Hello laurel diy,
Within the past few years concrete has really come a long way from the boring sidewalk gray stuff we normally think of to it being used in high quality counter tops, custom grill enclosures, polished sinks, decorative flooring,…ECT. There are a couple different ways that you could go about changing the look of an old concrete floor without having to do any major construction. If you have walked in a The Home Depot you most likely have noticed the polished concrete floors throughout the store. This is a fairly inexpensive option and will give the floors a natural, washable surface that can take a beating all while looking nice.
Another option which is pretty common is a concrete dye or stain. These can be applied directly to a clean concrete surface and don’t require a special roller or much prep work. Some of these semi transparent stains when applied using different sprayers, brushes, and rollers can give the concrete a natural stone look and can later be sealed to protect from staining and make clean up much easier using a concrete and masonry sealer. Another interesting way people create a faux natural stone floor using stain is to cut out “tiles” or section in the floor prior to staining it using a masonry cutting tool this gives the illusion it has been finished in natural stone.
If the concrete is in fair to poor shape and requires patching a floor paint maybe an option as well. Before anything goes over the concrete it should be cleaned and prepped using a floor primer, there are specific concrete bonding primers that are best for this type of job. Then to finish off, top coat using whatever faux technique you prefer with a high quality floor paint. These will hold up well to foot traffic and provide excellent durability. These are just a couple of the more common ways a concrete floor can be refinished, if you have any more questions regarding a particular technique or have any other ideas let us know and well be happy to help. If you get the time post a few before and after pictures I love these kinds of projects.
Jeff
. We have been converting our basement into an apartment for some time now, and are close to finished, except for the floor, and our occupants are moving in Dec. 1st, so I don't have much time. I was thinking of painting the floor with a faux technique, possibly using Sherwin Williams floor paint. I have, in the past, fauxed wall tile to look like marble, and it turned out looking great. Because of my lack of expertise, I thought that it sounded easier to paint the floor rather than to stain the floor or polish it, as you suggested. (We did stain/polished our sanctuary floor in our church and it turned out great, but we paid someone to do that, and I don't have the $ to pay someone). That's the story- I don't know if that helps or not. Which technique do you think 1) looks best, 2) is easiest for an amateur, 3) is fastest. I definitely appreciate your comments and am pouring over them, considering each possibility. Thanks, Laure
