You may wonder why one would even bother having a guide to painting concrete floors. Indeed, it’s just a floor, right? Throw on a couple coats and you don’t even have to worry about drips. What could be easier? Well, unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. The actual painting is the easy part; preparing the surface, however, is somewhat more difficult. In fact, you should plan on taking three whole days to complete the project: the first day to prepare the surface, second day for applying the first coat of paint, and finally the last day where you’ll apply the second and final coat.

So, first up we’ll need to scrub the floor. Get a stiff-bristle brush and a cleaner or degreaser, plus maybe something soft to kneel on. Get the floor wet with a mop and a bucket of water, then scrub away with the brush and the cleaner as directed. What you’re trying to do is remove any oil or grease from the floor so the paint will stick. Clean it up with an industrial vacuum. Be sure you check with the manufacturer on how to safely handle and dispose of the cleaning substance.

Next comes the dangerous part. Be sure to use every recommended safety precaution. You need to secure yourself some 32% hydrochloric acid (also called muriatic acid). Wearing a vapor respirator for safety, dilute this with water; you should add ten parts water for every one part hydrochloric acid. Then, using a common garden sprinkler, coat the floor evenly with it. Using a rented power scrubber, scrub down the entire area, making sure to spent 5-10 minutes for every 10 square feet. Once you’ve completely and thoroughly scrubbed the floor, douse the entire thing with water (use liberally) and scrub it again, rising 2-3 times after this. Let it sit and dry overnight.

Next comes the painting. Epoxy paint is what you’ll need for the concrete flooring. Follow the instructions on how to properly mix the paint. Note that you should try to ventilate the area and wear a vapor mask for the paint fumes. Tape anything sensitive and hand-paint a strip around the walls so you don’t have to get so close with the roller and accidentally splatter paint on the walls. Roll the paint onto the floor evenly, going in a “W” shape for maximum efficiency. Let that first coat of paint dry, then apply the second. Once that’s dried, you’re good to go. If you were painting a garage floor, however, it’s best to wait approximately 5 days before parking your car on it.