I want to paint my basement cement floor.?

Looking for tips on the prep work before painting floor.I want to paint my basement cement floor.?
If you paint, you'll have to also seal and wax to protect it. It's a lot of hard work that in the long run scuffs off or just wears down. Have you considered acid staining? It's cool, less involved and lasts forever.I want to paint my basement cement floor.?
It's best to check to see if any water vapour is coming through the floor since this would stop any finish from adhereing.


Clean a small area,say 2ft by 2ft,and tape down clear plastic film and leave for a couple of days.If water droplets appear on the underside of the film then there is water vapour coming through the floor.


In which case,it's best to look at installing a built up floor with a vapour barrier next to the concrete.
I painted a cement floor about 25 years ago and it held up real well. I didn't use primer I just did 2 coats. Just be sure to use cement floor paint. First , be sure to wash your floor thoroughly with a sponge mop and remove any serious stains with a good scrub brush. Second, make sure you also go over the washed floor with a mop and bucket of water to rinse it because the risidual soap can weaken the bond of the paint to the floor. Third, let it dry good before you paint it. Open the windows if possible and run a fan to accelerate drying time. Fourth, paint the floor along the wall with a brush- sorry you will have to get on your knees for this and that's the hardest part. You may need to mask the bottom of the wall if you don't want to get paint on it. Finally, use a roller on a broom handle to roll the paint on the rest of the floor and paint away. After your first coat put the roller in a plastic bag to keep it from drying out.... then run those fans. Let it dry for 2 days so it hardens. Then do a second coat. You will discover that cement is porous which means it likes to absorb paint so don't be surprised if you need to get more paint half way through. And the second coat goes on a lot faster than the first. The reason you want to do two coats is that its a lot of work and you don't want to have to do it twice in 20 years. 2 coats is real durable it last longer!
i know someone did that and it like to never dryed plus with moisture a basement has you have to get the right paint i would suggest asking someone at Lowes or home depot or a well trained painter. it can be a headache really
With about 40 years working with paint, I would not ';paint'; a cement basement floor or a garage floor. Cement naturally dusts, that means that the very top layer of the cement is constantly coming off.





Regardless of anything, paint does not hold on to cement well. What I would do instead of paint it is to stain it and there are cement stains with which you can do this. YOu can get those in dark and light colors, or apply more to make them darker.
Make sure its clean, use a primer first.
Make sure it's clean and use a primer..
Usually find all the information you need on the side of the paint tin.
you might consider a garage floor epoxy instead.


they last longer w/ less maintainence, and withstand some tough punishment. and they don't need a primer.





you can get it in more than a few different colors and one box should cover about 250sq. feet





this goes w/o saying but make sure the surface is clean and dry before applying
Before you paint, do the ';moisture test';.





Put a square piece of plastic down in several sections of your floor. 12'; by 12'; duct taped down on all sides, in about 6 different spots if its a huge area.





Now, if you get moisture, under the plastic after 24 hours, then what ever paint you put down, may come up!





If not, then you should clean the concrete...(I would power wash it, if you have a drain in the room, to make sure you get ';everything'; up...(use a three ceramic head rotating nozzle, as this type will rip up paint and any lose thing you can think of...cleans concrete REAL well, and I love that nozzle for the cleanig ability). If you use a gas powered machine, then make sure the hose is long enough to keep the machine OUTSIDE!! An electric machine will have less power. Wait for about 3 days, for the concrete to dry out, (If you have fans, have it blow across the basement to create some air flow and keep a window open unless you have a dehumidifier, so that the basement will dry).





Now, what I did, was put down three layers of grey enamel..(it also comes in red), and that has lasted for 16 years! (Word of caution though, if you have a washer down there, and it leaks, the paint will come up! So, you have to put more paint down.





Now, you can get an epoxy paint, and those little sprinkles that they put in garages, that looks really fancy, and will last as long as you have the house.





Also, if you have a washer and dryer down there, have an exhaust fan! You dont want mold growing in the basement.





I wish you well..





Jesse
theres a nice kit for about $250 to $500 that can be used for garages basements and patios,, i cant remember off the top of my head the name... many people i know who have used it says its awesome,, it repels stains, oil ,greases, its very durable ,,and is guarenteed for i think 20-30 yrs as well,,, check it out,, sorry once again bout forgetting the name,,,,