Painting concrete block foundation

We have a 40 year old exposed block foundation, never painted. How can it be done properly? Thanks!! Newboy

 

Hi Newboy..
Welcome to the forums...
Heres a couple of links I found.....
http://forum.doityourself.com/showth...ock+foundation
and here...
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/paintconcretewallfl
.
Or you can use a good primer (Zinzer for example) then a concrete paint, ie for concrete floors etal...
or...
what I did here, wanting black as our 'color', I used a water proof sealant, that I brushed on..(or roller depending on space). Its somewhat elasticized..(!?!?) and seals the concrete. The brush is toast after you use it, but the finish has lasted for a # of years...

 

If it is an exposed, uncoated concrete block/concrete wall, use Thoroseal. It is not a paint but a cement-based concrete coating that bonds, breathes and is a superior water repellant. - It is NOT a paint!!

If you are not satisfied with the appearance, you can coat it with a latex paint, or if you want a more superior finished appearance you can use one of the other Thoro products, like Thorosheen (made by BASF) used for concrete repairs, restoration and refinishing. These are available in colors, but a DIYer might have search out a commercial product for a residential application.

It is not easy to apply, will cost more, but there is no comparison when it comes to performance. If you want it easy, use latex.

 

To paint raw block you need to first prime with block fill or drylok. You can then apply 1-2 coats of latex paint. House paint will last longer than most masonary paints. Elastromeric coatings usually wear the longest.

 

mrksr is right about preparing the surface and priming if you are going to paint if you are using latex.

With a cement-based product, priming is not recommended since it would interfere with the bond and sealing properties. The coating if referred to apply over Thoroseal is Thorosheen, which is a 100% acrylic material designed to be applied over Thorosheen and other concrete surfaces. - Again, it is pricy, but well worth it if you are looking at 15 to 25 year lfe.