Anyone done concrete staining??
 

I'm looking to do some interior concrete staining in one room. I was wondering if any DIY gurus have had any experience with this type of stuff? I'm trying to get rid of carpet and stain the concrete. My biggest problem is cracks and some what looks like white paint on the concrete. Any suggestions?

Yeah I used to do that kind of work. Clean it real good, and be sure to give it a good acid etch. Since it's interior you can't use a pressure washer so just use a bug sprayer. You need to get the paint up. Stain works by penetrating into the pores of the concrete- paint on the concrete will prevent this. Depends on if it's oil or latex. Latex should come off easy with something like some denatured alcohol and a scrub brush. Oil will require a thinner or mineral spirits and will be more difficult to get up. They make different products you can patch the cracks with. Go with a good elastomeric one, that way it will have some give to it. Be sure to use H&C stain, it's available from Sherwin Williams, it is the only product I never had any problems with.

BigNasty.....I attached a picture of the corner of the room so you can see what I'm working with. Thanks for all the feedback my friend! If you have any more suggestions after this pic please let me know. I'm headed to home depot today to get some supplies for prepping etc later on.

http://i51.tinypic.com/mucch.jpg

That's just the overspray from where they originally painted it, depends on how long it's been there. At least it's not real thick like a fully painted surface. Let it soak and a lot of that may just scrape off.

you will need to get that paint up. The stain will eat away at it

I did the floor in the mancave awhile ago

http://jupzchris.com/floor.jpg

Lots of videos on youtube
https://youtube.com/results?searc...+staining&aq=f

How do stores and other places get that baby smooth polished concrete floor?

Do they actually sand it, or is it because of a coating they put over it?

It's the concrete they used, the preparation they did and mostly the smoothing out of material that they do. Basically, elbow grease.

This

plus
http://www.northerntool.com/images/p.../998200_lg.jpg

A lot of it too is the mixture, "the wetter the better" for smooth concrete.