Direct Colors DIY Home Improvement · Episode 31
Listen to this episode
Acid stain is the popular choice, but it is not the fast one. Shawna Turner on the alternative for a basement: a tinted sealer, optionally accented with concrete dye. Low odor for a confined space, translucent so the concrete’s character shows through instead of reading as floor paint, dye that dries instantly, and the whole job inside about 48 hours including dry time.
5 min 32 sec · Download MP3 (7.6 MB)
For this job you need: EasyTint™ · Vibrance™ · ProWax Polish™
Not sure which is right for your slab? Send us the details — the free project consultation is a person, not a form letter.
The written guide on this topic, with photographs: Acid Stain Concrete Basement Floor.
Editor’s note. This episode was recorded some years ago. The transcript below has been corrected where the facts have changed; nothing about the technique has been altered.
- “Tinted concrete sealer” is now EasyTint™, and “DCI Concrete Dye” is now Vibrance™. The residential floor wax is ProWax Polish™.
- The color count has changed. The episode says “around 40 colors”. EasyTint™ now offers 24, with a further 20 in AcquaTint™ PRO.
- ⚠ The price quoted is out of date, and was misstated on air. The episode says “.22 cents/square foot” for a 1,000 sq ft basement — which reads as a fraction of a cent. It meant 22 cents per square foot, and that figure is in any case years old. Check current pricing on the product pages.
- All four dye colors named — Stormy Gray, Charcoal, Black and White — are still current Vibrance™ colors.
- The consultation URL given on air, /resources/design-consultation/, no longer exists. It is now the free online project consultation page.
- Housekeeping, applied to every episode in this archive. The spoken sign-off has been rewritten to point here rather than at the old directcolors.com/listen address. The RSS-feed line, the social-media list and any pointers to retired photo-gallery, blog or video pages have been dropped, along with pointers to pages that have since been retired or superseded by the links under What’s Next — in some episodes that removes a whole sentence or a short exchange. Every speaker says “design consultation”; the service is now called the free project consultation, and we have used the current name throughout rather than send you to a page that no longer exists. Run-on speaker turns, duplicated intro lines and obvious transcription slips have been repaired without changing meaning. Nothing bearing on technique, safety or product choice has been altered; those changes are itemized above.
Still accurate: water-based sealer is the right call in a confined basement for its low odor; the tint is translucent, so the concrete still shows through rather than looking painted; concrete dye dries essentially instantly; and any acrylic-sealed floor wants wax over the top.
What you need for this job
This is the fast, cheap route, and every product in it is current.
- One-step color and seal
- EasyTint™ Tinted Sealer
- Accents and layered color
- Vibrance™ Dye
- Protect the finish
- ProWax Polish™
Basements vary in moisture more than any other floor. Send the result of a moisture test through the free project consultation first.
Full transcript
Tommy Carter: You’re listening to Direct Colors podcast episode 31: Fast, Easy Basement Floor Color Options. We’re talking about finishing basement and interior concrete floors in the fastest, easiest and most cost effective way possible. If this is your first time listening, then thanks for listening. I’m Tommy Carter, Sales Manager and Technician with Direct Colors.
TC: Basement floor projects can be undertaken any time year round, so we often have customers remodeling basement floors during the winter. While acid staining is our most popular DIY refinishing option, there are other basement floor color possibilities to consider. Here to talk about the alternatives is Direct Colors’ General Manager, Shawna Turner. Welcome, Shawna.
Shawna Turner: Thanks, Tommy.
TC: So, why not acid stain your basement floor if it’s so popular?
ST: By all means, if you prefer the variegated, multi-tonal look acid stain offers, then acid stain your concrete! However, if you’re in a bit of a hurry to complete a project, or are looking for the most affordable color option, then you might want to consider a tinted concrete sealer, or a tinted concrete sealer and concrete dye combination. Both can be applied quickly, inexpensively and look great.
TC: Could you say a little more about the products and application process?
ST: For sure. I typically recommend water based sealer for basement floor color applications, simply because it’s a low odor product that’s easy to work with in confined areas. There are plenty of colors to choose from, and because the tinted sealer is actually translucent, it doesn’t look like floor paint, which I think is rather unattractive. The character, if you will, of the concrete is still visible through the color, making the floor a little more interesting to look at. One or two coats of the product can be applied depending on the desired color and gloss level — it’s up to you to decide.
ST: The final step for any floor sealed with an acrylic sealer is wax, to protect from the daily wear and tear. The floor should be clean, free of any surface debris and dry before applying. The whole process should take about 48 hours inclusive of dry time to complete.
TC: That does sound pretty easy for a homeowner to successfully apply. How and why would you use a concrete dye for a basement floor color?
ST: Concrete dye is a great option if you want to add a contrasting floor color. Gray concrete floors are very popular for a more industrial look, so we encourage our customers to work with the existing gray floor color and accent the floor with Stormy Gray, Charcoal, Black or White dye colors in any way they wish. One of the other advantages of the product is the fast dry time — concrete dye dries instantaneously on the floor, so it’s a very fast process once the surface preparation is complete. We recommend applying a coat of sealer before spraying on the concrete dye for best results.
TC: You mentioned using the tinted concrete sealer and concrete dye together. How would you do that, and why?
ST: There’s certainly no requirement to use the concrete dye and tinted sealer together, but if a customer is looking for a little color variety and does not want a gray-toned floor, it’s by far the fastest and least expensive way to create a base color and accents. Beginning with either one or two coats of tinted sealer allows the customer to change the overall floor color first, and then accent later with the dye colors of their choice. It’s a real timesaver for any interior floor project for sure.
ST: I would say if you’re looking for the most cost effective way to finish a basement or interior floor, you can’t go wrong with a tinted sealer, or a tinted sealer and concrete dye combination. We have so many colors to choose from, I have no doubt you’ll find something you like. If you’re not sure what products to use, feel free to talk to one of our technicians. We’ll be happy to help.
TC: Thanks for the advice, Shawna. Call me, Tommy, at 877-255-2656 and we’ll discuss your project and decide together the best products for the job. If you’d prefer to send us an email, send in a free online project consultation and we’ll get back to you within 24–48 hours.
What’s Next
- The written guide → Acid Stain Concrete Basement Floor
- More basement ideas → Basement Floor Ideas · How to Stain Basement Floors
- The tinted-sealer look → Tinted Sealer Colors Gallery · AcquaTint™ Gallery
- Using dye → How to Apply Concrete Dye
- Shop → EasyTint™ · Vibrance™ · ProWax Polish™
