Stained Concrete Austin can help you to make your home presentable. While it is not for everyone, stained concrete allows for some truly artistic designs to be introduced into the concrete floor of your house. But how do you choose the right color? What will complement the design of your home? How do you go about installing a particular stained concrete job? Here are some tips from industry professionals to help make your decision easier:

The first thing you need to know is that there are different kinds of stains for different applications. As you can see from the illustration above, stained concrete floors are translucent, so the color you choose will really be limited by the application methods used (i.e., oil-based or water-based stains). Color choices are also wide, and again, depending on the style of the project (high traffic areas will require a much more defined approach), you can really take your pick. However, color flexibility is also a very attractive feature of stucco, which allows designers to use varying shades to create subtle or striking effects.

Stained concrete provides many design ideas for interior and exterior home design. In high-traffic areas, you might want to incorporate a staining technique that is specifically created for this purpose (i.e., a clear varnish that is virtually impossible to tell from the ground level). For example, earth tones are extremely popular in parking lots, while brick or Terra cotta would be ideal in residential and business areas. Don’t limit yourself to earth tones, though. Earth tones are excellent for adding detail, but if you want to create a completely monochromatic effect, consider using stained concrete as a contrasting or background color.

There are several color options available to you. From a simple multicolored tint to vibrant primary colors, there are endless ways to utilize stained concrete to create interesting visual elements in and around your home. Stained concrete also comes in a variety of styles, including stamped, stenciled, and hand-painted versions. The stamped version is the easiest type to work with because you simply stamp the outline of the pattern on a piece of wood or other matter, leaving the color to be stenciled into the surface. Stained concrete is especially useful when creating a geometric pattern because the stamped edges allow the pattern to be highly detailed and interesting.

Stained concrete can be a great way to add texture to an existing floor. You can create interesting effects by staining concrete floors with a contrasting color that coordinates with your staining project, such as a bright red stain that works well with a yellow room. Stained concrete floors also offer another visual option: staining a wall. This can be particularly useful if your wall is painted but stained concrete makes your wall more interesting and dramatic.

In addition to giving your existing concrete surface a color change, water-based stains can also react chemically with the existing concrete surface. When water reacts chemically with the cement, it changes its chemical makeup so that instead of being a liquid, it changes its consistency and state from semi-solid to a solid. Stained concrete surfaces will often display a gradual change in texture as the reaction occurs, ranging from extremely fine to a coarse powder. If the newly stained concrete surface doesn’t change the texture too much, then the newly added color will probably have little impact. However, some stains will release a whitish or yellowish residue if they react chemically with the cement.

Before applying Stained concrete sealant to stained concrete floors, make sure you have brushed and cleaned the floor thoroughly using a detergent that is non-toxic. Be sure not to use any harsh abrasive cleaners. Abrasive cleaners can etch the surface of stained concrete and destroy the protective coating. After brushing and rinsing, apply the sealant using a paint or epoxy base and make sure that the coating is properly applied. Stained concrete floors must stand the test of time. Over time, regular cleaning will keep your stained concrete looking new.

Stained concrete sealers are available in two types: water-based and acid-based stain removers. Each type of stain remover has its own advantages and disadvantages. While water-based staining products may be slightly more expensive than acid products, they tend to last longer and work better with some types of stained concrete. For best results, use a combination of both water-based and acid-based stain removers.