Acid stain
Acid stain reacts with the concrete, so the result is a mottled, variable color that differs from slab to slab. That variation is the look, and it is not a defect. It works only on bare, clean concrete without a coating.
Stained and Dyed Concrete Floors in Glendale
Typical cost in Glendale
- One room, about 250 sq ft$1,800 – $3,500+
- Living area, about 800 sq ft$4,400 – $9,000+
- Whole house, about 2,000 sq ft$10,000 – $20,000+
A concrete floor in Glendale can take color in two ways, stain or dye, and a dyed slab can be polished afterward. Glendale Polished Concrete handles both for rooms and garages. This is not paint: the color lives in the concrete, so the slab’s own variation, joints and flaws come through.
The work covers interior floors and garages in Glendale, Phoenix and Sun City, not patios or other outdoor concrete. We do not claim a color will never change; ask the installer for the product’s own guidance.
Color options
Water-based stain
Water-based stains color the surface without the same reaction. They offer a broader range of colors and can be chosen where a less cloudy result is wanted.
Concrete dye
Dye is a pigment carried into the surface of a ground slab. It can give more even color than an acid stain, and it pairs with a polish: the floor is ground and dyed, then densified and polished.
Paint and coatings
Paint and colored coatings sit on top and are a different trade. If you want a solid opaque color, ask a coatings contractor; our work keeps the concrete visible.
What the slab decides
A slab’s mix, finishing and age decide how color takes. Patches, old glue, trowel burns and cracks will show through or stand out. A cream surface of cement paste takes color differently from one that has been ground deeper to show fine sand or stone.
A sample area on your own floor is the safest way to see this. The trade approves a mockup on the actual slab before the full floor is finished, since a photo or sample board cannot show how your concrete reacts.
Color choices
Warm tones such as terracotta and tan suit desert-style interiors with stucco walls. Soft greys and creams keep a floor calm and light. Deep charcoal, or charcoal with sage undertones, reads darker and shows variation as subtle movement.
Dark colors show dust, marks and scratches more than lighter ones, and a dyed floor still follows the slab: it will not look like a solid-colored tile.
Caring for colored concrete
Color in a polished slab does not wear off the way a paint film can, but the surface still needs ordinary cleaning, and spills of acids and some cleaners can mark it. A stain guard is optional. Ask for the product’s cleaning guidance in writing, and keep a dated photo of the floor in case you ever need to compare.
Frequently asked questions
Is stain, dye or paint better?
Paint is a coating that hides the slab, while stain and dye work inside the surface and leave the concrete showing. Acid stain mottles, dye evens out and paint covers.
Can an existing floor be stained or dyed?
Yes, if any coating, glue and sealer is removed and the surface can absorb the color. A test spot shows how it will look. A tile floor needs the tile and thinset off first.
Will the color fade?
It depends on the product, the light the floor gets and how it is cared for, and we have no tested fade data for local conditions. Ask the installer for the manufacturer’s guidance on sun and cleaning.
The Glendale Polished Concrete home page lists everything else, but for this service the order matters: carpet glue and old coatings sit between the dye and the concrete, so concrete floor restoration clears them out first, and polished concrete garage floors covers the garage side of color.
Request a free polished concrete quote
Which room or garage is it, what color family appeals and what is the floor like right now? We'll get back to you soon with an estimate or any questions we have. Estimates are free and there's no obligation.
Call (888) 663-7145