Acid Stain Concrete issues?

Question

i've got an indoor patio with a concrete floor that wasn't power-floated when made.......it's not anywhere near as rough like a parking-lot finish but it's not smooth like your typical indoor concrete floor either.....maybe lightly brushed after bull-floated it appears

can i stain it and seal it like it is??

it's never been sealed or anything before

i'd like to avoid the expense of renting a floor grinder.....but i do want a quality result

maybe if i apply a thick enough sealer/epoxy it would create a smooth surface???

any other tips on acid-staining methods and the best products for a non-pro are welcome

Answer 1

you want quality and them not pay for it . Hiring a floor grinder is cheap any way.  and you will get it right.applying thick sealer will not work and will probably cost more the cost of grinding

Answer 2

You can stain it the way it is. A slightly rough surface actually makes a more interesting stained floor as long as you don't have exposed aggregate, in that case you would need an overlay. If you seal it with epoxy that will give you a smooth finished surface.  As far as tips... Do lots of research! For your particular situation I would recommend an acid staining first, clean it, then apply a dye or eco stain to add in color to rough areas.

Answer 3

if it was my house I would grind if flat then apply the epoxy coating. why not go a good job? after all. its your house.

Answer 4

Never skim coat with cement it will fail every time cause in order to skim coat the mix has to be real wet the more water added to cement or concrete the weaker it will be.The less water added the stronger it will be.Look up thoro systems they have epoxy coatings and all other types of concrete coatings