How to Stain Concrete to Look Like Wood

Concrete can be made to read convincingly as timber — grain, edge detail and all. This technique comes from William B. Carlisle Design, who has built several wood-grain concrete countertops and shared the method. It combines casting against a mould, sand-blasting to raise the grain, and three acid stains brushed along it.

A concrete countertop stained to look like wood.

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Casting the top

1

Reinforce the cabinetry — a concrete countertop can weigh up to 900 lb

2

Build the form from melamine or resawn lumber, biscuited and glued, clamped until dry

3

Take a silicone mould cast off the lumber edges to capture the edge grain

4

Mix countertop mix in a 5-gallon pail — one gallon of water per 50 lb, added in quarters, blended at least 10 minutes with a hand mixer and birdcage paddle

5

Spray a thin layer over the whole mould first for full coverage — this is what prevents pinholes

6

Fill the rest of the mould and let it cure

7

Demould, then sand-blast the surface to bring the wood grain up

Staining the grain

This is where it becomes wood rather than textured concrete. Three colors, brushed along the grain rather than across it, lightest first.

8

Mist the surface with water before staining

9

Dilute the acid stains 2:1 with water — Malayan Buff, Cola and Coffee Brown for this look

10

With an ordinary paint brush following the grain, apply Malayan Buff first, then Cola, then Coffee Brown

11

Sand back any areas of high contrast to blend the colors

12

Once it reads as wood grain, neutralize and let it dry

13

Seal with a high-quality acrylic concrete sealer

The same approach scales up to floors and driveways — see faux wood-plank patios for stamped versions at scale.

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What's Next

1. More countertops → DIY Concrete Countertop Ideas
2. The acid-stain method → Acid Stain Countertops
3. Other looks → Marble Look · White Countertops
4. Applying stain outdoors → How to Apply Outdoor Concrete Stain
5. Choosing a sealer → The Best Concrete Sealer
6. Prefer a reactive, mottled look? → Acid Stain Colors Guide
7. Shop → EverStain™ Kits · Trial Kits

Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.