Basement Floor Painting

Consider basement floor painting as a terrific and inexpensive way to brighten a cold, dreary basement. Most do-it-yourselfers would have no problem taking on such a project.

There are several advantages to painting a basement floor vs other types of flooring. Anyone can paint which makes it a project most people could tackle. This also makes it cheaper by eliminating any labor costs. It can be a fun project. The floor doesn't have to be one solid color. You can use different colors and patterns to create your own unique showroom floor.

A painted floor is easy to clean and maintain. Most messes and spills can be easily wiped clean without the worry of seeping into the concrete pores and staining it.

Probably the biggest advantage is the resistance to flooding. Anyone with a basement knows how important that can be. Other types of flooring can easily be ruined by flooding or at least be costly to restore. To fix a painted surface that's been flooded, all you need is mop.

What type of paint should I use?

There are regular, acrylic concrete floor paints that are a cinch to apply and are relatively cheap. However, they are not very durable and will require periodic touch ups depending on use and traffic.

Epoxy floor paints are much more durable and will easily outlast an acrylic paint. An epoxy is a two part system, A and B. As soon as you mix the two together, a reaction begins which causes it to eventually harden, sort of like mixing water and cement. This makes it more difficult to work with because time is limited. Epoxy paints are more expensive but are usually well worth the extra $$.

Surface preparation

A crucial step in the basement floor painting process is the preparation of the concrete surface. Any stains or foreign substances need to be removed or cleaned as much as possible. Any previous paints, coatings, or sealers should be removed. The pores of concrete should be opened up to get a strong mechanical bond between the concrete and paint. This can be accomplished by etching the floor with an etching solution or diluted muriatic acid. Neutralizing must be done after acid etching with baking soda or diluted ammonia.

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Basement Floor Painting