Check out the floor below. This is a barn converted to a guest house. The owner applied a concrete overlay system to the concrete surface with a pewter color mixed in, then sealed it. Simple 2 day application. Same product used in high traffic restaurants and retail stores. Cost about $1.90 per square foot.

Not all barn floors need a nice looking floor. But the concrete should at least be sealed. Concrete sealers will stop the perpetual dust, salts that push throught the concrete. If you have a garage you probably notice that it is always dusty.

Sealing the concrete costs about 25 – 50 cents per square foot depending on the quality of the sealer.

Epoxy flooring products are also a durable solution. If you plan to do yourself make sure you profile the floor first with a gelled acid or some other etching solution. I don’t like the liquid acid etching solutions. It’s hard to get all the acid out of the pores of the concrete. The remaining acid will break the bond with concrete coatings. About 1 dollar per square foot.

Another solution for a decorative finish is an acid stain with a concrete sealer. Cost is about 50 cents to 1 dollar per square foot. Nice look for a barn. Concrete needs to be in good shape. Any blemishes will show.