By far, staining concrete is the most popular choice for residential and commercial concrete floors. The great thing about staining concrete is that stains are very versatile, with endless design options allowing jobs to be customized while working with different budgets. Stains allow you to add faint coloring throughout or more adventurous accents and designs, you can even do custom graphics. Whether the concrete floors are new or existing, stain can be applied and it even works well with concrete overlays. Stains create permanent color that is fade resistant and won’t peel or flake like paint, this is due to the stain being absorbed deeply into the concrete.
There are two types of stains available (acid-based and water-based) and which you use depends on the look you are going for. Acid based stains penetrate the concrete and have a chemical reaction which creates more of an earth like or natural variations, and can create mottling effects that give the appearance of granite or marble. The main downfall with the acid stain options is that the color options are pretty limited to earth tones like browns, tans, terra cottas, and subtle blue-greens.
On the other hand, water based stains contrast greatly from the subdued drama and subtle earth tone color palette of acid based stains. Water based stains are available in a variety of colors and typically the colors can be combined to customize new colors, similar to mixing water based paints.
Whether you are using water-based or acid-based stains, the decorative options are endless. Much of the time it is appropriate to keep the design element simple utilizing only one color of stain that will complement the space. But you can also use multiple colors of stain to customize the space. While the most popular hues of stain are brown and gray hues, don’t be scared to try more dramatic hues, like black or blue to give a more bold appearance. While staining concrete floors is a more affordable option when it comes to finishing concrete floors, keep in mind that the cost will go up with the more colors, graphics, or faux finishes. The cost will also increase if you are staining concrete that needs to be cleaned and have the sealer removed first. While these are things to keep in mind for your budget, staining concrete is still one of the best options for cost friendly finishing of concrete.
There are so many creative and custom options for finishing concrete, but first and foremost important is the concrete itself. At Custom Concrete Creations we have state of the art equipment and a properly trained team with years of experience. Custom Concrete Creations is a premier contractor serving the Omaha area as well at the Midwest. Give us a call or send us an email for your custom concrete finishing needs today!