Concrete Staining
 

Has anybody colored their concrete in their garage and have a suggestions for type of material and/or method to use? I'm putting up a 14x26 metal building in the backyard and thought it would be cool to have a nice glossy red (to match the car) or orange floor. It's not something I need, so not really looking to spend a whole lot of money. And curious how it would stand up to the wear and tear of a garage.

If you aren't going to be taking the car in and out several times every day with salty snow dripping off of it, I think the painted on and sealed garage floor paint will last. My father-in-law painted his garage years back and it degraded fairly quickly from the extreme use he put it through so he had to repaint every year until he decided not to mess with it anymore.

You can have the concrete integrally colored which is the best method. Most reds come out more pink than red though.

Solid colored stains applied after pouring will get you the color but durability is a factor. Its all in the preparation and how gingerly you use the floor.

Acetone based dyes are very popular now but require a clear topcoat which will eventually scratch and need to be recoated.

Epoxy / urethane coating systems will do the job as well but can get expensive if you want the good stuff.

If you haven't poured the slab yet, I would add the dye to the concrete. We often asked to have 3 to 5 lbs of lamp black per yard. I'
ve seen brick colored dye as well.

Just realized you only have 364 sf.

Have someone grind the floor as preparation for a coating.
Apply (1) coat of epoxy primer, (1) coat of high solids epoxy and (1) coat of urethane.

Should be able to get it done for $3-5 per square foot.

Check over at the garagejournal forums - there are probably hundreds of threads on floor finishes of garages/shops with plenty of information.

To answer your question, you can buy acid stain that will turn the concrete different colors, including English Red, which is a common color that is more brown than red.

The stain does not soak in very deep so over time it will lighten with wear.

You can seal and wax the stained concrete for a glossy finish and protection.

I have acid stained a basement and a back deck.

Easy and cheap.

For $3-$5 a square foot, I would get the interlocking black and white colored tiles and do a checkerboard theme with a red border for less money. This is something I have already looked into for my garage at 350 sq.ft, but just don't have the extra $1000 laying around right now.....maybe next Spring.