One of the best ways to visually refresh a space is to look at the floor! When you think of concrete floors, you probably think of dirty basement or garage floors. However, with a little paint and elbow grease, you can instantly transform these spaces!
[ez-toc]
Acrylic latex or epoxy paints can be used to paint a concrete floor. Before the concrete is painted, a moisture test must be done. The concrete will need to be washed, sanded, cleaned, and repaired before being painted. Once the floor has been primed, the paint can be applied, followed by a sealer.
If you’re looking to paint a concrete floor, you can do it in ten easy steps! From gathering your supplies to waiting for the final coat of sealer to dry, we’ll guide you through the process. Your concrete will be more vibrant in no time!
How To Paint A Concrete Floor In 10 Steps: garage, storage room, attic an more
Painting concrete is a fantastic way of revamping a concrete surface without replacing it. While replacing a concrete slab can cost upwards of $500, a can of paint will only set you back around $50. However, you might be wondering about which type of paint is best suited to concrete. There are two types of paint for you to consider.
Water-based acrylic latex concrete paint is a great choice that’s easy to apply. However, if you’re looking for weather resistance, you might prefer opting for a more durable epoxy concrete paint. While the epoxy paint needs to prepare beforehand, the acrylic latex paint does not. Besides this, the steps remain the same!
Step One: Gather Your Supplies
When painting a concrete floor, you’ll need to get some supplies. As we mentioned above, you’ll need to choose between acrylic latex concrete paint and epoxy concrete paint. The remaining supplies remain the same, regardless of which paint you decide to use.
- Acrylic latex paint OR epoxy paint
- Eye protection
- Dust mask
- Gloves
- Duct tape
- Plastic sheet
- Broom
- Mop
- Handheld sander (with 100-grit sandpaper)
- Vacuum
- Concrete crack filler
- Concrete primer
- Paint roller and tray
- Concrete sealer
Step Two: Test Concrete For Moisture
Before you start preparing your concrete floor to be painted, you need to perform a moisture test. If you find any moisture present in your concrete floor, your paint can peel off. Mold and mildew can also form in these conditions.
If you find that there is moisture, your concrete floor will need to be sealed before you can proceed with the painting. You can test your moisture by taping a plastic sheet to the floor and leaving it overnight to see if moisture forms.
Step Three: Wash Concrete Floor
Once you’ve done the moisture test, you’ll need to wash your concrete floor. You’ll want to start by sweeping up any dirt and debris from the surface. Once you’ve done this, you can mop the concrete flooring to finish cleaning it. For the best results in the next step, you need to let your concrete floor dry for at least two days.
Step Four: Sand Your Concrete Floor
Once the concrete flooring is fully dry, you can start sanding it. For the best results, you can make use of a handheld sander. Many of these handheld sanders can be purchased with included sandpaper. If you already own a sander, you’ll want to use sandpaper between 80- and 100-grit.
Step Five: Vacuum Concrete Floor
Once your floor has been sanded down, you’ll need to vacuum the leftover dust and debris. Once you’ve cleaned your floor again, you’ll need to inspect it!
Step Six: Repair Any Damage
Once you’ve sanded the surface of your concrete and vacuumed it, you can inspect the surface for any holes or cracks. Should you find any, you’ll need to fill them in before proceeding. This will ensure that your painted concrete floor looks professional and lasts for a long time. You can use concrete crack filler for this.
Step Seven: Apply Primer To Concrete Floor
Like with any surface you want to paint, the use of a primer is advised – the same goes for your concrete floor. When priming your concrete floor, you need to ensure that you use a primer suited to concrete. You can use your roller to apply two coats of primer to the floor.
For the best results, you should work from one side of the floor to the other. Between each coat, you should leave sufficient time for the layers to dry. Once your second primer layer has completely dried, you’re almost ready to start painting.
Step Eight: Prepare Paint
If you’ve decided to use epoxy concrete paint, you’ll need to prepare the paint beforehand. You can prepare this while you’re waiting for your second coat of primer to fully dry! However, those using acrylic latex paint for their concrete will not have to prepare it beforehand.
To prepare epoxy paint, you’ll need to combine the paint with a hardener that needs time to set. The epoxy paint you purchase will provide detailed instructions on preparing your paint. You’ll need something to stir your epoxy paint. Once your epoxy paint is ready, you can proceed!
Step Nine: Paint The Concrete Floor
It’s finally time to paint your concrete floor! When doing this, you want to follow the same directions for applying the primer. You’ll want to start on one side of the room and strategically paint. This will allow you to avoid working yourself into a corner and ruining your hard work. You can use the paint roller to apply your paint to the floor.
Step Ten: Seal Painted Concrete
Once you’ve painted your concrete floor, you’ll need to leave sufficient drying time. Once the paint has fully dried, you can apply a concrete sealing product to your floor. The sealant you purchase will provide specific instructions that need to be followed. However, you’ll need to let the sealer dry between coats.
Conclusion
There are two types of paints that can be used on concrete floors: acrylic latex and epoxy paints. Before a floor can be sanded, it needs to be cleaned, sanded, and repaired. A primer can then be applied to the floor, followed by your chosen paint and a concrete sealer.
Sources:
