Ever painted a concrete floor?

[Sari]

Like a basement, or converted porch? Our living room is a converted front porch that tends to get water seeping under the door. As a result, the carpet is moldy - YUCK! I am hoping to pull up the carpet and somehow paint the floor so that if any more water comes up, it won't be as big of a deal. I *think* the floor was painted before, so I'm assuming I'll have to sand the floor somewhat. I'm also assuming I may need to apply some clear coats after the paint. I'm really hoping to keep this as inexpensive as possible, as well as do it quickly and since I'll probably have to do this by myself, as easy as possible.

I'd appreciate any tips you can offer.

[AmyBoz]

They have a concrete sealer paint that you could use. Our playroom and Patrick's bedroom are both part of the old garage and we used a cement floor sealer and have never had carpet problems. Call your local Home Depot or Lowe's or someplace like it and ask what they have.

[ama]

We found VERY nice wood floors under our carpet in our LR so decided to rip up all the carpet. Only to find damaged wood floors -- hence the carpet. So do what we did -- we went and found some porch paint and painted the wood floor. It was just until we saved some $$$ and bought carpet again but we get so many compliments and it really does look good so for now it stays. Porch paint already has the clear coat in it and I bet it would cover whatever paint is already there.

[marym]

I painted our front porch (it's concrete) I used Ace Royal Porch and FLoor paint. I did it over a year ago and it hasn't chipped or peeled. I did power wash the porch before I painted it to be sure it was really clean so the paint would adhere well.

[brainyblonde]

I painted my concrete front porch last fall. I used a power washer and a putty knife to clean off the existing loose paint, and found out in the process, that the previous owner did not seal the concrete. (Obviously, you can't use a power washer inside, maybe a floor scrubber would work?) Removing the existing paint was the worst part of this project! I work full time so I did a little bit each night.

For me, it was a two-step process. I bought concrete sealer and used that first. It was thick and sticky, so I applied it with a roller. You have to allow time for it to dry, 24-48 hours, I think. My porch gets afternoon sun, so it dried very quickly. Then, it rained the next two weekends! It worked out ok because the paint can be applied up to four weeks later. Make sure you buy paint specifically for concrete porches and floors, so that it will stand up to foot traffic. The floor surface was rough so I didn't need to add any sand to the paint. (I think the purpose here is to avoid slickness when the floor is wet, so that shouldn't be a problem on an interior floor.) I used a roller to apply the paint as well. Both products I used were manufactured by Behr. The paint is thick and provides excellent coverage. The quality is definitely worth the cost. You don't need a topcoat, either. The paint can be tinted - mine is an icy blue. The porch has survived the first winter, and still looks beautiful!

It didn't take long to apply sealer or paint. Most of the time you'll spend preparing the floor, and waiting for everything to dry. I did this project by myself, and I don't have a lot of experience. (I did research on the internet.) You can look on Behr's website for the products and what they recommend as far as prep work for the type of floor you have. It cost me less than $100 including all of the supplies (painter's tape, long handled roller, pk of thick napped roller thingies, paint tray, etc.).

Hope this helps.

[Libby]

A cheaper way to go is the concrete sealant paint. My bf is a contractor and he recently used this in a customers basement for a leaky/seeping walls - DRY LOK paint. It seals the wall so no water can seep through the concrete. Its a temporary fix, so dont count on it lasting forever. Its best to use it in a fix and then properly repair the source of the leak and the rest of the damage done to it.

Try this site for more product info: http://www.ugl.com

Also, try speaking to someone at a home repair store - Home Depot, Rona/Lansing or Lowes for advice.

[PrairieRose]

We stained Gripey's office concrete floors. He gets lots and lots of traffic with muddy boots in that office so it was a great alternative to other flooring. It's not hard to do. We had to pull up carpet, sand, sweep and mop with muratic acid and then stain. It was easy and sooo cheap. Looks great too.

[ama]

shorty --
I REALLY like the advice you give. We might have to do this to seal our basement wall that leaks when it rains very badly. I realize its not a permanent fix but the "fix" would involve ripping up the driveway. That is SOOO not doable...

[Libby]

ama - No problem, just trying to help. But keep an eye on the area yer fixing for more water damage and leaks - b/c then you may have to shell out and fix it properly from the start. If I were you, WITH the funds, Id fix it properly and then Dry Lok seal it Then Id know it was taken care of properly.

[ama]

Well with a new roof on the horizon, breaking up the driveway to fix the wall isn't an option right now. My DB has actually done work on waterproofing basements so I may ask for his help. Its def another "homeowning is fun" chore!