Pole barns use post-frame construction — posts driven into or secured above the ground carry the roof, so there are no load-bearing walls and the interior is wide open and adaptable. That makes the concrete floor the blank canvas of the whole building, and stain is the easiest, most affordable way to bring it to life.
Prefer to listen? Lisa Bickel and Shawna Turner covered finishing a pole barn floor for whatever it becomes. The player is at the end of this article.
Driftwood Antiquing™ on a brushed floor
Antiquing™ is formulated to work with previously poured, stamped, stained, and even sealed concrete — which makes adding color to a plain or dull pole-barn slab simple. The Palmer family of Kalispell, Montana used it on their pole-barn patio space.
— The Palmer Family, Kalispell, MT
Or go bolder with acid stain
For a mottled, natural-stone look on a pole-barn floor, EverStain™ acid stain layers warm earth tones into the slab — here Malayan Buff, Desert Amber, and Coffee Brown.
Two ways to add color for good
If your slab isn’t poured yet, add concrete pigment during mixing for even color throughout — then simply seal. For a more unique look, apply acid stain over integrally colored concrete: the base color stays in the background while the acid stain adds new movement across the surface.
Common questions
What is the cheapest way to finish a pole barn floor that stays a workshop?
Just seal and harden it. If the building is only ever going to be a shop, warehouse or storage space, ProSeal Li™ soaks in, densifies the slab and makes it stain resistant and easy to clean, without changing its color. No wax, no film to wear through. That is the low-maintenance answer Lisa was after.
What if the pole barn might become living space later?
Then acid stain it after construction. That is what most customers converting a barn to a home or a business do — it is within DIY reach, looks exceptional and is a cheap floor by any comparison. Read the construction-timing episode first, because the order of trades matters more than the staining does.
Is it better to color the concrete before it is poured?
Almost always, if you have the choice. Concrete pigment is added at the ready-mix plant before the truck leaves, so the slab arrives colored. All the homeowner then does is seal it once cured, plus wax for an interior floor. It gives a solid color rather than the variegated look of acid stain, and it suits any end use — residential, commercial or industrial.
What should I use on the patio outside a pole barn?
Antiquing™ or acid stain, and the slab usually decides for you. Older, heavily eroded concrete is a poor candidate for a reactive stain, so Antiquing™ is the better bet there. Seal outdoor work with EasySeal™ Satin rather than a gloss, so a covered patio does not turn slippery.
Listen to this episode
Direct Colors DIY Home Improvement · Episode 35
Decorative Concrete Floors and Patios for Pole Barns
Reagan Smith and Lisa Bickel and Shawna Turner · 10 min 29 sec · read the full transcript
What’s Next
- Garage floors → Concrete Stain Garage Floor: Gallery & How-To
- Barndominium floors → Barndominium Concrete Floor Ideas
- How to apply acid stain → How to Apply Acid Stain to Concrete
- Shop → Antiquing™ · EverStain™ · Trial Kits
Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.
