Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Uncategorized

Stained Concrete Floors + Outtakes

November 2, 2011
As soon as we started the guest room/office, I started brainstorming what to do about the floors.  And then the room across the hall flooded and that sealed our idea to rip up the old blue carpet and stain the concrete floor.  I was lucky to find this awesome site that gave us a big headstart on what we needed to do to make our stained floors a success.  I pinned it on my DIYable board and a month later, we had our own stained floor.
After we ripped up the carpet, but BEFORE we stained (note--the carpet went up the wall, so this room has no baseboards right now):

After we stained the floor:

It was about 6 days of prep work and 2 days of actually staining.  We opted not to put a shiny topcoat on because we liked the satiny leather look that 2 coats of stain gave us.  We are thrilled with the character and warmth it adds to the concrete.  We plan to lay a cozy area rug in the room to juxtapose the hardness of the concrete. If you are curious how the whole project went down, we aren't gonna leave you hanging.

Here's a short video of the entire process (for those of you who haven't seen it on True Value's Facebook Page):

If you take anything away from that video, it should be: if you plan on staining your concrete floor, make sure it is SUPER clean beforehand.  Prep is key. And it will be all worth it in the end.

Of course, we don't make videos without tons of outtakes.  You're welcome:

To see how our guest room and office turned out, check out this post

filed under: 
— Hide Comments
+ ShowComments
What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Hello, I am trying to find the video of the actual prepping and staining of the floor. Is it still available? I watched your outdoor patio video, but I need the one where carpet was removed and how to remove the glue. Thanks!

  2. Chris and Julia--We tore up the carpet in our basement, bought all of the staining supplies, and now cannot get the carpet tack strips out of the concrete! Any advice on how to remove them without removing chunks of the concrete?

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Laura,

      We actually just took them out and it did take some chunks out. We used some concrete patcher you can get at home depot. The color wasn't exact, but after staining it wasn't anything noticeable. We were only left with chunks missing about the size of a dime - nothing big at all. Hopefully that's the same for you!

  3. This is a great article. I really enjoyed the videos. Your floor looks great after you stained it. I think it was a good choice not to give it the shiny top look, especially because the color is dark. There are other ways where you can get that old rustic look but still have a polished flooring. I know of a lot of people who have used polished concrete for their bedrooms or bathrooms. If you have an existing hard flooring like the picture above, all you have to do is lay down a layering coat to keep that old rusted look. It will just look clean and tradition after doing so. There are all different types of polished concrete that can go with all sorts of styles.

  4. Hi! My husband and I are gathering supplies and evaluating a budget for this project. Staining the concrete floor of our living room. Do you happen to have a list of the supplies you used, their prices and where you bought them? My list is already more expensive than $75 mentioned above. Please Help! We both really love you look and are excited to start the process. Your video was super helpful, thanks for documenting! :)
    -Kristen and Ashton

  5. So glad I found y'all through YHL - I'm in the process of trying to do this to our entire basement. I have a few questions about your prep work and after - what did you do about the paint and other stuff that was on the floor? Also, I don't know about you, but when I took up the tack strips, it took some floor with it, so I have lovely little divots around the perimeter. What did you do with those? Finally, the bare concrete is VERY dusty - creates it's own dust. Does that still occur after you have stained it? I know that sealing can make that stop, but you didn't seal, right? Has the dust continued? Thanks! beth

  6. After scraping off the adhesive and all the sweeping and vacuuming what product did you use to clean the concrete? In the video it looks like it was sudsy but I did not hear the name of the product. Thanks Glendasuzie

  7. Wow it is amazing that it took you less than $75 to do all that! Not to mention the savings you get when you opt out of hiring carpet cleaners every now and then. Concrete floors are just so durable and staining them is definitely one of my favorites. I have seen a lot of stained concrete but never one that did it for less than $75. Amazing share!

  8. Your post is very helpful, especially for those who want to work on their concrete floors. You have provided not just photos of the projects but videos as well which makes it easier for other to understand the process of staining concrete floors.

  9. omg, Julia, I am so happy you did this! We had to rip up half our carpet in our downstairs den after an unfortunate incident involving our dog's digestive issues. We were hoping for hardwood floors under the carpet (the house was built in the 70's) but it was straight concrete. The hubs and I have been debating what to do with the flooring for the past few weeks and I am totally sold on this option. Hopefully he'll be on board too!

  10. now this is something i need to do. badly. our furnace room is horrible looking. but i don't know how to stain or paint it the best way because the floor goes right under the furnace..i guess i'd have to just...randomly stop my stain right before the furnace starts. whatever. either way, yours looks GREAT and i would like to do my garage floor. it's so....blah looking out there.

  11. I did the same thing last weekend. We also took up linoleum and stained the adjoining bathroom. I was SHOCKED by the strenuousness of the prep work but love the end result. Your floor looks great!

  12. Hi! Just saw you posted this for the Pinterest Challenge on YoungHousseLove. My husband and I are staining our floors! I'll try and post pics this week on our site: exumaunderway.blogspot.com.
    Love the color you chose! We're going charcoal gray. Nervous!!!!!! :)

  13. MORE OUTTAKES!
    Favorite lines?
    "That looks really fun for some reason... are you having a blast?"
    "I feel like I was BORN doing this."
    "My favorite candy bar issssss...... Reese's Nutrageous. You don't find them a lot of places anymore."
    I didn't know you could find them ANYWHERE anymore!

  14. Awesome to hear, Kathy! It was extremely affordable (like LESS than $75) and durable. We have so much peace of mind just knowing that we don't have to worry about water ruining a carpet down there. Let me know where you end up and we'll be sure to keep you up to date on how this room continues to progress.

  15. Absolutely. Smooth concrete can be a little slippery when wet, but if your shower floor is already concrete--the stain will make it look so much better. And it is permanent, so it is not affected by water.

What We're

Loving

Right Now

What We're

Loving

Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Shop All

Love Stories

Love Where You Live

In an industry that often feels designed to make you discontent, we want this to be place you come for inspiration, ideas, and encouragement to make the space you're already in feel like home.
Read All Posts
let's break this thing up

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

01

Portfolio

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
read more
02

Projects

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
read more
03

Design

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
read more
hello world!

looking for inspiration?

Design

The Exciting Plans for Our Primary Bathroom Design

Chris and I have always said that if we don't feel 100% all-in excited about a project—both of us—then we probably haven't found the solution yet. I think that's been the tale with our primary bathroom renovation as a whole. We feel excited about doing the project, but it's been YEARS in the design phase […]
Chris Cooks

Mom's Light & Fluffy Homemade Dinner Rolls

I do a lot of cooking for food restrictions, but this recipe is none of those things. These dinner rolls are my mom's recipe, and they're one of her signature dishes. She has made them for almost every gathering since I was a kid. The smell of these...it's the smell of every family event in […]
Beautifully wrapped traditional presents stacked in a doorway
Gift Guides!

Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone in Your Life {2024}

Remember the thrill of unwrapping a gift that felt just right? Let's bring that magic back this holiday season!! Our curated gift guides for 2024 are filled with thoughtful picks that will make your loved ones feel special. That's what it's all about, after all. Whether you're shopping for your main guy, your clutch coworker, […]
Holiday

Fun Christmas Advent Calendar Ideas {Printable}

I mentioned last week that nostalgia is back in a big way this season, and nothing is sweeter than the holiday family tradition of filling an advent calendar with little treats, coins, or activities. It makes the countdown to Christmas feel so special! Chris Loves Julia 3-D Advent Calendar | Pinecone Taper Holders | Brass […]
Learn With Us
Want to do what we do? Get the tools, mentorship, and training to be a Good Influencer professionally.
Learn More
Looking for Something?

SEARCH THE BLOG

We've been doing this since 2009 and we've posted a whopping 24145+ blog posts and counting. You might need a little help searching, huh?

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

hello world!
Follow Along on Instagram
Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
© 2024 Chris Loves Julia, LLC
PRIVACY POLICYTERMS & CONDITIONSAFFILIATE DISCLAIMERSITE CREDITCOMMUNITY GUIDELINES