A How To Guide To Stunning Stained Concrete Flooring

Is your living room carpet showing signs of wear and tear? If you’re like us, with two dogs, one kid, one cat, and two adults who love working in the yard, it’s no surprise. We wanted a flooring option that would be easy to clean and withstand all the activity in this room. So, let’s see what we decided on and dive into the transformation of our living room floor!

**This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you**

Step 1: Preparing the Foundation

First things first, we had to bid adieu to that pitiful carpet and expose the concrete underneath. Oh my, what a revelation! I mean don’t get me wrong, we knew that this room was used for ballroom dancing lessons years ago but we weren’t ready for this. No peel-and-stick checkerboard tiles here these were the real deal, so we became demolition masters armed with a steel floor scraper, a hammer, and a trusty flathead screwdriver. Believe me, those tiles fought back harder than a WWE wrestler. It took us a whole week of blood, sweat, and tears (mostly tears) to triumph over those clingy suckers!

Next, we rented a surface grinder from our local handy dandy Dixie Rents because you want that floor as smooth as silk. You don’t want a lumpy floor do you? After, make sure you sweep and mop it throughly because you don’t want the floor gritty like sand between your toes, do you?

Step 2: Choosing the Right Color

With the battlefield cleared and our arms being angry with us, we embarked on a quest to find the perfect hue. Picture this: the kit of wonder by Behr (RIP, those kits are no more, but you can still buy the components individually). Behold, it includes a gallon of base color, a half gallon of accent color, a gallon of wet-look sealer, a quart of cleaner and etcher, a pump sprayer, an instructional guide, and even a thrilling step-by-step DVD! Our chosen color: Tuscan Stone, it just makes you envision living in a picturesque Italian villa doesn’t it?

Step 3: Acid Wash for Success

Listen up, my friends, because this is where things get intense. Acid washing is the holy grail of success! If you want to avoid unsightly spots and regrets, don’t even think about skipping this crucial step. Trust me, you don’t want your floor looking like a Dalmatian on a bad fur day. I say that because you need to make sure you put a GOOD EVEN LAYER of acid wash otherwise the parts that you don’t will start to chip. Once it is set you need to tape plastic up about half the walls because you’re coloring the floor not the walls. I don’t know about you but I’m an over sprayer, go big or go home right?

Step 4: Applying the Colors

Time to unleash your inner Picasso! Grab that pump sprayer and coat the entire floor evenly with your chosen base color. Let it dry for a good 6-8 hours. Don’t stress if it’s not perfect; we’re not aiming for a Van Gogh masterpiece here. That’s what makes this part so easy. Oh, and check out that wet spot on the left- apparently, the concrete used to be a garage, and the tile decided to take a wild detour. But fear not! As it dried, it magically disappeared like Houdini’s disappearing act. Ta-da!

Now, for the accent color-cue the drama! This is your chance to go wild and create a mesmerizing marble effect. Spray it unevenly, my friend, like a Jackson Pollock painting gone mad. Let your artistic instincts run free. Sure, the wet photo might not reveal the full genius, but trust me, as you stand in the room, you’ll see your strokes of brilliance. Dry time? Another 6-8 hours of nail-biting anticipation. Oh, and don’t worry about the old tiles (like I did) ghosts haunting you—they’ll vanish like an ex’s number from your phone.

Step 5: The Finishing Touch

It’s showtime! The final act is all about sealing the deal. Apply that finishing sealer evenly, like a smooth talker sealing a deal with a slick handshake. Let it dry for the same 6-8 hours—patience is a virtue, my friend. Trust me it’s all worth it….I promise. Now, I have a confession to make. The “Wet Look Sealer” didn’t exactly give us that blindingly shiny finish we hoped for. It’s more like a “Slightly Damp Look Sealer.” So, if you’re after that ultra-glossy, reflective floor that could double as a mirror, you might want to explore other options. But hey, we fell head over heels for the unique charm it brought to our floor.

What about those grooves and little lines you ask? Pure character, my friend. Our floors turned out so stunning, it’s as if they took a course in diva-level beauty! I also love how they look with our exposed brick wall that we did here.

And here’s the cherry on top: Five whole years have passed, and our floors are still going strong. They’ve weathered our chaotic household like superheroes fighting off villains, and they look as gorgeous as ever. I must say, a stain on the floor has never looked so good. It’s like fashionable distressed jeans—effortlessly cool and oh-so desirable. Wouldn’t you agree?

Now, I have to say it was worth all the sweat, blood, and tears. Having floors that can withstand the dance parties with our daughter, running around after the pets, or coming in with our muddy garden shoes. It becomes one less thing I will have to worry about.