Painting the Basement Floor & A Little Snow

Early Morning Snow

Our first of the Year

We had our first real snow of the season early this morning. It left about three inches of heavy wet snow. Knowing that it was going to turn to rain, we turned on all of the lights and opened the blinds at 6.30 in the morning so I could go out and grab a couple of pics.

Front of the House

Yes, I know I haven't done the big reveal yet so consider these a teaser.

Side View

If the Neighbor's had been awake, they would have thought that 

we were crazy with all of the lights on first thing in the morning.

After the walls were done being painted, it was time to tackle the floor. This turned out to be a lot of work. The floors have to first be really clean. With all of the construction going there was a lot of debris that had to be removed. And I don't mean large stuff. There was a bunch of dirt particles and sawdust that had been left behind.

Using the Squeegee to Push the Excess Water to the Sump Hole

So first, after sweeping three times (or was it more?) followed by vacuuming, I hosed the floors down multiple times with clean water and scrubbed them at the same time to remove the loose dirt. I used a squeegee to push the water towards the sump pump hole that I had lined with towels to capture the dirt that was mixed with water from the floor. I didn’t want fines (small dirt particles) blocking the holes or coating the crushed stone beneath with mud.

Sump Lined with Towels to Catch the Dirt

I replaced and rinsed these often because of all the mud they would hold.

After all of the cleaning it was time to to go onto the next step. In order to have the paint stick better, it requires that you etch the concrete. Basically, concrete floors are smooth and they need to be rough or else the paint will peel right off. You can have it done mechanically with a grinder or you can use an acid solution. I went with the solution.

Etching Solution

I used a Watering Can to Sprinkle it on the Floor.

After letting it all dry, I used the etching solution, which is mixed with water to etch the concrete and make it rougher. 

It Foams when you First Apply it.

The container said wear protection because it will burn. Being a guy, I didn't. 

It burned. Then I put Rubber Gloves on. It no longer burned.

This is hard work as you really need to apply the solution and scrub the floor multiple times. But of course, hard monotonous work is a great time to think. You know, like pondering the great mysteries of the universe like “will I hit PowerBall soon?”

Rinsing Off the Solution

I divided the basement up into sections to make it easier to keep track of the areas that I had already scrubbed. This is work not to be taken lightly. It takes multiple deep scrubbings with good rinsings in between. Once it had dried after each scrubbing, I would rub my hand across the floor to see to see if it was rough and if there were any powdery residue left behind.

You can see the Roughness

OK, maybe you can't.

Painting was straight forward on most of the floor. Like the walls, I used the Seal-Krete epoxy on most of the floor with the exception of the area where my shop is going to go. My plan is to use the heavier two part epoxy in the shop area because of the traffic and tools.

Around the HVAC System

I got a little carried away with neatness.

It was quick work with a roller. Like scrubbing, I did it in 4’ x 4’ sections and would roll it in one direction and then go over it in the other direction to make sure I got good coverage. 

Already A Difference

The lower section is the Shop area where I'll use the heavier epoxy.

Wall Meets Floor

You can see the silicon that I used to fill the crack between the two.

One coat was all that I needed. Or wanted to do. Someday we’ll be finishing the basement so this temporary in most of the areas at best. It took the better part of a day to paint the entire floor but the results were immediate. The floor looked great and it gave the basement a finished look.

Finished Product

The walls are actually brighter then they appear with the shadows.

My better half just came by and announced that she was bored. And it’s early. That means she is going to remember chores that I promised to do. No doubt, the more bored she gets the more she’ll start to remember those things that I said I would do long ago. Gotta run. And hide.

Next up: Outside Plantings. Part 1.

Enjoy your week.

Larry