Stained Concrete Flooring in Indianapolis, IN - color that shifts across your own slab
Bare gray slab or old carpet glue on the floor? We clean it down, test colors on your concrete and stain a floor worth keeping.
- Licensed and fully insured.
- Free estimates at your property.
- Replies within 1 business day.
Can your concrete floor be stained, and what does it take?
Stained concrete flooring in Indianapolis colors the slab you already have instead of covering it up. Acid stain reacts chemically with the concrete and leaves color that shifts in tone across the floor, and water-based stain gives you a set color when that's what you want.
Most people who call about stain have a slab they'd rather not hide, like a basement after the carpet came out, a garage or a shop floor. The price moves with how much floor you have, how much has to come off it first and how many cracks and patches need work. The schedule turns on the prep and the test spots, because nobody should stain a whole floor before seeing the color dry. I look at the floor and write up what it needs, so your own figure comes from the estimate.
How do you know your floor is ready for stain?
Glue left from carpet
When carpet or tile comes up, it usually leaves glue lines or a film across the slab. Stain can't react through it, so if it isn't ground or stripped off first, you end up with pale shapes wherever the glue was.
Paint, sealer or oil
Paint drips, an old clear sealer or oil from a parked car all sit between the stain and the concrete. Left on, they show up as blank or blotchy spots, and those are hard to fix once the floor is sealed.
Patched cracks and repairs
Patching compound has a different calcium content than the original pour, so acid stain shows a color difference wherever a patch sits. I'd rather you see that before you pick, so we can talk about living with it or going another way.
How we do stained concrete flooring
We start by getting the floor down to bare, clean concrete, because sealer, paint, oil or mastic, the glue under old carpet and tile, will block the stain's reaction. Then we lay test spots on your floor, since stain reacts with the concrete you have and older or worn floors may not take much color. The color in the bottle also changes once it dries and reacts, so you pick from what you actually see on your slab. Once you've chosen, we stain the floor, rinse it and seal it.
Some floors are better served by something else. If your slab is too worn or patched to take color well, terrazzo flooring builds color and pattern into a new ground surface, and if the floor is downstairs, our basement flooring work starts with how damp that slab gets.
Acid stain
This suits a floor where you want the concrete to look like itself, with color that shifts in tone from one spot to the next. On a sound slab that hasn't been worn down, it's what I'd pick, because that variation is why most people want stain in the first place.
Water-based stain
This suits you if you have a specific color in mind or the slab doesn't react much to acid stain. You get the color you chose, but you give up most of the natural variation acid stain gives.
Get a stained concrete estimate written on your floor
Send the form and we'll get back to you within one business day to set a time. I come out, look at the floor and write you a free estimate, with no obligation to book.
- Based in
- Indianapolis, IN 46204
- Hours
- Mon–Fri: 6 AM–9 PM, Sat–Sun: 8 AM–10 PM
What happens when you call about staining your floor?
Here's how a stained floor goes from your first call to the walk-through, and what you'll know from the estimate before any stain goes down.
Call or send the form
Call (317) 429-4446 or send the form, and tell us how old the floor is and what's been on it. We set a time for me to come out.
I look at your floor
I check what's on the slab, how worn it is, where it's been patched and whether there are signs of moisture, then write up what it needs. The estimate tells you which stain makes sense, what prep comes first and what the job costs before we start.
We prep and test colors
Our crew cleans the slab down to bare concrete and fixes what needs fixing, then lays test spots. You pick your color once they've dried, before we stain the whole floor.
We stain, seal and walk it
We put the stain down, rinse and seal the floor, and I'm on the job with the crew. Before we leave, we walk the finished floor with you.
Why Indianapolis homeowners call Landmark Epoxy Flooring for stained concrete
I look at your floor myself
I come out, look at the slab and write the estimate myself, and I'm on the job with our crew when the work gets done. The person who told you what your floor can take is the one watching it get stained.
Concrete finisher before floor coatings
I spent years pouring and finishing concrete for other outfits before starting this business in 2023, so I know how a slab behaves before any color goes on it. That's why I'll tell you straight if your floor won't take stain well.
Licensed, insured and easy to check
We're licensed and fully insured. The city suggests checking a contractor's license and insurance before you hire, and I'll show you ours at the estimate.
On a stain job, the prep and the test spot decide how the floor turns out, so set a time for me to look at yours.
Stained concrete and the floors around it in Indianapolis
The City of Indianapolis requires a structural permit for alterations to an existing structure, for new structures and for other structural alterations, unless its building standards exempt the work. Whether staining your floor falls under that isn't something I'll guess at, so we check with the right office for your address before work starts, and if a permit is needed we pull it ourselves.
Around Indianapolis we see a lot of older basement and garage slabs carrying carpet glue, paint or patches from years of use, and we run into the same mix on jobs in Fishers and Greenwood. Rinse water is the other local point. The Marion County health department says only rainwater, snow and ice melt, lawn watering and sump pumps carrying rainwater or groundwater typically belong in storm drains, and anything else counts as an illicit discharge. Rinse water from staining isn't on that list, and one stain maker's guide says to collect it and dispose of it properly, so ask us how we handle it on your job.
Questions about stained concrete in Indianapolis
How do I know if my concrete floor can be stained?
Most sound concrete can be stained, but older and worn concrete, or concrete that sees a lot of running water, may barely react, so acid stain may add little color. I look at the floor in person before you decide. On a slab that won't react much, water-based stain or a different floor is usually the better call.
What colors can I get with stained concrete?
Acid stain comes in earth tones and blue-greens, and water-based stain comes in virtually any color. The catch is that water-based stain loses the mottled, shifting look acid stain gives, so a bold color means giving up the natural variation. Tell me what you're after and I'll say which way I'd go on your floor.
How much does stained concrete flooring cost in Indianapolis?
It depends on your floor, and I give you a price once I've seen it. The size, how much glue, paint or sealer has to come off, how many cracks and patches need work and how many colors you want all move it. A clean, sound slab costs less to stain than one that needs a lot of prep.
How often does a stained concrete floor need resealing?
A stained floor needs its sealer reapplied about every two to four years. Busy floors land toward the short end, so put resealing in the floor's long-term budget from the start.
What is the best way to stain a concrete basement floor?
Start with moisture, because the ground under the floor should drain well so moisture stays out from underneath, and the slab should be checked for signs of excess moisture before any work starts. I look for damp spots, white residue and water lines when I come out. If the slab stays wet, stain isn't the first thing it needs.
Who licenses contractors in Indianapolis?
The city's Department of Business and Neighborhood Services licenses individuals and businesses doing construction in the Consolidated City of Indianapolis, which doesn't include Lawrence, Beech Grove, Speedway or Southport. The city says all contractors must be licensed and get required permits, and an owner who hires an unlicensed one can be responsible for costly repairs or liable for injury or property damage. We're based in Indianapolis and work in the cities around it, so if yours isn't listed here, call and ask.
Floors to consider alongside a concrete stain
Terrazzo Flooring
When a slab is too worn or patched to take stain evenly, terrazzo puts color and pattern into a new ground surface instead of relying on old concrete.
Basement Flooring
Basement slabs bring moisture, old carpet glue and uneven spots into play, and this page covers the floor options that hold up below grade in your house.
Service areas for stained concrete floors
Landmark Epoxy Flooring of Indianapolis is based in Indianapolis, IN, and works in the cities around it, with 12 that have their own page here, including Zionsville and Plainfield. If your city isn't listed, call and ask.
Get your floor looked at for stain
If you know the slab's age and whether it's had carpet, paint, patches or damp spots, tell us when you call so I know what to look for on site.