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Before & After

Stained Concrete Driveway: Before & After

Justin Richardson

Nothing sells a driveway makeover like a before-and-after. These are real Direct Colors customer projects — the products they used, the results they got, and the tips they passed on — proof that a faded or dated driveway can be transformed for a fraction of the cost of replacement.

Restored Stamped Concrete Paver Driveway

A 16-year-old paver driveway revived on a budget with ColorWave® Rust — the neighbors were in shock.

Shop Driveway Stains →

16-year-old pavers, revived on a budget

After 16 years, this retiree’s pavers were faded and quotes to replace them topped $10,000. Instead they ordered a trial kit, it worked, and they finished the whole driveway themselves with ColorWave® water-based stain and a high-gloss sealer.

Faded Driveway Concrete Pavers
Before/during — the faded 16-year-old pavers.
Restored Stamped Concrete Paver Driveway
After — ColorWave® Rust, high-gloss sealed.
“After 16 years the pavers could not be saved, and I received quotes of over $10,000 to replace them. I’m retired — after researching, I ordered a test kit. It worked, so I ordered the product. Without any experience at all, following the directions, it did a fabulous job. Even my neighbors are in shock.”
— DIY Customer

A circle accent on paver pavers

Contrasting stains create a striking design: Aztec Brown Portico™ on the inner circle and border, Goldenrod EasyTint™ on the field.

Faded concrete driveway
Before — a plain 15-year-old paver driveway.
Stained concrete driveway design
After — an Aztec Brown circle accent over a Goldenrod field.

Aztec Brown Portico Stain Accent Detail

The finished contrasting circle-accent detail.

Boring brick pavers, transformed

Two customer projects took drab brick pavers to bold, sealed finishes — one in Crimson, one in Milano Red with a sleek Charcoal-edged border.

Faded concrete driveway
Before — a faded paver driveway.
Transformed brick paver driveway stained with Crimson EasyTint, showcasing a rich red color
After — Crimson EasyTint™ paver stain.
Before photo of a drab driveway
Before — faded pavers.
Milano Red EasyTint stained brick paver driveway with a sleek charcoal edge design
After — Milano Red EasyTint™ with a Charcoal-edge design.
“My pavers were very discolored and I decided to stain them. I found Direct Colors online — the staff was very helpful throughout. I ordered the sample kit, decided on Crimson and satin acrylic sealer, and everything arrived on time. Check the weather for the days you’re working, take your time pressure washing and prepping, and use a deck sprayer with the red tip for best results.”
— DIY Customer

An extended driveway, unified with acid stain

Rather than a traditional paver extension, these customers poured a full concrete extension — then let it sit unstained for a year before finishing it in EverStain™ to a neutral tone that wouldn’t clash with their cool-toned driveway pavers.

Unstained concrete driveway extension
Before — the bare, year-old driveway extension.
The finished driveway, showcasing the blend of Malayan Buff and Coffee Brown stains, sealed and dried
After — Malayan Buff with a heavier Coffee Brown coat, EverStain™.
“We knew we wanted a neutral look that wouldn’t argue with the exterior of the house. After two rounds of trial kits, we laid an all-over Malayan Buff with Coffee Brown accents — then went heavier on the Coffee Brown once it dried. Definitely invest in a trial kit to see the colors in their final state, begin each spray off your project to avoid splatter, and use a two-man team if you can.”
— DIY Customer

Paver discoloration, evened out

Years of sun, stains, and spills left this paver driveway rough. Russet EasyTint™ and an acrylic sealer brought it back to an even, rich finish.

Faded Driveway Concrete Pavers
Faded Driveway Concrete Pavers.
Russet EasyTint Application on Driveway Concrete Pavers
Russet EasyTint Application on Driveway Concrete Pavers.

Russet EasyTint on Driveway Concrete Pavers

After — an even, revitalized Russet finish.

Subtle wins: beige & gray refreshes

Sometimes a small change is all it takes. A broomed driveway warmed up with Buff EasyTint™, and a weathered covered driveway revived with Silver Gray tinted sealer.

Before photo of a plain concrete driveway
Before — plain broomed concrete.
Buff stained broomed finish concrete driveway
After — a subtle, stunning Buff EasyTint™.
Faded Concrete Driveway
Before — a weathered, stained covered driveway.
Driveway Brushed Concrete - EasyTint Silver Gray Stain-
After — Silver Gray EasyTint™, discoloration gone.

A veteran’s acid-stain design

This customer used EverStain™ acid stain to dress up a brushed driveway — and even worked an eagle-and-flag design into the concrete. The full step-by-step is in Staining a Brushed Concrete Driveway.

Before Staining Concrete Floor - Brushed Concrete Driveway
Before — plain brushed concrete.
Driveway Brushed Concrete - EverStain Malayan Buff, Coffee Brown Acid Stains-
After — Malayan Buff and Coffee Brown EverStain™.

Driveway Before & After: FAQs

Is staining really cheaper than replacing pavers?

By a wide margin in these projects. One retiree had quotes topping $10,000 to replace 16-year-old faded pavers — they ordered a trial kit instead, it worked, and they did the whole driveway themselves.

Can staining fix discolored or blotchy pavers?

Yes, that is one of its best uses. Years of sun, stains and spills left one paver driveway looking rough; Russet EasyTint™ and an acrylic sealer brought it back to an even finish.

How do I make a driveway design rather than one flat color?

Contrast. These projects use Aztec Brown Portico™ on an inner circle and border with Goldenrod EasyTint™ on the field, and Milano Red with a Charcoal-edged border. A darker edge is what makes a driveway read as designed.

What’s Next

  1. Browse looks by color → Concrete Driveway Stain Ideas
  2. How to stain, step by step → Concrete Stain How-To Guide
  3. Broom-finish acid staining → Staining a Brushed Concrete Driveway
  4. Shop → Driveway & Walkway Stains · Trial Kits

Direct Colors. Shawnee, OK. Manufacturing the full decorative concrete system since 1997.

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Tags: Before & After DIY Driveways Pavers Stained Concrete

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Before You Checkout

EasyTint™ and OxiGrip™ are not compatible when used together directly. For slip resistance, use EasyTint™ as the color layer and apply OxiGrip™ only with a clear solvent based sealer as the topcoat.

Before You Checkout

AcquaTint™ and OxiGrip™ are not compatible when used together directly. If you need added slip resistance, apply AcquaTint™ as your color layer first, then use OxiGrip™ in a clear topcoat with AcquaSeal™ or HydroCryl™.