In the Philippines, perhaps the most popular building material is concrete. Take a look around you. You’re probably surrounded with concrete walls. And under your floor rug? Concrete floors. Of course, there are other available substrates as well like metals and wood. But that’s for another blog post. For now, we’re laying out the comprehensive guide on all things concrete. The things you need to know before painting, anyway.
We’ve already featured a lot of articles on the how-tos of concrete. This post is to point you to the right direction. I’ll be breaking down all the things you need to know in sections. So, let’s get started!
Surface Preparation
I know you’re excited to get things going but first things first. You always have to make sure that the concrete substrate you’re going to be painting is prepped properly. I cannot stress this enough. You can use the best and the most expensive paint in the market. But, it’s all going to go down the drain if you don’t prep your walls properly! There are two instances for surface preparation in concrete: new concrete and repainting.
Read through this. Take it to heart. Memorize it. I’m just kidding. But it’s probably a good idea to really digest the steps in this article. Like most things in life, you can’t rush new concrete! You really do have to wait 2 to 4 weeks for the concrete to cure before doing anything else.
Sometimes, you can really tell if a bare concrete surface is uneven. For instances where the defect is around 2mm-3mm, use a Konstrukt skimcoat!
All’s well and good if the concrete to be repainted is in good condition. There’s really not much to do, relatively. You still do have to sand the surface to make sure that the next coating adheres to the wall. But, what if the wall is in really in bad shape? I’m talking peeling paint, mildew infestation, chalking, you name it. We’ve got you covered. Read more below.
Painting Concrete Walls
Now that we’ve mostly covered surface preparation, time to move on to the actual painting! Always remember that your painting system will depend on where your concrete walls are situated. Paints are formulated depending on whether they’re meant to be applied outdoors or indoors. Trust us on this.
First, let’s start with interiors.
My personal favorite among the suggested interior concrete paints would be Virtuoso. I know it’s a little bit on the pricy side. But, I made it a point to use Virtuoso Silk Touch on the bedrooms of my house. You can barely tell that there’s painting going on because it’s super low in odor. It dries to this silky smooth finish as well that doesn’t bounce harsh light off the walls.
Next up, we have exterior concrete walls.
If you’re looking into a harder working exterior paint, you should really consider KNOxOUT. KNOxOUT has a silicone-based variant that’s perfect for exterior walls. It’s the first-ever air cleaning paint in the world. It can turn air pollutants from cars and factories into harmless substances.
But Wait, There’s More!
Even if you follow the preparation steps right down to a tee, there are times that small surface imperfections still appear. That’s where putties come in. Please remember that concrete putties are usually applied after the primer.
Last but not the Least
Can you guess what my last pointer is going to be? Surprise, surprise. It’s floors. Unfortunately, flooring takes a back seat in a lot of renovation projects. People always seem to focus on their walls in terms of painting and decorating. But you need to show your flooring some love too, you know!
Well, there you have it. I hope this helps you in whatever concrete-laden journey you may embark on. Of course, we have tons of other articles that can go into detail for your painting project. However, I cannot realistically link all here. I have only laid out the foundation for you; setting you on the right path for a fuss-free “construction” project.
If you have any more questions, don’t be shy to ask! Send us an email at ask@myboysen.com. We’ll always try our best to answer all your queries. Pinky promise.
