of stone or tile floor without the high cost making staining an economical choice. The stain will turn a darker color wherever the concrete is pitted. Yes you can acid stain old concrete. On existing concrete keep in mind that stains are intended to enhance rather than disguise the surface.

Water based stains are generally easier to apply and cleanup is minimal. You can apply the stain over worn concrete but don t expect a miracle. When the concrete floor is very old porous or rough acid stain may not be the ideal solution. The process for acid staining old concrete is not all that different from staining new concrete with a few exceptions.

Surface preparation is an important part of how to stain concrete. Staining concrete can bring new life to a basement floor or outdoor concrete. Stains can be applied to both new or existing concrete floors and work equally well with concrete overlays. For water based stains spray the area in circular motions to avoid pooling on concrete flooring.

Stained concrete floor benefits. The only true type of concrete staining is acid staining which seeps into the concrete s pores to actually become a part of the concrete surface. Do not be discouraged if you fell acid stain is not going to work on your current discolored floor. You can restain concrete if it s already been stained but it won t be as rich of a color as it may not take in all areas of the concrete.

You can achieve nearly any color with water based stains. An existing concrete slab with major cracks or spalling is usually not a good candidate for staining because any patchwork is likely to show right through the stain. Below we will walk you through how to stain old concrete and the differences from how to stain new concrete. Remove any existing concrete sealer before applying a new stain color.

And avoid staining spalling concrete. Unlike acid based stain they don t interact with the concrete that you re staining so the color will stay consistent. You ll still be able to see the old appearance through the stain.