Stained Overlay Creates a Grand Entrance

When old, drab concrete is considered a blank canvas rather than an eyesore, the artistic possibilities are endless. That’s the approach Kevin Brown, owner of KB Concrete Staining, takes to all of his projects. As a specialist in restoring existing concrete, he sees the potential for beauty in even badly worn surfaces and uses stains and overlays like an artist uses paints.

On this residential project located in Villa Park, Calif., Brown used a combination of concrete stains, antiquing colorants, decorative sawcuts, and texture stamps to bring his artistic vision to life and transform the exterior of the client’s home.

“The homeowners initially contacted me because they wanted to add to their front driveway and widen the approach. The front entry also needed a makeover because they did not like the color and finish,” says Brown. “My idea was to apply a textured and stained overlay to the sidewalk leading to the entryway and continue the textured overlay across the driveway, adding decorative sawcuts to create bands that would tie into the banded pattern on the front entry. They were very open to my suggestions.”

How it was doneAfter prepping the concrete surfaces by grinding, Brown applied a thick cementitious overlay designed to create the look of natural stone when used with stamps or texture mats. On this project, the overlay was textured with a seamless mat in an old granite pattern.

Once the overlay was down, it was sawcut to create the diamond-patterned motif that runs from the entryway and across the width of the driveway, like an unfurled welcome mat. “The decorative saw cutting was completed using Engrave-a-Crete tools, which I have used on many projects. For the detail work, which is always done by hand, I used a small 4-inch grinder,” says Brown.

As with all of his projects, Brown used only water-based stains because the colors are more vibrant and they are easier to work with than solvent-based products. For the overlay base color, he used a solid-color stain in light cork and then applied a darker semi-transparent antiquing stain over the top using a small brush to create a natural-looking, multi-toned finish.

For the untextured areas of the driveway, he created a mottled faux-finish effect by using the same light-cork stain for the base and then applying two complementary colors of semi-transparent stains over the top using an HVLP sprayer. The defining bands and borders were enhanced with a solid-color stain in buffalo brown.

Making it lastOn all of his projects, Brown applies two coats of sealer to provide the best protection possible while still letting the concrete breath.

“The homeowners were extremely happy with the outcome of their concrete restoration. But I explained to them that maintenance will be needed in the years to come to keep their decorative concrete looking its best. They understood and have plans to have me come out every two years to properly clean and reapply the sealers to help protect the stain color,” he says.

Materials used: Concrete stains: NewLook Original Solid Color Stain (in light cork and buffalo brown) and SmartColor stain (hazelnut and peanut butter)
Antiquing colorant: NewLook Tiquewash (in saddle dust)
Concrete sealers: NewLook Endura AU water-based sealer and NewLook solvent-based sealer
Concrete overlay: S-1800 Super-Stamp, from Super-Krete
Decorative concrete engraving saw: Mongoose, from Engrave-a-Crete

Staining contractor: Kevin Brown
KB Concrete Staining, Eastvale, Calif.

See more decorative staining projects completed by this contractor:
A Miraculous Makeover
Concrete Patio Showcases Creative Staining
Time for a Change

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