Staining an Outdoor Concrete Area
Sam Lutz • May 10, 2016
Standard gray concrete can be kind of boring to look at, so at Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture, we carry a variety of stains to make your home's concrete decorative and colorful. Knowing how to properly apply the stain to concrete
can help you beautify your property and achieve the look you desire. In this tutorial, we'll discuss the process of applying stain to your concrete.
Choosing the Concrete Stain
Concrete stain comes in a variety of colors and finishes. Semi-transparent stain creates a wash through, which features of the concrete can be seen, while opaque stain hides the sidewalk to look a little more like paint. Unless you have a section of concrete that you can use to test various potential stains, you'll have to consult with the manufacturer's color chart to choose the color of stain that you like best.
Tools
- Broom
- Garden hose with spray nozzle
- Plastic scrub brush
- Detergent
- Bucket
- Tarp
- Stain
- Paint tray
- Paintbrush
- Paint roller
Clean the Concrete
Begin this process on a day when the weather forecast is predicting several dry days in a row. For best results, consult with your container of stain for the appropriate application temperature. Apply the stain on a day when the temperature outdoors will fall within the recommended range.
- Sweep the concrete with a broom to remove all pieces of loose debris and dust.
- Use the garden hose to spray down the concrete with a strong jet of water. Use the stream of water to push all remaining loose debris off the sidewalk.
- Pull up any weeds protruding from the cracks in the sidewalk. Use the scrub brush to remove dirt from the cracks.
- Scrub down any remaining dirty areas with a plastic scrub brush dipped in warm water and detergent. Don't use a metal brush because wires from the brush may get stuck in the concrete and rust.
- Rinse the concrete with a gentle spray of water from the hose.
- Allow the concrete to dry for at least 24 hours.
Apply the Stain
- Set up a tarp around the perimeter of the concrete. Use bricks or rocks to weigh down the tarp. This will prevent grass and other landscaping features from being stained.
- Wait until the concrete is in shade or out of direct sunlight.
- Shake the stain until it is thoroughly mixed.
- Pour the stain into a paint tray.
- Dip a paintbrush in the stain and apply the stain to the edges of the concrete. Paint one section of concrete at a time, because the concrete will suck up the stain and dry quickly.
- Paint the center of the section of concrete with a paint roller. Buff the overlapping edges between the perimeter stain and the center stain using the paintbrush.
- Wait 24 hours for the stain to dry.
- Apply a second coat as needed, repeating steps 1 through 7 above.
Stop in at Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture
At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture, we carry a variety of concrete stains
for your convenience. Stop in any time to pick up all the supplies for your upcoming project, including tarps, paintbrushes, paint rollers and more. Stop in today to get the supplies on your list!
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