Concrete Stain Options for Garage Addition

[moparfreak]

Hi Folks,

That time has finally come, construction is beginning on my 1350 sqft attached garage/workshop and for floor covering, I'd like to do a concrete stain with a wet look sealer. I really like the natural / marbled / imperfect look of the stain. I plan to do a shade of grey / charcoal and it should cover up stains and imperfections decently well.

My question is, there are a lot of brands out there, and I'm not sure where to go for my stain. I have easy access to Sherwin Williams (H&C is their brand), Lowes (Valspar brand), Home Depot (Behr) and Menards (Rustoleum). I believe these are all the acrylic type stains. I haven't seen the acid etch type stain at any of these stores. I'm not sure which type I should use. This will be a working garage (two bays for daily drivers, 1 bay for auto restoration, 2 bays for woodworking).

Oddly the Valspar and Behr have poor reviews even on their own websites so I'll stay away from those. Not sure about the others. Does anyone have recommendations of where is best to go for this type of product?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[moparfreak]

I forgot to add that my plan right now is the concrete will be troweled to a smooth finish. No plans for any special grinding or polishing of the bare concrete.

 

[Shea]

I would recommend and acid stain. Acrylic stains are film forming and don't really do a good job of actually staining the concrete. H&C has acid stain as well as Legacy Industrial which is a vendor sponsor here.

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Lightly grind or even sand the floor, stain and then apply two coats of wb epoxy. You need good water absorption as a test for proper prep.

The acrylics may not be enough for your auto projects and therefore the epoxy is a better choice.

 

[moparfreak]

Is there a reason you recommend staining then epoxy? The epoxy would cover up the stain, or am I missing something?

What causes the acrylic stains to lift up? Is it improper application or things such as dragging tables, casters, dropping tools?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[bazzateer]

Is there a reason you recommend staining then epoxy? The epoxy would cover up the stain, or am I missing something?

What causes the acrylic stains to lift up? Is it improper application or things such as dragging tables, casters, dropping tools?

Thanks,
Adam

I think they mean a clear epoxy to protect the stained concrete - should also give the glossy effect you're after?

 

[LegacyIndustrial]

Is there a reason you recommend staining then epoxy? The epoxy would cover up the stain, or am I missing something?

What causes the acrylic stains to lift up? Is it improper application or things such as dragging tables, casters, dropping tools?

Thanks,
Adam

Acrylics are good. Some acrylics, like our HD6600 are better than good. They are used extensively in restaurants, homes, businesses, etc...
The limitation is heavy traffic and nasty chemicals.

They typically do not lift, they simply wear out.

Good news is they are easily repaired or recoated.

A good coat of wax will give them a longer life too.

Stains are colorants not coatings. Therefore they need protection. Some stains like acid stain will not reveal much color without a sealer.

A sealer can be as little as a densifier treatment, and as much as a polyaspartic coating.

 

[moparfreak]

Thanks, I didn't know epoxy came clear. Can this be applied over an acrylic stain? What is the application technique for the HD6600 epoxy/acrylic?

Is the gloss level pretty slick?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[Shea]

I didn't know epoxy came clear. Can this be applied over an acrylic stain?

Epoxy can't be applied over acrylic. It needs to adhere to the pores in concrete or another coating of epoxy. It can be applied over an acid stain or color dye however since those are non film forming stains unlike the acrylic stain.