Benefits of Stained Concrete Floors

Having concrete floors is very important to your business, especially if you work in the food and beverage industry. Concrete is a long-lasting, very durable material that can hold up against a lot of foot traffic as well as heavy machinery used to process and store food, amongst other things. This is one of the main reasons it’s so critical in the food and beverage industries that may spend time processing and storing food. Stained concrete floors are also an excellent option if you’re a restaurant looking to upgrade the look of your concrete floors or need something sturdy to handle tasks in a factory. Here’s a look at what stained concrete is, how it works, and what options are available.

What is Stained Concrete?

Stained concrete gives a permanent color to your floor. In most cases, the concrete slab has a stain applied to it before it’s installed. However, there are cases where the stain is applied after the fact. In all cases, however, staining must be applied after the concrete has fully cured. This usually takes up to 28 days. 

Stained Concrete Benefits

Having increased strength isn’t the only great benefit to staining concrete. Here are a few other benefits you should consider:

• It’s Aesthetically Pleasing – When most people think of concrete, they think of a gray slab. That doesn’t have to be the case. Stained concrete can be designed with specific colors in mind. You can even have it look like other kinds of stone, such as granite, sandstone, and cobblestone, making it a great, cost-effective alternative to those kinds of stone.
• Low Maintenance – Keeping stained concrete clean is very easy. You just need to occasionally sweep and mop to keep dirt and debris off of the floor.
• It’s Fire-Resistant – That’s right – stained concrete is resistant to fire. This alone makes it perfect for commercial and industrial environments, especially the kitchen in restaurants. It not only makes things safer, but potentially saves lives in the process. This really comes in handy in environments where flammable materials are used.
• Tough and Durable – Stained concrete can withstand typical wear and tear. In addition, it can hold up against peeling, chipping, discoloration, and fading. Also, due to how resistant it is to the elements, it holds up against water, meaning it’s less likely to have mold or mildew grow on it.
• It Can Save You Money – One major benefit of stained concrete is that it can insulate and release heat and coolness. Since this helps regulate the temperature, it also helps you save money on your energy bill.

Should a Stained Concrete Floor Be Sealed?

While it’s highly recommended that your concrete floor be sealed, it’s not mandatory by any means. Since concrete is such a porous material, dirt, water, and other things can seep into your concrete floor, which can eventually lead to major damage. Even though sealing your floor isn’t necessary, you can keep your floor from fading and extend its appearance for years. Sealing also keeps your floor from sustaining water damage.

Stain Types

There are three common types of concrete stain:

• Water-based stain
• Concrete dyes
• Acid-based stain

A water-based stain deposits color onto the surface of the concrete. Due to the nature of the water base, many options for colors are available, especially when compared to other types of stains. The biggest drawback to this type of stain is that water-based stains don’t hold up well when exposed to sunlight. Because of this, water-based stained concrete floors have to be resealed on occasion.

Concrete dyes work in a similar way as water-based stains. And just like water-based stains, not only do concrete dyes come in a number of different colors, but they are also susceptible to the same issues when exposed to sunlight.

Acid-based stains are the most popular of these three options. As one of the oldest forms of concrete stains, acid-based stains involve a much more complicated process of depositing colors. The acid-based stain has a chemical reaction with the calcium in the concrete’s surface to change color. This will permanently change the color of the concrete, making it safe to put in sunlight, unlike the other options we mentioned. The one downside to this is that there are far fewer colors to choose from, and they are usually neutral colors like beige and black.