Concrete Paint: What to look for

If your ready to start remodeling your house, I am sure concrete painting has come up somewhere along the lines. You can paint all types of concrete from house foundations to brick pavers. The trick is finding out which paint is good for what. And if your particular application is even worth trying to paint and your not just wasting your time and effort in trying to find out if it is or not.

The first step is to identify if the surface that you plan on applying concrete paint to is structurally sound. This is mainly to make sure you are not wasting your money but also to ensure the coating sticks or adheres well to the surface . If you are looking at something that may be a structural element you may want to call in a professional. But if your looking at a common outdoor slab that is placed on the ground, you may be able to avoid calling some one else in to look if you feel comfortable enough to asses the situation yourself.

Using a blower and broom clean off the entire surface that will require concrete paint. Inspect the surface for large missing pieces or cracks that shouldn’t be there. If there are any of these present you will probably want to get them fixed before proceeding. Minor imperfections are ok but it is still best to have a professional concrete technician double check your findings. (or your not findings)

Nest you will need to pick a brand or type of paint. You would usually expect a good concrete paint to be waterproof. Choose a brand that has been around for a while not the “NEW” product. It’s your investment why chance it?

If you are applying concrete paint to a “floor” type application you might also want to check into a texture. Textured concrete paint comes in many styles and colors with different applications and setting types. (concrete paint uses) The texture is used as an anti-slip mechanism. This helps prevent from slip and fall accidents in wet conditions including rain and snow.

Keep in mind that the hot sun does where down concrete and concrete paint does come with UV and natural element blockers. The better brands even help protect from un natural elements like gas, oil, and household chemicals. Which is great for driveway and kitchen applications.

For the walls you can use just about any commercial type wall paint. They have both indoor and out door versions. If you have having problems with sweaty walls I would really have to recommend getting that looked at as well. If you try to apply paint over a wet or dirt surface, any kind of paint, it will most likely not adhere that well and peel or chip right back off.

If you need help choosing a paint for your specific application check out my other article Concrete Paint – Which one do I choose?