Concrete Patio Stain Ideas

• Project Completed In: 5 day(s)
• Estimate of Square Footage: 70 sq. ft.
• Project Description:
  I went to Lowe’s first because I wanted to stain my porch concrete to a dark color.  I was guided to use Valspar semitransparent concrete stain.  I chose the charcoal color for the most coverage, I thought. Being that part of my concrete is extremely porous, uneven and had used peroxide on it in the past it did not take well.

I then was referred to Direct Colors by a friend. I purchased the Antiquing black and russet stains to cover my porch and leave some contrast and design.  Again the Antiquing black stain did not absorb in many areas, even after 2 layers. The russet seemed to cover very well but did not give me the look I wanted due to the Antiquing black not absorbing.  So I was directed to use the russet all over, then given the black Portico to spray all over that x 2 layers.  This is what finally worked and we love the look!  Ty Direct Colors for your guidance, patience and generosity!

• Personal Tips:
  The Russet Antiquing was the base layer I needed to absorb due to its larger pigments for my porous concrete. The Portico is what I needed instead of the Antiquing due to its double pigments.
• Direct Colors Products Used:
  Russet Antiquing
  Black Antiquing
  Black Portico
  Acrylic Satin Sealer
• Other Products Used:
  Valspar SemiTransparent Concrete stain in Charcoal ( not not work well)

• 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

• Project Completed In: 7 day(s)
• Estimate of Square Footage: 500 sq. ft.
• Project Description:
  I created my own pavers using a mold and colored cement. However, the cement color wasn’t entirely consistent or rich in color so I decided to acid stain the blocks.
• Personal Tips:
  Spray the entire area with light color, go back and paint brush the dark areas
• Direct Colors Products Used:
  Coffee Brown EverStain
  Desert Amber EverStain
  Solvent-Based, Satin Acrylic Sealer

• Project Completed In: 4 day(s)
• Estimate of Square Footage: 200 sq. ft.
• Project Description:
  I was googling for a concrete stain and really liked the look of direct colors. I watched a few videos, it is pretty self explanatory. So I purchased and stained the concrete antique black 2 coats and used a Walmart craft gold acrylic paint to paint the cracks. I applied the sealer, sprayed the first coat and rolled the second. Mine isn’t shiny the whole way across because my cement isn’t smooth but love the outcome. I really love that this product was easy to use, had good how to videos and fast shipment. If your looking for a good diy product this is the one.

• Personal Tips:
  The sealer smell is really strong so just be aware of that. Watch the videos. Remember if your concrete is porous you are going to use more stain. Don’t use any weight on your roller when applying sealer. It’s actually easier than I thought. And don’t worry about messing up cause you can’t. A very easy product to apply my first time ever doing anything like this.
• Direct Colors Products Used:
  Black Antiquing Stain & Seal Kit
• Other Products Used:
  Walmart gold acrylic craft paint

• Project Completed In: 4 day(s)
• Estimate of Square Footage: 1236 sq. ft.
• Project Description:
  We had stamped concrete installed with requested color added to concrete. Color was not done right by contractor which didn’t allow stamped area to pop out from retaining walls surrounding it. Since we had used Direct color before on an acid stain for a small area on property we decided to go with the Antiquing stain since it allowed a more solid color approach and the direct color site recommended it for stamped concrete. We liked the idea of it being shiny wet look with the gloss and we were glad we did rather than the satin.

• Personal Tips:
  If your concrete is stained with water build up like ours was from a fountain grind off calcium build up with had grinder and clean and etch with Direct color product. Order more than enough color if performing work on stamped concrete since it soaks up significantly more than finished concrete, two coats for good solid color end product with some area follow-ups of touch up if lighter. The sealer seems to bring it all together. Thin coats of sealer since thick coat will cause bubbles in top coat.
• Direct Colors Products Used:
  Crimson antique stain with Acrylic high gloss concrete sealer
• Other Products Used:
  Cleaner etcher compound

• Project Completed In: 2 day(s)
• Estimate of Square Footage: 450 sq. ft.
• Project Description:
  I had been living at this home for about 5 years and had never done any sort of maintenance for my stamped concrete patio. The previous sealer seemed to have already worn off even before I moved in, so my patio had been exposed to the sometimes harsh climate in Colorado for many years. I stumbled upon direct colors and saw pictures of how great stamped concrete patios can look when they’re cared for and decided to refinish mine. I actually first requested quotes to have someone come and refinish it for me and unfortunately most quotes were telling me it would be upwards of $5k. I quickly decided to try and do it myself and I’m really glad I did. I had no experience doing this before but I simply followed all the instructions listed online and I think it turned out great.

• Personal Tips:
  I would say definitely get a separate pump sprayer for the stain and the sealer. I initially tried to use the same for both but I feel like I wasnt able to properly clean the sprayer and it just made things more difficult. Furthermore, between coats of sealer I didn’t clean the spray tip well enough and it seemed to clog it up so I was getting really uneven application. For the final coat of sealer I switched to a roller so that I could also apply the anti-slip product and that went on much more evenly but you definitely need a good quality nap roller that won’t leave lint behind. I also got a bit careless when spraying the stain and had quite a bit of overspray that required a lot of scrubbing to clean. I would say just take your time and use cardboard and tape to make sure you don’t overspray. Lastly, I may have sprayed the stain and the sealer very unevenly, in the end it still turned out nice, but I would say take your time and first practice spraying evenly on something like cardboard.
• Direct Colors Products Used:
  I ordered 3 of the Crimson Antiquing™ Stain & Seal Kits and 1 16 oz Non Slip Concrete Sealer Additive. I only used part of the non-slip, and had some stain left over, but I did order another kit after this project was done in order to later reapply another coat of sealer.
• Other Products Used:
  I also first power washed my patio with a cheap electric power washer I found on Amazon

• Project Completed In: 3 day(s)
• Estimate of Square Footage: 200 sq. ft.
• Project Description:
  Front porch and patio re-stain and seal. As you can see in the first picture, left side is faded and worn out, while lower right has been stained. The other pictures follows through to the completed job, looks fantastic, your products really did great!
• Personal Tips:
  Make sure to clean the area that will be stained and remove as much of the old clear coat (if any) that is on it to have a smooth finish!
• Direct Colors Products Used:
  Driftwood Antiquing Stain
  Solvent-Based, High Gloss Acrylic Concrete Sealer

• 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