Stained Concrete Flooring in Gilroy CA - color in the slab, not a coat on top
Tired of a plain gray slab or a coating that keeps flaking? Stain colors the concrete itself, so there's no film to peel.
- Licensed and insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- We respond within 1 business day.
Is stained concrete right for my floor?
Stained concrete flooring in Gilroy, CA colors your existing slab from within, so the color becomes part of the concrete instead of a coat on top that can peel. You get a natural, mottled floor that shows the slab's character, cracks and patches included.
Most people who call us have just uncovered a slab, or they have a garage or back room where a coating keeps letting go, and they want to know if stain is the answer. We're Gilroy Epoxy Floors & Concrete Coatings, based in Gilroy and working in cities up and down the valley and over toward the coast. The price mostly turns on how much prep the slab needs, like stripping off an old finish or glue and filling cracks, along with the floor's size, how many colors you want and the sealer you pick. The schedule turns on test patches, whether a new slab is done curing and whether the floor is damp, and if it isn't ready yet, I'll tell you. The written estimate lays out each step, so you can see where the money goes before you decide.
How do you know your floor is ready for stain or needs it redone?
Coating peeling off in patches
A painted or coated floor that's lifting in sheets usually has moisture or rushed prep underneath, and the film on top is letting go. Stain doesn't build a film that can peel, but the old coating has to come off first, and the longer it flakes, the more half-stuck patches there are to strip.
Bare slab under old flooring
Pulling up carpet or tile often leaves gray concrete with glue lines and a few cracks. That slab may take stain well, but every patch and glue mark will show through, so it's worth having someone look before you buy new flooring you might not need.
Worn paths on an old stain
Dull, lighter lanes from the door to the kitchen usually mean the sealer has worn through and foot traffic is now working on the color itself. Resealing at that point is a small job, while letting it go means the worn areas get harder to blend back in.
How we do stained concrete flooring
I start by looking at the slab and asking what used to be on it, because old sealers, glue and damp spots decide most of what stain will do. Then our crew cleans and preps the floor, which can mean grinding off leftover finish and filling cracks, since stain soaks into bare concrete and goes blotchy anywhere something's in the way. Stain shows the slab as it is, so we do test patches first and talk through with you what will show. Once you like the color, we stain the floor, clean up the residue and seal it, and the sealer you choose decides whether the finish reads deep and glossy or soft and toned down.
Stain isn't the only way to get color into concrete. If you want stone or glass chips set into the surface and ground smooth, terrazzo flooring is the closer fit, and if the room is below ground, basement flooring starts with the damp question before anyone talks color.
Acid stain
This suits you if you like muted earth tones and a mottled look that's different on every slab, because the acid reacts with the concrete itself. Results vary from batch to batch and slab to slab, so plan time for test patches before the whole floor gets color.
Water-based stain
This suits you if you want more colors to choose from than acid's earth tones. It wears faster where feet go back and forth all day, can fade in direct sun and can be lifted by damp coming up through the slab, so we weigh it against how hard the room gets used and how much sun it gets.
Get a written estimate for your stained floor
Send the form and we'll reply within one business day to set up a free estimate at your property. I'll look at the slab and leave you a written estimate, with no obligation to go ahead.
- Based in
- Gilroy, CA 95020
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 8 AM–11 PM, Sat–Sun: 6 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call about staining a floor in Gilroy?
Here's how a stained floor job runs from your first call to the final walk-through, and what you'll have in hand before you decide.
Call or send a message
Call (669) 205-6336 or use the form, and we'll set a time to come see the floor. Tell us what the room is used for and what used to cover the slab, so I know what to look for.
Walk the slab together
I look at the concrete, ask about old flooring and any damp spots, and walk you through acid and water-based stain. You get a written estimate with each step spelled out, so the prep cost sits right next to the staining instead of turning up later.
Prep, stain and seal
Our crew preps the floor, stains it once you've approved the color, and seals it. We bring the room back to clean before the sealer goes down, because dust trapped in it stays there.
Walk the finished floor
We go over the finished job with you before we pack up. That's the time to ask when furniture can go back and how to care for the sealer.
Why Gilroy homeowners call us to stain their concrete
I walk your floor myself
I come out for the estimate, and our own crew does the work with me or our lead installer on site. The person who looked at your slab is the one making sure the plan holds.
Concrete floors since 2013
We've been coloring and coating slabs since 2013, and I learned the trade working for an installer here in the valley. That's long enough to know most trouble on a stained floor starts underneath, so that's where we look first.
Licensed, insured, fresh air planned
We're licensed and insured. Acid stain gives off fumes, so we plan how fresh air gets into the room and our crew works in protective gear.
On a stained floor, the slab decides most of the result, so I'd rather you understand yours before you pick a color. Ask for your estimate, and know that every floor we stain is backed by our satisfaction guarantee.
Staining, rinsing and sealing concrete floors in Gilroy
Staining makes rinse water, and in South Santa Clara County the storm drains carry water straight to local creeks and Monterey Bay with no treatment. So nothing from a stain job gets hosed out the garage door and down the gutter. One stain maker's guide says to collect all residue and rinse water and get rid of it under environmental rules, and that's how we clean up here and on jobs in Morgan Hill and San Martin.
California's local air districts limit VOCs, the vapors that come off a coating or solvent as it dries, so the sealer and cleaners used on your floor have to fall inside those limits. Around Gilroy we see a lot of garages and older slabs coming out from under carpet, and those are the floors where talking through sealer and look pays off most.
Questions about stained concrete in Gilroy
Will concrete stain hide the cracks in my floor?
No, stain shows the slab as it really is, so cracks, old stains and repairs stay visible. Because stain highlights every flaw, cracks, scuffs and leftover sealer get handled before any color goes on, and it's fair to ask exactly what prep your floor needs for an even finish.
Will acid stain work on an older concrete slab in Gilroy?
Sometimes not well, because older, worn concrete, or concrete that's had a lot of running water over it, may show little or no reaction to acid stain. The age and wear of the slab shape which stain will give it real color, so on an old floor we look hard at the concrete before anyone settles on acid.
How long does a stained concrete floor last?
With regular maintenance, the stain on a concrete floor lasts 5 to 20 years. That upkeep means waxing or sealing every 1 to 3 years, so it's worth budgeting for it the way you would for repainting a room.
How much does stained concrete flooring cost in Gilroy, CA?
Across the US, staining an existing concrete floor, labor included, usually costs about $3 to $15 per square foot. That's a national range and not our price, and where your floor lands depends mostly on how much prep it needs. Call (669) 205-6336 for a written estimate on your own floor.
How long does it take to stain a concrete floor?
Staining a concrete floor usually takes 1 to 3 days, drying time included. It waits until the concrete is fully cured, so if you're pouring a new slab, plan the stain for after curing ends.
How do I know if my concrete is too damp to stain?
One maker's instructions say to tape plastic over one square foot of floor and pull it up the next day. If the concrete under it is wet, that maker says to hold off on staining and sealing until the moisture is dealt with.
Other floors people weigh against stain
Terrazzo Flooring
If you want a floor with chips of stone or glass set right in it and ground smooth, terrazzo gives a look stain can't reach.
Basement Flooring
Below-ground rooms bring their own damp questions, so basement flooring starts with checking what's coming up through the slab before anyone chooses a finish.
Cities where we stain concrete floors
Gilroy Epoxy Floors & Concrete Coatings is based in Gilroy, CA, and we stain floors in cities from Hollister to Salinas. The 12 cities below have their own pages, but they aren't the only places we go, so if yours isn't listed, call and ask.
Tell us about the floor you want stained
Have the floor's rough size, its age and a few photos of any cracks ready when you call or fill out the form, because those three things tell me most of what I need before I come out.