Seal and Stain Patio for Luxury Look

For years now I have been dreaming about smoothing out the floor on our patio space, and when we began our patio style challenge I knew it was the time to go for it! Not only did I want to smooth out the patio floor, but I decided it would be the perfect opportunity to take on a project I’ve always been wanting to try— staining concrete!

Before we could get to the fun part of the staining process, we had to prepare the floor. We knew we had to grind down the concrete to achieve a smooth surface.

Step one – acquire the proper tool! We headed to The Home Depot tool rental desk, and rented out a concrete floor grinder. Once it was in our patio, it was time to smooth everything out!

The process of grinding down the floor took a few hours total, and I won’t lie— it was a messy endeavor. Thankfully, it was worth it! We used the concrete floor grinder for the main patio floor area, and then used a hand held angle grinder with a masonry disc to do the detail work around the edges and by the screen frame. When all was said and done, our patio was covered in a layer of concrete “mud” that had to be scooped out and removed.

Note: because we used a grinder to make our concrete smooth, we did not need to etch the concrete before staining. However, if you are replicating this technique on an existing smooth concrete surface, you may need to use an etching solution to prepare it. When in doubt, follow the instructions provided on the concrete dye to determine if you require etching!

Once the concrete debris was removed, it was time to power wash the patio floor to make sure it was completely clean before applying any product. Once the floor was dry, we used painter’s tape and plastic sheeting to protect the areas around the patio floor we did not want to dye.

Using a pump sprayer, we applied the first coat of Emerald Pool dye in a figure eight motion over the patio floor. This pattern allows for differences in coverage across the floor and will create depth in the overall look. We found that it was best to start and stop as few times as possible, as it can create drips when you stop the pump sprayer. After the first coat dried, we went back over spots that needed more dye with a second coat to fill in spaces that were slightly too light.

After we finished with the Emerald Pool dye, we made sure to clean out the pump sprayer with water— both the base container as well as the nozzle. When it sprayed clean, it was time to add the Industrial Gray accent color and get to work! We used the same figure eight technique to apply this layer of dye in a lighter amount than the base coat, making sure the base color still showed through.

After a 24-hour drying time on the concrete dye, we sealed the floor.

We applied two thin coats of BEHR Premium Wet Look Sealer with paint rollers to finish the patio. We allowed 72 hours to pass before moving furniture onto the surface to make sure it was fully set.

After that, it was time to decorate and enjoy our new space!

All in all, I am SO happy with how our floor turned out! Not only is it easier to clean, but the beautiful blue color blends so well with the look of our home.