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REMOVING CONCRETE STAIN

by Cristi
(Las Cruces, NM)

Q. I love the natural look of concrete stains so I decided to do my garage floor. I got the Behr etching, primer, and stain. Follow every step exactly as instructed, bought all of the recommended supplies, and am so upset with the final outcome. IT LOOKS LIKE RED-ORANGE PAINT! Nothing like the brochure suggests it should turn out to be. I hate it and want it gone. How do I get it off so I can try something else?!

Please help!

A. This can be a tough task depending on how porous the concrete is. Because Behr is an acrylic stain, you can probably get most, if not all, with a chemical stripper. Get a small container of acrylic paint stripper in gel form, put some on a small area, cover it with plastic, let it sit for an hour or so, and then scrape it and see how easy it comes off. If the concrete is not too porous, it should come off fairly easily. If it does, then do the whole floor. The only other option is to grind it off with a diamond grinder.

If you're going for the natural look, then use acid stains the next time. Apply in circular motions with a sprayer, seal it with a solvent based sealer, and you will be much happier.