Staining Concrete

[RadiomanATL]

Go with the Behr from Home Depot. Easy to use, no problems.

Requires five coats to cover. Thanks, no thanks.

Two coats here. No issues.

But if you need a "wet look", you have to go with the stain, wait for it to dry, and then apply the special top coat to give it a wet look. So worst case it's 3 coats for a special look.

 

[Ringel05]

Go with the Behr from Home Depot. Easy to use, no problems.

Requires five coats to cover. Thanks, no thanks.

Two coats here. No issues.

But if you need a "wet look", you have to go with the stain, wait for it to dry, and then apply the special top coat to give it a wet look. So worst case it's 3 coats for a special look.

I've had nothing but bad experiences with Behr in the past. Their being chosen as the number 1 by Consumer Guide made me question CGs (not Cali Girl) credibility. I'll stick with Sherwin Williams, never had a problem.
BTW I did a hell of a lot of remodel and handyman work for many, many years.

 

[RadiomanATL]

BTW I did a hell of a lot of remodel and handyman work for many, many years.

Same here, kinda. Albeit on a much larger scale.

 

[Ringel05]

BTW I did a hell of a lot of remodel and handyman work for many, many years.

Same here, kinda. Albeit on a much larger scale.

My primary field of expertise (and where I always made the most money) was high end finish carpentry. Everything else was a gap filler. Not always a lot of people constantly looking for the products I offered at the price they were being offered.
Most of the houses I worked on were 1.5 million dollar homes and up. Found a niche and made some good money.

 

[Zoom-boing]

Ok so we've been go over all of this the past few days.

Not going with the acid stain as we're not confident that it will take as well as we'd like because the concrete is 8 years old. Plus, the hazard of the acid . . . not too keen on it, despite the fact that the look is great. If we had the bucks to pay someone to come in and do it maybe but . . . . we ain't got those bucks.

Definitely not going with a solid color anything. . . I'd sooner leave it alone than to do that.

Did find semi-transparent stains at Depot and Lowes. Quikcrete (not great color choices) and Behr (good color choices by past experience with Behr products makes us not want to use their stain.) S/W carries H&C semi-transparent stain, water based and mimics the look of acid stain without the hazard. It's eco-friendly (translation: don't have to fuss protecting lawn/plantings = less work for us). They have a decent selection of colors and you can tweak those, depending on how much (if any) water you use to dilute it. This is a great choice for us (although ok, I'd love to see how the acid would have turned out).

Now we're trying to decide do we want to do any type of pattern (taping off for grout lines, patterns, etc). or just do the whole thing in random. Also trying to decide on the color palette . . . grey family or brown family. Hmmmm . . . . Will likely use two colors unless we do some kind of flagstone pattern, then maybe a pinch of third color.

Oh and this has to be sealed when done (I think they all do). We hate the wet look . . . not a fan of the glossy. All our furniture is satin finished . . . so we'll look around for a natural or matte finish sealer.

Appreciate all the input. We've been pouring over the youtube vids and reviewing different sites. The only problem with doing a patio is that there's no real place we can practice techniques on. I know from doing our kitchen that practicing something like this is better that just going in cold turkey. We'll likely practice on the garage floor, even though it's a smooth finish. At least we will get some idea of what it will look like.

Here's a link to the H&C site, if anyone was interested. This is their gallery page that shows a few of their colors in use. We like the 2nd and 3rd colors a lot. Brown family or grey family, decisions decisions.

 

[dilloduck]

I'll run around on it barefoot and make cool patterns for ya !!

 

[Zoom-boing]

I'll run around on it barefoot and make cool patterns for ya !!

Wait a minute . . . we have several stray cats around here. What if one runs across the patio when it's wet? Ok, it would be kinda cute (but not nearly as cute as your mucklucks dill! )

 

[dilloduck]

I'll run around on it barefoot and make cool patterns for ya !!

Wait a minute . . . we have several stray cats around here. What if one runs across the patio when it's wet? Ok, it would be kinda cute (but not nearly as cute as your mucklucks dill! )

I need privacy tho-----ain't NO ONE seeing my bare feet

 

[Zoom-boing]

I think we've decided on taping off 'grout' lines (using the existing concrete color as the 'grout') in a 'Wright' type pattern, below. But that pattern would be the entire patio, not repeating this pattern on a smaller scale. Smaller would be too busy; less is more. We'll probably go with a dark gray and dark brown and dilute to get lighter shades. On the patio start light then darken as desired. Also, after this is done hubs is going to build a bbq 'garage' for the grill and charcoal bin. I"ll stucco it then repeat the patio pattern/stain on it and we'll get a beautiful stone for the top counter/work surface part. I think it will look pretty good and not be too difficult to do. Actually, this seems like of the more fun house projects we've done. Oh, and any extra stain we can use on the concrete planters we have (two in front of the shed and one that is ancient, it was my mom and dad's from the 60's), a round concrete fountain we made and a St. Francis statue. I hope this turns out well . . . . I pop some before and after pics up.

 

[CurveLight]

Has anyone ever stained concrete? We're contemplating staining our 8 year old concrete patio and are looking for pointers.

I have a small home improve biz and just finished a concrete project yesterday (8 x 24 feet with new additional pad) similar to what you're looking for. This client does some stuff himself so two years ago he put behr stain on it while I was there doing other work, and I begged him not to use it because it's pure garbage. Needless to say....he found out the hard way.

While the pebbles coming through may have aesthetic value it's actually a warning sign of deterioration that can cause headaches. Since you like the concrete color don't waste time or money staining it. Here is what I suggest:

Power wash with an eco-friendly degreaser. (if you don't have a chemical injector on your pressure washer then do a quick rinse with the pressure washer then use any generic garden pump or pour it directly on the deck and brush with a push broom to get an even application.)

Use nothing less than a 2500 psi unit because you need the power to both adequately clean and remove any loose concrete not readily available to the naked eye.

After you thoroughly rinse the deck get a gallon of quikrete bonding concentrate and put it on with a push broom. After that has dried (in about two hours) apply a second coat.

Get quikrete sand/topping mix and resurface the entire deck about an inch thick. (All you add is water instead of sand and water.) There are several methods available for texture and there are no rules about what tools you can use.

It will have the concrete color you want and be maintenance free for several years versus re-staining. There are also several styles of flakes available to spread on the wet concrete to give the pebble appearance. Good luck!

 

[PixieStix]

What do you guys think of painting concrete? And is that something that is a good option to staining?

 

[Zoom-boing]

What do you guys think of painting concrete? And is that something that is a good option to staining?

From everything I've read painting concrete will just lead to pealed painted concrete.

You can stain concrete with a solid color and get the same look as painting but the stain will penetrate, rather than sit on top.

The H&C product by Sherwin Williams (I'm not pushing the product, just using it as an example) has a semi-transparent stain that we like the look of but also a solid color stain. Here's their home page link: H&C Concrete - Home and here's a link to their solid color concrete stain page: H&C Concrete - Products - H&C® Concrete Stain Solid Color Water-based

 

[Madeline]

What do you guys think of painting concrete? And is that something that is a good option to staining?

I have painted concrete in a high-humidity environment. The surface with a great deal of traffic was chipped within the year. Overall, I don't recommend this...a great deal of work for little pay off and a painted surface is slick, prone to moss and easier to fall on.

Sherwin-Williams makes a product that can be used to "paint" around a pool or other surface where mold or moss might be a problem or where traction is desirable. I can't remember what it's called, but it is sold in five gallon containers and is applied with a trowel. It cost about $75 in 2000, but in my view, it was worth the extra expense and effort to apply as it was VERY permanent and ended forever any traction issues. If you wish, I can find out what it was called. I'm fairly certain it was a professional product, but I had no trouble applying it.

 

[CurveLight]

What do you guys think of painting concrete? And is that something that is a good option to staining?

Painting is the worst option. If you want the best durability short of resurfacing then use a two part epoxy. As someone pointed out, H+C has some good products but there is not a stain on the market I've ever seen worth the money and labor for concrete.

 

[RadiomanATL]

BTW I did a hell of a lot of remodel and handyman work for many, many years.

Same here, kinda. Albeit on a much larger scale.

My primary field of expertise (and where I always made the most money) was high end finish carpentry. Everything else was a gap filler. Not always a lot of people constantly looking for the products I offered at the price they were being offered.
Most of the houses I worked on were 1.5 million dollar homes and up. Found a niche and made some good money.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that what you did was small. What I meant was that I am on the other side of the business. I supply the materials to builders, handymen, construction companies city/county works projects etc. Thats what I meant by on a larger scale. It also involves visiting many sites to see how work is progressing and also testing new products offered by manufacturers along with my customers.

 

[RadiomanATL]

What do you guys think of painting concrete? And is that something that is a good option to staining?

Only paint concrete if it is for a garage or shop type of application, where resistance to grease/oil is the main purpose. The thing is, a garage or shop is out of the weather, and takes much longer to peel.

Don't paint a patio. It WILL peel and crack rather quickly. Probably in about a year if you live higher than the mason-dixon line where temps regularly fall below freezing and snow/ice sits on the patio. After it peels, your only option is to strip it and do something else.

 

[CurveLight]

What do you guys think of painting concrete? And is that something that is a good option to staining?

Only paint concrete if it is for a garage or shop type of application, where resistance to grease/oil is the main purpose. The thing is, a garage or shop is out of the weather, and takes much longer to peel.

Don't paint a patio. It WILL peel and crack rather quickly. Probably in about a year if you live higher than the mason-dixon line where temps regularly fall below freezing and snow/ice sits on the patio. After it peels, your only option is to strip it and do something else.

This is why suppliers work behind the counter and get caught up in text book fantasies, even if they make field visits which are usually just an excuse to sell more materials to builders or hacks who don't know what they are doing.

Don't ever paint a garage or shop floor. Ever. Use a two part epoxy.....usually runs about $75/gallon but it's worth it because you won't have to mess with it for years. (Epoxies and paints are completely different products) Garages are usually not heated like homes and the mass in concrete (where ever it is) has an adverse effect on paint causing it to peel because the moisture pushes it up and off the concrete surface.

Moreover, vehicles are usually kept in garages and the weight in addition to the tires are a guaranteed way to rip the paint off. Now add in other factors such as motor oil, lawn mowers, snow blowers, etc. At the end of the day the surface of the floor has taken a hell of a beating from several different substances that all have toxic effects on paint. The epoxy is ten times more durable and can be cleaned repeatedly without the breakdown in paints. It also doesn't make much of a diff if the concrete floor is inside or out because it is always cooler than the air above it.

 

[RadiomanATL]

What do you guys think of painting concrete? And is that something that is a good option to staining?

Only paint concrete if it is for a garage or shop type of application, where resistance to grease/oil is the main purpose. The thing is, a garage or shop is out of the weather, and takes much longer to peel.

Don't paint a patio. It WILL peel and crack rather quickly. Probably in about a year if you live higher than the mason-dixon line where temps regularly fall below freezing and snow/ice sits on the patio. After it peels, your only option is to strip it and do something else.

This is why suppliers work behind the counter and get caught up in text book fantasies, even if they make field visits which are usually just an excuse to sell more materials to builders or hacks who don't know what they are doing.

Don't ever paint a garage or shop floor. Ever. Use a two part epoxy.....usually runs about $75/gallon but it's worth it because you won't have to mess with it for years. (Epoxies and paints are completely different products) Garages are usually not heated like homes and the mass in concrete (where ever it is) has an adverse effect on paint causing it to peel because the moisture pushes it up and off the concrete surface.

Moreover, vehicles are usually kept in garages and the weight in addition to the tires are a guaranteed way to rip the paint off. Now add in other factors such as motor oil, lawn mowers, snow blowers, etc. At the end of the day the surface of the floor has taken a hell of a beating from several different substances that all have toxic effects on paint. The epoxy is ten times more durable and can be cleaned repeatedly without the breakdown in paints. It also doesn't make much of a diff if the concrete floor is inside or out because it is always cooler than the air above it.

Concrete paint for shop floors is either a one part or two part epoxy ya moron.

1 part:
1-Part Epoxy Acrylic Concrete & Garage Floor Paint - Behr Paint

and 2 part:
Shop Rust-Oleum Professional Gallon Garage Floor Kit Gray PRO at Lowes.com

One part is easier to use, and is cheaper, but doesn't last as long. 2 part is better.

I don't stand behind a counter ya dope.

 

[007]

I think we've decided on taping off 'grout' lines (using the existing concrete color as the 'grout') in a 'Wright' type pattern, below. But that pattern would be the entire patio, not repeating this pattern on a smaller scale. Smaller would be too busy; less is more. We'll probably go with a dark gray and dark brown and dilute to get lighter shades. On the patio start light then darken as desired. Also, after this is done hubs is going to build a bbq 'garage' for the grill and charcoal bin. I"ll stucco it then repeat the patio pattern/stain on it and we'll get a beautiful stone for the top counter/work surface part. I think it will look pretty good and not be too difficult to do. Actually, this seems like of the more fun house projects we've done. Oh, and any extra stain we can use on the concrete planters we have (two in front of the shed and one that is ancient, it was my mom and dad's from the 60's), a round concrete fountain we made and a St. Francis statue. I hope this turns out well . . . . I pop some before and after pics up.

All this patio talk reminded me of one my buddy and I wired. Lots of low voltage, ground effects, spots, water fall, etc. Nothing was stained but, you mentioned "BBQ garage."

 

[CurveLight]

Only paint concrete if it is for a garage or shop type of application, where resistance to grease/oil is the main purpose. The thing is, a garage or shop is out of the weather, and takes much longer to peel.

Don't paint a patio. It WILL peel and crack rather quickly. Probably in about a year if you live higher than the mason-dixon line where temps regularly fall below freezing and snow/ice sits on the patio. After it peels, your only option is to strip it and do something else.

This is why suppliers work behind the counter and get caught up in text book fantasies, even if they make field visits which are usually just an excuse to sell more materials to builders or hacks who don't know what they are doing.

Don't ever paint a garage or shop floor. Ever. Use a two part epoxy.....usually runs about $75/gallon but it's worth it because you won't have to mess with it for years. (Epoxies and paints are completely different products) Garages are usually not heated like homes and the mass in concrete (where ever it is) has an adverse effect on paint causing it to peel because the moisture pushes it up and off the concrete surface.

Moreover, vehicles are usually kept in garages and the weight in addition to the tires are a guaranteed way to rip the paint off. Now add in other factors such as motor oil, lawn mowers, snow blowers, etc. At the end of the day the surface of the floor has taken a hell of a beating from several different substances that all have toxic effects on paint. The epoxy is ten times more durable and can be cleaned repeatedly without the breakdown in paints. It also doesn't make much of a diff if the concrete floor is inside or out because it is always cooler than the air above it.

Concrete paint for shop floors is either a one part or two part epoxy ya moron.

1 part:
1-Part Epoxy Acrylic Concrete & Garage Floor Paint - Behr Paint

and 2 part:
Shop Rust-Oleum Professional Gallon Garage Floor Kit Gray PRO at Lowes.com

One part is easier to use, and is cheaper, but doesn't last as long. 2 part is better.

I don't stand behind a counter ya dope.

Your first link doesn't count because behr.....well basically.....is to paint what Budweiser is to beer. Look at your second link. Notice anything different? The word "paint" doesn't appear anywhere on the box or in the description. Know why?