Alkyd latex paint for basement floor?

Question

I put down 2 coats of Benjamin Moore Alkyd oil-based floor paint on an unpainted concrete floor in my basement workroom. The high end paint store in town said its very durable, and they use it in their back room, etc. It went on smooth, and looks very nice. Its been about 30 hours since the final coat.

I kind of tested the paint's durability by digging a fingernail in to see what would happen. I was a bit surprised when it dug in and left a mark. Then I took a board and scraped it along the paint to test it, and it took some shavings up.

What's the deal here? Does it need more setting time? Is it not durable to sharp objects? This is a workroom, so there will be scraping things going on. Please let me know what the deal is!!

Joseph Meehan · Accepted Answer

Did they know you were planning to use it on concrete?  Did you follow the instructions exactly (coverage gal per sq ft)?  Does the paint recommend use on concrete floor?

Rich · Answer

I guess the first question is what prep on the concrete did you do? Any etching or priming or just paint on cured concrete? How old is the concrete as well?

Art · Answer

Probably takes a week to fully cure but if you really wanted good paint on concrete 2 part epoxy is the way to go.  I guess the high end store did not carry it.

Airkings · Answer

I think the paint is adhering to the floor just fine. When I referred to scratching the surface, it's just the top layer basically. It concerns me a little that I can put a scratch in the paint fairly easily. Maybe it just needs more cure time.

Thanks for the responses!

Dave

John Willis · Answer

On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 03:36:17 GMT, "Airkings" scribbled this interesting note:

It takes a while for oil based paints to cure. Sure, it may feel dry, but it is still outgassing and will continure to harded up for days, if not weeks.

-- John Willis (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

m Ransley · Answer

Oils dont fully cure for 6 mo to 1 year, you will have apx 95% cure in amonth, dont worry.

nospambob · Answer

Our painter commented that 3-4 weeks is typical for full cure for oilbased paint.

Norminn · Answer

What's the temperature there?  Recommendation on label?  Acid prep?  Primer?

Alkyd latex paint for basement floor?

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