How do I paint power floated floors?
Powerfloated floors are difficult to paint, they are so hard and smooth that paint just won’t penetrate or stick properly. Trying to abrade or etch can be tricky, but the easy way is to apply Watco Powerfloat Primer straight on to the surface, then you can paint it with whatever you like and it will stay on the floor.
Do I need to etch new concrete before I paint it?
If the concrete has never been painted or sealed before, etching is a perfect way to make sure that the paint sticks. Our etchant, Watco Etch & Clean, removes loose and weak bits of cement and opens up the texture to allow the paint to penetrate. It’s also really good at removing dirt. Once you’ve used Watco Etch & Clean the floor will be ready to paint.
How should I prepare a warehouse that has a new sand and cement screed floor? Your data sheets refer to etching new concrete, does this apply to sand and cement screeds as well?
You shouldn’t etch a sand and cement screed floor, just give it a good sweep and make sure it’s clean and dry. They are quite porous though, which means you would need to put a primer on first. We recommend Watco 4 Hour Epoxy Primer for this, followed by any of our epoxy resin coatings.
Do you have anything I can use to paint a new concrete floor without having to wait for months?
You could apply Watco New Concrete Primer providing the concrete is sound, has a damp proof membrane and been left for around 10 days this would be ideal. Just make sure that the concrete doesn’t look overly damp, if it does, leave it a bit longer to dry out, then 48 hours later you can paint it.
How long does a concrete floor take to set before it can be painted?
Most coatings cannot normally be applied until the new concrete moisture content has reduced to less than 75% RH (relative humidity), which can take several weeks or months depending on the depth of the concrete. As a guideline we would recommend leaving it for approximately 4 weeks providing you’ve got good drying conditions, i.e. temperatures above 10 degrees, good air flow, etc.
Allows smooth concrete to be painted without mechanical preparation
From €128.30 (Ex VAT)
