What are your options for outdoor concrete floor finishes? Honestly, there are more than we could ever list in a single article. Still, you will find the best and most popular options in the following guide. Here, we list and explain which options are best for your budget, best for durability, and best for a low-maintenance outdoor floor.
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All of these finishes come with specific pros and cons of their own, which we’ll soon discuss. Whether you’re just looking to protect your concrete floor or you want to really make it shine, find the ideal exterior concrete flooring finish in this guide.
Concrete stamping is a process used to texture the surface of your concrete before it dries. The stamp is a mold that’s pressed onto the surface of the wet concrete in order to shape it.
Concrete can be stamped to look like all sorts of different patterns and textures. It can even be stamped so that it resembles brick, cobblestone, and other outdoor flooring types. Stamping can also achieve this effect on fireplace concrete and concrete seat walls.
The concrete should still be sealed after stamping to preserve the look of it. Also, know that the texture of stamped concrete can make it more difficult to clean and maintain than smoother concrete finishes.
Acrylic sealers coat your outdoor concrete flooring in a thin, hardened shell to protect it from the elements. It doesn’t affect the color much, but it gives your concrete a shiny, polished look.
These sealers can be a good, budget-friendly option as they tend to be cheaper than the others on this list. However, this is because acrylic sealers come with a few unfortunate disadvantages.
Most notably, they are not as protective as other sealants. They are slightly flexible, so they can chip, crack, scuff, and wear somewhat easily.
Regular waxing of your sealed concrete floor can help with this. But this, of
Scoring is a different way to manipulate the look and texture of your concrete. But, in contrast to stamping, scoring is applied after the concrete is fully hardened. It’s done by scratching/etching the desired pattern into the concrete’s surface.
Scored concrete should also be sealed for preservation and easy cleaning. Like stamping, scoring can be applied to any variety of exterior concrete, including wall concrete and concrete fire pits.
Sealing your concrete floor gives it a lustrous sheen. It also protects it from the elements by giving it a waterproof coat.
Your floor will be easier to maintain and will last longer overall if sealed. However, the sealant must be reapplied every three years or so to keep working effectively.
For this staining process, acidic chemicals are applied to the concrete to change the color. This gives the concrete a two-toned swirl of colors that resembles marble. The resulting colors are powerfully vibrant.
There are a lot of colors to choose from to match any outdoor decor scheme you have going on. Choose carefully, though. Once the stain is applied, it can never be removed.
Water-based concrete stains have a far more subtle coloring effect than acid stains. So, if you want colors that aren’t quite as bold, choose a water stain.
Also, water stains offer more colors than acid stains. Plus, they’re a lot better for the environment because they’re very low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds).
Fast Stain has the best advantages of both water-based and acid-based concrete stains. You get a swirly pattern of bright, vivid colors, as with an acid stain. And Fast stain is low in VOCs, like water-based stains.
Plus, it’s called “fast” for a reason. The entire process of applying Fast Stain takes less time than applying other stains. For these reasons, Fast Stain is a top choice for DIYers.
Hopefully, this list has helped you weigh and measure your options so you could make your choice. If you still can’t decide, that’s okay, too.
Whether you need help choosing the right outdoor concrete finish or you’re ready to install it, contact us here.
At Concrete Craft Serving Nashville, we want to reassure you that the wellbeing and safety of our customers is always our top priority.
