When the paint coating on a concrete floor loses its adhesion, flaking and peeling can result.

1. Inappropriate coating for the amount or type of wear and exposure the floor will receive.
2. Poor adhesion, which often occurs when hardeners are added to the concrete.
3. Efflorescence, which occurs as water moves through concrete and leaches alkali.
4. Grease, oil, wax and dirt can soak in and are difficult to remove from concrete.
5. Moisture seeping through concrete floors in basements, especially when floors are laid on-grade without a moisture barrier.
6. Aging concrete floor, which can crumble and take the paint film with it.
7. Application of an oil-based floor finish is applied to a bare, unetched, uncured concrete floor. When oil resins contained in the floor coating come in contact with the alkaline concrete surface, they combine, react and form a soap film between the concrete surface and the oil coating. This saponification results in extremely poor adhesion and softness of the alkyd (e.g. oil-based) coating.

Concrete must be free of moisture as much as possible (although moisture seldom drops below 15% in concrete). Test for moisture or dampness by taping the edges of a 2' x 2' plastic sheet on the bare surface (an asphalt tile or other moisture-impervious material will also do), and sealing all the edges. After 48 hours, inspect for moisture, discoloration or condensation on the concrete or the underside of the plastic. If moisture is present, the source must be located, and the cause corrected before painting.

Remove all surface contamination by washing with Simple Green^® Ready-To-Use Surface Prep Cleaner or other appropriate cleaner, rinse thoroughly and allow to dry. Scrape and sand existing peeled or checked paint to a sound surface. Sand glossy surfaces dull.

If needed, remove all form release agents, curing compounds, salts, efflorescence, laitance and other foreign matter by sandblasting, shotblasting, mechanical scarification or suitable chemical means (refer to ASTM D4260). Rinse thoroughly to achieve a final pH between 7.0 and 10.0. Allow to dry thoroughly prior to coating.

Surfaces must offer sufficient profile to achieve adequate adhesion. If the concrete feels like 120-grit sandpaper, the profile is enough for a coating to bond properly with the concrete. If the surface is too smooth, etch the surface with H&C^® CONCRETEREADY^™ Etching Solution first, following label directions. For very smooth surfaces (troweled surfaces with no porosity), use the etching solution at full strength. For smooth-troweled concrete with some porosity, one part H&C® Etching Solution to two parts water should be used. Rough-textured concrete does not need to be etched. Do not etch painted surfaces.

Etching solution and cleaning residue will collect in low spots. Vacuum the concrete to remove any remaining fluids.

If surface deterioration has produced an unacceptably rough surface, patch and resurface any damaged concrete with a resurfacer. Fill all cracks, voids and bug holes with ArmorSeal Crack Filler.

And you're ready to repaint.

For etching a smooth concrete surface, we recommend H&C^® CONCRETEREADY^™ Etching Solution. After resurfacing, fill any cracks with ArmorSeal Crack Filler.