Painting/Staining Concrete

I am seriously considering removing the cream-colored carpet in my home (four dogs, need I say more?) and creating a faux finish on my concrete slab. (Also this is a good move for our allergies.)

My biggest concern is finding the appropriate technique and supplies so that the paint/stain adheres to the concrete and doesn't come off when scrubbed or rambunctious dogs race across it.

I have found wonderful resources for professional faux techniques, but concrete is seldom mentioned as a base material.

Any help you can provide? Thank you!!

Diane

 

Do consider acid stains over painting concrete. After the concrete has been acid stained (permanent) it can be sealed. Up keep will be damp mopping, dust mopping, and reapplying the sealer every once in a while. You can find out more about decorative concrete by using the search tool, then reading asked and answered questions at the address below. (Another
option that might suit your need are some of the epoxy coatings).
http://www.decorative-concrete.net/index.html

 

CONCRETE
There are a lot of considerations to think about before
painting concrete floors:
1.How Old Is Your Concrete Floor?
2.How Clean Is Your Concrete Floor?
3.Is this a Re-paint Job?
4.Is moisture preventing paint from adhering?
5.Is there a hardener on a new concrete floor?

Answer to 1.
To be sure of a good, tightly-adhering paint job, new concrete
floors need to age or
weather at least 30 days. The levels of moisture and alkalinity
are much higher in
new concrete and these levels need time to drop so they do
not interfere with a new
coat of paint adhering. Acid etching neutralizes the surface
and provides a better bond for new paint. It is recommended
for all unpainted or new concrete floors prior to coating.
Prepare a liquid solution of one part muriatic acid with three
parts water. Always add the acid to the water to avoid the
splash of hot acid. Do not pour the water to the acid. Use a
stiff bristle brush. Allow solution to remain on floor until it
stops bubbling. Flush thoroughly with clean water. Flush the
surface again if it is not dry in a few hours.After the surface
has dried, vacuum to remove powder which is produced by the
etching process. When the floor is properly etched it should
resemble the texture of
fine sandpaper. For industrial applications, more of a surface
profile may be required
Answer2.
oil, grease, tar and other contaminants need to be removed
thoroughly before
painting. If they are present when the floor is painted, they
can cause peeling.
In a garage, it is especially important that deeply absorbed
oils are completely
removed. Sometimes stubborn grease may continue to rise to
the surface even after
the initial cleaning. After scrubbing, allow the surface to dry
for a couple days and
see if any grease or oil stains re-surface. If they do, scrub
again. In a laundry room
area, make certain all soap residues are removed. Clean the
floor with a strong detergent solution avoiding mild
dishwashing liquid. Use a solution of one cup trisodium
phosphate type cleaner per pail of hot water. After scrubbing,
rinse thoroughly. Scrape and sand to remove all loose and
scaling paint
and to lower the gloss of any tightly adhering old paint.

We recommend Pittsburg Paints Aquapon® epoxy for garage
floors. Proper surface preparation is important. Allow the
epoxies to cure at least two days before exposing the surface
to hot tires from an automobile. Do not apply Aquapon®
solvent-based epoxy (97-1 series) over existing paint films
other than existing polyamide-epoxy films in good condition.
Aquapon® WB epoxy (98-Line) can be applied over alkyd,
latex and polyamide-epoxy films with proper surface
preparation.
Is this a Re-paint Job?
If the floor has already been painted, the main concerns are
making certain there is
no gloss remaining on the old layer of paint, no dirt or
contaminants, and the paint
that’s there is tightly adhering. Do not acid etch previously
painted floors. If the
concrete is old and crumbling, remove all loose concrete.
Remember, paint cannot
"glue" down loose pieces of a surface. If the surface is
deteriorating, it’s not the paint
that’s failing; rather, the pieces of the surface are releasing
and bringing the paint
with it.
Is moisture preventing paint from adhering?
A Moisture Barrier is a Must!
Floors laid on-grade without a moisture barrier do not hold
paint well. If the paint on your concrete floor keeps peeling,
moisture could be seeping up through concrete
and pushing the paint off. This is especially common in
basements. Most times a layer of plastic is put down before a
concrete floor is poured to prevent this attack from moisture.
Determine if the concrete floor has a moisture barrier. Take a
plastic sheet (18"x18" at 4 mils thick) and tape down all the
edges of the plastic. Keep the plastic in place for a minimum
of 16 hours and then remove the tape and visually inspect the
underside of the plastic sheet and the concrete for any
evidence of moisture. If any
is seen, the floor should not be painted.

Is there a hardener on your new concrete floor?
Hardeners Must be removed First!

Some new concrete floors may have a surface coating applied
or may contain
additives which speed up the cure and harden the surface.
Since these "hardeners"
may prevent good adhesion, they need to removed by some
type of mechanical
abrasion.

quote:<HR>Originally posted by diane_holmes:
I am seriously considering removing the cream-colored carpet in my home (four dogs, need I say more?) and creating a faux finish on my concrete slab. (Also this is a good move for our allergies.)

My biggest concern is finding the appropriate technique and supplies so that the paint/stain adheres to the concrete and doesn't come off when scrubbed or rambunctious dogs race across it.

I have found wonderful resources for professional faux techniques, but concrete is seldom mentioned as a base material.

Any help you can provide? Thank you!!

Diane<HR>

------------------
Gary Goel/Owner Newkote Kitchen & Bath Refinishing
We are just a shade better...
gary@newkote.com

 

Dear 2000:

I appreciate the pointer to decorative-concrete.net. It's a wonderful site.

Diane

 

Dear Gary,

Thank you for such a detailed response. I can see the benefits of hiring a professional.

Best,

Diane

 

I highly recommend acid stains but DO wear a proper mask when using. Increte and Lithocrome are two brands I have had success with. Keep in mind that every batch of concrete reacts differently and do not expect a solid color; the "splotches" make it all the more interesting. Get small samples to try out to see which color you prefer. Color selection is limited but I've been very pleased with the Weathered Copper.
You can either use liquid wax or clear acrylic sealer on top. I've had best results spraying the acid on.

Good luck!

 

Dear Fly,

Thanks for the recommendation. Is it possible (or even a good idea) to do part of a floor with acid stain, while leaving furniture in the other areas? I have a very open floorplan. The living room, dining room, kitchen, and family room, are really one big room. Do I have to evacuate the house, or can I go on living in all but the area where I pull up the carpet (or, in the case of the kitchen, pull of the vinyl squares)?

Thanks,

Diane

 

Diane,

No, you don't have to evacuate the house, but do be sure you have good ventilation. You will need to mop the stained area with
water after the stain has had adequate time to set up--some instructions say wait until the fizzing stops but I find it best to wait at least 24 hours. After you mop off the residue you can see whether you want to add more stain in spots. I have a similar layout and moved all the furniture to one end of the room while I did the other, then switched. I've jusr found concrete stain by Behr which is not acid and is about $17.50 a gallon at Home Depot as opposed to around $55 for the acid stains. You might want to check that out. It comes in many colors.

Good luck!