Concrete Staining Vs. Painting

[strainsa]

I would like to either stain or paint my covered front and back patios (front is 3' x 6' and back is 20' x 6'). There are some minor cracks and permanent but small spill stains in both. I was looking at some literature the other day on staining concrete. Some questions I have are : Would the concrete staining cover the cracks and spill stains or would I have to go with the paint? Is the concrete staining more like wood stain on wood or does it more closely resemble paint? Any suggestions on preparing the concrete? Is staining or painting the patios even a good idea?

[X Y Scaling]

I think this is a very good question. I've notice over the past month a ton of new concrete stains and paints. They all seem to be good for a garage floor and they seem to avoid "hot tire pickup".

The color charts I've got from Home Depot look just like paint to me. Any "experts" out there who can tell us the differences if there are any?????

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