Wood stain on concrete?!?
After staining my entire privacy fence, I still had an enormous amount of stain left over in the massive can. As an experiment two years ago, I used it to stain the less-than-aesthetic gray concrete along the foundation of my brick home. That's right, a wood stain on concrete! But only in the back though - if it turned out to be an awful mistake, only I would be the wiser. But it turned out better than I expected! The color went on easily, blended beautifully with the brick, and has even weathered the Midwest rain, snow, ice, high winds, and our brutal summer sun. Two years later and I'm still loving the look:
So, now it's time to stain the entire front foundation of the house as well! I've found that wood stain is inherently cheaper than concrete stain. And you can purchase oil-based wood stain in a variety of sizes but concrete stain is only available by the gallon. It's quick but lasting curb appeal on a smaller budget! You'll need:
* A power washer or strong hose and a scrub brush * Oil based wood stain * Application brush
First step - if you have landscaping mulch or rock, pull it away from the house a bit. You'll want to stain down just below what shows to the rest of the world. Grass is tricky and may require a shorter cut against the house for this project. Next, prep the surface. A clean surface will take the stain more evenly. Either give it a quick power wash or blast it with the hose and scrub with a brush to remove caked on dirt, pollen, bugs, and whatever else is trying to get in the way of your stain! Let everything dry thoroughly. Time to stain! Brush it on the concrete, keeping drips in check, and stepping back every so often to make sure you have an even application. Once dry, push your landscaping rock or mulch back up against the house. Step back and admire the striking difference!
No more boring gray foundation!
