Concrete is the most used and durable construction material in the world. Yet, most of us show our appreciation by hiding it beneath carpeting, tile, vinyl flooring or thick coats of paint.

What a shame, says Todd Rose.

"I love concrete. It is my passion. I think it is the coolest thing ever."

And these days so do a growing number of home and business owners who are turning to stains, stencils and textures to transform ordinary gray concrete into unique and stylish floors, patios, walkways and even kitchen countertops.

Unlike other floor covering options, stained concrete will not fade, dull, crack, peel or wear out. Nor can it be damaged by water leaking into the basement - which accounts for about one-third of home concrete staining projects, Rose said.

Rose, owner/operator of Todd Rose Decorative Concrete in Lincoln, has been customizing basements, driveways, courtyards and retail floors for about two years. Last year, he won first place from the American Society of Concrete Contractors Decorative Concrete Council for his courtyard at Terra Centre in Sioux City, Iowa. This year, his beer-stained concrete floor with overlay at Lazlo's downtown location is in contention.

Unlike many other decorative concrete artists, Rose also teaches do-it-yourself concrete staining classes in Lincoln, Omaha and the surrounding areas. He recently started offering concrete countertop classes.

"Staining concrete has been around for decades, but it just started getting popular in the last 12 years," he said.

"It has all the things people want: it's inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing, easy to maintain, and it is just freakin' beautiful," Rose said.

It's also relatively easy to do yourself - as long as you follow the rules.

For the average DIYer, the cost of concrete staining is less than $1 per square foot. And most people already have the tools they need -wet vac, brush, pump sprayer (like you find on a garden hose), and lots of elbow grease.

"Eighty percent of the entire process is cleaning," Rose said.

You need to clean the concrete before you stain it, he said.

"Whatever is in a piece of concrete will reflect through," Rose said.

And then you need to remove the stain residue - a process that typically takes at least three cleanings.

"We start with wet vac, and someone walks behind with a scrubber," Rose said. "Once the water runs clear you are good to go."

The final step is applying a sealant, which has become much easier thanks to innovations in the products, Rose said.

The biggest challenge is determining how a stain will affect the color of your concrete.

Every concrete is unique, Rose said.

"The color of the stain depends on the unpredictable chemical reaction between the stain and the acid in the concrete," he said.

For that reason he recommends staining a small sample of concrete that is not readily visible, such as a closet, "so you can tell what it will look like."

Jane Wood stained a 9-foot-by-15-foot patio in front of her Lincoln house after taking Rose's class in the spring of 2008.

"It wasn't real hard," Wood said of the project.

Though she imagined the colors would pop more - she blames that on the 20-year-old concrete, rather than the process.

"The technique is cool," Wood said.

"I would like to try it on something else, but I don't currently have anything that would work."

Paula Widholm, who also took the class, hired someone to stain and stamp the walkway leading from her garage to the front door of her Lincoln home.

Eventually, she wants to stain her back patio.

Time and nerve are holding her back.

"You've got to be brave," she said. "I have a huge back patio. Things could go wrong, and I don't want a pink patio."

Widholm's friend, Teresa Greve, admits you have to be willing to take a risk. But after taking the class she now realizes the risk is relatively small.

"I was amazed at how easy it was to do and the cost," she said. "It was well worth the time to know you can actually do it on your own."

Reach Erin Andersen at 473-7217 or eandersen@journalstar.com.