Concrete Flooring

How To Paint Concrete Floors Painting Concrete Floors Gives New Life To Jaded Spaces Every interior decorator will attest to the fact that a fresh coat of paint is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to brighten up a home. Surprisingly, this includes dressing up any masonry surface including painting concrete floors.

To do a proper job of preparing and painting a concrete floor or wall, you will need an array of tools and supplies, including a power washer, brushes, roller, primer or sealer, paint, floor texture, concrete patch, a scraper, a wire brush, Tri-Sodium Phosphate (TSP), a scrub brush, a bucket and brush cleaner. This seems like a lot of materials and it is; however, each of these elements helps ensure that the project will be successful.

Here's how to Proceed with Painting Concrete Floors:

First, choose a paint that's appropriate for the location, whether interior or exterior. Some brands are clearly labeled as "concrete floor paint" to make selection easier.

Next, clean and prepare the surface. A clean surface is key to the success of any painting project. Using a power washer is the quickest way to remove old paint but it may not be feasible if working inside where you don't want the mess. In that case, the scraper and wire brush are the tools to loosen and remove old paint.

Once it's "so long, old paint" on your concrete floor, it's time to clean the surface of concrete; the part known as the "substrate." This is especially important if you are painting a garage floor as spilt oil or grease will bleed through the paint and will also keep the paint from sticking well to the concrete, making your paint job short-lived. This where you need the Tri-Sodium Phosphate, a scrub brush and a bucket.

Mix the powdered TSP into water according to the manufacturer's directions, then put on some rubber gloves and make like the old washerwoman: Get down on your hands and knees and scrub up that grease. Be sure to rinse well and dry thoroughly.

Now it's time to patch any major defects in the concrete, such as cracks, crevices or holes. Once again, mix up the concrete patching compound according to the manufacturer's instructions, apply it to the defects and allow to dry thoroughly. The label should tell you how long it must dry before being painted.

Since concrete is porous and lets air and moisture through, all masonry surfaces should be sealed and primed before painting. Concrete sealer is often clear, while primer can come in colors. The choice of a primer color often depends on the color of the final painting. You certainly don't want to spend hours covering up a dark primer with a light color.

If you aren't sure whether the concrete you are painting has been primed, place a piece of plastic wrap over the bare concrete and secure with tape. Leave it for 24 hours, and then check to see if there's condensed water on the plastic wrap. If water is present, then the concrete hasn't been sealed and you need to seal it before painting. Applying sealer and primer before painting is a process that gives a good foundation for concrete paint.

When sealer and primer are completely dry, apply concrete paint using several thin coats. Repeated thin coats of paint will form a harder surface than one thick coat. If desirable, mix in texturing additive to give a smooth floor more traction to avoid slips. When the final coat of paint is done, give the paint job plenty of time to cure before using the floor. For more personalized flooring, you could "autograph" your painting with permanent footprints!