The best way to give your house a new and amazing look is by staining the concrete patio. It’s going to elevate the look of the house instantly and make it stand out from the rest.
A stain is a water-based product that puts a permanent coat on the concrete. Some of those are actually acid-based and that does the job by the chemical reaction, which takes place once you apply it on the concrete patio.
So, if you are wondering how to stain a concrete patio to look like stone and help to make the entrance of your house more robust, let’s go over a simple step-by-step guide.
Tools and Materials You Need
You need a few tools to stain the concrete patio, which are not so hard to find. You can get it from any hardware store. You’ll need to gather the following materials.
You need to get a heavy-duty cleaner to get the basic clean. Also, having a plastic drop cloth will help a lot in that case. Try to get a paintbrush or paint roller from the store as it’s going to help you a ton in applying the sealer at the end. Also, get a circular saw to cut down and shape out everything in the first place.
If you can gather plastic spray bottles and garden sprayers, that’s going to help you a lot as well. Let’s take a look at a great concrete stain that you can use in that case.
Concrete Stain Concentrate
- The Shortest and Easiest Route to dazzling concrete surfaces is with Water-Borne Water Reducible Concentrate. Quality ingredients. Formulated...
If you are searching for a great quality stain for a concrete patio, you are going to love this one. It’s super easy to use and it is pretty affordable as well.
You will just need water to complete staining your concrete patio to make it look like rock. It gives a super sleek design that you are going to love. Another great thing about this satin is that it gives you great durability, which is very amazing as well.
It’s undoubtedly one of the best stains that you can get for a concrete patio at this price range. So, if you want to get a great-looking patio, be sure to give it a try, you won’t be disappointed.
Pros
- Gives an amazing design
- Great durability
- Very easy to apply
- est value for money
Cons
- Not very thick
8 Steps to Stain Concrete Patio To look Like Stone
Now that you have the tools and materials in place, it’s time to go over the following 8 steps to stain your concrete patio with ease.
Step 1: Cutting the Kerfs
The first thing you need to do is to cut the kerfs and clean the concrete to make it ready to stain. Just cut the kerfs that you are going to stain in a different color and do it in sections. You can use a large scale or a piece of board to guide the saw through the cut. It’s going to give you an even and straight cut.
Step 2: Clean and Prepare
Now that you have cut the kerfs, it’s time to clean and make the concrete ready for staining. However, this step is very vital, and you need to spend some time making sure that you have cleaned it properly.
Use a stiff broom to take any dirt off of the concrete surface. You should wet the floor before giving it a good rub. You can use other tools as well to make sure that it’s cleaned off pretty well.
Once you do that, you can rinse off any dirt with clean water. And that’s going to be all you need to get a good clean of your concrete patio. Now you are ready to get into the real business and start with the main process of staining.
Step 3: Applying the Base Coat
As your concrete patio is ready for staining, it’s time to put the base coat on top of the concrete. It’s going to help increase the contrast and make the overall stain more effective as well.
However, you need to spray the base coat onto the patio. Make sure that the surface is wet and you put a good amount of the base coat on it.
It’s better to pick a white stain base coat to make the whole thing better. Use a sprayer wand to apply it and go with a circular motion, and make sure to go smooth and slow. After applying the base coat, you can move on to the next step.
Step 4: Special Effects
Now that you’ve applied the base coat, it’s time to add some special effects to get your concrete patio to look like stone. That’s going to be a fairly easy task and you don’t have to worry that much about the finish right away.
Just make sure that you apply the spray as the first coat is still wet. That’s going to give you the maximum effectivity that you crave. Just don’t stress about the coverage right away, it’s going to get fixed properly as you move along with the next steps.
Step 5: Blending the Colors
After you apply the second coat, it’s time to blend the colors together with water. That’s going to mix the two colors and give you a much closer look like the view of a stone.
You can apply water steam to push the stain and that’s going to mix those together pretty well. However, you should spend too long to do that as the next steps are going to even out everything.
Step 6: Intermix Colors
After getting the two paints mixed, it’s time to intermix those colors with a third one. That’s going to start to give you a finishing look that you crave.
However, the process is a bit tricky there and you need to be careful about it. That’s why you should start applying it very slowly and be very patient with it.
Work like an inch by inch pattern and make your way through the whole concrete patio. Make sure that you cover the whole area, if you need to check it that’s totally fine as well.
However, you should never apply it under the heat of direct sunlight. But if there are some dust and debris on top of the new coat, you don’t have to sweat about it that much. In the next step, you are going to learn how to get rid of it and give it a final touch.
Step 7: Touch Up
Once you are done applying the color sprays on your concrete patio, it’s time for you to do the touch-ups. In this step, you are going to fix any areas that you missed to patch up and fix those.
Just make sure to check if the coat has dried out or not. If it’s dry, you can work with it without any trouble. To fix any patchy areas, you can spray some extra coat on top of it, and it’ll fix the whole thing for you.
Also, if you are not happy with the color vibrant, you can always add a bit more to get the contrast out of it as well.
Another interesting read: The Ultimate Guide to Best Stone Sealer
Step 8: Applying a Sealer
This is the final step to staining your concrete patio, which is undoubtedly one of the most vital steps that so many people overlook.
It’s going to seal the coat into place so that you get more longevity out of it. It’s also very critical to apply a good sealer to prevent weather damage and such disasters.
Most people overlook this and skip this step. You should never do this and invest in a good sealer. That’s going to impact how much time the whole thing is going to last for you.
You can use a paper roller to apply this sealer with ease. Make sure to wait for at least 2 hours before you reapply further layers as it’s going to help you get the most effectivity out of it. Once you are done with that, you are done with the whole process of staining your concrete patio to look like stone.
Final Thoughts
Now you have a step-by-step guide on how to stain concrete patio to look like stone that’s pretty easy to follow. You can use these steps to achieve a perfect and gorgeous look at the entrance of your house.
Remember to use the instructions properly to avoid any unwanted occurrences which can ruin it for you. And make sure to take your own time to do it. But if you can, hire a professional service to do it for you.
