Keep Your Floor Protected With Concrete Floor Paint

By Author: Constance Martinez
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Concrete has long been used in the construction of homes and other buildings. It is considered the most widely used and very dependable building material. Using this material together with steel can make any structure strong.

A concrete floor as it is can accommodate people and heavy equipment for a long time. Many buildings including homes, warehouses and manufacturing plants have concrete flooring. But in its natural grey color, concrete can look lifeless and therefore, not pleasing to the eyes. For this reason, using concrete floor paint can make your floor look attractive.

Yes, floors can be painted with the right paint and coat. The process can take some time especially since the floor needs to be prepared beforehand.

Preparing the floor
Before concrete paint can be applied, the floor should be properly cleaned and degreased. The type of degreaser to use depends on how the floor will be used and where it is situated. Basically, there are two types of degreasers - the general purpose and the heavy duty degreaser.

The next step is to check for the curing compounds used on the floor. This ...
... is important as some curing compounds may not result in the proper adhesion of the floor coating.

The presence of moisture should also be checked. If the floor has moisture, find out the source and make sure to solve the problem first. Cracks and holes should be fixed right away before you start painting. Using concrete patch or hydraulic cement will help.

Acid etching is vital as well as this allows the concrete painting to strongly adhere to the floor when applied. This process can be done using acid etchers. The floor, however, needs to be rinsed with water afterwards to remove any acid residue.

Applying the paint
Once the floor has been prepared and completely dried, it's time to begin painting the concrete floor. There are numerous floor paints and coats available in the market today but the best material to use is the epoxy-based paint. If you want to achieve a skid-free floor, you can mix silica sand with the epoxy.

Epoxy floor coating lets your floor achieve that look of a showroom. For many years now, this has been used on most industrial floors mainly because of its durability and resistance to oil and other harsh chemicals. Concrete floor paints such as the epoxy can be used for floors in your garage and basement as they're best for protecting the the concrete surface from spills and leaks.

Floor finishing also comes in different types such as the gloss and flat ones. Glossy finishing is ideal if you want your concrete floor to be well protected from chemical spills and abrasion. Normally, a glossy finishing makes use of a top coat that has two components.
In applying the paint, do it in thin layers. Two to four layers of paint should be enough. For convenience, you can use a roller or a paint compressor. You may also use a brush for the delicate parts. Remember to dry the paint in between coats. The right way to paint is to start from the inside going out towards the door instead of the other way around.
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