How to Paint a Concrete Floor
Sam Lutz • July 11, 2017
Concrete floors can be beautiful, warm and homey when they’re painted. Whether you’re painting the floor of your house, garage or another indoor concrete surface, the process is the same. These tips will help you turn your indoor concrete floor into a beautiful and attractive walking surface.
Prep the Floor
Before you can paint your floor, you’ll need to rough up the concrete to give the paint something to adhere to. For this part of the task, use a pole sander and 80 grit sandpaper.
- Put on a dust mask to protect your lungs from dust.
- Use the pole sander to sand the entire floor in one direction.
- Sweep the dust from the floor.
- Sand the floor again in the opposite direction.
- Sweep the dust from the floor.
- Switch directions and sand the floor one more time. You’ll need to switch sandpapers throughout this process as the sandpapers wear down.
- Sweep the floor one more time. This time you’ll need to be careful to remove all the dust from the floor, as dust can prevent the paint from properly adhering to the concrete. Use whatever means you have to remove the dust, but if you use water to scrub the floors, keep in mind that you’ll need to let the floors dry for 24 hours before painting.
Apply Paint
Once the floors have been sanded and cleaned, it’s time to apply paint. Porch paint, a paint used specifically on porches and patios, is the perfect product for painting your concrete floor. Porch paint is available in water based solutions, but oil-based paint is available as well. Water based paint takes less time to dry and produces fewer fumes, so many people prefer water based paint for this task.
To apply the paint, pour a small dollop about the size of a dinner plate on the floor, then use a long handled roller to push the paint around. Start in the closet or in a corner of the room and work your way to the door. Use the roller to smooth the paint as you go, ensuring even coverage. You may need an angled paintbrush to get the little corners and edges of the floor.
When you’re done, wait for the paint to cure before applying a second coat. You’ll be able to tell that the paint is finished drying when it loses its stickiness. When the paint has cured, apply a second coat, then wait about 24 hours.
Seal It Up
Once the floor has finished curing, use a concrete sealer to seal the paint on the floor. Avoid using polyurethane, because this product will yellow with time. Sealer helps protect the paint and also makes the floors easier to clean, but if you don’t want to use a sealer, you can also leave the paint bare on the floor.
To seal the paint, follow the same procedure that you used to paint the floor: pour a gob of paint on the floor in the closet or in the corner farthest from the door, then use a clean roller to spread the sealer around. When you’re done, wait for the sealer to dry. One coat should be enough.
Stop In at Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture
At Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture, we sell everything you need to paint and seal your floors. To get your supplies, stop in at one of our convenient locations.
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