Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Sealing Stained Concrete Floor

We're buying a house with stained concrete floors and would like to reapply another coat of clear sealant. Just thought I'd ask to see if anyone has any recommendations on the process?

There's some white stains on the floor where there appears to be some paint that was on the concrete. Unfortunetly, I think the previous owner stained over it and of course it's shows white on the floor. Does anyone know if theres a way to remove these?

- Do I need to remove the base trim to roll it on, or can I just mask it off?

- Is there any specific cleaner I need to use or will any cleaner with a mop do the job?

I appreciate the help.

It all depends upon the type of stain used. It will be a completely different process if it was acid stain rather than some type of pigmented "paintlike" stain. It also depends on what type of sealer was originally used. It could be a water based acrylic, a solvent based acrylic, an epoxy, a urethane, a polyurea, etc. There's just not enough info to give you any advice. Can you find out what products were used from the previous homeowners? If not, can you post pictures?

Thanks for the reply. I'm in the process of contacting the seller to find out what products were used on the floor. I'll post them once I know. I have pictures, but can I post a picture on the forum website?

Here's what the floor looks like.

Moving up in life (http://groups.msn.com/Movingupinlife/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=1)

Still no word from the seller, and probably won't get any either. I'm guessing (from what I've seen from some pictures and websites) that it's an acid stain, but I have no idea what type of sealer is on it.



- Will it hurt if I put a sealer on it that isn't the same type that was on it before?

It would be good to know what sealer was already on the floor. You simply can't tell by looking.

Sealing Colored Concrete - Making Concrete Last - The Concrete Network (http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/maintaining/sealingcolored.htm)

That floor does look like acid stain. I thought you were asking what to use to get the white spots out. If you just want to add another topcoat, don't use sealer at all. Go to Lowes, HD, or some janitorial supply place and get some mop on floor finish. Some call it wax, but it's not really wax. The stuff I use is Rubbermaid high gloss floor polish. It looks like skim milk but drys in minutes to a nice shine. It's what I use to topcoat and maintain my acid stained floors after they're sealed. The trick is to put it on as thin as possible, just damp mop the floor with it. You shouldn't see anything on the surface when you apply it except that the floor is damp. If you can see the milky color, you're putting it on too thick. It's the same type of stuff that stores use to maintain their floors. It's cheap and has very little odor. Good luck.

What about the build up? With what do you strip it?

The place you buy the polish (or sealer) will also carry the stripper for it. Many times the strippers used for interiors will have a citrus smell instead of a solvent one, so they're not too bad to work with.
However, when you apply the polish as thin as possible and don't overdo it, it would be a LOOOOONG time before there would be significant buildup. Keep in mind that this stuff is only subjected to light residential traffic, not like what a store sees. It may only need to be reapplied once a year or even less.

Got word back from the seller, and they said they did the floors in 2008. So, I'm guessing no need for a sealer. The wax idea is something I'll probably try. I had originally thought to do that, however some Home Depot guy told me that if I wax, I'll be waxing every other day to keep it looking good.


I'm not sure if I understood correctly. Does the one you use last a year?

Again, thanks for the responses, it's very very helpful.

I'm saying that it will last for quite a while. You're certainly not going to be waxing every week. With normal residential foot traffic, I'd say once a year would be plenty but it's your floor. The trouble with most folks is that as soon as it looks the tiniest bit dull, they wax again. Not to mention that they almost always apply it too thickly to begin with. Remember, apply it just so it looks like the floor is damp. NOT so much that you see the milkiness on the surface before it dries.

Where can I get that polish that you mentioned? I can't seem to locate it in any of the regular stores (lowes, home depot, etc.)

I buy the Rubbermaid stuff I mentioned at Menard's. However, any water based acrylic floor finish will work. In my experience, they're all about the same. For all I know, they may all be made at the same factory and private labelled anyway. I'd be shocked if HD or Lowes doesn't carry a version of it (not necessarily that brand though).

Is it possible also to have a color added to it? My concrete floor is blue, no shine. I would like to make it high shine but also with a shade of transparent brown.

That floor does look like acid stain. I thought you were asking what to use to get the white spots out. If you just want to add another topcoat, don't use sealer at all. Go to Lowes, HD, or some janitorial supply place and get some mop on floor finish. Some call it wax, but it's not really wax. The stuff I use is Rubbermaid high gloss floor polish. It looks like skim milk but drys in minutes to a nice shine. It's what I use to topcoat and maintain my acid stained floors after they're sealed. The trick is to put it on as thin as possible, just damp mop the floor with it. You shouldn't see anything on the surface when you apply it except that the floor is damp. If you can see the milky color, you're putting it on too thick. It's the same type of stuff that stores use to maintain their floors. It's cheap and has very little odor. Good luck.

I've never heard of it being done before, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be. I know that a lot of people that tint solvent based concrete sealers. You might ask a paint store person what type of pigments might work in a water based acrylic floor finish. I would also test it in an inconspicuous spot prior to doing the whole floor.
At any rate, if applied correctly (very thin) it wouldn't offer a lot of color change anyway, but it may lend the brown tint you're looking for. If not, then you could strip the existing finish/sealer, restain with a very diluted brown acid stain, and then reseal, but it would be a real pain to do all that. Good luck.

I applied the wax stuff. Bought online, and the supplier recommended using a gallon for 2,000 square feet. I did two super thin coats and bearly used half. The secret is to put it on as thin as possible. I used a sheep wool, and even then it was a battle to put it on thin.

The floor now looks amazing! Even after we've moved all our things in, it still looks shiny and classy! If you put anything on the floor, put it on thin.

Thanks for the information on this website.

Glad to hear it! It's always nice when people post back with their results, good or bad.

I also have stained concrete floors in 2 bathrooms and my laundry room. In the bathrooms I have recently noticed some white spots starting to appear. They won't go away with mopping or extra wax. The floors have been done for about 6 months. The stain used was Cohills and the sealant was a solvent based. What can I do to get these spots out?

The white spots are moisture trapped beneath the sealer. If it was only sealer involved, then applying xylene (xylol) then letting it dry would get rid of the spots. However, you also have wax on it. The wax will first have to be stripped before you get down to the sealer. Then the xylene will work.