Measures to Painting or Glazing an Interior Wall Made of Concrete

Measures to Painting or Glazing an Interior Wall Made of Concrete

An interior wall made from concrete is more prone in the basement, which means that you have to test it for moisture before you can paint or glaze it. The prep work for painting or glazing concrete is the same as what you’d do before painting a garage floor. The concrete has to be clean and free of dirt, debris and dust before you can start. The coat goes above the foundation paint coat, if desired.

Prep Work

Examine the concrete wall to get moisture content. Place the 12-by-18-inch vinyl sheeting on the wall, secured on all four sides by tape to create a seal around the plastic. Let this sit for 16 hours. Don’t place this sheet where it’s exposed to heat or sunlight, as that will lead to a false read.

Analyze the plastic sheeting to get condensation. Pull the sheeting from the wall and look for dark moist concrete. If the concrete has some moisture in it, you can’t paint the wall. You want to wait till the concrete contains no moisture for the paint to adhere.

Scuff up the concrete in case it is smooth by moving above its surface with sandpaper. This makes a porous surface to enable the paint to adhere better to the concrete. Wipe down the walls with a cloth to remove any dust or debris.

Clean the concrete with a degreasing agent if there is any oil or grease on the walls. Otherwise, clean the walls with a mixture of warm water and mild detergent in the bucket. Rinse and wipe dry. Allow the concrete fully dry before painting.

Add a waterproof sealer made for concrete. Let it dry, and apply another coat. Check maker directions, as you may want to wait up to seven days before priming and painting.

Priming, Painting and Glazing

Turn around any wood beams, adjoining walls and close to the ground to prevent paint stains. Place a dropcloth or vinyl sheeting on the ground.

Paint the concrete with a concrete primer. After applying the primer, wait 2 to eight hours, but no longer than a month, to paint the concrete.

Pour the concrete paint to the tray. Slide the roller in the paint, and apply it into the wall in a “W” movement, working back above the painted area to cover the wall entirely. Cover the wall with a minumum of one coat of paint and let it dry, checking for any thin spots. Recoat the wall with another layer of paint if needed. Let dry.

Mix 4 parts glaze to 1 part leading color in the gallon bucket.

Sponge about the glaze coat as desired.

See related