Want to brighten a basement instead of darkening it? Two budget-friendly ideas do exactly that: a light, bright white concrete dye floor, and a woodgrain-effect cement overlay you can build with pigment and a chip brush. Here's how both come together.
A basement floor lightened with White Vibrance™ dye and a satin water-based sealer.
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Lighten up with white concrete dye
This 500 sq. ft. basement started out under carpet. The family wanted a light, bright look without going back to carpet or taking on a big tile job, so — after talking it through with our concrete experts — Ms. Ribble applied White Vibrance™ dye and sealed it with a satin water-based acrylic sealer.
— Ribble Family, Wichita, KS
Project materials: 5 gal White Vibrance™ dye · 3-gal acetone dye sprayer · 3 gal satin AcquaSeal™ acrylic sealer · HVLP sprayer · 1 gal ProWax Polish™ · floor trim-pad applicator · 5 gal general-purpose acetone.
Or build a woodgrain-effect cement floor
For a unique, low-cost look, you can create a woodgrain-effect overlay with white Portland cement and your choice of Direct Colors pigment — applied with a chip brush and shaped with a trowel. It adds real character and shows off the versatility of concrete pigment.
The steps:
- Mix two parts white Portland cement with your chosen pigment to a thick, pancake-batter liquid.
- Apply it to the floor with a chip brush, spreading evenly.
- Repeat to lay a second layer over the first.
- Let the overlay dry and harden at least 24 hours.
- Gently smooth with a trowel, pressing down and dragging across the ridges to create the woodgrain pattern.
- When working in sections, overlap each new section slightly for a seamless look.
Choosing products for a basement
A few things to keep in mind for interior, below-grade spaces: water-based tinted concrete sealers are low-odor, which makes them a great fit indoors, and any coating you choose should be compatible with your color and — in a damp basement — able to handle moisture. When in doubt, test first.
A colored, Silver Gray tinted-sealer floor — a low-odor, one-step option for interior spaces.
What's Next
- Full basement how-to → How to Stain a Concrete Basement Floor
- See more projects → Stained Concrete Basement Floor Ideas
- Acid-stain a basement → Acid Stain Concrete Basement Floor
- Shop → Trial Kits · EverStain™
Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.
