Remodelers who would like a trendy coffeehouse feel in your family room or master bath or other Orlando Real Estate, staining and clear-sealing your concrete floor is the best way to realize it. The difficulty is that it is a skilled procedure that few home owners have accomplished themselves, so it’s an uphill struggle to get good tips and advice on how to stain a concrete floor properly.
If you find an example of a stained concrete floor you like, snap a photo of it and bring it to your local big box store or paint store. That way you can get some personal advice. You will find several types of staining processes, but this post will cover the acid stain and sealing process.
The first step is to clear away any old carpet and ensure that you’re comfortable with the shape the concrete is in. Builders often make marks on concrete floors assuming they will be hidden, and carpet installers often nail down tack strips or glue down padding that can leave marks on the concrete. It is possible to deal with most of these blemishes, but there will probably be flaws showing through the finished surface. Don’t forget that the natural beauty of stained concrete is that the variegated texture blends well with flaws, so don’t think that because your Portland Real Estate floor has problems, you can’t stain it.
Next, remove marks and mastic by scraping or with laquer thinner. This can be difficult, depending on the adhesive, but is worth the effort. Remember that any solvent-based cleaning solutions will have to be washed off utilizing a degreasing solution (like TSP) that you can buy at a good home improvement center. Acid stains are required to be applied to oil- and solvent-free surfaces, or they will not react with the concrete.
Now fill any cracks or pits in the concrete with a fast hardening patch. Level the patched area with a putty knife and smooth the patch with a wet cloth or sponge. If necessary, sand the fixed area lightly right after it hardens to take off any residue and blend the patched floor with the surrounding area.
You might want to cover up walls from overspray now. If you’ve used any solvent-based cleaning products, clean the area with a degreasing solution and rinse completely. Use a wet or dry vacuum or sponge mop to dispose of excess water if needed
You’re now ready for your acid stain treatment on your Idaho Real Estate. Pay attention to the instructions of the company that manufactured it, but typically this calls for transferring the solution into a plastic pressurized sprayer. Dampen the surface lightly and begin spraying the product over the concrete, starting in the far corner so you don’t have to step on completed spots. It’s OK to allow the stain to pool into the low points of the concrete; this will give the finish a wonderful leather-like look and feel.
The acidity of the stain will react with the concrete and you should observe some bubbling as you spray on the acid stain. You can normally let the stain dry for eight to twenty four hours to let it have the greatest affect, then wash it off with a baking soda solution to neutralize the acid. Rinse off the concrete completely, removing the water with a wet or dry vac or mop as necessary.
You may see that the concrete looked a lot better when it was wet. After the floor is entirely dry, which can take a couple of days with fans on it, you want to roll or brush on a sealer to get back the “wet-look” of the floor. Water-based sealer is inexpensive and will be satisfactory if you don’t need a high-gloss finish. If, however, you want a shiny finish, pay the extra money for a solvent-based concrete floor sealer. Do not, under any circumstance, apply the water-based product first, then change your mind and switch to a solvent-based sealer. Even if the water-based product is completely dry, the solvent-based sealer won’t adhere as well and you’ll have troubles with it pealing up.
In our view, the solvent-based product looks substantially more attractive and is well worth the extra money to do it right. The sealer can be rolled on, using a brush to cut in around walls and obstructions. You may apply a second coat if you wish, then you are finished. You should have a beautiful stained concrete floor!
