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Painting concrete surfaces requires more skill, tools, and time than throwing a coat on drywall. Here’s how to do it right.
1. Clean the Concrete
Cleaning concrete is a vital first step because the porous surface tends to trap dirt, grease, and oil.
2. Strip Old Paint
Strip peeling or blistering paint indoors with a wire brush , a paint scraper, and lots of elbow grease.
3. Seal Interior Concrete
Water moves easily through porous concrete, so sealing interior walls is necessary to prevent moisture from seeping in, promoting mold growth and that cold, damp basement feel. Use a masonry sealer, such as ThoroSeal, that also patches cracks.
4. Prime the Concrete
Concrete primer, called block primer, fills pores and evens out the surface.
5. Paint the Concrete
Masonry paint (also called elastomeric paint or elastomeric wall coating) is a good choice for concrete painting because it contains binders that contract and expand with the concrete.
