Normally, staining a concrete floor requires the use of an acid-based stain that seeps into the material and chemically reacts with it to produce color. Application of these acid stains requires hefty equipment, elaborate safety gear, and extreme caution around the stains themselves and the toxic gasses they release during the staining process – to say nothing of the hazardous material disposal they require.

Now, though, an Arizona company called Eco Procote has developed a new concrete stain that has none of these drawbacks. SoyCrete is a soy-based non-toxic concrete stain that doesn’t emit toxic gasses, requires little safety equipment beyond gloves, doesn’t need elaborate application equipment (it can apparently be done very easily by DIY-ers), and as an added benefit allows greater control of the finished color and appearance than acid stains. Here’s an example of a finished floor in one of the many colors offered:

Having been researching this recently, I was also surprised to find that SoyCrete is actually cheaper than traditional acid stains. For a job that would cost several thousand dollars if done with acid stain, I found the same job could be accomplished with SoyCrete for under $300.

Just thought I’d pass along this tip, since there are a lot of folks in urban Fort Worth looking for lofts and such with concrete floors.