How to Stain Concrete! Safe and Inexpensive!

ThriftDee
by ThriftDee
$15.00
1 Day
Easy
Using simple and safe ingredients you can change the look of a concrete walkway!
If you would like to update a concrete garden path, I have an easy and inexpensive solution.
This is the concrete before. It looked fine, but I wanted to stain it to look more like flagstone.
Then I used the magic ingredient! Ironite. (It is lawn fertilizer) You can find it at Home Depot. Just wet down the concrete, sprinkle some on and then "sprinkle" a little bit more water on top. Let sit for 24-48 hours.
After removing the Ironite with water I used coffee grounds mixed with vegetable oil to finish staining the concrete. You don't have to do this step. But I think it made the color look much deeper.
From concrete to flagstone in two easy and safe steps.
There you go!
ThriftDee
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 4 questions
  • Edna Silao Channell Edna Silao Channell on Feb 09, 2017
    Did the color stay after rain and sunshine?
  • Deb C Deb C on Jan 14, 2018

    Have a concrete back porch that has never cured into one color. Would using paint be a good way to change it or use a stain for concrete? Was poured three years ago.

  • Tanja Tanja on May 08, 2021

    How long do you leave the coffee and oil on for. ? Do you wash that off after a certain time? How much coffee did you use, and was it used grounds ? I love your project and want to do a cement bench that's in my yard. Do you think its possible?

Comments
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2 of 45 comments
  • Cathy Klingel Cathy Klingel on May 21, 2015
    WOW!! What a wonderful idea!! I want flagstone in my garden nook, but it's too expensive. You've come up with the perfection solution. I'm going to use the concrete and molding, it looks like flagstones, sort of - can't remember what it's called but you can get it at Home Depot. Thanks for sharing!!
  • Vicki Prullage Murray Vicki Prullage Murray on Mar 11, 2017

    Great color! I bought some concrete blocks off of craigslist that I'm wanting to stain & put in the ground as a border to hold in the dirt/mulch...I'm going to try this!


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