The Best Way to Seal a Concrete Floor

Having a concrete floor in your home isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Actually they are becoming a more popular alternative to flooring above wood and carpet!. With the varieties, textures and color available today it’s no wonder why. The finished product is stylish, with the added benefit of being the best way to seal a concrete floor!

How old and what condition your concrete floor is in will decide what sort of work you are going to have to do down the line. Newer concrete needing as little work as a simple sweep off while older worn down concrete will need replaced or fixed or even stripped of the old sealer before starting the paint job. Always follow the manufactures specifications and when in doubt, call a professional. Prepping is the first and most import step of any paint job especially the concrete floor that will get a lot of traffic.

After making the necessary repairs, begin by removing any trim, fixtures, or anything else that you don’t want to get paint or cleaner on. Now would probably be a good time to tape and cover any carpet or anything in danger of getting these chemicals on them.

Read the manufacturer specifications to double-check the cleaner and concrete floor paint are compatible. Clean the entire area removing any grease, stains, mildew etc. In some cases a wire brush is necessary to remove stubborn stains. I found a wire brush wheel as an attachment on my drill works like a dream.

• *important You are working on a concrete floor, don’t paint your self into a corner. Always start in the far corner of a room and work towards the door.

There, now you should have a nice clean flat concrete floor to work with. Normally with a good paint you will have to apply primer before painting the concrete floor. Both usually done with a roller. With a good epoxy it usually requires a thick first coat applied with a brush and for you to work in to the concrete as you go. You will have brush strokes that are visible after applying the first coat of concrete epoxy with your brush The second and third coats with a roller to help even out the surface from the brush strokes. In any case try to apply the concrete paint as evenly as possible throughout all coats. When removing the tape use a razor knife along any painted edge to make sure you don’t mess up your walls or floor

• *Don’t sniff the paint, always work in a well ventilated area. especially with the vapors of concrete floor paint