Stained Concrete Floors - Thrifty Alternative to Hardwood, Laminate, or Carpeted Flooring

Under $150 DIY easy to clean and allergen-free flooring.

Materials (all purchased at Home Depot):

BEHR Premium 1-Gal. Semi-Transparent Concrete Stain - $25.96 x 1

☆ I recommend using a solid stain rather than semi-transparent if the concrete slab you are staining has any blemishes you would not want visible.

☆ You get to pick the color of your choice at the store for no extra charge. They have indoor and outdoor concrete stain swatches that you can pick from. Ours was a stain with red tones, since I wanted the floor to look "earthy".

☆ BEHR recommends using a primer with it... We didn't and it turned out just fine.

BEHR 1-Gal. Wet Look Sealer - $26.98 x 2

☆ Love this sealer, the more layers you apply the glossier it looks.

Folk Art 30603 Large Painting Stencils, Large Leaf - $6.51 x 1

☆ Reusable laser cut stencil.

☆ I also had a Dragonfly Stencil set. Either way, accents are not required and if you wish to add any the options are limitless. Have fun and get creative!

Krylon Metallic Spray Paint 12 Ounces - $4.65 x 2

ScotchBlue 1.88 in. x 60 yd. Delicate Surface Painter's Tape - $8.97 x 2

Linzer 9 in. x 3/8 in. High-Density Polyester Roller Covers (3-Pack) - $8.34 x 1

SUBTOTAL = $122.01

You will also need a paint roller/stick (I hope you have one lying around the house, if not go grab the cheapest one you find, should cost no more than $15).

Procedure:

1. Move all the furniture into another room. 
2. Cut the carpet in sheets BEFORE you begin to pull it off the floor. This way it will be a lot more manageable when it comes to discarding it (especially if you end up tackling this project by yourself).
3. Pull the carpet off the floor and discard. 
4. Use a hammer to pull up any nails/tack strips.
5. Sweep the concrete slabs. Do this several times to make sure no debris remains behind.
6. Mop the concrete to pick up dust.
7. Let dry.
8. Apply the stain according to packaging instructions. You can use alternating strokes if you want to give your concrete an "artsy" look. If you don't feel very brave and want a fool proof technique to ensure that the slabs will look nice and even - I suggest you use a solid color stain and use the roller just as you would use it on a wall. We used alternating strokes and love the way it came out.
9. Let the stain dry.
10. Apply your stencils and spray paint them. Alternate the orientation of your stencil to create a "non-industrial" look. Make sure you sketch where and how you want the stencils to go, so you don't risk ending up with an odd-looking distribution.
11. Let spray paint dry.
12. Let everything dry according to label instructions and then apply the Wet Look Sealer.
13. Apply as many coats as you want until the desired look is achieved. I think we added 3 coats.
14. Let dry for 3 days just to be ultra safe. We have heavy furniture and I did not want to risk dinging the floors.
15. ENJOY! These floors are incredibly easy to clean, they are extremely durable, unique and personal! We had a blast redoing our bedroom and I can't tell you how happy I was to get rid of my "accident ridden" old carpet (my two lovely pups took some time to get potty trained).