Stained concrete flooring in San Francisco, CA - color that becomes part of the slab
Plain gray concrete that looks unfinished? We stain it with translucent, varied color and seal it for the depth of finish you want.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We reply within 1 business day.
Is stained concrete a good fit for your floor?
Stained concrete flooring in San Francisco starts with the slab you already have. We apply a reactive stain, a mix of acidic metallic salts that reacts with the concrete, so you get translucent color that shifts across the floor and won't wear away unless the concrete itself wears.
Most people who call us have bare concrete in a garage, basement or ground floor, or they've pulled up carpet and found a slab they'd like to keep. Price and schedule mostly come down to the slab. Old glue, paint or sealer has to come off, some floors need concrete grinding before they'll take stain, and a damp slab can hold things up. The stain and sealer you pick matter too. I'll tell you what yours needs at the estimate, along with your options and what each one means for your schedule.
How do you know your concrete is ready for stain?
Glue lines under old carpet
When you pull up carpet or tile and find glue, paint spots or an old sealer, that film has to come off first, because it gets in the way of the stain's reaction with the concrete. Leave it on and the color comes out blotchy wherever the residue was.
A stained floor gone dull
If your stained floor looks flat or scuffed in the walkways, the sealer on top has usually worn thin, not the color itself. Reseal it before traffic reaches bare concrete, because after that the color starts wearing away along with the concrete.
Bare concrete that dusts
Unsealed concrete sheds a fine gray dust and soaks up whatever spills on it, which is why so many garage and basement slabs look worse every year. Stain plus a sealer gives you a finished surface you can sweep and mop.
How we do stained concrete flooring
I start by looking over your slab with you, because stain shows cracks, patches and old repairs instead of hiding them, and I'd rather you know that now than be surprised later. Our crew cleans off old glue, paint and sealer and lightly grinds the surface if it won't soak up water. Then we try your stain on a test spot somewhere out of sight, since stain is permanent and every slab takes it a little differently. Once you've seen it and like it, we stain the floor and seal it with a sealer picked for the depth of color you want.
Stain isn't the only way to put color into a concrete floor. If you want polished stone with chips of glass or marble set into it, terrazzo flooring is a different job and worth a look. If the slab you want to stain is below grade, we look at it as basement flooring first, because a slab that's damp from below needs a plan before any color goes on.
Acid stain
Acid stain suits a clean, porous slab and the classic look, translucent color that shifts and mottles across the floor. The color comes from a chemical reaction with the concrete itself, so it's part of the surface, not a layer sitting on it.
Water-based stain
One maker offers water-based stain in place of acid stain, with similar translucent color on properly prepared concrete. It suits a slab that reacts poorly with acid stain, or a color acid stain can't give you.
Get a straight answer on staining your slab
We reply within one business day to set up a visit, and the estimate at your property is free, with no pressure and no obligation. I'll come look at the floor, check it for moisture and old coatings, and tell you honestly how stain is likely to look on it.
(415) 918-5395Staining concrete floors in San Francisco
Two rules shape how we stain floors here. The Bay Area air district's coatings rule counts stains and sealers as coatings, so ask us which stain and sealer we plan to use and we'll name them at the estimate. California's workplace safety rules cover crew exposure to silica dust from concrete work. That matters if your slab needs grinding, so ask how we'll keep the dust down, and we'll walk you through it before we start.
Most of the slabs we stain have spent years under carpet, tile or a car, and old patches and glue lines are the usual surprise. We're based in San Francisco and work down the Peninsula and across the Bay, and we find the same kind of slabs on jobs in Daly City and Oakland.
What happens after you call about stained concrete?
Call or send the form
Reach us at (415) 918-5395 or through the form, and we'll set up a time to see the floor. Mention any old glue, paint or sealer you know about.
I check your slab in person
I come out, look at the floor and check the concrete for moisture and old coatings. You get your options, what each one means for your schedule, and a price for your floor before anything starts.
Our crew preps, stains and seals
Our crew cleans and preps the concrete, tests the stain, then puts down the stain and sealer we agreed on, with a lead installer running the job day to day. One water-based stain maker says not to apply its stain with excessive moisture, heavy condensation, a high dew point or high humidity, so a damp spell can push a stain day back.
We show you the upkeep
When the sealer is down, we show you how to clean the floor and when it'll need wax or a fresh coat of sealer. That upkeep is what keeps the color looking right.
Frequently asked questions
Will stain hide cracks in my concrete floor?
No, stain won't hide cracks, and one stain maker notes it can make flaws in the surface stand out more. Whatever your slab looks like now becomes part of the finished floor, which is why I go over cracks and patches with you before we start. If they bother you, it's worth talking about a different finish.
How much does it cost to stain concrete floors in San Francisco?
Across the US, staining existing concrete floors usually costs about $3 to $15 per square foot, labor included. That's a national figure, not our price. Your floor's cost depends on how much prep it needs, the sealer, and the stain you pick, since acid stain can cost more than water-based at the top of the range. I'll give you a price for your floor at the estimate.
How long does stained concrete last, and what upkeep does it need?
Nationally, stain on concrete floors lasts 5 to 20 years with regular maintenance, which means waxing or sealing every 1 to 3 years. Plan on that upkeep from the start, because the wax and sealer take the wear so the color doesn't have to.
How do I know if my concrete will take stain?
One maker suggests spraying water on the slab, and if it doesn't soak in within 10 seconds, the concrete isn't porous enough and may need light grinding first. A test spot out of sight tells you the rest. If your slab reacts poorly with acid stain, water-based stain is the usual fallback.
How long does it take to stain concrete floors?
Staining concrete floors usually takes 1 to 3 days, drying time included. The work starts only once the concrete is fully cured, so a new slab has to wait until it's ready.
What is the best way to seal stained concrete?
Seal it, because one maker says acid-stained concrete must be sealed to keep its color and finish, and the sealer you pick sets the final look. Epoxy and solvent-based sealers give a deep, brilliant look, while water-based sealers give a more toned-down one. I'll help you choose based on how much shine you want.
San Francisco, CA
See how your slab takes stain
Send us your floor's size in square feet, its age and any old paint, glue or sealer on it, and I'll come out already knowing what to look for.