Sunday, June 5, 2011

Painting Floors - DIY Home Repairs

Painting floors, whether they are concrete or wood is easy. The most important thing is that you must know how to match the paint to the job you are doing. We have said this before and we will say it again but preparation is the key. Many times when painting floors specialty coatings and primers are required. For example, concrete floors are naturally alkaline. Alkaline can degrade paint and the moisture that comes through concrete can cause paint to peel in a very short time. Let?s take a look at painting floors and different flooring requirements.

Painting Concrete Floors

Most newer home construction have moisture and vapor locks installed beneath the floor which prevent moisture from penetrating through the floor may prohibit you from painting it.

Being unable to stop moisture from coming through your and a concrete surface must be clean of dust grit and any loose paint. In other words the paint adheres to the concrete and anything that gets in between the paint in the concrete will cause the paint to lose hold and peel. You can seal cracks in the concrete floor with caulks that are made for concrete. Larger cracks should be repaired with a concrete patch kit. These often come in the form of epoxy kits. Once you have the floor clean of dust and grit you should clean the concrete with a 10% solution of muriatic acid. Mop up the acid until dry and then repeat the process. Then wash the floor with detergent and water rents and allow to dry.

Choosing a paint for your concrete floor is obviously very important. There are some latex based paints made for flooring. They generally offer the same benefits as latex wall paint, such as cleaning and cleanup. Epoxy-based paints are formulated for concrete floors and are very durable. Epoxy based paints offer flexibility when it comes to the overall appearance of the floor. Many concrete floor plates consist of two parts. First you apply the epoxy colored paint then you sprinkle colored paint chips into the paint. This not only makes them look good and adds a measure of traction for the floor

You will want to use a thick nap roller to paint concrete. Use an extension on your roller to apply pressure. Wait for the top coat to dry as a second coat is essential. You may find that paint on your concrete floor dries a little slower than it would on another surface.

Painting Wood Floors

Before you begin your project of painting a wood floor you need to determine the existing finish on the floor before you paint. If your floor is unfinished then you can simply prepare and paint. If your floor has some type of finish, such as polyurethane or any other type of ceiling finish such as teak oil or linseed oil you may have to have the floor completely stripped before you paint. Again, anything between the floor and the paint has to be removed. Failure to do so and the paint will not be absorbed nor will it binds to the wood.

Prepping your wood floor for paint properly will make or break the job. Strip and sand the wood floors and then clean the dust and grit thoroughly. You may want to use a tack cloth to make sure to pick up all the dust and dirt. Oil paints tend to work better for painting wood floors as they are more durable. If your wood floor is a high traffic area you will want to apply three close of clear polyurethane over the painted finish.

To get a really smooth finish when painting wood floors lightly sand between coats of paint and remove the dust and grime with a tack cloth. However, never sand the final top coat and you will have a glass smooth finish.

Source: http://diyhomerepairs.net/painting-floors.html

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