Stain a Garage Floor: DIY

Staining is a popular way to bring your garage floor to life.  You can hire professionals to come in and stamp the concrete to give the floor a unique pattern, like marble, stepping stone or even hardwood design, or you can do it yourself.  Choose a stain color that you like and a strong, heavy sealant.  You can turn your old dirty garage floor into a beautiful, shiny, professional looking work area. First, test the floor for sealant.  When you pour water on it, it will soak in if there is no sealant.  If there is a sealant, your water will bead up and it will not soak in.  If there is sealant present, you will have to get an industrial sealant remover and remove the sealant before you can stain it. Day 1:  If there is no sealant or if the sealant is removed, you are ready to clean.  After sweeping and vacuuming the floor, you will need to degrease it.  Use a strong degreaser and follow the directions on the container.  Rinse the floor really well before moving on to the next step and then let the floor dry. The next thing is to use an etching cleaner to open the concrete pores so that it will evenly accept the stain.  Etching cleaner will also help to remove stubborn stains that the degreaser didn’t get.  Keep the floor wet as you scrub.  Wear gloves, long sleeves and goggles to protect yourself from the etching solution.  Mix etching solution with water.  Use one part etching solution to three parts water.  Pour onto damp concrete and coat the floor.  Use a stiff bristle brush or broom to scrub the floor evenly for about 10 minutes, making sure that no areas dry while you work.  Rinse with a lot of water.  Let the floor dry completely before applying the stain.  This generally takes about 24 hours. Day 2:  You are ready to apply the first coat.  You will need to dilute one gallon of stain with one pint of water.  Go around the edges and corners of the room with a nylon/polyester bristled paintbrush, applying stain. Work the stain in evenly as you go so that you get a fairly uniform effect.  Apply the rest of the first coat with a roller, working it in as you go. Use full strength, non-diluted stain for the second coat if you want one.  Wait a minimum of two and a half hours after you finish the first coat before you decide.  You may have to wait a little longer if you live in a humid area, up to four hours.  Do not apply the second coat if it is raining outside.  After you are done staining, let the floor dry for 24 hours and do not step on the floor while it is drying. Your garage will be stunningly clean and ready to organize.  To complete the look, get rid of old junk.  Use new containers for storage and invest a little in some garage organization products.  Yard work organizers, tool organizers, ceiling loft hangers, bike hooks, <a onClick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/article_exit_link');" href="http://www.roboreel.com"title="Cord Reel">cord reel</a> and storage bins can help your garage look nice, neat and organized.  You can do it yourself, without hiring a professional.

Staining is a popular way to bring your garage floor to life.  You can hire professionals to come in and stamp the concrete to give the floor a unique pattern, like marble, stepping stone or even hardwood design, or you can do it yourself.  Choose a stain color that you like and a strong, heavy sealant.  You can turn your old dirty garage floor into a beautiful, shiny, professional looking work area.

First, test the floor for sealant.  When you pour water on it, it will soak in if there is no sealant.  If there is a sealant, your water will bead up and it will not soak in.  If there is sealant present, you will have to get an industrial sealant remover and remove the sealant before you can stain it.

Day 1:  If there is no sealant or if the sealant is removed, you are ready to clean.  After sweeping and vacuuming the floor, you will need to degrease it.  Use a strong degreaser and follow the directions on the container.  Rinse the floor really well before moving on to the next step and then let the floor dry.

The next thing is to use an etching cleaner to open the concrete pores so that it will evenly accept the stain.  Etching cleaner will also help to remove stubborn stains that the degreaser didn’t get.  Keep the floor wet as you scrub.  Wear gloves, long sleeves and goggles to protect yourself from the etching solution.  Mix etching solution with water.  Use one part etching solution to three parts water.  Pour onto damp concrete and coat the floor.  Use a stiff bristle brush or broom to scrub the floor evenly for about 10 minutes, making sure that no areas dry while you work.  Rinse with a lot of water.  Let the floor dry completely before applying the stain.  This generally takes about 24 hours.

Day 2:  You are ready to apply the first coat.  You will need to dilute one gallon of stain with one pint of water.  Go around the edges and corners of the room with a nylon/polyester bristled paintbrush, applying stain. Work the stain in evenly as you go so that you get a fairly uniform effect.  Apply the rest of the first coat with a roller, working it in as you go.

Use full strength, non-diluted stain for the second coat if you want one.  Wait a minimum of two and a half hours after you finish the first coat before you decide.  You may have to wait a little longer if you live in a humid area, up to four hours.  Do not apply the second coat if it is raining outside.  After you are done staining, let the floor dry for 24 hours and do not step on the floor while it is drying.

Your garage will be stunningly clean and ready to organize.  To complete the look, get rid of old junk.  Use new containers for storage and invest a little in some garage organization products.  Yard work organizers, tool organizers, ceiling loft hangers, bike hooks, cord reel and storage bins can help your garage look nice, neat and organized.  You can do it yourself, without hiring a professional.