basement floor paint etching

[help]

Ok, I think I'll give up on carpet, thinking now about painting the floor and 3 coats of urethane over that. So my question is do I need to etch the concrete first. I seen a place say if the PH is 6-7 I would not need to. Does it have to be etched even if it not in that range? I will order a test kit to check but if it needs etched painting is also out as I can not put that much water down that etching requires. Then i guess i'll go to the laminate wood floor, it seems like nothing is really good to put down a floor on concrete.

Thanks

[EXT]

Etching will not change the Ph of the concrete. It is supposed to eat into the surface to remove the surface gloss and/or smoothness to provide a porous surface for the paint to adhere to. Only certain materials can go directly onto a basement (below ground) concrete floor. MDF backed laminates are also a bad idea as it will absorb any moisture. The best I have found is commercial grade plastic or asphalt backed carpet tiles. They don't absorb moisture and if they get wet, just pull them up and dry them out, then re-install. Plus they are reasonable in price, easy to install and wear like no other carpets.

[help]

I have had about 30 cardboard boxes full of stuff on the basement floor for about 4 years they are as dry as the day they were first placed. I know they put what looked like plastic down over the gravel before pouring the basement floor will that help keeping what ever I put down? I had also did the tape plastic and it too stayed dry.

[Joseph Meehan]

Don't even think of using any product not specifically designed for below grade concrete application. Even then be sure to buy the best possible product and prep very carefully following every instruction and warring provided by the manufacturer or the finish and prep materials.

[bigjimpack]

Get epoxy garage floor paint. I just washed before painting and it came out fine.

[hallerb]

plain concrete is what basement floors are supposed to be, anything else will create a lifetime maintence issue.

although floor tiles are affordable and pretty good.

[ransley]

The hottest thing for concrete is Acid Stain, results are amazing.

[Joseph Meehan]

Usually that is true, but it does not tend to stay that way. Weeks or months later it can become a real mess. "Just washing" is seldom enough. It usually calls for an acid etching.

I might add that even with the best prep, many people have had problems with these products. Mine has been down in my garage for a number of years now and still going great. However I did buy a top two part epoxy product.

I would be hesitant to use it on a basement floor, unless I was ready to put down a new floor that did not require adhesion to the existing floor if the paint failed. Frankly if I wanted the basement for a living area, I would put down a different floor to start with.

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