A Painted Concrete Floor: Pictures

Part Five About Painting Concrete Floors

The following are pictures of the living room concrete floor.  The concrete floor was painted with two coats of Sherwin Williams Floor and Porch Enamel, Interior/Exterior Acrylic Satin, then sealed with a clear top coat of H&C Concrete Sealer, Wet Look Water Based, available at Sherwin Williams.  The decorative paint was also Sherwin Williams Floor and Porch Enamel, Interior/Exterior Acrylic Satin.

Living room floor paint.

The orange paint was rolled directly on the brown base coat.  This makes the orange faint except when in sun light.  I like the effect.  It has different tones throughout the living room, as you can see in the images above and below.

With acrylic top coat.

Orange, red, and yellow paints tend to be faint without a white undercoat.  The semi-transparent effect of these tints can be used to good effect.

Paint only.  Satin sheen.

The above image shows the paint without the clear top coat.

With acrylic top coat.

Two coats of clear top coat change the appearance of the floor.

With acrylic top coat.  The camera angle  and exposure are deliberate to show the flaws in the floor.

You can see the difference between the paint sheen and the top coat shine.  As you can see in the above image, the extra shine reveals the flaws in the floor.  You can see where I patched a very long crack in the concrete, which I suspect runs through nearly the whole length of the house.  Once the furniture was returned to the room, the flaws became less noticeable.

To get a brighter orange, first paint a white undercoat.  After that has dried, paint over the white with orange.  I wish I had painted more patterns into the koi and less gold.  But my back was not sorry at all.

All the shades of color were mixed using brown, orange, blue, and white floor enamel.

As I mentioned in another post, I wanted to do a better job with the koi, but my aging back and knees forced me to finish the job as quickly as possible.

For information on how the floor was prepared and painted, you may see my earlier posts.  The first post in this series is Protecting A Concrete Floor.

Painting the Concrete Floor: The Living Room

Part Four About Painting Concrete Floors

Painting the Base Coats

Tape a paper barrier around the walls.  Now you are ready to paint.  Paint with an edging tool around the perimeter of the floor. Use a paint roller with an extension pole to paint the rest of the floor.  Use the same technique as you would to roll paint on a wall.  When the first coat has dried, paint the second coat. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the drying time and the right tools to use.

The enamel dried quickly in our high elevation, summer Arizona heat.  I walked on it barefoot within two hours.  I waited for the instructed three to four hours before applying the second coat.  There were no noticeable odors with the windows open.  Some odor was noticed in the closets, of course.

The painting went quickly.  Since I was painting the living room and the hall, we had unusual exit plans.  My son hopped from his room to the master bedroom, stepped out of the low window, then entered the window in the dining room to step on the couch.  From the couch, he could step on the piano bench and finally enter the kitchen.  I reversed the process to reach the back of the house, but I'm considerably older so it was more of an adventure.

Two coats of brown floor enamel without top coat.

Now for the fun.

Decorative Painting

I decided to paint koi ponds on the floor.  Not an original idea, but I had some fun with it.  The ponds are not as detailed as I would have liked.  But my aging back and knees complained loudly and long while I was painting.  I was forced to do a less than optimal job as a result.

Mixing colors using white, blue, orange, brown.

I bought light brown for the base coat, and a quart each of white, dark blue, and orange floor enamel. These were mixed for the colors I needed to paint the koi ponds. I had light and dark grays, greens, blues, and greenish browns from these four colors.

Paper fish to lay out the design.

Large areas of a single color can be rolled on. Smaller areas require small brushes or artist brushes.   Artist brushes can be found at Walmart or Hobby Lobby.

For your design, lay out rolls of newsprint on the floor, taped together to make the size of the pond or other object you want to paint on the floor. Sketch the outlines on the paper. Cut out your biggest shape, see how it looks, cut, tape, cut, tape, till you get what you want. Then position it on the floor until it is where you like it.  Use a pencil to trace around the large shape.

After rolling on the background paint, other large shapes, such as koi in the pond, are cut out of newsprint and laid on the background to decide where to position them. The paper objects can be flipped and reused in different positions

Working on a sponge shape.

Sponge Painting

I wanted to sponge - paint maple leaves in an arc around my living room, as if leaves had blown in and scattered through the back door.  I thought a sponge would be the quickest way to do this.

Look for a sponge with small holes. Large holes will leave globs of paint. Use a sponge as is, or cut it into shapes.   The sponges I had did not quite work for this.  So I tried a stencil.

Stenciling

You can cut your own stencil from cereal box cardboard. It won't last too long, and you will have to keep cleaning the edges with a paper towel, but it works. Use a small roller, a brush, or a sponge to apply the paint. Your stencil will dry to use again later, provided it's not warped too badly.  I extended the borders of my stencil by taping newsprint around the edges.  This helped to keep paint from sliding off the edges of the stencil and onto the floor.

Do not go for a highly detailed stencil unless you want to use an art brush and spend way too much time in a back breaking position.

Cardboard and paper stencil.

Clear Acrylic Top Coat and Sealer

The floor is easier to clean if the sealer is used as a clear top coat. It protects the paint underneath from wear for a longer period.   Apply it with a brush around the edge of the floor, then use a roller for the rest of the floor.

At first I did not like the extra shine. It showed up every flaw in the floor, and I expected it would be more slippery. But I wanted a good seal against dog urine, as well as a protective coat over the koi ponds I had painted. If it were not for that, I would have preferred the satin sheen of the base paint.  However, a year later, the shine looks good.

One coat is supposed to be enough. But I had trouble seeing where I had applied the sealer. It goes on slightly milky, but I could barely see that. I kept stepping in it, which is dangerous. When wet, it is treacherously slippery.  Since I couldn't see it well, there were bare spots to go back and patch up. I added a second coat in part to make sure all spots were covered.   It should be noted that my vision is not that good.

Glitter

While I was rolling on the first top coat I stopped to sprinkle copper glitter on each section I had just rolled. I sprinkled an extra fine glitter out of a salt shaker, sometimes in a circular pattern, sometimes just broadcasting it. At times, because of some dampness, the glitter came out in clumps. I just took whatever I got.

Glitter and stenciled leaf.

I tried rolling over the glitter but it did not pick up on the roller and move around. It pretty much stayed put. I had rolled the top coat over the koi ponds first, to avoid rolling glitter onto the ponds. I rolled the second top coat over the glitter.

As the top coat and glitter wear off, I can reapply both glitter and top coat as needed.

Whether or not the glitter reacts with the acrylic and the sun to change color remains to be seen.  A year later the glitter still looks good.  If I had it do over, I would use a coarser glitter to show up more.  I purchased the glitter in the craft section at Walmart.

Design Ideas

If you are interested in ponds and other floor painting ideas, there are some great images if you search the internet.  Several of the paint manufacturers have floor painting images as well.  Dyes; these images can be somewhat adapted to paint.  Concrete floor pictures has some great looking designs.  For more design links you may go to to my post, Protect Concrete Floor From Dog Urine.

Update:  One bedroom floor is done.  For a few details and images, go to A Faux Torquoise Floor.   Three more rooms to go.  I'll keep you posted on what I learn.

Next post:  Pictures of the finished floor.

Before Painting: Concrete Floor Prep

Part Three About Painting Concrete Floors

Before you can paint, you need to prepare the floor properly so the paint will adhere to the floor. These instructions are for indoor living spaces, they are not adequate for a garage or workshop.

First move the furniture out of the room so you will have ample space to work on the floor.

A) Pull up carpet and padding. While pulling it up, cut the carpet into strips of a size you can handle. Roll up the strips of carpet and duct tape the roll to make it easier to haul to the dump.

Pry up the carpet tack strips with a small nail puller or a hammer claw.  Pull out carpet nails with the same tools.

Sweep and mop often between each of these steps.

Carpet adhesive and plaster - filled nail holes.

B) Clean up and then patch nail holes and cracks with pre-mixed concrete patch. Some mixes work better for holes, some are better for tiny cracks. Use epoxy crack filler for larger cracks. The epoxy will stretch as the crack widens, so your paint will last longer before a crack shows through. If I had it to do again, I would finish the concrete patches over large nail holes with a topping of epoxy for a smoother finish.

Some older nail holes from a previous carpet installation had been filled with white plaster.  I chiseled and wire brushed the plaster out of the holes.  Then I filled the holes with concrete patch.

Just mopped.  Cracks have been patched.

 While the patches are drying:

C) Remove the carpet adhesive. Apparently, different solvents and methods work for fairly new, still sticky carpet glue than works for old, dry, hard carpet glue.  For new, sticky carpet glue visit http://www.vintagerevivals.com/2013/06/how-to-paint-concrete-plus-my-secret.html 

Removing old carpet glue: I tried all kinds of things.  A number of solvents are supposed to remove all the glue, but none of those I tried were effective, and the odors aren't so great inside the house, even with plenty of ventilation.  Of these, acrylic paint thinner, which contained xylol, worked fairly well.

Better than the rest, with less odor, and no skin irritation, was the regular Krud Kutter for cleaning and degreasing.  Don't use the Krud Kutter glue remover if you want to put a transparent finish on your concrete. That stuff stains the concrete and does not do any better job.  Also the greasy stain might cause a problem with adhesion of the paint.

Once the Krud Kutter has worked for a minute or so, you still have to scrape the glue off the floor. Use a floor scraping tool. I was loaned a tool that looks like an over size wood chisel, with a 2 inch wide blade and about 1 1/5 ft. long. It stayed sharp and had the right length to get good leverage for scraping off glue and paint.  (Paint came off like a charm after the Krud Kutter had worked on it.)

It is important to have a real floor scraper, because it will hold it's sharpness better than a hoe or a wood chisel.

If linoleum adhesive is all over the floor, use a long handled floor scraper, which looks like a straight hoe, to scrape adhesive off the floor.

The carpet glue has seeped into the pores of the concrete, so you will not get it all off. You will have to scrape and then sand it down as far as possible.  The scuffing of the sandpaper will help the new paint to adhere to the remaining glue.

In searching for something to get the epoxy out of the pores I learned that one can burn off epoxy, which burns at a far lower temperature than provided by a small propane torch, but I found it extremely time consuming to burn just a small amount.  ( Note: I read that burning super glue releases cyanide gas, not good!)

D) Sanding the floor: You can use a pole sander with 80 grit paper. It saves the back.  You also want to sand the whole floor to open up the pores and avoid acid etching.  That is, unless you enjoy the hazards and fumes of acid and are applying an acid etch stain.  In my opinion, those stains are best applied on a garage floor or outdoors.

For the living room, I used a belt sander with a light touch. 80 grit sandpaper will sand those patches smooth and sand the strips of glue, as well as scuff up the whole floor. If you have the physical strength and the money to throw around, you can rent a floor sander. But I like the quick results I get with a belt sander. I bought a cheap sander, under $60. I figured if it lasted long enough to sand the floor, it was good.  The draw back is a back ache while using the belt sander.  One also has to be careful not to over-sand with a belt sander.

Use a block sander, pole sander, or orbital sander in the corners where the belt sander can't reach. Use ear protection, safety glasses, and a good dust mask or respirator. Where possible, stuff rags around doors to keep dust out of other rooms.  Keep your sensitive electronics away from the dust.

E) Sweep and mop yet again. Now it is time to use TSP.  Use the small amount recommended on the package, mixed with water.  Use an “acid brush” on a long handle to scrub the soap or TSP into the floor. Then mop it up. You will have to mop and mop and mop. A Depression Era rag mop is really useful.

Some people say dish soap does the job on a living room floor, since there are no automotive greases in the concrete.  I tried dish soap on a bedroom floor.  I think I prefer TSP.  It seems to do a better job of cleaning, which is important if the paint is going to adhere.

I mopped for an hour or two each evening for a week until the water was as clear as it could get.  A year later, the paint is holding up well.  However, I do not have small children running through the house.

Next post:  Painting the Floor

The Supply List for Home Concrete Floor Prep and Paint

Part Two About Painting Concrete Floors

The Purpose of These Items

The following list is for items you will need to prepare and paint your concrete floors inside your house.  These supplies are good for anyone who does not want to spend too much money, who needs smaller tools to do the job, and who wants the least toxic solutions.  Note:  Some of these supplies are not adequate for a garage floor.  You may want to see the previous post about Protecting a Concrete Floor.

A handy multi-use tool.  A good glue scraper.  From Home Depot.

Supplies:

Duct tape

Carpet knife

Broom

Dustpan

Rags

Rag mop

Mop pail

Knee pads

Knee and seat cushions

Ear protectors

Safety glasses

Hammer

Nail puller

Krud Krutter – cleaner and degreaser type, not the glue remover.

Pre-mix cement patch for small cracks and nail holes

Epoxy, non-cementitious concrete patch (Rust-Oleum Epoxy Shield Concrete Patch & Repair) for bigger cracks.

Kitchen brush

Wire brush

Tooth brush

Putty knife

Floor scraper

Acid brush for scrubbing the floor, even though I am not using acid

50-80 grit sand paper

120-180 grit sand paper, optional

Sanding block, optional

Orbital sander, optional

Belt sander, optional

Pole sander

Paint Supplies:

Sherwin Williams Floor and Porch Enamel, Interior/Exterior Acrylic Satin

H&C Concrete Sealer, Wet Look Water Based, available at Sherwin Williams

Paint edging tool

Paint brush

Floor paint rollers/applicators with long handles. You may have handles in the garage that screw into these things. Use the type of roller/applicator recommended on the can by the paint manufacturer.

Painter's tape and masking paper to tape partway up the walls to prevent paint swipes.

Shopping:

I had most supplies at home, but I had to purchase several items.  I purchased most of my supplies at Home Depot.  I really like browsing Home Depot's web site to see in which aisle and shelf to find a product, and read how many of that item are in stock.  I also shopped at Lowe's and Walmart for supplies.  I did get a few items from Sutherland's, but sadly, they have closed.

Next post:  Removing the old carpet.  Prepping the floor.

Protect Concrete Floor from Dog Urine

Part One About Painting Concrete Floors

Why Paint a Concrete Floor?

Our household has an older, sometimes incontinent dog.  The result has been a ruined carpet throughout the house.  Last summer we started tearing up carpet to get rid of the smell.

Tearing up carpet last summer.

I decided that painting the concrete floor would be the least expensive finish for the floor, as well as the easiest to clean.  But I wanted a non-breathing, moisture barrier to seal old dog urine in the concrete, and to keep new dog puddles out of the concrete.  A single application of sealer mixed with paint would be ideal. I would have liked a transparent, tinted base for a little color that would allow the concrete to show underneath.  However, I did not want to look at stripes of glue and concrete patches.

Porosity is a problem.  Silicone is apparently the best non-porous sealer.  But a non-breathing material can cause problems when the concrete needs to expand or contract.  I decided on something that was somewhat porous, but would still do a fairly good job as a sealer.

Another problem with a painted surface was possible yellowing of the floor finish.  Our living room floor gets some direct sunlight.  Some say that epoxy yellows in the sun, some say acrylic yellows but not epoxy. Who to believe?  I almost went for the epoxy sealer/paint. But the process was far too difficult for me to do alone.

I searched for useful information on a number of blogs and manufacturer's pages.  The amount of information was overwhelming.  Some of the information was contradictory.  Some methods and materials are for professionals only.  Some are for big, burly folks who can throw around large equipment with ease.  I'm just an emergent little old lady.

A blog written by a young woman settled me on Sherwin Williams Porch and Floor Enamel Water Base, with a topping of clear, acrylic HC Concrete Sealer Wet Look.  Note to other paint companies:  get a blog post out there about your floor products that tells the story as well as this one;  http://www.vintagerevivals.com/2013/06/how-to-paint-concrete-plus-my-secret.html . 

Because her posts are so detailed, I have left out some details in my posts on this subject.  Instead, I have covered certain issues that her posts address differently.  Be sure to read her posts.

 Does Acrylic Work to Seal Against Urine?

Acrylic sealer is a good solution.  If you no longer have a pet, the sealer does well at stopping any old odors from coming up out of the floor.  If you still have a pet who pees on the floor, you will have to keep up on cleaning thoroughly.

 I have to clean and then spray a pet urine enzymatic deodorizer on the urine site, giving the deodorizer time to soak into the pores of the sealer.  However, this is much easier than treating carpet.  And the house smells much better.

Easy Clean Floor

I am very happy with my painted floor.  A dust mop and wet mop are much easier on my back than a vacuum cleaner.  Both the floor and the indoor air are cleaner than they were with a carpet.  This is a great solution for anyone who is allergic to the dust and dirt that collects in a carpet.  Update August 2023, my painted floors have held up well for the past nine years. There are some minor scratches here and there, which can be painted sometime. I doubt the floor would hold up under frequent toy cars zooming across the surface, but this a good solution for some people.

Links to More Information

Below are a few of the best sites and blogs I read while researching what to do:

http://www.vintagerevivals.com/2013/06/how-to-paint-concrete-plus-my-secret.html This is the blog I found most useful. The others were good for reference, but this is the one that discussed tools and paint that anyone could use. This blog is a good seller for Sherwin Williams, of course. But I wanted paint products I could easily obtain in town, and that I knew would work together. This blog also talks about removing newer, very sticky, carpet glue.  (My carpet glue was old and dry.)

Rodda Paint, how to paint concrete floor

http://millerpaintblog.com/category/concrete-surfaces/

Interior concrete floor sealers  Discusses the different sealers, their pros and cons. Follow the link on the page for a comparison chart of sealers.

Sealing Exterior Concrete
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHAYXFuHM9U` This YouTube video gives you a quick instruction on prepping concrete. There are many videos on YouTube about concrete floors. 

I also used Home Depot, Lowe's, and Sherwin Williams sites as well.

Floor design ideas:

http://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete/interiorfloors/design-ideas/ There are many great images to browse through.

www.flickr.com, use a search term such as “painted concrete floors” for some great ideas.

Next post:  The Supply List for my painted floor project.