How can a non-profit camp make their dormitory cement floors look decent?

Question

The cement floors have been painted many times, but the paint just flakes off making it look worse than before. The floors are dirty from years of camp use and are often damp from leaking roofs and poor construction. The floors are hard to get at because of the bunk beds which cannot be moved. It's a long building with many rooms so the task seems overwhelming. The camp is suffering because no one wants to have their kids stay in such an ugly looking dorm. The camp also has very little money, but does have many willing volunteers. Thanks for any advice. Help me save this wonderful camp!

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

1st rule is that any paint applied is no better than the coat it is applied too. You have to get the old paint up.

Then you need to check for moisture problems. A leaking roof will not cause the trouble you have. Swimming pools have water and the paint sticks.

Go to a paint supply house and they have a moisture vapor kit you place on the floor and cover. Moisture that works its way through the slab will show on this kit. Most DIY slabs don't have moisture/vapor barriars (black plastic sheets) layed prior to pouring. If poured directly onto dirt you have a bigger job to do.

"get most the dirt up" Paint does not stick to oil and dirt. Soap has oils in it so simply cleaning with soapy water is not the answer. The paint stores will have TSP. A stong detergant with no oils that will clean the floor.

If you have a vapor barrier problem, then sealing the floor will create clouds over time and will cause de-lamination, (the stuff comes up)

We have done these floors, and you can get a concrete overlay material that is easy to apply and will keep the moisture down. Then you can paint it and seal it.

I prefer for a room to be empty to get the job done right. Painting around bed posts is no way to completely seal a floor.

Source(s):

contractor/engineer.

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

This answer covered the issue of moisture which is a big concern for the floors in the dorm. I had never heard of a concrete overlay. Thanks for the advice!

Answer 2

Can anyone or anyplace donate supplies? That can help with what ever method you use to cover the floors.

Answer 3

First, strip off the old paint and clean the cement as much as possible. Expensive: there are epoxy based sidewalk paints that are expensive but hold up well to traffic and look good too.

Less Expensive:
I worked at a Jr High where we used paint and then put Johnson's sealer down and coated that with Johnson's wax. It stood up ok to the traffic and could be re-applied as needed. find a distributor that is willing to make a donation to the camp in exchange for them naming something.

Answer 4

The trick to keeping paint on the floor is to get as much dirt up as possible, wash the floors down with soapy water (any detergent works) and then strip the floor with a good floor stripper (Zep makes a good product for this) The more elbow grease you invest in this project the longer your floors will last. Finally, when you paint, use a good roller, and paint it the way you would paint walls. (don't dump paint on the floor and spread it around) Its better if you paint in several light coats, than trying to paint it all in one heavy coat. Heavy coats tend to pool paint, and then areas of heavier paint flake off easier later.
Finally the floor wax is a good trick to extend the life of the paint- but once you wax you need to keep waxing every so often to keep protecting the paint.

Source(s):

I have painted many boiler room floors.

Answer 5

there are many ways you can do this
first you need to get the old paint off the floor use a paint sripper and a power washer(dont for get to use your saftey equipment you dont want that stuff on your skin or eyes)
then you need to clean it use a concret cleaner
you can then seal the floor or use a paint compound to seal it but the most important thing to rember the paint will only last as long as the prep work get as much of the dirt off you can that will make the paint last longer
sometimes if u contact a local supplyer a hardwear/paint company they might diacount some of the cost for a good cause(tax deducation that is) so try that but like any thing what you use as the finish product will deterime how long it will last

Answer 6

You can use an epoxy paint for this that will last for years but, you'll need help. It's used on garage floors and they stay beautiful for years. Ace hardware carries it so does Home Depot and Lowes. You can even get flakes to put in it for beautifying the floor.