Gaylord Residence III

Finished Basement Large Concrete Floor After Cleaning And Before Acid-Staining
Finished Basement Concrete Floor With Plastic Masking For Acid-Staining Black Border Area

This is the largest of 3 rooms in a 2,300 square foot finished basement.  The concrete floor was acid-stained after scoring a 28" border around the perimeter of the room and 4.5' diagonal tiles in the main body of the floor.   Above left is the concrete after initial cleaning.  Above right shows the extensive masking necessary to stain the border.

Finished Basement Acid-Stained Concrete Floor With Saw-Cut Black Border Before Applying Clear Sealer
Finished Basement Acid-Stained Concrete Floor With Saw-Cut Tiles And Black Border After Applying Clear Sealer

Artcrete "Onyx" was used for the black border and then Artcrete "Nickel" for the main part of the floor.  Up close, the tiles look like an elegant "white"marble.  Above left shows the acid-stained concrete before applying the clear sealer.  Above right shows the color enhancement and "wet look" of the floor after 3 coats of solvent-based acrylic clear sealer.

Finished Basement Large Concrete Floor After Cleaning Before Acid-Staining
Finished Basement Acid-Stained Concrete Floor With Saw-Cut Tile Pattern And Black Border After Applying Clear Sealer And Floor Finish

Here are two more before and after photos of the floor from another vantage point.  We acid-stained the saw-cuts a dark brown color, at the homeowner's request, to help make the tiles better stand out.  After applying the clear sealer, we followed that with several coats of clear floor finish for added protection and easy maintenance.