Any repair requires physical and material costs. However, in the case of utility and utility rooms, the budget is much smaller, and work can be done in a short period of time, because they do not have such serious requirements.
Among other tasks that are set before the owners of buildings of the aforementioned purpose, concrete coloring should be highlighted. At first glance, this work may seem quite simple. This is true, because it does not require special construction skills from the master, but it is still worth getting acquainted with the technology.
The need for concrete staining
Some people wonder why concrete should be painted. The answer to this question can be several properties that the surface will possess after work. Firstly, it will not dust, and secondly, it will be protected from wear and mechanical damage. Thirdly, the concrete surface will no longer be afraid of chemicals and the aggressive effects of precipitation and temperature extremes.
The latter characteristics are especially relevant when concrete is used outdoors. In addition, painting concrete allows you to extend its life and make the surface more aesthetic, and performance is improved. But it is worth remembering that the above factors will depend on the quality of the applied material, so you should not buy cheap paint, because it will not be ready to last a long time.
How to color
When choosing a paint, you should consider what you expect from a concrete structure or product after processing. It is also necessary to take into account the conditions under which concrete will be operated. For example, for industrial surfaces, residential premises and street walls, paint is recommended to be selected separately. For many buyers, the cost of the material that you are ready to give to achieve the goal is also a rather important factor.
Based on the above factors, it can be noted that the paint should be water-repellent, frost-resistant. In addition, it should contain antibacterial additives. Another thing if you plan to carry out work indoors. For example, polymer coatings are suitable for clean concrete floors, which are laid in the premises of warehouses, trading floors, hangars, industrial freezers.
Dye Selection Guidelines
If the concrete surface is operated without a layer of protection, then over time traces of lubricant and fuel appear on it, it is quite difficult to get rid of them, because these substances are absorbed into the concrete. Such spots do not decorate any premises, in addition, they can emit harmful fumes. In order to eliminate damage to the concrete base, you should seriously approach the choice of paint. Among others, the market of modern building materials presents epoxy compounds, which are the most modern and have high resistance to chemical reagents. Such mixtures are plastic and can withstand significant loads without collapsing.
You can use them in cities and on sites that are operated outdoors. If the concrete is painted with an epoxy mixture, it will not be afraid of the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays and precipitation. Another important advantage of such enamels is the possibility of applying to uncured concrete. Moisture does not evaporate so intensively, which increases the physical strength of concrete. The dye does not harden when dried, but as a result of chemical reactions between the ingredients, and the moisture of the base does not have any effect on this.
Advantages and disadvantages of epoxy enamels
If you started painting concrete on the street, you can choose epoxy enamel. Among its positive qualities, the invariance of the original color and characteristics throughout the entire period of operation should be highlighted. The dye is water resistant and has a high coefficient of adhesion to the concrete coating.
Enamel does not react to chemical compounds and does not emit harmful substances. If you will be painting concrete on the street with your own hands, then before choosing epoxy enamel, you should consider its shortcomings. Among others, it is necessary to highlight a relatively high cost. In addition, before applying the composition, it will be necessary to prepare the components. To work with dyes, you will need at least minimal experience in painting, because theoretical knowledge does not guarantee quality.
Acrylic paints
Acrylic compositions are made using acrylic resins, which increases the stability of the layer. Among the ingredients should be highlighted polymers. After drying, a strong film appears on the base, which is durable, does not peel off over time and can withstand heavy loads.
Choosing a primer for concrete
If you wondered how to prime concrete before painting, then you can consider Elakor-PU Soil. This composition is basic and provides surface hardening. The primer is made on the basis of polyurethanes and is used in the installation of appropriate floors on concrete surfaces.
It is noteworthy that this composition can be applied at temperatures from -30 ° C and above. Primer of concrete before painting can be carried out using the deep penetration composition “Elacor-PU Grunt-2K / 50”. This polyurethane mixture is effectively absorbed into the pores and provides impregnation of the material to a depth of 6 mm. The composition is used when installing floors on concrete. The primer also copes with hardening the surface, and can be applied even to a damp base.
Among other market offers, one can consider Elakor-PU Grunt-2K / 40. This primer provides deep penetration and has a wide area of use. It can be used in the case of not only concrete, but also when working with brick, as well as stone. The mixture has maximum penetrating and astringent abilities. It is used for impregnation of magnesite, polymer-cement concrete and other low-porous substrates. The mixture is excellent for weak surfaces where maximum hardening is required.
Preparatory stage
Concrete painting begins with preparation, it involves the removal of dirt, debris and the remnants of the old coating. It will be necessary to carry out surface repairs: putty cracks and repair potholes. The floor should be sanded in any way, in this case you can use:
- scrapers;
- brushes;
- grinding machines.
The base must be dust-free, for this it is better to use a vacuum cleaner and wet rags. When preparing floors, you must achieve a smooth surface, this will increase adhesion and reduce material consumption.
Primer floor
Concrete painting involves priming the surface. This allows you to improve the quality of the result and achieve maximum adhesion.
Floor painting: preparation of tools
To carry out painting work, you should take care of the presence of some tools, among them:
- rollers;
- long handle for the roller;
- personal protective equipment;
- brushes for processing hard to reach places;
- masking tape.
To protect vertical surfaces, prepare a film.
Technology of work
The paint for painting concrete is applied in the next step in one or two layers. Depending on what requirements are imposed on the coating, an increase in the number of layers is possible. Each layer is applied after the previous one has completely dried. If by the time you start staining you notice that the paint has become thicker, it can be diluted to a working consistency with solvents.
Bicomponent paints should be prepared with particular care. They are mixed with mechanical devices, because only in this way it will be possible to achieve high-quality coverage. Such formulations are bred only in the amount that you can develop for 3 hours. This is due to the fact that after mixing the ingredients enter into a chemical reaction, and the composition gradually hardens. It is impossible to store it for a long time.
Before applying the first layer, the surface condition must be checked again and the “route of movement” determined. For staining, you can use different tools, namely:
- rollers;
- brushes;
- pneumatic spray guns;
- equalizers.
Their condition must be checked before starting work. With the help of brushes you can paint the surfaces adjacent to the wall. This tool will allow you to circle pipes and other communications. With the help of a roller, it will be impossible to paint the corners, as well as with the help of a spray gun, because the walls will be dirty, like all adjacent surfaces.
Do-it-yourself concrete painting starts from the far corner of the room. It is necessary to head at the same time to the exit. There should not be gaps, and the thickness of the applied layer will be 0.5 mm. A roller soaked in paint must be walked through the same place several times, pressing the tool with little effort. This will ensure that the composition penetrates into all microcracks. If you notice that air bubbles have appeared on the surface, you should hold the roller again. When the bubbles reappear, we can talk about the problem. This indicates that a chemical reaction is occurring, which is accompanied by the release of gases.
Concrete painting technology must always be accompanied by safety regulations. Typically, dyes have harmful solvents in the composition, therefore, when carrying out work indoors, it is necessary to ensure effective ventilation. The master needs to work using personal protective equipment. If the paint gets into the eyes or mucous membranes, then they must be washed immediately with running water.
Conclusion
Concrete is painted in many cases, because people sooner or later decide to update the walls, ceiling surfaces or other bases of non-residential premises. Before starting work, you need to seriously approach the question of choosing a dye.
If the operation of the structure or concrete surface is carried out outdoors, the mixture should be frost-resistant and moisture-proof. But to the compositions that are applied to the base indoors, not so serious requirements are made.