How to Complete a Finished Basement With Concrete Floor Coatings
Finishing a basement is no small task. Plenty of work is required to make your basement comfortable, well-insulated, and beautiful. But before you go ahead and install brand new furniture, the job isn’t done until your basement’s flooring is secure and aesthetically pleasing. Most basement floors are built from concrete – while this material is sturdy, it’s also prone to moisture instruction, thermal shock, and other problems. Concrete coatings are designed to protect concrete surfaces and extend their lifespans. Here’s how to complete your nearly-finished basement with concrete floor coatings.
How to Complete a Basement with Concrete Floor Coatings
Gather the Right Materials
First, make sure you have the right tools and materials on hand to prep and coat your basement flooring. While every project is unique, they all require the same basic list of materials, including:
- Applicators (e.g., brushes, roller with extension pole)
- Water
- Large bucket (5 gallon)
- Bucket screen
- Scrub brush
- Sandpaper
- Painter’s tape
- Cloths
- 1.2-1.5 millimeter plastic sheeting
- High-quality concrete coating product
Prep Your Basement Floor
Just like painting any other surface, proper preparation is necessary to ensure strong adhesion and an even finish. Basements can carry high levels of humidity due to their underground location. If too much vapor is rising through the concrete, your basement concrete floor paint will struggle to stick – this is why you must test your basement floor’s moisture vapor transmission before anything else. You can do this with a simple “plastic sheet test,” whereby you tape a small section (18x18 in.) of plastic sheeting to the floor for about 16 hours (away from direct sunlight). After this time has passed, lift the sheet and note whether or not water has condensed on its surface – if so, the floor is too wet to coat.
If your floor is dry enough for application, continue preparations by either roughening up or smoothing out the floor substrate with sandpaper depending on your needs. Then, thoroughly clean your basement floor with water and a non-corrosive cleaning solution. Allow the floor to dry fully before moving on. Tape the bottoms of any surfaces that make direct contact with your floor (e.g., support beams, baseboards) to avoid coating them.
Select the Right Basement Floor Coating
Once your basement floor has been properly prepped as outlined above, you’re clear to coat them. That said, there are many concrete coatings to consider, all with unique properties that will determine the speed of application, degree of protection, longevity, and overall appearance. Epoxy, urethane cement, and acrylic concrete coatings are all commonly used for basement finishing. While these various coating materials offer significant protection and visual enhancement, however, they’re not as durable, flexible, or customizable as Penntek polyurea concrete coatings. At Anderson Painting, we specialize in the installation of Penntek concrete floor coatings because they’re quick to install, low-maintenance, visually stunning, and can last several decades with proper care.
No matter which type of coating you choose for your concrete basement floor, proper application is key. If you’re planning on doing it yourself, carefully read the product label for proper application instructions, and make sure to work from the inside out, applying each coat evenly. Allow for adequate time between each coat to ensure proper drying, and give your basement floor enough time to fully cure before using it regularly (often 12-48 hours, depending).
Concrete Coatings Provide the Finishing Touch for Your Basement
Your basement isn’t finished until its floors are thoroughly protected with high-quality coatings. Let the experts at Anderson Painting complete your basement finishing project with Penntek coatings. We’ve transformed countless basements, garages, patios, and walkways for clients across Raleigh, NC. For more on us and all we do, call today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
