I have a variance in the sheen of my sealer in places, should I apply a third coat?

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   Q. -  I just put 2 coats of sealer (clear shield advanced from concrete camouflage) on my floor last night. When i checked it this morning you can still see a variance in the sheen it a few places. Do you recommend a third coat or will the wax take care of this? BTW the artist grade concrete stain by concrete camouflage did a great job on the acid etched floor. Thank you.

 

Hello Bob,

 

   I would go ahead with another coat of sealer to smooth it out, before applying the wax. The wax may take care of it, but if it doesn't then you'd be removing the wax and applying more sealer anyway.

   However, if you don't have enough sealer to do a third coat, you should do a test before ordering more. You can put a two foot square section of wax down, that half of it covers a smoothed out part and half of it covers a lower sheen part. If it works out then you can go ahead and apply your wax. If it doesn't work and you see you'll need to apply more sealer, then strip off the wax with Simple Green and go forward with your third coat of sealer.

 

   Tip: Now that we're in Summer time heat, it's important to remember that the sealer will try to dry faster which can cause sheen variance and/or roller marks much more easily. Therefore, try to do all sealing in the cooler part of the day, and preferably in shade, if possible. Early morning is really the best because the concrete isn't heated up from the day, as it's had all night to cool off.

 

   Also, thank you for the report on the artist grade concrete stain working well on your floor, which had been previously acid etched. While acid washing or acid etching concrete renders standard grade concrete stains useless and unable to work, it's nice to hear the Artist Grade Concrete Acid Stain by Concrete Camouflage is still doing the job that the others can't.

 

I hope this helps.

 

My floor looks cloudy after I waxed it, what went wrong?

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   Q. -  I recently resealed and waxed my floors with Concrete Camouflage concrete sealer and floor wax. I applied the sealant (2 coats) based on the instructions. I then waited about 12-14 hours until beginning to wax.  The floor was completely dry and no issues that I could see. I put one coat of wax on the floor. After about 8 hours, we checked on the floor. In the right light and right angle, it had an extremely cloudy look to it. However, its not cloudy all over.  There are some spots where it looks perfect.  As we talked and moved around the house, it seemed like the cloudiness was moving across the floor?  The more places we looked, the more it cropped up?

   Can you fathom what I could've done wrong? Any assistance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hello Luke,

 

   A. -  It sounds like the sealer may have not cured enough before you applied the coat of wax, which allowed moisture from the wax to penetrate the sealers surface and make it cloudy.

 

   You should first give it a day or so to see if the moisture escapes and the problem corrects itself. If it does, then you can apply your second coat of wax.

   If it doesn't clear up in a couple (low humidity and warm) days, then the wax is preventing the moisture from wicking out and escaping, meaning you will need to strip the wax (Simple Green works well) and then let it sit for a couple days or so. The Clear Shield Advanced concrete sealer by Concrete Camouflage will allow the moisture to wick through and escape. Once it does, then you can re-apply the wax.

 

I hope this helps

 

Will the acid stain still work on an Acid Etched Floor?

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   Q. -  If my floor has been acid etched can I still stain it.

 

Hello Bob,

 

   A. -  Not with a standard grade acid stain. However, the Artist Grade from Concrete Camouflage is very successful at staining acid etched floors, when all the others can't, though it won't be as rich of a color as it would have been. You should order an 8 oz bottle and test it in a closet or out of the way place.

 

   Apply the stain and allow it to dry and sit for 24 hours. Easily neutralize and rinse it off. If you want the color darker, then after it dries apply another coat as before.

 

I hope this helps

 

I have flaking sealer and faded areas on some old stamped concrete. How can I fix it?

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   Q. -   I have a Large area of Stamped Concrete, Grey in color around my pool.  It is about 10 years old.  I have sealed it every other year.  It is starting to pit / flake in certain areas and the color is very faded.  What product should I use to paint or stain it to give it a fresh look.  Thank you

Hello Michael,

 

   If it's the sealer that is flaking off, then what appears to be faded concrete color may simply be an unsealed surface that would come back to life once the sealer was re-applied. If the concrete's color comes back when the concrete is wet or damp, then you should strip off the remaining sealer and then reseal it.

   If you do find that the concrete needs to be stained, then an acid stain will work fine so long as all the sealer is off and the stain can get into the pores of the concrete.

 

   If the flaking is the concrete itself is spalding off, then the surface of the concrete is losing it's structural surface integrity, which can be caused by many different reasons. Once this has began it will only continue and will eventually need to be removed and replaced with new concrete. In the meantime though, you can camouflage it with acid stains. Also, sealing the entire area may help to slow down the spalding and extend the life of the concrete.

 

I hope this helps

Should I Remove Rust Spots and Other Questions.

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  Q. -  I am going to try the Concrete Camouflage artistic grade stain and have some questions.

I just pressure washed the driveway today to get any dirt or mildew out of the pores of the cement and it is looking very clean now. Will I have to do this again or any other additional cleaning before putting the stain on when it gets here I would hope early next week?

 

Hello Robert,

 

   A. -  As long as the concrete is still clean, then it should be fine to stain without further cleaning.

Should it be completely dry when I do stain it?

 

   A. -  Yes, the concrete should be dry when applying the stain. It doesn't have to be bone dry though, just dry.

  Q. -  I saw in an earlier blog post that you told someone not to worry about a small rust stain. I have a few rust stains that I can't pressure wash out that are probably 6" to 12" diameter sections. Will these most likely be covered/hidden by the stain as well?

 

   A. -  That depends on the color of stain that you're using, but yes, the stain should help to camouflage the rust spots quite a bit. The browns, blacks, riverstone, and many times even the reds work well. Yet the turquoise, greens, and lighter colors have a harder time. That's why you should do some tests first if you can.

  Q. -  If I do decide or need to try to clean them, will CLR or lime away affect how the stain in absorbed in these areas after I use it? I only ask this since I know the stain reacts with the calcium in the concrete.

 

   A. -  It is true that the stain reacts with the lime and other minerals in the concrete. Anything adversely effecting the existing lime and minerals in the concrete will diminish the stains capacity to work. That's why standard grade stains will no longer work on acid washed concrete and even artist grade stains don't work as well as they would have.

   Besides that, any such harsh cleaning would almost certainly leave an area that is discolored from the rest of the concrete. Even if it did work to take out the rust stain, you would likely be left with a bleached out spot. The spot would then stain differently from the rest of the concrete, so you would only be trading one type of blemish for another, and working hard to do it.

  

   Of course you could do a highlighting coat to help further camouflage the spots. You could stain the entire area with a light or medium color. Then after it dries, you can do a highlighting coat with a darker color. That would help the rust spots to become part of the character of the concrete, rather than blemishes.

  Q. -  Should I dilute your artist grade stain? I have read on many sites that most people at least dilute acid stains 1:1 with water.

 

   A. -  All Concrete Camouflage products are designed to be used straight out of the bottle.

   However, if you prefer to dilute the stain 1:1 and then do a two coat application, rather than using it straight and doing a one coat, then that's fine too. Many contractors do it that way still. So they can spray and brush the first coat, allow it to dry, and then spray only the second coat.

I have swirl marks in my stain. What can I do?

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   Q. -  I've stained my floors with a concrete acid stain project kit. I used a brush, mistake on my part. I noticed swirl marks as I was doing the post-stain clean up. I have neutralized and rinsed, but have not applied any kind of sealer. Can I do touch-up work with my remaining stain?

Hello Benny,

 

   A. -  Yes. You need to spray on another coat of stain, which will help quite a bit to cover and camouflage the brush marks. Use an all plastic pump up sprayer. You can add water to the stain that you have left if you need to, to ensure that you have enough for the entire area. Spray on a fresh coat of stain, spraying on enough to lightly saturate the concrete but certainly not enough to puddle it, or that it would run if it were on an incline.

 

   Note: The additional coat will darken the color.

 

Should I fill deep saw cuts when staining exterior concrete, like sidewalks and patios?

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   Q. -   What about sidewalks and concrete slabs with deep scores?  Can I keep them, but ensure that they are perfectly clear of dirt and dust before staining?  Would I need to fill the scores?  What do I fill them with?

Hello Cathi,

 

   A . -  I wouldn't suggest filling the scores, or saw cuts, unless that's the structurally correct thing to do. They could be expansion areas and any filler would just pop out later, or they could be water access points causing damage and need to be filled. 

   So first, ascertain whether or not and/or which ones should be addressed. If you do decide to fill them then you can use a concrete patching material, mortar, or crack repair material. Though you may want to consider using Deco-Seal. It's what they put between a pool deck and the pool coping at the inside edge of the pool. It allows for contraction/expansion, is custom colored at the time of application so it can be made to blend in or stand out artistically, is topped with a light sand covering which increases the attractiveness and the traction, and it's fairly inexpensive. Though it will usually need maintained about every two to three years, which can include repairs and/or complete removal/redo.

 

   Of course, you could also use hot oil, which would last longer, but would tend to be quite messy and much less attractive.

 

   If you use mortar or a concrete patching material and want to stain it as well, then you need to first know that it will likely stain a different color from the concrete, so you should make sample boards using a few potential filler materials, allow them to dry, and stain them to see what the colors will be, before doing the entire project.

 

   Once ready, you will clean the concrete well such as powerwashing and/or scrubbing with a stiff straw scrub brush and T.S.P. (tri sodium phosphate), rinse well and allow the concrete to dry.

 

   You can use leaf blowers to speed up the drying and also prior to applying the filler material to remove any dust.

 

   If you use a cement filler and want to stain it also, then apply the filler material before acid staining the project.

   If you use a non cementious filler like Deco-Seal or caulking, that can't be stained, or if you use a cement filler but don't want to stain it, then you should acid stain the concrete first, neutralize and rinse, allow to dry and then apply the filler.

 

   It is highly recommended that you seal the entire area, at least the first time, to help enhance and lock in your new look.

 

I hope this helps.

 

What's the difference between the artist grade and standard grade concrete stains? I want a marble look.

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   Q. -  i was wondering what the diference in artist grade and regular grade acid stain ? we want the marble look and was wondering witch one we needed to use ? it is a new construction with a slick floor. thanks

 

Hello Mike,

 

   A. -  Other than the different color choices, the Concrete Camouflage artist grade is a one coat stain and the standard grade is a two coat stain. Therefore, you will get twice the coverage from the artist grade, than from the standard grade. On your concrete slab, you would expect a maximum of 400 sq.ft. per gallon using the artist grade, and 200 sq.ft. with the standard grade.

   You can of course, do more coats of either stain if you choose, to achieve a darker color, different colors, or to do additional coats for artistic, highlighting, and/or camouflaging, etc..

 

   As your concrete stain project is new construction and slick finished, you will first want to be sure that there is no curing agent on the concrete. If there is a curing agent, then you'll need to strip and/or lightly sand the surface to completely remove it from both the concrete's surface and pores.

   Since you mentioned the desire to achieve as much marbleization as possible, you should be aware that the more you sand the surface the more that you reduce the marbleization. Therefore, you're better off to remove as much as you can with strippers, and keep the sanding to a light minimum, using more of a fine sandpaper, or a floor buffing machine with the fine sanding disks.

 

   Otherwise, if you don't have a curing agent, as slickened concrete tends to close off the surface pores, thereby reducing the effectiveness of concrete acid stains, you will likely need to use a floor buffing machine with the aggressive scrubber pads during the cleaning stage, to really open up the pores of the concrete well, so the concrete stain can get in completely and achieve maximum reaction.

 

I hope this helps.

Will re-sealing my stained floors and concrete countertops renew them, help with water spots, and be easier to keep clean and looking good ?

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Hello Luke,

   Q. -  I have a couple questions, if you would be so kind. We purchased a house a few years ago with concrete floors and concrete countertops. The concrete countertops appear to be a colored concrete sealed in either acrylic or poly.  My question on this is, can I strip off the sealant and apply one of the Artist Grade Concrete Stains (thinking the Island Sand color)?  Would I need to sand down the top layer or anything like that, or just apply the stain directly to the colored concrete?

 

   A. -  You will have to completely remove all the sealant, including out of the pores of the concrete, in order for the stain to soak in and work. Also, the color will be effected by the existing color, and you can't stain lighter, only darker. You can try to strip the sealer with strippers and removers, but a light sanding is usually inevitable.
 
   Q. -  Secondly, my floors are a stained concrete, again sealed with a poly sealant.  The problem we are having with the floors is they are a dark brown color.  Whenever even a single drop of water touches the floor, it puts a water spot on the concrete that can only be cleaned by stripping the sealant off. Would Concrete Camouflage decorative concrete sealer protect against this?

 

   A. -  If your floor sealer needs to be recoated then our Clear Shield sealers are great, but what you really need is a good floor wax to seal off and protect the sealer, by acting as the sacrificial coat, as well as providing scuff resistance and lasting a while before needing recoated. That's where our Top Shield mop on style floor wax works great.

   Q. -    I'd be looking to seal roughly 1,000 square feet and am in desperate need of something that is actually going to keep water spots away!

 

   A. -  Again, regardless of whether you reseal the floor or not, the wax is the best product to be on top, as it cleans easily. You can mop it with water only or you can use a mild detergent, like dishwashing soap, and then rinse. It should last for months between coats and then you just clean, dry, and apply a fresh coat to keep it looking fresh, looking new, and easy to clean.

Any help would be much appreciated so I can make an informed decision.

 

I hope this helps.

Will the cracks that I filled and patched, stain ok?

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   Q. -  I repaired a number of cracks in my driveway. Will the crack filler material take a stain, or be covered by it? The repaired cracks form a quite ugly pattern. Thanks,  Jim

Hello Jim,

 

   A. -  As long as the product used to fill the cracks was a cementious type product and not a type of caulking or silicone product, it should stain. However, the color that it will stain will usually be different from what the concrete will stain. We recommend putting some of the patching material on a piece of cardboard, to make a sample board. You can then stain a small test area on the concrete in an out of the way place, along with the sample piece of the patching material, to compare.

 

   It may be that a second coat of the stain on the patching will darken it up to blend with the concrete, or vice versa. Or, you may choose to do a second highlight coat of stain all over. You could also consider using the patching as an artistic component and even add saw cuts and/or scoring and perhaps even multiple colors, to complete a truly unique piece of concrete art.

 

I hope this helps.

Can I Achieve a Gloss Finish with Water Base Sealer and Wax?

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   Q. -  We are going to be using the Twilight color of standard grade acid stain by Concrete Camouflage and were wondering if we can get that Glossy look using the water based sealer and then waxing. If at all possible we would like to use the water based sealer as it just seems much more family friendly and less toxic.  We have 4 little ones and won't be able to easily leave the house overnight etc as solvent base sealers recommends. But we REALLY want to get a nice glossy look out of the floor so if we HAVE to use a less friendly product we will try and figure that out.

Thank you so much!  We have done some test areas with just the stain and are loving what we see so far!
Kristin

Hello Kristin,

 

   A. -  The Clear Shield Advanced water base sealer will have a satin finish. However, the Top Shield floor wax will have a gloss finish. Most everyone uses the Clear Shield Advanced water base sealer, instead of using solvent base sealers, because it is so much safer, more family friendly, and also a green product. They then put the Top Shield floor wax over that to achieve the glossy finish. Unless of course they want a matte finish, which the Top Shield floor wax is also available in matte finish. But you stated that you want a very glossy finish, so let's proceed with some things to think about.

 

   Solvent base sealers are naturally a higher gloss sealer and has such a high gloss for a few reasons, but allot that has to do with it is the fact that solvent base sealers goes on so thick. When you apply water base sealer, you apply it in as thin of coats as possible, which diminishes the gloss achieved from the water base sealer. However, if you apply one or two extra coats of the water base sealer, then you can achieve somewhat of a higher gloss as the sealer builds up. Of course you will have to allow the sealer to completely dry between each coat, but that doesn't take too long, and still doesn't compare to the amount of time that you have to allow solvents to cure.

 

   Next, the wax also goes on in coats as thin as possible. It is glossy, but still, if you do two or three extra coats initially, you can build it up too, and achieve an even higher gloss. Of course you can also use a buffing machine to bring out more of a gloss but I think that really wouldn't be necessary. Again, you need to allow the wax to dry between each coat, but the wax dries quickly.

 

   In conclusion, using the water base sealer at the standard two coats and using the gloss finish wax over that at the standard two coats will give you a nice gloss finish. Though if you want more of the extremely high gloss finish that you would see with a solvent base sealer, you can simply do an extra coat or two of the sealer, and an extra coat or two of the wax. This should allow you to obtain the higher gloss look without having the hazards and trouble of using a solvent base sealer. I would suggest that you do a test in a closet or out of the way place first and then you'll know how many coats of each product to expect to have to use to achieve your desired level of gloss.

 

   A couple final notes about solvents vs. water base sealers. Solvent base sealers along with having a higher gloss will make the concrete look as it does when it is saturated wet. Many times this is simply too darkened and negates much of the color variances and nuances which makes stained concrete so artistic and beautiful. Water base sealers, or least the Clear Shield Advanced water base sealer, makes the concrete look as it does when it's lightly damp. The colors are still enhanced more than when the concrete is completely dry, but not darkened up so much as when it's saturated wet.

 

I hope this helps

 

Advice on Patching Concrete and Using Decorative Taping to Create a Border.

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Dear Earl,

Sorry, I have a few more questions.

 

Hello Kimberly,

No problem at all. We're happy to help all that we can.

 

 1) Would you recommend cleaning with the TSP prior to patching the tack strip holes or patch and then clean?

 

    A. -  You need to ensure that concrete is as clean and dry and dust free as possible to ensure the best chances for the patch to stay in place. The sealer and wax will help to hold it down, but if the patch loses its bond then it will pop out, so there is no replacement for good and adequate prep. Therefore, yes. I would use the T.S.P. and water to thoroughly clean the concrete to be patched first. Be sure and rinse it a couple times with clean water afterwards.

   NOTE: A little extra advice just in case you need it. After you apply the patching material and smooth it out as best that you can, you need to let it dry and cure for at least a day or two, more if it's curing slowly. Then you will use a concrete rubbing stone to rub it and smooth it out, which will feather it into the concrete. It's like sanding bondo on a car body repair to smooth it out, which helps it to disappear into the surrounding area. The rubbing stone can be found in the concrete tools area at your local lumber yard or home improvement store. If going to a local home improvement store then the concrete tools are usually down at the lumber end with the sacks of concrete and concrete patching materials. It looks like a small rectangular cinder block with a handle on it, and it will make the patch blend in and smooth down quickly and easily.

 

 2) Also which do you think would be the best method of applying the stain with the tape, using the brush method or the 2 light coats of stain?

 

    A. - If you're going to use a different color or do multiple coats on the border, or certain areas, then I would brush on the border and/or decorative areas, and then spray the rest of the floor. If you're using a darker color on the border, or say, opposing blocks - you can apply the darker color with the brush and then spray the entire floor with the lighter color, including over the darker brushed on areas because the darker color will overpower the lighter color anyway.

   If you're using the tape as a design in the floor but using the same color overall then I would just spray it all and forego the brush.

 

   NOTE: Be sure and rub the tape down really well, especially along the edges, and be sure to not saturate the tape too much because the stain will try to get underneath it, which is why you drag the stain up to the tape when brushing, and why you spray directly down over the tape with two lighter coats, rather than spraying at an angle or spraying heavier coats.

 

Thanks for all of your help!

Best regards,

I hope this helps,

ConcreteCamouflage.com

 

Questions about doing a floor that had carpet before.

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   Q. -  We are planning on staining a basement bedroom floor, using Concrete Camouflage products, and have a few questions.

 

Hello Kimberly,

   Answers follow the questions.

 

1) Is the only difference in the Artist grade and the standard (1 coat needed vs. 2)? How many coats do you recommend?

    A. - Yes, that is the only difference, The Artist grade is a one coat stain (although you can do additional coats for a darker look) and the Standard grade requires two coats minimum. Other than that, the only other difference is the color choices.

2) The concrete was poured in 1968, will there be enough lime left to stain nicely?

    A. - There should be, though you never know for sure without doing a test area first, like in a closet or an out of the way place. You could purchase some sample sizes first to test not only the chemical reaction, but also the colors. Due to the age of the concrete I would suggest only using the Artist grade concrete stain by Concrete Camouflage for sure. 

    When you do your tests, do one test with one coat and also one test with two coats, of each color that you're testing, to see if one coat will be adequate or if it will require two coats due to the age of the concrete.

3) What is the best way to remove some paint spots from the concrete?

    A. - You can use a citrus stripper, paint stripper, paint thinner, or Xylene(though it's very flammable and requires adequate ventilation), or you can use a heavy duty glue remover which also works well. You may still need to lightly sand the floor and if so, you can use a small belt sander, a rented floor sander like they use on wood floors, or even a floor buffing machine with the sanding disks.

   NOTE: If the paint spots are small and only a few, then you may want to just strip them as well as you can with a citrus or paint stripper, and then if you do still see the paint spots after staining, then you can use a children's water paint set (like you get at the dollar store for the water paint coloring books) so that you can mix the colors to blend with the stain and then lightly paint over the spots and feather it in to camouflage the spots. Then seal over it to lock it in and complete the camouflaging technique. Once the sealer and wax is on, then the colors will blend underneath and look natural. Simple and inexpensive camouflaging that works well.

4) Do you recommend the C5p32 degreaser instead of a local hardware store brand?

    A. - I would only use degreaser if the floor has oil or grease on it and/or in the pores of the concrete. Otherwise just cleaning it well with T.S.P. (tri-sodium-phosphate) will be enough. If there's no oil or grease, which you can usually tell by wetting the floor down to see if the water soaks right in or beads up or just kinda sits there awhile before soaking in, and also looking for discoloration. If you do decide to use a degreaser then I would suggest that you use Concrete Stain Prep (C.S.P.) by Concrete Camouflage, as it was designed to be used specifically when using concrete stain. It not only degreases but also cleans, strips, and removes dirt, light duty glues, water base paints, and more, that other degreasers can't touch. It can even be used to remove tire marks from rubber tires. It will outperform all other degreaser products, and it's inexpensive as well. Regardless of which degreaser that you use, you will still need to final clean with T.S.P. and then final rinse a couple times with clean water.

5) What is the best way to hide tack strip holes from carpet? We will be using concrete filler to fix the divets. We were thinking we would need to use a darker stain. Any suggestions would be great. We are debating between Canon or Maya stone for the main part of the floor but not sure what to do around the edges for the tack strips. We are also going to use the cc3mt tape to make lines.

    A. - Using a darker stain color is a great idea, and a common practice, as the concrete patching material will most likely stain a different color. You should use some of the patching material on a piece of cardboard to make some sample boards of the material. Then when you do the color tests on your concrete, you can also do color tests on the patching material sample boards. Then you will see how much, if any difference, the patches will be from the floor. It may be that doing a second coat on the patches helps it to blend, or vice versa, or it could be that a different patch material works out better, or you may see that you need to really darken out the border area. Also, you can always use the water color paint trick, mentioned above, on the divots if needed too.

   Just a personal opinion, but when using Canyon or Island Sand, the Honey Oak or Leather Brown looks great with it. The Coffee also works well for a much darker color and camouflaging or darkening out.

   If you do use tape to make lines for the border, then it's important to try and keep the stain from getting under the edge of the tape, which it will try to do. So, brush on the border color using a brush and bucket. Dip the brush, tap out the excess stain in the bucket, and then place the brush in the center of the border area or near the wall. Brush in a circular motion towards the tape so that once you reach the tape, the stain is out of the brush and you are dragging the stain to the tape. Additionally, if you spray over tape, then be sure to not spray at an angle, but rather spray directly down over the tape. Also, it's better to do a couple light misting coats than one heavy coat. Remember that the stain is liquid like water and will want to get under the tape if possible.

   Finally, you can do the border first in a darker or even the same color, and then spray the entire floor, including the border, with the lighter color.

6) If we seal the concrete after the stain, will we need the wax?

    A. - You should certainly still wax it. The wax is the best part. It's the sacrificial coat. Top Shield by Concrete Camouflage lasts for quite a long time in high traffic areas and when it does start to scuff or dull you just apply a fresh coat and it's back to new. It makes the cleaning a breeze and maintenance easy and inexpensive, while ensuring that your new stained floor stays looking new, and when maintained properly will ensure that your stained floor lasts indefinitely. Also, the Top Shield floor wax comes in gloss or matte finish.

   Also, by sealing and waxing both, you are layering in clear coats that will add to the depth, luster, and appearance of an expensive floor.

Thanks in advance for your help. We are excited to get started but we need to get our questions answered first so we know what to order. Kimberly

 

I hope this helps,

Earl.

www.ConcreteCamouflage.com

800 650 1157

Earl Choate, Ph.D.

 

Will the stain penetrate a thin layer of paint on the floor?

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   Q. -  Hello- I am wondering if the stain will penetrate a very thin layer of paint...I have pulled up the carpeting from my lower level and it appears that the developer let some paint hit the floor when he was spaying the walls. It is very random and I don't mind it. I was thinking of just sealing and waxing the floor but I think I want it to be a bit darker. Please let me know when you have a chance. Thank you.

Hello Mark,

 

   A. -  The concrete stain will not stain nor penetrate paint. You need to strip and/or lightly sand the paint to remove it first. You can use paint strippers, or citrus strippers, or even heavy duty glue removers which work very well. For sanding you can use a belt sander for small areas, or you can rent a floor sander like they use on wood floors, or you could even use a floor buffing machine with the sanding disks which keeps it inexpensive and easy to do.