Different Finishes on Concrete Floors

Scored Concrete

• Concrete professionals can make your existing concrete floor look like brick or stone by scoring the surface with abrasive masonry blades attached to circular saws. The blades cut shallow patterns less than 1/8-inch thick into the concrete to create the illusion of grout, and the concrete is painted in colors to reflect red or tan brick or natural stone. For an ultra-modern nonconventional finish, various geometric shapes and patterns can be created and painted in bright or muted colors.

Stamped Finishes

• If you are pouring new concrete, one of the best and most economical ways to make it look like brick, tile, stone, slate or wood planks is to stamp it before it sets. Flexible and rigid stamps imprint single patterns or groups of patterns up to 8 square feet into the wet concrete. To add extra authenticity, grout can be applied into the grooves in the finishes after the stamped concrete dries.

Acid Stain Treatments

• This concrete finish is the most artistic and daring option and can be used on new or existing concrete surfaces. The stains chemically interact with the lime in the concrete, creating light etching and colors that vary in hue throughout the floor. Mottling effects created by special tools and processes make the surface resemble marble or granite. As the chemicals react differently with the various substances and the myriad of textures in the concrete, the colors produced are an eclectic mixture of pastels, random patterns and deep, rich colors. To add more drama to the design, you can create patterns with mops, brushes, sprayers, sawdust and leaves before the acid dries.

Concrete Overlays

• One of the easiest ways to transform dull gray concrete into a colorful festive floor is with a concrete overlay. Patch and seal any cracks or fissures in the surface. Slightly uneven or irregular surfaces do not have to be flattened or leveled as the overlay poured onto the concrete is about 3/8-inch thick, which creates a smooth, shiny finish on the floor. Overlays come in a wide range of colors with added components to create illusions of depth and texture.