We used Kemiko acid stain (Cola color), 6 yrs ago, on the slab floor in our office after pulling up carpet... preparation is everything. Read everything you can find, watch videos, etc, and if it feels at all daunting, hire a pro. Doing one room took a week, and it was the most challenging DYI project we’ve ever done, even after attending a week long class for it. I’d never attempt it myself in the main rooms. If you go the pro route, get recommendations and look at work they’ve done. I’ve seen plenty of rooms done by pros that looked awful. It really is a both a science and an art, and as GN Builders said, any mistakes are permanent (although you can put another type of flooring over it). For us, sealing was the most difficult and stressful part of the project to get right. If not applied correctly, you can get awful white/ chalky spots in places.

Also research staining new concrete, as it’s different than old. Iirc, it needs to cure a certain amount of time before staining, due to moisture. Our slab was 8 yrs old when we did it.

I had a professional stain my concrete floors in November. He spent more time cleaning the floors than actually staining or applying the urethane and wax.

I don't have an acid stain because over time where light hits acid it will turn black. I went with a water based stain.

It's a project I feel like I could have done myself but I didn't own the proper tools or floor cleaning machine. I also had a broken arm at the time and operating the floor cleaner would have been a bear. He cleaned the floors 7 times before staining.

Do test samples under your kitchen cabinets or where they will be hidden. I changed my mind last minute because what I thought I wanted didn't look as good as what I picked out.

Do loads of research, use the proper tools, take your time and you can do anything!

I’ve never seen any turn black where light hits it, Godswood. I worked in a 10,000 sq ft design center, and the owner had pros stain different sections with every color of acid stain available then. We had lights everywhere, and lots of big windows, nothing turned black. I also took a class in acid staining put on by a local paint/stain store, and we learned to do floors and countertops ... the demo areas they did are 15 yrs old now, no black from lights. It’s been hugely popular here in Texas for decades, interior and exterior (patios, driveways) ... the only dark areas I’ve ever seen were from purposely applying the stain heavier in certain spots, just for color interest.

Just what I was told. Perhaps the color I wanted was more prone to turning black? Or that my southern and western exposure and walls of windows means sunlight all day throughout the year? I don't know, either way, I am beyond pleased with my water based stain color.

Edited to add: Not black from lights, black from direct sunlight. I should have been more specific.

I knew you meant sunlight, sorry, I wasn’t being clear. :)

The only sun effects I’ve ever seen was on patios and driveways — fading — only because they weren’t sealed properly (or resealed when needed). Sealing is so important, and easiest to not do right. I once stained my back patio, but didn’t seal well, and the part in direct Texas sun faded. It looked awful! I learned my lesson with that.

One more thought for OP: I think one of the most difficult aspects for the inexperienced (if using acid stain) is that you can’t tell exactly what it’s going to look like while you’re applying it. I mean, you can get an idea, but the finished results will look different than application. It’s nothing at all like painting or wood staining. Cola, for instance, looks greenish and fizzy while being applied. Godswood’s advice to do a test area is right on, it’ll get you familiar with application, depth of color, and how the stain will react with your concrete.

This may be a helpful read ... staining gone wrong: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/4133791/stained-concrete-floors?n=62

As above....it is *possible to do this yourself assuming you have more time (1 week to do one room) than money. And assuming you own or know where to source ALL the tools. And assuming you CHOOSE THE PROCESS YOU WANT and then take the training to learn that technique (1 week course = professional grade course = have to pay the fee to attend and travel to the training area).

First things first: your POURED concrete is NOT the quality you need for "finished flooring". So you need to shot blast the surface (proper shot, proper machine, proper time, etc, etc). You then need to clean and then prime the blasted concrete (right primer...etc). Then you need to add a "microtopping" of the HIGH END concrete material....and allow to dry. Grind smooth. Clean. Clean. Clean. And clean. And just in case you aren't sure....clean.

Good. Now you are ready to use the colour. Yep. We aren't even 1/2 way through yet. So...apply stain as you were trained to do. Use all the steps required (some of these are "timed" chemicals which means you have to leave it for "x" minutes and then QUICKLY neutralize or remove). Continue until you reach the desired look.

Now you have to apply the top coat. This could be wax (needs rewaxing every 6 months forever and ever amen). This could be urethane finish (needs reapplication every 2-5 years forever and ever amen...and possible polishes every 6 months forever, etc). Could be polyurethane (refinishing needed). Could be clear coat epoxy (MORE TRAINING....yeah!) which is SUPER finicky and can take months to master.

Whew.

If you hire out, realize that a "finished" concrete floor ranges in price from $5/sf to $25/sf. The floors that require minimal maintenance start around $10/sf.

There are floors that are POLISHED concrete - which I didn't even get into. The micro-topping is a concrete which has been infused with some fascinating stuff. Then it is polished, sealed, polished, sealed, polished, sealed....you get the picture. Those are INTENSE floors that are darn near bullet proof and require zero maintenance. If you want them to hit the high-gloss magnificence of Day 1....simply polish up once more (with those big machines...not a liquid polish).

So....what level of "finished concrete" were you hoping for? How much 'maintenance' are you after? Do you accept scratches and dulling and wear through and reapplication? If you do NOT....then you need to move to the mid-range stuff $10/sf or more...and those are best left to the professionals.

They will get done in 3-5 days what would take you 2-3 weeks. Which finish are you looking for?

There must be something positive to say about stained concrete, as it has become extremely popular in commercial situations such as super markets and restaurants. These heavy traffic operations would not choose such a surface if it were not durable and cost effective in the long run.

It amazes me that it can be done in operations even as business continues. My Fred Myers supermarket/home center here in Portland just pulled up the existing asphalt floor tile and then stained the underlying concrete.even while open for business! It looks great.

@David Jensen - stained concrete is stunning! And it has a price tag. You do not just stain it and walk away. Concrete is porous (which is why it takes stains so nicely/easily...which is a draw back with red wine). It MUST receive some sort of finish.

Please remember that commercial settings have NIGHT CLEANING STAFF that have RIDE-ON cleaning/polishing machines that get brought out several times per week. The concrete floors in Costco do NOT stay that "pretty" all by themselves. They take a crew of people riding along on those cleaning machines that clean at the front and leave polish behind out the back. Kinda like a tile/cement Zamboni. I see them in malls all over North America.

Not many homeowners have that level of cleaning time/money/effort/machinery. It doesn't mean you CAN'T have stained conrete....it just means you will need to make some decisions.

The FIRST decision is: How much MAINTENANCE are you willing to put up with? Can you handle a twice yearly polishing event (wax on, wax off grasshopper) that has to occur no matter how much you hate doing it? If you don't mind this idea, then you are one of the lucky one's. You get to have the "cheap and cheerful" stained concrete + urethane + wax finish. A single colour + urethane is in the $5-$7/sf range.

If you do NOT want that type of hassle, then you have to step up your game and move into the epoxy finishes. A simple "clear/shiny" epoxy is $5-$7/sf. If you add the stain then you add another $2-$3/sf. That's where you get into the $10/sf range without much effort. If you want an exotic tri-colour stain then you get to $15/sf without blinking. If you want a picture of a beach at sunset then you will need to break out the big bucks = $25/sf!

That brings us to your next decision: How much of a budget do you have? Again, the BASIC concrete floor (no stain) is $5/sf (that's some grinding, microtopping + polish + urethane finish). That one DEFINITELY will have serious amounts of maintenance. Lots of liquid polish+ lots of "stripping" old polish so that new stuff can be put down.

Some of the most artistic floors are concrete. I think they are amazing. I also know the amount of artistry needed to get them into the "amazing" range is not cheap. I respect the process and - if I wanted a concrete floor - I would be more than willing to pay for that process.

What often occurs is the homeowner thinks a finished concrete floor is a cheap way to get flooring. They think it will be bullet proof without ANY issues at all. How wrong they are. How very wrong and how bitterly disappointed they become when they realize an UNSEALED concrete floor (polished without finish) will stain and etch FASTER than marble.

Again, Homeowner Know Thyself. Answer the questions:

How much maintenance are you WILLING to do? How much budget do you have?

David, the OP was asking about it, and we were giving information. I love stained concrete and was very happy with ours. I just wanted to share my experiences with it so the OP will understand the challenges and decide how to proceed. I don’t think anyone was being negative about it. It’s not a simple DIY job, there’s a lot involved, and it always helps to be educated about things.

I don’t agree with everything SJ is saying about upkeep. In the business I worked in, we had a lot of foot traffic, and never did all of the maintenance he/she is describing. It’s been there for 15+ yrs now (before I started working there) and it’s held up great with just light mopping. I had my floor for years and never polished it once. I’m not saying SJ is wrong, maybe he/she has had different experiences (they clearly know a lot about it), but mine haven’t been the same.

We did it because: we like the look, it was cheaper for us than other flooring, we enjoy DIY projects, and easy upkeep if done properly.

I never said it was cheap, just that it obviously has benefits for high traffic commercial situations. Fred Meyer Stores were willing to spend to rip up the old asphalt tile, grind and stain and polish their floors. It was done evenings, even as the store was kept open and with no visible dust showing to the customers. I don't know exactly how they managed to do it, but it looks great and has far more character than mere tile.

My local Home Depot also contracts with a company that comes in every few years and grinds and seal coats ( no stain) the floors, leaving them bright and shiny Again, evenings, without disturbing operations of the store.