Painting Concrete Floors

Painting concrete floors, whether in the basement, garage, porches is a very difficult yet crucial decision. Depending on the utility of the surface, frequency of its use, weather and even amount of moisture in the area to be painted may influence one’s choice of paint.

Concrete is usually a dull looking, brown or grey surface which though essential in utility, often gives an ugly look to the surface. A good coat of paint not only enhances the look of the area but also increases the life of the surface.

Painting concrete floors is done well by professional and expert painters. It is veracious that some over- enthusiastic people love to spend time painting the concrete floor in the house although they might not be experts in the job and one would require a good quality long-lasting paint, brush, scraper, brush cleaner, roller, a bucket, mop, primer or sealer. For recoating a surface which has already been painted, a scraper is very useful as one need to scrape off the old paint and then paint with a fresh coat of paint. The area needs to be cleaned properly and should be devoid of any oil stains or dust particles before the paint is applied and finally sealed with a primer.

Painting concrete floors is not an easy task due to rugged surface. Sometimes, the surface has cracks or holes in the concrete. This needs to be fixed first or else, it will give a very ugly and uneven finish to the floor. With the help of sealants such as concrete patch or hydraulic cement, the holes are filled up and then painted evenly with paint. Extra cement is scraped off with scraper to give a smoother finish to the paint.

For painting concrete floors, it’s advisable to pick up a paint that has more solid content. This gives durability to the paint and hence, it can last long. Epoxy paints are quite popular for painting concrete floors. Due to its durability, reliability and long- lasting finish, it’s the most preferred choice of all the home-renovators, painters and home-owners. It is resistant to wear and tear and to oil, dirt and stains. It is quite easy to maintain as it is water-proof and can be washed regularly. It is much better than concrete paints or concrete stains.

Porch and floor paint which is composed of 100% acrylic latex is often used for painting porch floors. Although it is not recommended for garage painting, it can be used for basements, porch and deck floors. In very humid area, it is not recommended as it is susceptible to damage as the paint may peel off over a period of time.