Concrete surfaces surround a person everywhere, but in most cases he does not know about it, since the material has a decorative coating. Nevertheless, in an ordinary house you can find concrete floors, a facade, garden paths, screeds in utility rooms and garages. At the same time, the treatment of such surfaces with paint and varnish coatings aims not only at the aesthetic transformation. The outer layers should protect the structure of the base from external influences, prolonging its life. Accordingly, the question arises: how to paint concrete so that the coating lasts for a long time, preserves the properties of the material and, if possible, gives it a favorable appearance?
What qualities should paint have?
There is a set of basic requirements for concrete coatings, but much will depend on the operating conditions. It is important to consider that even even screeds are characterized by a granular structure, and this increases the requirements for the wear resistance of the material. The paint must be strong, durable and tolerant to mechanical friction. Of course, this requirement increases if you plan to use flooring. The traffic in the garage or walking along the garden path are all factors of increased load on the paint layer. In addition, the operation in the open air promises additional impact. How to paint concrete on the street? Modern synthetic and polymer coatings are most suitable for such purposes, since they provide moisture and frost resistant effects. But they do not meet the requirements of environmental cleanliness, which often becomes a limitation for use in private households.
Types of paints and varnishes for concrete
The range of options for paints and varnishes is very extensive, which facilitates the task of selecting the optimal solution for specific purposes. But before choosing it is important to consider the features of such formulations:
- Epoxy paint. Means of two components that form a protective coating after application. The material is characterized by wear resistance, but is not suitable for use in residential premises.
- Acrylic compounds. Water composition based on acrylic resins and polymers. It also creates a high-strength protective layer and, depending on the modification, may form a matte or glossy finish. If the question is what kind of paint to paint on the concrete of the facade or garden, then this option may well be preferred.
- Rubber products. Mostly compositions on water-dispersion mixtures, which after solidification form a reliable multilateral protection. The advantages of such paints include environmental safety.
- Polyurethane compounds. Also suitable for indoor use in rooms and are distinguished by decorative qualities, but are not able to provide a durable coating.
Paint tools and consumables
The list of tools is determined by the state of the surface, the amount of work and their complexity. As for the main paint tool, the nuances of this choice will be discussed later. In the meantime, it is worth determining what else is useful in work operations. As a rule, painstaking surface preparation procedures precede the application of paint. These activities may involve metal brushes, grinders, spatulas and abrasive devices. This toolkit is useful for bringing the surface to the proper finish for the finish. And here another question is no less important - how to paint concrete so that the applied composition does not peel off due to a problem base? For this, special primers and puttying agents are used, which will create a base for further coating the surface with already finishing layers of paint. Also, decorative colors and solvents can be distinguished as consumables. And, of course, do not forget about the tanks for working structures and clean rags, which will allow you to timely eliminate unnecessary smudges.
Paint roller or spray gun - how to paint concrete?
The choice of the tool of a modern painter most often comes down to a roller and a spray gun. You can consider a traditional brush, but it is not suitable for volumetric coating of a concrete surface and is suitable only in spot works where a small coverage of the area is needed. As for the roller, it is good in terms of affordability, simple organization of the process and the ability to work in cramped conditions. In these parameters, he plays a pneumatic spray gun, which requires both space and the connection of the compressor unit. But directly in the working qualities, pneumatics has indisputable advantages. For example, if the question of how to paint concrete is resolved so that there are no stains left, then there is simply no better paintbrush available household tools. He evenly sprays the composition on the working surface, without forming smudges. For comparison, most models of rollers suggest a risk of violation of the uniformity of the layer due to the fleecy surface of the functional area.
Surface preparation for painting
Concrete surfaces may have defects that prevent a uniform and stable coat of paint from being applied. All flimsy and exfoliating areas must be removed with a metal brush or grinder. After processing with abrasive materials, these areas should be removed from the layer of dirt and dust. An industrial vacuum cleaner will help in this matter. Further, it is desirable to smooth the damaged surface with putty or primer, but only solutions compatible with the paintwork planned for application are allowed for such work. In this context, another question deserves attention: how can the concrete be painted so that the composition can provide sufficient adhesion? Unfortunately, the coatings themselves directly give only a negligible effect of coupling with problem areas. Therefore, it is desirable to provide adhesive quality even at the stage of selecting a primer.
Concrete floor painting
Floor surfaces are the most demanding of finishing events. In such work, it is important to ensure the reliability of the substrate on which the paint layer will fit. Again, in preparation, tools are used for sealing defects using high-strength putties. As for the composition for the final coating, it is advisable to choose either hard rubber solutions or epoxy mixtures designed specifically for concrete. For example, in the question of how to paint concrete in a garage, you can trust the epoxy modification, which will also be resistant to aggressive chemicals. Painting is carried out by a spray gun with high throughput. A feature of this coating technique is the application of a thick layer of paint to provide greater reliability.
Features of the facade painting
There are special lines of coatings designed to work with facades. The features of working with such surfaces include increased requirements for the protective properties of the coating in relation to precipitation and alkaline efflorescence. Accordingly, even at the stage of creating the primer base, it is important to provide an insulating effect that will protect the surface from direct contact with moisture and chemically active substances. By the way, on the question of how to paint the fence of concrete, the same rule applies, since the facade and other street surfaces will be operated in similar conditions with similar threats. The spray gun is used in the work, which will cover a large area of the facade, without missing out on “clean” areas.
Technique for painting interior walls
In working with concrete surfaces in the room, there may be problems. For example, homeowners are often faced with the need to remove grease stains and rust marks that come in contact with metal structures in high humidity conditions. A typical situation is the interfacing of plumbing equipment with the walls in the bathroom. In this case, it is recommended to use caustic alkali or soda ash before painting. After drying, you can also begin to level the surface with primers. As for the tool and material, it is better to paint the concrete with water-dispersion paint using a brush or roller. Spraying with a spray gun in a room is undesirable, so it makes sense to limit yourself to a more familiar tool.
Conclusion
Refining a concrete surface is one of the most difficult tasks in the design of structures, architectural objects or functional building elements. Therefore, the question often arises of how feasible and whether it is possible to paint concrete in principle for the long term? Answers to these questions can be positive if the paintwork is correctly selected taking into account operating conditions. But regardless of the coating agent chosen, it is important to keep in mind that a couple of years, and in some cases a few months later, will require updating the applied paint. This is especially true for surfaces that are used in harsh conditions - the same garage screeds and facades.