Free on-site estimatesWritten price up frontCall or text 7 days a week
Serving Winston-Salem, Kernersville & the Triad
Stained Concrete in Winston-Salem, NC | Acid & Water-Based Staining
Staining adds color to concrete without changing its texture, which is what makes it different from stamped work. An acid stain reacts chemically with the concrete to give a mottled, variegated, stone-like color that is permanent and unique to each slab; a water-based stain gives more consistent, controllable color and a wider palette. Price follows the square footage, whether the slab is new or existing, how much prep and repair it needs, and the number of colors or effects.
Stain works on a sound slab, new or old, which makes it a strong way to transform an existing patio or interior floor without tearing anything out. The catch is that stain shows everything: the color follows the surface, so cracks, patches and stains under it will read through. The prep, cleaning and any repair before staining is where a good result is won or lost, and then it has to be sealed to protect the color.
How Much Does Stained Concrete Cost in Winston-Salem, NC?
What changes
Effect on your price
Square footage
The single biggest driver. Work is priced per square foot, so measure before you call.
Acid or water-based stain
Acid stain reacts for a mottled, permanent, one-of-a-kind color. Water-based stain gives more consistent, controllable color and a wider palette. They price differently.
New slab or existing
Staining an existing slab needs cleaning and stripping of any old sealer first. Stain will not take on a dirty or sealed surface.
Prep and repair
Stain follows the surface, so cracks, patches and contamination read through. The prep and any repair before staining is where the result is won.
Number of colors and effects
A single color is the baseline. Layering, a second color for depth, or borders each add hand work.
Sealer
Stain has to be sealed to protect and deepen the color, and outdoors that seal is maintained over time.
Every job is priced on site. We measure, check the base and the grade, and put a written price in your hand before any concrete is ordered.
What's Included
Acid or water-based stain, chosen for the look you want
Surface cleaned and prepped so the color takes evenly
Crack and blemish repair before staining where it matters
Single color or layered effects, priced by complexity
Sealer to protect and deepen the color
Works on existing slabs, not just new pours
How a stained concrete Job Goes, Step by Step
1
Assess the slab and set expectations
Stain follows the surface, so we check the slab for cracks, patches and contamination and tell you honestly what will read through, because the character of stained concrete is partly its imperfections.
2
Clean and prep
The surface is thoroughly cleaned and any coatings or sealers are removed, because stain cannot penetrate a sealed or dirty slab. Repairs that need to be invisible are done now.
3
Apply the stain
Acid stain is applied and allowed to react with the concrete, or water-based stain is applied to build the color. Layering and a second color for depth happen at this stage.
4
Neutralise and rinse
Acid stain is neutralised and the residue rinsed off so the final color shows true. The slab is left clean and dry before sealing.
5
Seal
A sealer locks in the color, deepens it, and protects the surface. Interior floors may get a finish coat for sheen; exterior work gets a seal built for freeze-thaw and traffic.
How It Works
1. Tell us what you need
Call or text with the rough size and what is there now. A photo of the space answers half the questions before anyone drives out.
2. Get a written price on site
Someone walks the job, measures it, checks access and drainage, and leaves you a written number. Free, and there is no pressure attached to it.
3. We schedule the pour
Once you approve the price the work gets scheduled around the weather window. You get a start date and a realistic finish date, not a vague week.
When to Call
You want to add color to a plain patio, floor or walkway
An existing slab you would rather stain than tear out
You like the mottled, natural look of acid-stained concrete
You are choosing between staining and stamped or colored concrete
Acid Stain, Water Based Stain and What to Expect
The two stain families produce genuinely different looks, and the most important thing to understand about both is that neither is a uniform colour.
Acid stain
A reactive stain that chemically bonds with the lime in the concrete, producing translucent, mottled, variegated colour with real depth. It is permanent and it will not fade or peel because it is part of the slab. The palette is limited to earth tones: browns, tans, soft greens and blue greens. The variation is the point, and it is also the risk, because you cannot fully predict it.
Water based stain and dye
These are pigment rather than reaction, so the colour range is enormous, including blues, reds and greys an acid stain cannot produce. They are more predictable and more uniform. The tradeoff is that they sit nearer the surface and, particularly with dyes, some are not ultraviolet stable, which makes them an interior product unless specified otherwise.
Expect variation, and treat that as the feature
This is the expectation that most needs setting. Stained concrete is not a paint finish and will never look like one. It will be mottled, it will vary across the floor, it will show the slab's own history in places, and control joints will read through. People who love stained concrete love it for exactly those reasons. Anyone wanting an even, uniform, repeatable colour should be steered to a coating instead, and told so before the work is booked.
Stained Concrete for Winston-Salem Homes and Businesses
Same product, different tolerance for variation.
Homes
Basements, sunrooms, patios and floors in open plan spaces. Residential clients usually want the mottled character, and the practical consideration is the maintenance cycle: an interior stained floor keeps a sacrificial finish over the sealer, which is periodically stripped and reapplied rather than left indefinitely.
Businesses
Restaurants, retail and showrooms use stained concrete because it delivers a distinctive floor cheaply relative to the alternatives. Commercial use brings slip resistance into the specification for the sealer, and the maintenance cycle has to be built into a cleaning contract, since a stained and sealed floor that is never re finished will wear through in traffic lanes first and show it clearly.
How Long Stained Concrete Take in Winston-Salem
Staining is a chemical or pigment reaction with a slab that already exists, which makes the condition and history of that slab the main thing determining the result. Unlike paint, stain cannot cover anything up.
Test area first
A test patch in an inconspicuous spot shows how this particular slab takes this particular colour. Two slabs poured the same week can stain differently depending on the mix, the finish and what has been on them since. Skipping the test is how people end up surprised.
Strip and clean
Every trace of sealer, coating, adhesive and oil has to come off, because stain can only reach concrete it can touch. Anywhere a stain cannot penetrate stays the original colour, and that shows up as a permanent shadow in the shape of whatever was there.
Repairs, with a warning
Patches and fills take stain differently to the surrounding slab, and usually far less. Repairs on a floor that will be stained will remain visible. That is a property of the process, not a workmanship failure, and it is better understood before the decision than after.
Stain application
Applied and allowed to react. Acid stains need reaction time measured in hours; water based stains behave more like a dye and act faster.
Neutralise and rinse
Acid stains are neutralised and thoroughly rinsed, then the floor is allowed to dry completely. Residue left behind will interfere with the sealer.
Seal
Stained concrete is always sealed, because the sealer is what protects the colour and gives it depth. Interior floors usually then take a floor finish over the sealer as a sacrificial wear layer.
Return to service
Foot traffic typically the day after sealing, furniture and full use a few days later, following the sealer's own cure schedule.
Interior staining is mostly weather independent. Exterior staining follows sealer rules, which means no application in the cold, in direct heat, or ahead of rain.
Where we cover
Stained Concrete across Winston-Salem, Kernersville, Walkertown, Rural Hall, Union Cross, Pfafftown, Clemmons, Lewisville, Stanleyville, Belews Creek, King, Germanton, Oak Ridge, Colfax, Summerfield, Stokesdale, Wallburg, Midway and Welcome.
Common Questions
What is the difference between stained and stamped concrete?⌄
Stamping adds texture and pattern to the concrete; staining only adds color and leaves the surface as it is. Staining is often the cheaper way to transform a slab because it needs no forming or pattern work, and it can be done on existing concrete.
Can you stain an existing patio or floor?⌄
Yes, that is one of its best uses. A sound existing slab can be cleaned, stained and sealed to look completely different without a tear-out. The main thing is that any cracks or patches under the stain will still read through, so we set that expectation up front.
Is stained concrete permanent?⌄
Acid stain reacts with the concrete and is permanent; it will not peel or flake. Water-based stains sit on the surface and are also durable when sealed. Both need the sealer maintained over time to keep the color protected, especially outdoors.
Explore More Concrete Services
Most jobs touch more than one of these. If you are already pricing stained concrete, it is usually worth pricing anything else you have been putting off in the same visit, because the mobilisation is already paid for.
