How to Create a Faux Marble Finish on a Concrete Floor

A faux marble finish can give your home a look of class without the expense of real marble. If you do the faux marble finish correctly, most people will not be able to tell the difference between your floor and a genuine marble floor.

You create a faux marble finish on a concrete floor much like you would create it on a wall. The technique is nearly identical, but the materials do vary slightly. The following steps will guide you through the process of creating your own faux marble finish on a concrete floor.

Step 1 - Prepare the Concrete Floor

If you expect to get a great-looking faux marble finish on your concrete, you need to start with clean concrete. Any type of stains or debris can cause serious voids in the faux marble finish.

Begin by sweeping the concrete floor. Pay special attention to the corners and the edges, where the walls meet the concrete. A small vacuum can help you remove dirt from these tight areas. Mix oil-free soap in a bucket with hot water and sponge-wash the concrete floor. Do your best to remove any stains. Allow the concrete floor to air-dry. Apply painter's tape around the wall where it meets with the concrete or in areas where the concrete is separated by runners or carpet.

Step 2 - Add Coats of Primer

Because concrete is porous, it will suck up paint like a sponge. Cover the concrete floor with a high-quality primer. Use long, even strokes. A paint roller is a helpful alternative to brushes.

Always start from the back of the wall and work forward. This prevents you from painting yourself into a corner. Let the primer dry and determine if you need another coat. A cement floor may commonly require up to four coats of primer.

Step 3 - Paint the Faux Marble Finish

This best way to choose paint is by looking at samples of marble. Marble is often two colors, and if you want to match colors perfectly, you can take your sample to a paint store. They will be able to mix you custom colors. You will need three colors for this job: a darker hue, a lighter hue and white.

Paint broad swatches of your darkest hue onto the concrete first. Separate the swatches; you do not want them connected. Wait for the darker paint to dry and then connect the dark swatches with the lighter paint to create thinner veins. After the lighter paint has dried, you can use a small brush to create lines between the two. Think of it as creating a web of controlled cracks. Use pictures of real marble as a guide.

Wait for the paint to dry and add two layers of varnish to protect the new paint.