Charcoal Stain Ideas
Get inspired by our own customer’s concrete patio, driveway, pool deck and walkways design photo collection and create your own. Direct Colors has the right color solution for every type of concrete finish.
Staining 16-Year-Old Stamped Front Walkway and Backyard Patio
We had a front walkway and back yard patio poured about 12 years ago. Both had worn badly and lost all color. The front walkway we wanted darker, so we decided on charcoal for the color.
- Project Completed In: 4 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 770 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
We had a front walkway and back yard patio poured about 12 years ago. Both had worn badly and lost all color.
The front walkway we wanted darker, so we decided on charcoal for the color. The walkway is approx. 260 sq. ft.
We power washed, applied one coat of light charcoal antiquing stain, then went over it with dark charcoal for the second coat, followed by two coats of the acrylic satin sealer.
Total labor time was about 8 hours.
For the back patio, it was just as worn as our walkway, but we had put in a small paver walkway this year leading to it and the pavers had a mix of grey and auburn, so we decided to match the pattern.
The patio is about 510 sq. ft. We first power washed, then took a foam brush and stained random sets of blocks with the auburn antiquing stain. When that was complete I sprayed the entire patio in light charcoal, trying to not overspray the auburn blocks. The Auburn only needed 1 coat because we didn’t want it too dark.
The light charcoal we did 2 coats and finished off with two coats of the satin acrylic sealer.
Total labor for the patio was approx. 10 hours. - Personal Tips:
When using a sprayer for the sealer, it’s good to go over with a foam roller, if you are covering stamped concrete.
The sealer will pool in the seams and if there is too much can bubble. Also find a good way to clean out the sprayer, because after the 2nd coat, our sprayers wouldn’t work. - Direct Colors Products Used:
Charcoal Antiquing Stain & Seal Kit
Light Charcoal Antiquing Stain & Seal Kit
Auburn Antiquing Stain & Seal Kit - Other Products Used:
Two pump sprayers
No More Ugly Orange Concrete Patio
If you are covering an old color that is very bright, make sure to buy enough stain. It took me multiple layers due to the bright orange that was there before. Other than that, it was a rather simple process.
- Project Completed In: 4 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 350 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
I was looking to recolor and stain my rather ugly orange patio that was there when I moved in. The patio was stamped so I knew there had to be a way to make it look good. Luckily, I found Direct Colors and got just the result I wanted. I mixed charcoal and black Antiquing stain to create a deep dark color which slightly showed the previous orange, creating a natural look. Then I sealed it to pop the color. I love it!
- Personal Tips:
If you are covering an old color that is very bright, make sure to buy enough stain. It took me multiple layers due to the bright orange that was there before. Other than that, it was a rather simple process. I mixed some anti slip into the final sealer to ensure a finish that was also safe. - Direct Colors Products Used:
Charcoal Antiquing Stain & Seal Kit
Black Antiquing Stain & Seal Kit
Non Slip Additive - Other Products Used:
Two pump sprayers & deck brush
Stamped Concrete Discoloration
- Project Completed In: 3 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 230 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
20 year old stamped concrete sidewalks had lost color and were horribly finished from old sealer. Stripped sealer, put down new charcoal antiquing then sealed with a satin finish. Rain the next day beaded up like a freshly waxed car.
- Personal Tips:
Make sure to remove all of your old sealer if it is sitting on the surface of your concrete.. - Direct Colors Products Used:
DIY Charcoal Antiquing Kit - Other Products Used:
Xylene/surface stripper
- Project Completed In: 5 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 400 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
Ten years ago we had installed a paver patio on the back of our home. At the time we had installed a brick fire pit in the center, but due to the shape of the back porch it was never workable at the corner caused smoke to swirl upwards and everyone hated it. After a few years I knocked down the brick firepit but was left with a hole that I filled with river pebbles with the intention of finding a circular outdoor rug to cover it under the table. I was never able to find a rug that we liked so we were left with pebbles constantly being kicked everywhere and a place our dog used to dig in. I decided to see if I could find a circular paver kit that could fill in the hole and found one and had it installed last fall. The pavers were supposed to have a reddish tint to them, but instead came mostly gray and they did not match the current pavers at all. I then found you guys and decided to stain the circle a red tint and darken the existing gray pavers. After consulting you guys I ordered a test kit and decided on Terra Cotta and Charcoal colors. I first pressure washed the existing pavers and then adding polymeric sand. After drying I sprayed on the coat of Terra Cotta in the circle and then followed with the Charcoal for the grays. I decided to do the concrete back porch as well. I came back later and added additional coats of Charcoal by brush to the darkest existing gray pavers as well as the darkest Red pavers to give it more of a cobble stone effect. After fully drying I began adding the sealant. Ended up with approximately three coats of sealer. - Personal Tips:
With no differences in color or places that you need to protect it’s an incredibly easy job. However, if the plan is to maintain an edge between two distinct colors, plan it out ahead of time. The pavers I was working with were VERY porous, so it absorbed and spread into them like alcohol would into chalk. Even when I was doing the parts by hand I needed to be careful to not get too close to the edge for fear of it bleeding. Also be aware of some overspray. Finally, even though I’d done the math I would have been happier had I ordered an additional bottle of Charcoal and Sealant. I ended up ordering a third bottle of sealer during the project because it was clear l I was not going to have enough to put down as many layers as I’d have liked. Because of that the project took a week longer because I had to wait for the order to come in.
- Project Completed In: 3 day(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 336 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
I made a stamped concrete patio, stamped to look like slate. I then used antiquing stain in 4 separate colors to stain each tile individually, then I put a top coat of charcoal to darken it all up. I then put one coat of the satin sealant followed by a final coat with the non slip powder. - Personal Tips:
I used a brush to stain each square, then sprayed the charcoal top coat with a pump sprayer then rolled the sealer on after it was dry. - Direct Colors Products Used:
3 Gal Charcoal Antiquing Stain
1 Gal Russet Antiquing Stain
1 Gal Fern Green Antiquing Stain
1 Gal Driftwood Antiquing Stain
2 Gal Satin Concrete Sealer
16oz non slip additive
- Project Completed In: 2 weeks(s)
- Estimate of Square Footage: 500 sq. ft.
- Project Description:
The patio builder built it last year and sealed incorrectly with a garbage sealer. We spent over $9,000 on the patio and it looked awful. We searched and searched for a solution to make it look sharp and worth the money we paid. We are so happy we found your company. We have neighbors coming by to see the patio! Everyone is blown away by the difference. Thank you for a great product! We can’t believe how the water beads on the patio now after applying your sealer. We never had that with the inferior sealer - Personal Tips:
Be sure to fill any cracks between pavers before sealing. I wanted multi-colors so I colored each one a different color. we did 2 coats of sealer.
