staining a concrete floor

Today we wrapped up the staining and finish work on the concrete floors in the addition built for Denise and Bob in Ithaca.  Although we don't do alot of stained concrete floors, Kerrie and I found ourselves once again appreciating the simple beauty of and relative ease required to create such a lovely floor.  And it's lower cost got our attention too.

The process of staining a floor involves several steps including, but not limited too; thoroughly cleaing the concrete with water and a brush after the drywall guys are finished and gone, (ideally one should cover the floor with paper or cardboard before they start their work for an easier cleanup afterward)  Then, after using a shop vac to get the dirty water back up off the floor, one can lay down the stain/acid solution with a simple garden spayer letting the floor dry between coats (I think 3 coats are better than 2)-- the stain, i am told, chemically reacts with the lime in the uppermost layer of the concrete to physically change the color of the concrete.  This step is followed by another cleaning in order to remove the stain residue, again using just water and brush.  After vaccuming up the water a second time and letting the floor dry again, one can finally apply the floor finish (something like a floor wax) in several thin mopped on coats,  at this point the floor starts to look nice but there is one more step.  That is, buffing out the last lightly sprayed on coat with a heavy, slow to moderate speed floor polisher, this brings out the depth and shine a stained floor is known for.

  Once the finishing work is complete, the base and door trim can go in, followed closely by throw rugs and funriture... allowing the rich, radiantly heated floor to recede into a beautiful warm backround surface requiring little to no maintanence to enjoy, and at a cost that is significantly less than ceramic tile, laminates or hardwood flooring. The stain in these pictures is Malay Tan purchased from Kemiko.  A variety of other colors are also available.  Stained concrete floors are beautiful, easy to care for, are non allergenic and are an affordable choice for a home built on a raidiantly heated concrete slab.

Bob and Denise have been doing their own trim work (among other things) and will be putting in the baseboard and interior door trim this weekend, and moving in soon there after.  We hope they enjoy their new space as much as we enjoyed working with them!