Staining Concrete floors for finished basement

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

So we are building a new house and the basement will be additional all entertain/overnight guest space. It’s a walkout with lots of windows. We are considering doing DIY stained concrete floors throughout - we live on a lake so this area also gets a lot of wet, sandy feet action And we thought this would be a good option. We are doing a lot of the work ourselves and we are very DIY savvy, but have never done it before. Would like advice about methods, colors, tips, tricks, etc. I do think we will use a water based stain as the process seems simpler - but I am open to suggestions, advice, your photos! Leaning towards a mix of grays and maybe some dark blue. Thanks!

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Comments (3)

chiflipper
7 years ago
Not all concrete is equal, make sure you inform your builder of your intentions. The material components (sand, cement, stone) AND the method of finishing (floating) is very different when a stain is going to be applied. I suggest you contact a company that specializes in stamping / staining as they will know which concrete suppliers to use.

https://www.concretenetwork.com/decorative-mix-design/staining.htm
Wendy thanked chiflipper
PRO
Norwood Architects
7 years ago
Another option to consider is polishing the concrete and applying a clear protective finish. Our office is a converted and renovated auto shop. We didn't polish the floors but left them as is because they have a wonderful character. A fairly glossy protective finish was applied after they were cleaned. The glossyness has since toned down because of foot traffic.
Wendy thanked Norwood Architects
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SJ McCarthy
7 years ago
As much as I love the look of a beautifully finished concrete, it is cold, hard, loud and it can be SLIPPERY. It etches and stains BEAUTIFULLY. Yep. It etches like marble. It stains WORSE than marble. It is harder to maintain then marble. And above all else, many homeowners cover up their concrete inside of 7 years....because it is so hard to live with.

The concrete floors that have the BEST wear and the BEST lifespan and the LEAST amount of problems are epoxy coatings. Not the "over the counter" DIY garage epoxy finishes at Home Depot, but the professional grade epoxy finishes that takes an epoxy specialist to deal with. A basic clear coat epoxy (nothing special that is SUPER slick when wet) can start around $7/sf. That includes the labor and the prep to get the epoxy to stick.

If you need additives (like colour or grit) then the price goes up. A stunning 3-stain finish coated with clear epoxy + grit additive to increase the slip resistance = $15 - $25/sf.

Finished concrete floors are a lifestyle choice and not a cost saving measure. And even then, they are often covered up because they are cold, hard and loud. The echo created by the concrete is impressive. It takes quite a bit of extra noise insulation in the walls and ceiling to dampen the sound bouncing around because of the concrete.

If you wish to try to live with them, I would suggest getting them prepped and add a microtopping that is burnished (ground and polished) to a lovely sheen. Then leave them be for a while. Yes, they will stain. Yes they will etch. And yes they will crack (spider web like cracks are absolutely normal and to be expected/accepted).

Once you have lived with them for a while (even if it is just to get through the renovation) you can decide if they are the floors for you. If you decide to cover them up after all, then the only thing you have done is made a PERFECT subfloor that is ready for ANYTHING.

If you go ahead and "finish" them (with stain, epoxy, urethane, etc) but decide later on to put down something else (like tile or stone), you will find you need to get rid of the product you put on them (grinding or shot blasting all over again). The "finish" is considered a contaminant that must be removed before a permanent floor can be put down....including vinyl.