An attractive and expertly finished garage floor can greatly improve the aesthetics of your home's interior and add to the overall appeal. It not only increases the functionality of your property but also maximizes the resale value when you decide to sell your home someday down the road.
Stained concrete costs between $2 and $14.50 per square foot to install. In comparison, tile costs between $13 and $20 per square foot. You could save more than 50% on flooring costs by choosing stained concrete over tile flooring.
The durability of stained concrete
This applies to both interior floors as well as outdoor surfaces, so any concrete floor will benefit from a stained concrete finish that beautifies, seals, and protects against cracking, peeling, chipping, and fading.
Stained concrete can be an excellent choice for your residential house. Due to light foot traffic experienced in residential stained floors, a simple cleaning may renew their fresh look for many years.
Sealing your concrete isn't really a labor-intensive, nor costly, job. By sealing your concrete every 2-5 years, as recommended by experts, you should keep your floor in good shape, preventing cracks, pitting, and additional damage.
To sum it up, most interior projects and all exterior projects choosing between concrete stain or paint are likely better served by a stain solution. Furthermore, horizontal surfaces are best benefited from an acid stain, while vertical surfaces require a professional mineral stain solution.
Depending on the concrete sealer used, it's usually recommended to seal the concrete every couple of years to keep the color from fading. If you choose a high-quality concrete stain and sealer, you may be able to shorten the period between resealing to every 3-5 years.
In fact, stained concrete floors cost less than most traditional flooring types and come with numerous bonus benefits. For example, concrete stained floors are eco-friendly, hypoallergenic, and extremely durable.
Like any hard, smooth surface, stained concrete can become slippery when wet, especially if it has been coated with a high-gloss sealer. For concrete floors or walkways exposed to moisture or in areas with a lot of foot traffic, there are ways you can increase the slip resistance without affecting the color.
Stained concrete is by far the most common type of concrete finish. This is due to stained concrete's versatility. Stained concrete can be installed on both freshly poured and existing slabs to achieve a wide variety of finishes, and is commonly used in both residential and commercial installations.
An unsealed, decorative stained concrete surface will show faded colors in a matter of a few months. You could advise your customer that's what happens with an unsealed project and let them make the decision about sealing, but rest assured that an “I told you so,” from you when the fading happens will not comfort them.
Because stains penetrate into the concrete surface, their color is durable and long-lasting. When applied to properly prepared concrete, the color will not fade, chip, or peel away.
Low-maintenance: The same properties that make concrete floors so durable also make them easy to care for. Properly sealed concrete floors shrug off dirt, grit, stains, spills, and hard impacts. A little sweeping and damp mopping is all that's required to keep them looking like new.
No, the vibrancy and color tone in acid stains do not fade. However, the physical top layer of concrete which contains the stain can be worn away through use, which can give the appearance of fading. Stone Surface Specialists can apply a special sealer on your newly-stained concrete to prevent this.
You should allow the concrete to cure thoroughly before staining or finishing, to allow any excess water in the slab to evaporate.
Coloring your concrete can increase the aesthetic value of your property. It does not impact the durability of your concrete and if used on interior concrete, it can always be covered by an alternative flooring option. Cons: Every concrete floor takes the acid stain differently.
Concrete staining penetrates deep into the surface, creating long-lasting durable floors. These floors will not fade, chip, peel or wear out in any way. Sealed with an epoxy topcoat, the product is well preserved. With the ability to transform any area, concrete staining can create a variety of looks.
Affordability. Applying an epoxy floor coating will cost between $3 and $10 per square foot, which is quite affordable than the $5- $12 price tag that a high-end concrete staining will cost you.
Epoxy covering is an excellent choice if you need to cover up damage; thus, many commercial work environments opt for epoxy. If you want to improve the look and texture of a concrete surface, stain it to look like natural stone, and achieve a solid, long-lasting color.
This is especially true when sealing or staining dark surfaces in direct sunlight. In direct summer sun a dark colored concrete surface can reach in excess of 130-140 degrees F while the air temperature is in the 90s.
When properly designed and installed, acid-stained concrete and decorative concrete overlays are almost completely unaffected by water. Moisture may and does pass through the concrete and sealer used in acid stained concrete flooring, but as it evaporates, it leaves no lingering effect.
Paints on concrete will eventually peel, as well, whether the surface is indoors or outdoors. If you're determined to paint your concrete to add color, opt for a paint with a urethane resin. Porch paint is the best choice.