We have a customer that wants painted letters on a concrete floor. We mostly deal with vinyl so this is new to us. The letters will go in a shop where the concrete floor is greasy and dirty and people will be walking over the painted lettering. Would really appreciate some advice on how to prep the floor and what type of paint to use for this kind of job.
Thanks:)
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Epoxy floor coating, tinted the color you need it.
Not sure about the prep but Trisodium Phosphate (a cleaner/degreaser in powder form at hardware stores) is a good start.
Posted by Tony Vickio (Member # 2265) on :
Hi Dave, this sounds like a job I would be careful of. Is the floor painted? If not, the oil and dirt is "in" the concrete. Cleaning it is almost impossible. After you paint the letters, they will be subject to oil and foot traffic. I think I would get in writing, a "No Garuntee" clause. I would try to clean the area to paint with a good cleaner. I use PPG DX440. Then I would seal the area with concrete sealer and paint with epoxy paint. I just don't like the dirty floor thing to start with! Feels like trouble.
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Scrub with degreaser... Industrial strength... not the dime store phony stuff.
Etch concrete with muriatic acid. Wash down and leave. This stuff stinks. Wear air mask
Use epoxy paint. You will need air pack for doing this part of the job, too. Epoxy will make you sick. Trust me.
Like Tony says... No guarantee! None, nada, zip!
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
The muratic acid is an excellent idea (that's the same stuff they use to clean mortar from brick and tile work)
Also, try to do any painting when its' very dry and there is as little humidity as possible...
I dunno about Michigan, but concrete 'absorbs' dampness here, even when it's not raining if the humidity is high, and the concrete will actually feel, look and/or BE very damp which would make it impossible to paint well.
