Painting - Painting basement floor

I just finished ripping up old carpet and then popping up vinyl tiles off my basement floor. My plan is to paint the floor. Any suggestions as far as prepping the floor before painting? After popping up the tile I found there were small traces of asbestos(black mastic) from the tiles. I will wash the floor thoroughly. I also know there are products out there like degreasers and such that will clean the floor. I plan on using concrete paint(maybe Dry-Loc or a Benjamin Moore floor paint) There are some sections of the concrete slab that could be leveled smooth with concrete. How much will it matter if I smooth it out? Any reccomendations? Advice? Thanks

Your floor has to be ABSOLUTELY CLEAN!!

You may want to acid etch it to get a better bond.

I don't think DryLok would work as a floor paint.

Dick

An acid etch isn't always neccesary on older concrete but it does need to be clean. Where possible {imo] it is better to use a concrete stain instead of floor enamel. I also doubt that drylok would hold up on a floor. With the exception of about 1" along the wall I have never used [or heard of anyone] it on floors.

Marksr & Concrete

If acid etch isnt necessary what do you reccomend for cleaning? Especially the left over black mastic? Will the mastic have an affect on the paint bond?

Concrete

How do I go about etching? I know that stuff burns the skin. I used an etch mixture on the foundation walls before drylocking(a little water problem). Is it worth the time to smooth the concrete before painting?

Unless I'm mistaken etching is done with muratic acid, the fumes can be potent!

It is best to remove all the adhesive, it can affect the paint bond but not always. I usually use a HD degreaser to clean the concrete - make sure it's rinsed well. Mineral spirits may help to soften the mastic.

Paint will not make the concrete surface smoother - maybe slicker but it won't hide defects. Don't expect the paint to hide lack of prep.

I just learned today that drylok has come out with a floor finish. I hope to find time to learn more about it later.

Well, first advice would be....don't paint your floor. Floors are very difficult to paint properly, and the failures tend on the high side.

With that being said, it appears that you are serious about painting.

As stated, a clean DRY floor is required. Now I am not talking about "Dry" to the touch. I would cut 5 1'x1' plastic. Duct tape all around the plastic and stick on floor. Do this in several locations(hence the 5 pieces). The duct tape acts as a air seal. Leave this on floor for minimum 24 hours. Pull off plastic and examine concrete. If it has changed color relative to the surronding floor, DONT PAINT. This indicates you have some hydrostatic pressure (water vapor) coming up from the ground. There is no commercial paint available that will stop hydrostatic pressure for floors. You will get giant "blisters" of paint on your floor. Very unpleasant and not easy to repair.

Latex floor coatings are very nice, and have come a long way. These will allow SOME moisture to migrate out of the coating, better than oil. Also, application is easier due to no/little solvent odor.

Muratic acid is the most effective washes, but can be DEADLY in an inclosed enviroment. You need to use an ACID filter/ by 3M or other paint mask maker. Again, ACID filter, as the acid will compromise a paint filter in seconds. There is special charcole for acid. Also, remeber to remove ANY electronics from the basement, as the acid vapor is very caustic and will degrade circuit boards, and any exposed metal. Nasty stuff!

There are some etchers that are not as toxic, but are more expensive, and work much more slowly.

Good luck!

Thanks for all the advice.

I heard of BIN primer which is used to prevent bleeding of adhesive from old tile through new paint topcoat. Anyone ever hear of this? How effective is this?

With all this said, say I go with the painting and down the road its not what I want or it fails(as groundbeef described). My other choice was vinyl tile. Would I have a problem as far as adhesion of vinyl tile onto the newly painted floor?

BIN is a great primer but it does have an odor not for the faint of heart :eek:

Vinyl tile should stick ok to paint although it would be a good idea to lightly sand it first. If the paint does peel later the glue and tile will also.

Thanks agian for all the responses.

Marksr

I know you mentioned the masctic(adhesive) might affect the paint bond. The mastic is in a small section of the floor. With all said, I think Ill try and remove what I can with mineral spirits and then wash thoroughly with a TSP solution.

My question is would you recommend the BIN primer? The only reason i am thinking of using this is because I am afraid the adhesive will affec the bond of the paint otherwise I would not use it. Also I am using a Benjamin Moore self priming latex paint so I am wondering if the BIN is just a waste of time?

Thanks agian for all the responses.

Marksr

I know you mentioned the masctic(adhesive) might affect the paint bond. The mastic is in a small section of the floor. With all said, I think Ill try and remove what I can with mineral spirits and then wash thoroughly with a TSP solution.

My question is would you recommend the BIN primer? The only reason i am thinking of using this is because I am afraid the adhesive will affec the bond of the paint otherwise I would not use it. Also I am using a Benjamin Moore self priming latex paint so I am wondering if the BIN is just a waste of time?

My friend, is this a Latex Floor paint? (I would assume so, but you know what they say about assumption!)

I used BIN on a floor before, and it was excellent on sealing out pet odors that the previous owner left for me. However, I carpeted over it. The problem with BIN is that it is Non-Porous. If you get moisture issues, your first indication will be the 2-3' diameter "blisters" that appear.

You may consider a latex floor stain. These are less prone to failure than paint.

Well, first advice would be....don't paint your floor.

Sorry to revive a very old thread -- I'd like to ask groundbeef if painting a concrete floor is not a good idea, what is the best way to finish it?

We're thinking about ripping out our carpets and have just a concrete floor -- except we've never done this before. Our house is a small (775 sq ft), 1-story tract home built on a concrete slab in 1971. We don't want any fancy patterns or stains -- just solid colors. How hard is will this be? What are the basic steps? What are the possible complications?

Thanks.

I painted the floor of one room in my basement with Drylok concrete paint. 3 1/2 years later it has held up very well. It was new concrete that had cured about 90 days. I did acid etch and rinse with more clean water. Waited about 1 week and followed the instructions on the can.

Concrete stain is usually preffered over paint since it will wear away [less work when time to recoat] and seldom peels. For any paint/stain job on concrete to be successfull, there must be no moisture coming thru the concrete from the other side.