When it comes to versatility and durability, concrete walls are the perfect choice for your home, office, or commercial building. A careful process is observed in the construction of concrete walls. From forming to the pouring of the concrete in a wooden frame, this helps ensure the structural integrity of your building.
Construction is incomplete when walls are not painted with the right kind of paint. In this article, let's talk about how to prepare your concrete walls guide crafted by professional residential painters, how to choose the right paint and tools, as well as some painting techniques for a professional finish.
Preparing Your Concrete Walls
There are different steps involved when preparing your concrete walls. You need to assess the suitability of the surface painting, perform the proper cleaning and repairs in case there are cracks or damage, and finally, select the right primer for perfection.
Let's dive right into it.
Assessing Your Surface
In order to have a smooth finish and to ensure that the paint application will last long, you need to survey the surface that you are about to paint. You can clean the surface effectively by using tri-sodium phosphate to ensure good paint adhesion. Remove any oils or grease for a smooth finish later on.
Cleaning and Repairs
Proper construction will not guarantee that the concrete wall will be free from cracks and jaggedness. After cleaning, check for the areas that will need repair. If there are any cracks or damages, you can fill them in using a concrete filler or caulk gun. Before anything else, allow the fillers to dry for at least three (3) days.
Next is to smoothen rough areas with sandpaper. Start from the bottom going up to ensure that you cover all areas. Once you have smoothened the uneven surfaces, you can use a vacuum to remove any debris and sand.
Once you are done repairing and smoothening the uneven areas, have a second assessment of the surface and do a final check for any irregularities. Once you have assessed and prepped the concrete surface and ensured the smoothness of the wall, you can proceed with the next best step.
Priming for Perfection
Similar to applying makeup, priming is important for a good-quality paint job. There are different kinds of primers available in the market. They are the following:
- Acrylic/Latex: Water-based or acrylic primers soak into the porous concrete, providing excellent adhesion for paint. They also reduce dust on interior concrete.
- Polyurethane/Epoxy: Heavy-duty primers that resist chemical attacks and are suitable for commercial or industrial environments.
- Acrylic Masonry: Designed to protect against lime burn, discoloration, and efflorescence on new or unpainted concrete.
- Acrylic Block Fill: Ideal for cinder blocks, especially new or unpainted smooth or split-face blocks.
- Universal Primer: A versatile option that works on various surfaces.
Choosing the right primer for your construction and purpose will lead to better results. If you are unsure which primer to choose, you can always ask for assistance at your local hardware or ask for professional help from a builder.
Choosing the Right Paint and Tools
Now that you have prepared the concrete wall, you have smoothened out the uneven areas and have checked for irregularities, you are almost ready for painting. Shortly, let us talk about how to choose the right paint and tools to ensure a superb painting experience and to achieve fantastic results.
Selecting the Paint
Some of the considerations to make when selecting paint are durability, uses, application and advantages. There's regular paint and there's epoxy paint.
Regular paint is used for generic protection. It provides some protection but it is still vulnerable to scratches, peeling and fading. While epoxy is known for its resilience and adhesive properties and are better used for high-stress environments.
For residential properties, exteriors and furniture, regular paint is usually used due to ease of application and aesthetic appeal. On the other hand, epoxy paint hardens once it is cured. It is resistant to impacts, stains, chemicals, and is good for commercial and industrial buildings.
Essential Tools for the Job
Now that we have identified the different kinds of paint that you can choose from, let's discuss the tools and materials that you will need for painting. It is important to have your tools ready and have them within reach before you start painting.
You do not want to pause and have to rush to the local hardware when you find out that there is something else missing.
Among the things that you will need are a paint scraper to remove loose or excess paint, a putty knife used to fill in any cracks or blemishes while painting, concrete filler used for almost the same purpose as the putty knife, sandpaper to smooth out rough surfaces and appropriate brushes.
You may need one wide-bristle brush for the actual painting process and one tiny brush for the hard to reach areas. You may also need a metal-bristle brush and a paint roller.
Painting Techniques for a Professional Finish
Earlier, we discussed how to prepare a concrete wall for painting. We mentioned that assessment of the surface and removal of the uneven areas is important to ensure a prime paint finish. You might need to make minor repairs.
Now, let's have a look at the different painting techniques for a professional finish.
Applying Primer and Paint
Once you have chosen the primer that is perfect for your project, you can begin the application. The primers to choose from are oil-based, water-based, shellac-based, and epoxy primers. With your brush or roller, apply the primer evenly to cover all areas. This will ensure that the paint will stick to the wall.
Drying and Second Coats
Allow the primer to dry. It might take just a few hours before you are ready to paint over it. Apply the first coat with your brush or roller of choice and ensure even strokes. You may also need to use tapes to cover the areas where you do not want a specific colour of paint to be in.
It might take a few days for the first coat to dry. Once dried, you are now ready to apply the second layer in order to achieve the shade that you want. Some people prefer pastels and light colours, in such a case, one to two coating will suffice. If you'd like a stronger colour, you can achieve this by adding more coats to the paint.
Maintaining Your Painted Concrete Walls
After you are done with the painting process and you are satisfied with your work, allow it to dry. Once dried, check for any paint irregularities that you might want to re-do or re-coat. Otherwise, appreciate the work of your hands!
You can maintain the concrete walls by regular cleaning, inspecting for damage, touching up, and avoiding moisture and humidity.
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed this article on how to paint concrete walls like a pro. Remember to prepare the surface by assessing it, getting the right tools and materials ready before starting the job, and applying evenly and properly maintaining your finished project. In case you need professional help, don't hesitate to contact a professional painter.
We at A One Korean Painting can help you achieve a professionally painted concrete wall for an affordable price. Contact us today and we will give you sound advice on the best primer, colours, and techniques. We will assist you in achieving a beautifully coloured home or whatever project you have in mind. Get in touch with one of our painters today!
