Prepping A Concrete Floor For Paint

As crazy as it sounds, I’ve been working on the Garage Airbnb for over two years. TWO YEARS! It’s taken so long to transform this space, but I feel like I’m finally on the home stretch! With the finish line in sight, I’m starting to tackle some of the final projects- like painting the concrete floor. Since it’s an industrial studio style space, I didn’t want to add flooring. Painted concrete floors can be an easy & cost effective way to create a finished look, but prepping a concrete floor properly is key for it turning out good! Whether you’re painting a garage floor, a patio or inside your home, do not skip the prep step- it’s the most important aspect of this project!

Prepping A Concrete Floor To Paint

The concrete slab in the garage was originally intended to be a surface for the previous owner’s workshop. It wasn’t intended to be interior flooring, but that was part of my design– an industrial design (like the bathroom!). The floors were covered in paint, joint compound splatter, lots of dust & debris. Before I could ever get to staining the concrete floors, I had to insure they were prepped properly.

Supplies Needed:

• 1 gallon Krud Kutter (or more if your space is large)
• Yard sprayer that hasn’t been previously used with chemicals or pesticides
• ShopVac
• Broom & Dust pan
• Floor scrubber
• Mop
• Valspar Concrete Primer
• Sponge Roller & Extension Stick

Step 1: Vacuum The Floors

The first step was to do several rounds of sweeping. Since so much construction & demo was done, there was dust everywhere! I swept up as much as I could visibly see. After sweeping, I used a shopvac to vacuum the entire surface- several times. Each time I vacuumed I continued to pick up dust! That’s the frustrating part about demo– dust goes everywhere!

Step 2: Apply Krud Kutter To Floors

I wanted to use a product that was designed to eat through all of the gunk on the floors, and after doing my research, I chose Krud Kutter. And it worked great! To apply, fill the yard sprayer with Krud Kutter. I worked in small sections, generously spraying a section and letting it soak on the floor for several minutes. Then I used a floor scrubber to work off the dirty & grime. If there is any residue stuck on the floors, you may need to scrape or sand them until smooth.

Step 3: Mop The Floors

Before you can actually paint, the floors have to be very clean. After applying the Krud Kutter, I mopped the floors. I used an O-Cedar spin mop with just hot water & Dawn soap. I ended up mopping the floor twice. There was so much dust & grime on the concrete!

Step 4: Prime The Floors

After the floors had completely dried from mopping, I used Valspar’s concrete primer. It was the first time I had used the product, and I was surprised how watery the product was. I’m used to thick paint primer, but this product wasn’t anything like this. It’s designed to be a bonding primer- not necessarily a stain primer. It doesn’t take long to dry, but I waited overnight before painting.

 

Once the floors are primed & dry, you’re ready to paint! Stay tuned for the floor color reveal in the Garage Airbnb!