Ideas for Painting Concrete House Floors
Painting indoor concrete floors can transform dull, cracked concrete into an inviting space full of charm. Upgrading bare concrete offers many benefits - it improves appearance, reduces dust buildup, and makes maintenance easier. With proper preparation and technique, DIYers can revive tired concrete floors on a budget.
Benefits of Painting Indoor Concrete Floors
Giving lackluster concrete floors new life with paint provides homeowners several advantages:
- Improves appearance - Paint covers ugly cracks, stains, and imperfections for a clean, uniform look.
- Reduces dust - Paint seals concrete pores to minimize dust buildup that strains allergies.
- Easier maintenance - Painted concrete resists stains and damage, needing less frequent scrubbing.
Whether planning to sell your home or refresh its look, painting indoor concrete can affordably upgrade floors' appearance.
Common Painting Mistakes
While painting interior concrete floors may seem straightforward, inattention to key details often compromises results:
- Neglecting concrete condition - Cracks and holes must be patched for paint to properly adhere.
- Rushing prep work - Proper cleaning, etching and priming are essential first steps.
- Using wrong materials - Quality floor paints, epoxy fillers and primers greatly impact durability.
- Applying paint poorly - Uneven coverage causes flaws visible under lighting.
- Skipping touch-ups - Fixing missed spots between coats prevents eyesores.
Avoiding common pitfalls takes patience and care - but prevents redoing a paint job later.
Choosing Paints for Indoor Concrete
Three main options exist for painting indoor concrete floors, each with pros and cons:
Epoxy
- Hardest, most durable indoor floor paint
- Withstands heavy foot traffic
- Resists water, chemicals and stains
- Requires thorough prep and priming
- Most expensive option
Acrylic Latex
- More affordable than epoxy
- Lower fume odor
- Easy soap and water cleanup
- Prone to scratching without protective coat
- Less durable than epoxy
Other Paint Options
- Oil-based alkyds - Durable but strong odor
- Water-based acrylics - Lower fumes but less hardy
- Porch and floor paints - Formulated for high-traffic areas
- Concrete resurfacers - Contain acrylic binders and stone aggregate
Factor durability, cost and odor when selecting the best concrete floor paint for your needs and environment.
Preparing Indoor Concrete Floors for Painting
Thorough preparation before painting concrete floors inside the house prevents issues down the road:
Cleaning and Repairing
- Sweep then mop floors using a degreasing cleaner like Krud Kutter to eliminate oils.
- Identify cracks and holes for filling with a patching compound like Rust-Oleum Concrete Patch & Repair.
- Fix cracks up to 1 inch wide to prevent telegraphing flaws through fresh paint.
Etching or Scarifying
- Roughens slick concrete texture for paint adhesion using acid or grinders.
- Phosphoric acid etching commonly used but requires safety precautions.
- For DIYers, renting floor scarifying machines simplifies concrete etching.
Proper prep before painting is tedious but worth the effort for long-lasting, professional results.
Painting Indoor Concrete Floors
Once indoor concrete floors are prepped, follow these painting steps:
Priming
- Quality latex or epoxy primer enhances paint adhesion and coverage.
- Tint primer close to final paint shade to minimize coats needed.
- Apply two thin primer coats using a long nap paint roller.
Painting Methods
- Use quality angled paintbrushes for cutting-in edges and corners.
- Rollers speed application across open floor areas.
- Pour floor paints into roller trays instead of heavy buckets.
- Work in sections, cutting-in edges before rolling sections to avoid lap marks.
Top Coating
- Protect painted floors from wear by applying two coats of clear acrylic sealer.
- Water-based sealers offer easier cleanup than solvent-based versions.
- Reapply sealers every two years to maintain durability.
Proper tools and technique prevents common painting mistakes for smooth, consistent indoor concrete floor coverage.
Paint Design Ideas
Beyond painting concrete floors inside your home a solid color, consider these decorative options:
Stenciling
- Add interest with repeat tile, stone or brick patterns.
- Stencil borders to define separate rooms.
- Contrast main color with accent shades.
- Apply background color first before stenciling.
Color Chips
- Sprinkle paint chips atop wet paint for speckled texture.
- Use light and dark chips of similar hue for cohesion.
- Seal when paint dries so chips don't loosen.
Beyond solid colors, stencils, chips and more offer design possibilities for personalized style.
Maintaining Painted Concrete Floors
Preserve the freshly painted concrete floors inside your house through:
Cure Times
- Allow paint to fully cure for one week before regular foot traffic.
- Prevent scratching by moving furniture carefully over drop cloths.
- Wait 72 hours before wet mopping or spill cleanup.
Routine Cleaning
- Dust mop and dry sweep for everyday cleaning.
- Damp mop with neutral pH cleaner diluted in water.
- Blot spills quickly to avoid stains.
Touch-ups
- Inspect floors closely under lighting to catch flaws.
- Spot paint thin coats to fix drips or uneven sections.
- Touch-ups prevent flaws from worsening over time.
Giving newly painted concrete adequate curing time before cleaning and fixing touch-ups preserves appearances.
DIY Painting Tips
Painting indoor concrete floors yourself provides cost savings over hiring professionals - if armed with right prep knowledge:
- Open windows and use fans while working to ventilate fumes.
- Wear gloves, goggles and knee pads to protect skin and joints.
- Work in sections to avoid tiring before the job finishes.
- Buy more paint than you estimate needing to avoid color differences with extra batches.
With patience and proper gear, DIYers can successfully paint indoor concrete floors on a budget.
Reviving dull concrete floors by painting them not only improves home aesthetics but also simplifies maintenance. With informed material selection, thorough preparation, attention to detail while painting, deliberate design choices and proper care after finishing, DIYers can affordably upgrade indoor concrete's appearance themselves without professional help.