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We are converting the garage in our home to a craft/exercise/mud room. This room is our main entrance therefore it will receive lots of wear and tear, water, etc.
I have looked at flooring options and the first choice is to stain or paint the concrete floor. There are no obvious oil spots as the previous owner was a fanatic about keeping the floor covered and clean. There are only a few cracks-none of which are wider than 1/8″.
Is painting/staining the concrete a good idea? I need something very durable. Can someone please advise me as to the type of paint, prep work (including filling in the cracks), etc.
Thanks very much. Deb
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Deb - Click here for 'the right stuff.'
Jeff
*Check out this site (www.acid-stain.com). Look at the pictures in the art gallary (like the bottom ones with before and after pictures).My entire basement floor and sidewalks are acid stained with this acid stain product. The sidewalk was stamped in a stone pattern before staining but the basement floor is smooth. Both of them have outside borders defined by a small (1/8" deep) circular saw/masonry blade with a dark stain on the perimeter and a light stain on the interior (one is brown/tan and the other is black/grey). The acid stain is permantly into the top 1/8' of the concrete (won't ever wear away like a concrete paint) and I maintain the shiney finish with an occasional application of a glossy concrete sealer. It is about as close as you can get to a marble floor (but very inexpensive). I wouldn't mind having these floors in my entire house.Do some research on acid concrete stains. It is amazing what you can do with this material (even older floors if they haven't been sealed yet). Another good link is (www.decorative-concrete.net)
*The basic drill is clean the floor with TSP, and if more than a few months old, to consider using an etchant on the concrete to promote bonding between the floor and the primer. 2 coats primer and 2 coats finish ususally do the trick.
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We are converting the garage in our home to a craft/exercise/mud room. This room is our main entrance therefore it will receive lots of wear and tear, water, etc.
I have looked at flooring options and the first choice is to stain or paint the concrete floor. There are no obvious oil spots as the previous owner was a fanatic about keeping the floor covered and clean. There are only a few cracks-none of which are wider than 1/8".
Is painting/staining the concrete a good idea? I need something very durable. Can someone please advise me as to the type of paint, prep work (including filling in the cracks), etc.
Thanks very much. Deb