We just purchased a foreclosure where we tore the basement carpet out and stained the concrete. We LOVE the stained concrete floors! They are so easy to live with, clean, etc.

I used Soy Crete - not sure if that is the one you are looking at, but it was very simple to work with. We did not have to etch our concrete; we tested several areas and our floors absorbed the stain without etching. The hardest part was the prep as our floors had nail holes and carpet glue all over. The staining itself was super easy. I used a sponge dipped in the main color of the stain as well as a sprayer with the accent color. Then we sealed the floor with Soy Crete's Acri Soy matte finish.

The only issue I had was that I tested tons of combinations of stain colors in different areas (Soy Crete offers 2oz samples) and the floors still turned out a different color than expected. But the color has grown on us.

I would not go back to carpet ever again. Although I am not a carpet fan to begin with :)

I guess the trick is if it will absord...I read a lot of HD and Lowes reviews where is does not absorb and peels...maybe there will be a mistint return I can try at some point...I do not want to etc...

Yes, I read the same thing about the "stains" from the big box stores. My understanding is that those are not actually stains; they are more like a semi-transparent paint that sit on top of the concrete. Hence the peeling. That's why I ended up paying to ship the Soy Crete since it had great reviews :)