In the past, enhancing a San Diego room or outdoor area often involves painting the walls, changing the furniture, and adding ornamental pieces. Nowadays, even the floors are involved in the decorative process. You may be thinking about tearing the concrete floor out and replacing it with a more luxurious material, but wait, there is a less expensive and less time-consuming option: applying concrete stain.
Stained concrete floor designs are ideal for both San Diego residential and commercial use. It can be done on existing concrete, thus, reducing the time and money needed for a complete floor renewal. But don’t expect to lose sight of blemishes and hairline cracks. Instead of masking or covering these, stains would actually enhance it and give it a more attractive look. This process can also be used on decorative concrete stamping and other decorative concrete upgrades.
Stained Vs Painted or Dyed Concrete Floors

Penetrating stain is a highly recommended option to customize San Diego concrete floors because it lasts longer and is resistant to chipping or peeling. Decorative concrete color paint is applied on the surface and although it gives out a bold and solid color, there is a tendency for it to peel or chip, especially if applied too thick. It can be combined with stamped concrete overlays and other decorative concrete coatings.
It can also be scratched off when anything hard or sharp is rubbed against it. Dye, on the other hand, does not chip or peel. However, it dries pretty quickly and is often not recommended for outdoor use in San Diego because it is not UV-stable.
Water-based or Acid-Stained Concrete Floors
There are two types of decorative concrete stains. These are:
· Water-based Acrylic – Made up of water- soluble poylmers and liquid pigments, this is a user-friendly material that comes in a wide range of colors that can be mixed for further customization. The colors are more consistent and even because there are no chemical reactions involved.
· Acid Stain Concrete – Consisting of water, acid-soluble metallic salts, and hydrochloric acid, this produces more random and unique color effects because the metallic salts react to the mineral content of the concrete surface. Concrete colors for San Diego, CA concrete patios, pool decks, interior floors, and other surfaces are often multiple and varying, even when only one color is applied.
Colored Concrete Installation Services
If you are looking at pictures of concrete stained floors and find yourself interested, call a licensed decorative concrete contractor in San Diego. We would be more than happy to provide you with more information and give you a quote free of charge. We are one of the top concrete contractors in the area and we take pride in the quality of our work, the exceptional skills of our people, and the variety of choices you can choose from! We also install stamped concrete and cool deck on both indoor and outdoor concrete floors. Call us @ (619) 443-2318!