Stained Concrete Flooring in DeSoto TX - color you approve before we start
Plain gray concrete or a dull, patchy old finish? We strip it clean, test the color with you, then stain and seal the floor.
What does staining a concrete floor in DeSoto involve?
Stained concrete flooring in DeSoto means we color the concrete slab you already have with an acid or water-based stain, let it dry completely and then seal it, so the bare slab becomes your finished floor.
Most people who call us about stain have found a bare slab under old carpet or tile, have a shop or patio they'd like to finish, or have a stained floor that has gone dull, and they want color in the concrete rather than a coat sitting on top of it. The price mostly turns on the size of the floor, how much old sealer, glue or coating has to come off first and how many colors you want, and the schedule turns on that prep and on the stain drying fully before the sealer goes on. If the slab is below ground, please look at our basement flooring work as well, since a basement brings its own questions. Slabline DeSoto Epoxy Flooring is based in DeSoto and works across the cities around it, and your written estimate lays out each step so you can see where the cost sits.
How do you know your concrete floor is ready for stain?
These are the things people usually notice before they call us about stain. Some mean a bare slab is ready for color, and some mean an old finish has to come off first.
You've pulled up carpet or tile and found a plain gray slab you'd rather finish than cover again.
Glue lines or tack strip marks remain on the bare concrete, which usually means grinding before any stain goes on.
An old stained floor has faded or worn down to bare gray in the walkways from years of traffic.
The sealer looks dull, scuffed or thin where people walk, which usually means it's due for a fresh coat.
Paint or an old coating is peeling off the concrete, and you'd like color that won't flake away.
A shop or office floor looks bare and unfinished, and you want a finished look without adding another layer of flooring.
If the sealer is wearing thin, please call before foot traffic reaches the stain underneath, because a fresh sealer coat is a smaller job than restaining the floor.
What happens after you call us about staining your floor?
I come out to see the floor myself, and our own small crew does the work with me on site. Here is how a stained floor job usually runs from the first call to the walk-through.
Call or send the form
Please call or send the form, and I'll set a time to come out to your property. I look at the floor, measure it and ask how the room gets used, because a busy entry and a quiet bedroom may call for a different stain.
Read your written estimate
You get a written estimate that names each step, from taking off old sealer to the final coat, so you can see what the price covers before you decide. Once you're comfortable with it, we settle on a time that works for you.
Approve a test patch
Stain can look quite different from one slab to the next, so we stain a small test patch for you to approve before we do the room. If the color isn't what you pictured, we change course there, while it's still only a patch.
Prep, stain, seal and walk
Our crew takes any old sealer off completely, stains the floor, lets it dry fully and seals it, with me on site running the work. We clean up, and then I walk the finished floor with you.
Ask for a written estimate on your stained floor
Once you send the form, we reply within one business day to set a time, and I come out to see and measure the floor myself. The estimate is free, comes in writing and carries no obligation.
- Call
- (972) 450-9481
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM
Stains, prep methods and sealers on stained floors
Prep is where a stained floor is won or lost, because stain only colors bare concrete it can soak into. Old sealers, coatings and dirt have to come off completely, by grinding, shotblasting or a chemical stripper depending on what's there, and even a trace of old sealer can leave a blotchy patch that may not be fixable afterward. That's the part of the job we take our time on.
The finished floor is stained concrete under a clear sealer, so it still shows the slab's own trowel marks, old patches and variations, and no two rooms look quite alike. That suits living areas, shops and offices where people like some character, and it suits someone who wants one perfectly uniform color less well. If you'd like a pattern laid into the floor rather than color in the slab, terrazzo flooring is a different job worth asking about.
Stain work leaves residue and rinse water that have to be dealt with before the sealer goes on. One stain maker says to collect all of it and dispose of it properly, and the City of DeSoto asks residents to keep paints and household chemicals out of storm drains, so rinse water is part of our cleanup and doesn't run down your driveway to the street.
Stained concrete questions from DeSoto homeowners
How much does stained concrete flooring cost per square foot?
Applying decorative concrete stain usually costs about $5.50 to $6.25 per square foot across the US, and that is a national figure for the staining work, not our price. Your own number depends on the prep and color choices described above, so I'll give it to you in writing after I've seen the floor.
Should I use acid stain or water-based stain on my concrete floor?
Water-based stain is the better choice if you want bright colors, pastels or white, but in a busy, high-traffic room I lean toward acid stain, because water-based stain sits closer to the surface and wears faster there. Water-based stain does offer far more colors, more even results, little to no odor and no strong acids, which makes it safer to handle. I'm happy to talk through which suits your room when I come out.
How long does stained concrete need to dry before it's sealed?
The stain usually needs 24 to 48 hours to dry completely before sealer goes on, depending on conditions in the room. Please plan on the floor being out of use for that wait, and we'll schedule the sealing around it.
How do I keep a stained concrete floor looking good?
Keep an eye on the sealer, because the sealer is what takes the foot traffic. One stain maker advises checking the floor now and then for sealer that's thinning or wearing in the walkways, and resealing it as needed.
Do I need a permit to stain a concrete floor in DeSoto?
The city's permit list doesn't name floor staining, so the surest answer comes from the city's building inspections office. The city requires permits to construct, alter or repair a building, and when a job needs one, we pull it ourselves, and if we aren't sure, I check with the building office before I quote. The city also asks every contractor to register with it each year, and we're licensed and insured.
How do I know if my concrete floor is too damp to stain?
One stain maker suggests taping plastic over one square foot of the floor and lifting it the next day, and if the concrete underneath is wet, that maker says to leave it unstained and unsealed. I'd much rather learn that before we start than after, so please tell me if the floor ever feels damp.
Related flooring work for your DeSoto home
Terrazzo Flooring
If you'd rather have chips of marble, glass or stone set into a polished floor than color soaked into plain concrete, terrazzo is worth a look.
Basement Flooring
A basement slab sits below ground and often meets dampness, so it helps to talk through the floor options before choosing stain or a coating down there.
Call (972) 450-9481 about your stained floor
Having the rough square footage, the rooms, your color ideas and any old sealer or coating you know of ready makes the call quicker, and every floor is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Mon–Fri: 6 AM–10 PM, Sat–Sun: 7 AM–11 PM