How to paint a concrete floor is a question many do-it-yourself homeowners frequently ask. By painting a concrete floor, you protect it from normal wear and tear. You also add some color to concrete, which is usually cold and dreary looking.

Preparation is paramount. The proper preparation and the right tools are necessary. Although homeowners want to make an improvement to the floor, they aren’t quite sure what to do with the concrete mass. When deciding on how to paint the floor, keep in mind that it is somewhat of a long process.

Before tackling the question certain measures must be taken. First, you have to make sure the room has proper ventilation to prevent irritation to your eyes and nasal passageways. Next, you have to prepare the surface by cleaning it and, if necessary, using a de-greaser to remove tough stains. If there are any holes or cracks in the floor, they need to be filled.

Although how to paint a concrete floor seems like an easy question to answer, there is much more to the task than just painting the floor. As a result, the answer is not as easy as one might think. For example, the concrete floor has to be checked for curing compounds that would prevent the paint from adhering to the surface. In addition, moisture in the concrete has to be removed before proceeding with painting. Finally, the texture of the concrete should feel like medium sand paper. If it feels harder, the paint will not adhere well and acid etching must be done.

First, some basics. For starters, buy enough paint to cover the surface with several coats. A primer and sealer are also needed. Before painting, be sure to stir the paint well. A roller, rather than a brush, is the best application to paint a concrete floor. A roller goes much faster and is much more comfortable for your back. However, a brush will be needed to do the edges and any areas around poles, vents, or other objects embedded in the floor. It’s best to paint these areas first.

How to paint a concrete floor involves choosing the right paint. Epoxy-based paints are best, but if you want to protect the concrete floor from chemical spills, such as those used in a garage, you might want to consider glossy finishing. Next, decide on a color that complements the walls in the room and its style.

Before starting, you want to know techniques so it comes out looking great. First, it’s best to work in four foot sections so you don’t paint yourself into a corner. Use long, smooth strokes. Be sure the primer is well dried before applying the paint color. Likewise, be sure the paint is completely dry before applying the sealer.

When homeowners think about how to paint the concrete floor in the basement, garage, or other area in their home, they understand it takes time, but adds to their investment. Once you’ve painted the floor, you might want to protect it with mats or area rugs, especially in areas where stains and leaks commonly occur. Painting a concrete floor is an inexpensive way to upgrade your flooring and improve its appearance so it better fits with your room décor.

Sue Krippner is a Free Lance Artist, Home Staging and Redesign Professional. For more detailed information pertaining to decorative concrete overlays visit http://www.FrugalHomeDesign.com/Decorative-Concrete.html

Proper exterior painting preparation will help ensure the success of your painting project. Proper painting preparation consists of washing, scrapping, repairing, taping, and covering. Following these four steps will also save you time and money by preventing future paint related problems such as peeling which would create the need to re-paint.

Supply List:

Protective Goggles/Glasses
Work Gloves
Clothes that will get wet and dirty
Hose
Brush Attachment
Liquid Soap
Rags
Sponges
Paint scrapper
Wire brush
Putty Knife
Painters tape
Tarps/ drop cloths
Caulk
Patching compound
Possible Supplies: Rotary paint remover, heat gun, anti-fungal cleaner

Step 1: Washing the Exterior
This is the first and most important step as paint simply won’t stick well to dirty surfaces. It’s safer to use a hose and brush attachment than a power washer as power washers are known to often cause damage to the soffits and can cause warping too. The last thing you want is to paint onto a damp surface which would be prone to mold or mildew growth. Depending on the amount of dirt on the exterior of your home, you may need to use rags and sponges to help remove stuck on dirt. Also consider using liquid soap and or anti fungal cleaner if necessary to remove mold or mildew.

Step 2: Scrapping
Make sure to have your protective goggles on and begin scrapping any loose or peeling paint. For paint that is multi layered or just tough to remove use a heat gun or rotary paint remover which has more power to remove the paint. Use proper safety precautions while using either of these tools such as wearing work gloves and keeping both tools away from your body or flammable objects.

Step 3: Sand and Repair
The next step is to sand the edges of the area where the paint was removed to help the new paint cover and hide the edge. Caulk any cracks, seams or gaps with paintable exterior caulk. It’s important to be meticulous near the doors and windows so that the paint will stick properly in these areas. For wood siding, you should also fill any gouges or holes with exterior grade patching compound.

Step 4: Taping and Covering
This step involves taping any areas which you do not want painted such as windows. Also make sure you cover anywhere that you do not want paint dripping onto, including shrubs, bushes, porches, etc. Plastic tarps or drop cloths will do a great job.

Marcy Tate is a content writer for Networx.com and has been working in the home improvement industry for over 10 years.

Find reliable, professional painters at Painting Networx.com to help with your exterior painting project.

Home design projects look so simple and easy when done on television. You’ve seen the show before. The home makeover is in progress and a decision is made to do some interior painting. Just a few seconds later there is a beautiful new color on the walls of the room. The room looks great, everyone is smiling and it only took a few moments for the transformation!

Your life isn’t like television – it never works this way. I know, my life is never that simple or easy, either. However, selecting a paint color for an interior room or space in your home doesn’t have to be an agonizing process. There are some steps you can take to help you make a good decision when selecting a wall color and, therefore, become one of those happy, smiling people when the project is complete.

Before heading out to the paint store to pick color swatches there are two decisions that need to be made. First, determine the scope of your project, which means that you need to decide if you are going to paint one room, two rooms and a hallway, the entire Great Room, and so on. It seems so simple as to be obvious, but don’t assume, just go ahead and make the decision mentally or write it down in a notebook.

The second part of that question is this: Are there defined ’starting and stopping points’? To answer this question, go into the area and literally look at all of the walls in question. Make sure that the walls of your project flow together and are within the scope of your project. For example, I have seen a kitchen/nook area of a home where the kitchen walls were painted a different color than the nook. That’s fine, except the homeowner just stopped with one color in the middle of the wall above the cabinets, so there was definitely something unfinished about the look of the area! Don’t make that mistake. Look carefully at each wall in the area, also considering any fascia or soffits you may have.

The other decision you should make is regarding the budget. How much money do you want to, or are you able to, spend on the paint decorating project? Again, it seems so simple. But before you run out and buy the paint, you should decide:

1. What brand of paint am I going to use? Some brands and types of paint are more costly than others. Is your project area large? Then you will need more paint. If you might be covering a dark paint with a lighter color, you will need two coats of paint and possibly a primer.

2. Who is going to do the painting? If you are going to hire out the project, it makes sense to get some estimates before spending any money.

3. How many colors of paint will be used in the project? Are you going to have an accent wall or area? Are you going to faux finish any of the space? Try to determine an overall plan at this point.

Once you have decided the scope of the project and a realistic budget, it is then time to think about actual paint colors. Following are some suggestions for you to consider when selecting a wall color.

How much of a change are you considering for the room? Do you want to add some drama to the area? Look at some deeper or brighter shades of colors. Or, a more subtle and neutral look might be more in your design comfort zone. In that case, keep the colors more neutral; consider a shade of off-white (there are hundreds of choices). Remember that a paint chip is a teeny, tiny little piece of color. It looks more intense when you put it on your very large walls. You might want to start with a shade that is less intense on the paint chip and test how it will appear on the walls. We’ll talk more about that soon.

Are you going to introduce a new color to the area, or are you going to use a color that is already in the room? If you are thinking about a new and different color, make sure it will enhance the color scheme that is currently in the room. Your furniture and accessories should have new life and interest with the addition of a new color. Another great technique is to work with an existing color in the room and play it up on the walls by selecting a lighter or darker shade of that color.

It is always a wise decision to test your potential color choices before painting the entire room. Purchase paint samples if possible, or a quart if necessary, and prepare a color board. It’s very simple. Just take a white poster board and put two coats of paint on it. You’ll then have a good idea of the actual color. Put the color board in all areas of the room over a 24 to 48 hour period by taping it to the wall with masking/painting tape. You want to see the color at different times of the day, and in the evening with artificial light.

Following these simple steps will help ensure that you select a color you’ll be happy with in your space, and minimize stress and frustration because you’ve made the important decisions at the beginning of the project. That’s how to complete your paint project with a smile!

Candi Randolph is the author of Ten Simple Steps to Design Success, a simple and easy to understand guide with home decorating ideas and interior design tips. For more information please visit http://www.Great-Home-Decorating.com

The quickest way to change the looks of your house? Paint it. In your eagerness, though, make sure you do the job right.

1. Prepare the wall or ceiling properly.
2. Scrape off flaking paint and smooth the edges with sandpaper. Check for moisture problems – the signal is paint that flakes off in under two years. In this case, you may need a carpenter or roofer to fix the problem.
3. Wash the surface – with a hose, power washer, or elbow grease. A solution of TSP (trisodium phosphate) and water will remove grease that keeps paint from adhering. (Use rubber gloves).
4. Fill the nail holes, cracks, and other imperfections. Use the right spackle or putty – exterior for exterior walls, interior for interior walls. Wet the putty knife before putting it in the putty.
5. After the puttied areas have dried, sand and paint them with a primer coat. Also sand and prime all surfaces covered with slick paint like enamel. Wear a mask while you do it. Dust woodwork with tack cloth.
6. Caulk window and woodwork joints.
7. Cover stains, particularly mildew, with a special sealer. If people smoke in your house, prime the ceiling with a stain killer.
8. Move the furniture out of the room, or group it in the center and cover it with a drop cloth.
9. Take off striker plats, doorknobs, and other objects you don’t want painted.

Now you can start painting:

1. Prime the surfaces, usually with primer paint. Otherwise you may have to paint the surface an extra time.
2. Use the right-sized brush-you need three for most jobs: 1-inch to 1 1/2-inch trim brush, 2-inch to 21/2-inch sash brush, and a 4-inch wall brush. Don’t use natural bristle paintbrushes with latex or water-based paint; use one with synthetic bristles instead. If you use a roller, buy a cover with the right nap for the job-the smoother the surface, the shorter the nap.
3. Paint a room in this order: ceiling, walls, trim, doors, windows. Paint the exterior of a house one side at a time.
4. Don’t use too much paint on your brush or roller. Dip brushes only about one-third the length of the bristles into the paint, and don’t fill the paint pan for roller painting more than ½ inch deep.
5. Be neat. Take your time. Every spill and drip is more trouble than the time you saved by being sloppy.
6. With a roller, go over the area already painted with up and down strokes.
7. Paint safely. Make sure you have a secure ladder. Don’t lean over too far-it’s better to move the ladder than break your head.

I have recently bought an apartment. The painting is old and dull. How can I improve the ambiance of the rooms?

When it comes to improving the ambiance, what better choice can there be other than painting? It is the cheapest, easiest and the most effective way to give your apartment a new look and a new life, exactly the way you like. And, here is how you go about doing it.

Colors create the ambiance of a room. Use it effectively to create the mood of your choice. Before jumping into action, wait, think, ruminate, delve deep into your self and discover your mood. This is to say, find out your true self. I may sound philosophical, but is it not true that we, by nature, have a unique mood attached to our self? Some of us may be soft natured, some – out going and adventuresome, some – introverts and so on. Find who you are and choose the color that reflects you. After all, you are going to live there and it is important that you live in HARMONY with your dwelling place. Remember, a house becomes a home only when it gives you peace and happiness.

Now that you know ‘you’, How to select the color? The key lies in you. Think of the color you like the most. That color is the color for your painting. Use it as the theme of painting for your apartment.

How to decide on the choices of lighter or darker shades? Judge on the following parameters. 1. The direction of the room and 2. The usage. If the room is located such that it gets more sunlight, then you may go for a darker shade. If not, go for a light shade. If you have kids and if the usage will be intensive and care-free, go for a darker shade. If not lighter shade would do.

Now comes the next part - Gloss or Matte?

It depends on two factors – 1. Finish and 2. Intended usage.

If the finish of the walls, ceiling and wood work is perfect and flawless and if the room will be usage-intensive, the best choice is Gloss as it is easy to wash the dirt off. On the flip side, it won’t hide imperfections – that is why you should prefer them for only for perfect finishes.

Use Matte, if there are imperfections to be hidden. But when it comes to maintenance, Matte falls behind Gloss. So it is best suited for adult and minimal use rooms, like Bedroom.

Next is the coloring scheme. There are three coloring schemes in vogue – Flow-through, Contrast and Monochromatic.

Flow through – The same color is used for all the rooms, only the tone (Shade – Light ===è Dark) varies, giving a continuity and a smooth flow from one room to another. Ideal if your apartment is not big. Toning scheme with light shades makes the rooms look big.

Contrast: This involves use of opposite colors (Example – Blue (Cool) and Yellow (Warm)) to paint different parts of the same room or different rooms. This will make the room look energetic but will make the room look smaller.

Monochromatic: Use of a single color for the entire house. This scheme with a good color will make your home look modern.

With the colors poetically named these days, choosing a color is not easy. Also, the color depicted on the color cards can be different from the way they will look on walls. Hence, it is always better to buy small samples, paint them, observe for a few days in the day and in the night for their light absorption properties and then make a final call.

Painting is an art in itself. While it is easy to pick up the science of it and paint your house yourself, the art in it is sure to be compromised if not done by a professional. The reason is simple – Science can be imbibed, but art has to be professed. If you ever want to hire a professional to paint you cherished home, count on us. We have scores of professionals who can offer the best service, promptly. Think professional care, Think eServicePlace.