Concrete fireplace hearth – what are my options?

[jhendrix1217]

I have done a lot of research about concrete and how it's possible to finish it. I did a quick water droplet test and the concrete does not seem to absorb the water, the drops pool on the surface for a long time, maybe 20 minutes.

Specific questions:
- Would staining the concrete be an option (to avoid paint, which I've been warned about many times)? If so, do I need to etch the surface before staining it?
- If etching is necessary, what's the safest / simplest way to do it, since it's not a garage floor I can just "hose off" after etching?
- Can I seal the surface afterwards somehow, with something that's obviously fairly heat resistant? It's a wood fireplace, and I keep the screens closed, but inevitably there will be a small ember or something that lands on it, and obviously can't have that ignite.


Thank you in advance for any help / tips!

 

[C.J.]

You can totally DIY stained concrete. I’ve done exactly one floor myself. It’s a lot of work and TBH I thought the color of the floor looked like baby shit when I was done but the customer was happy and the check cleared the bank so whatever.

Get your YouTube PhD and bust a move. If you DIY it the cost isn’t bad at all. Just remember you’re dealing with acid.

Another option is to dye the concrete. Much much easier. I’ve done a couple of those and it goes something like mixing some pigment with a solvent (I used acetone) and spraying it on the floor then sealing it after you’re done. You can use a pump up sprayer if you want but those tend to drip and those drips stand out like a sore thumb unless of course you’re going for the drippy splatter look. HVLP sprayer is the way to go with that scenario.

You got this.

 

[kwfloors]

Since the water is pooling like that, it was probably sealed with acrylic or some other kind of sealer. May need to do something with that before any stain would work.

 

[kwfloors]

Surecrete makes alot of products that are vertical and flat. You could decorate with them.