Painted Concrete Floors Update

A little over four years ago, I decided to rip of the carpet in our master bedroom. I couldn’t take that dirty disgusting carpet anymore. It had to go! I really wanted to continue the existing hardwood floors from the hallway into the bedroom; but, after a couple of quotes, I had to come up with another plan. I had seen some beautifully stained concrete floors on Pinterest and I thought I could do it to my floor. So, at the time we began ripping up the carpet, that was my plan – to stain the concrete slab underneath. That just wasn’t possible and we ended up painting the floors instead. I have had some questions about how the floor have held up, so I have decided to do a painted concrete floors update for you.

The Condition of The Slab Matters

To see my original post and the entire process that we used, read How To Paint Concrete Floors. But, let me explain why we had to paint the floor instead of stain it. When we pulled up the carpet, we were surprised by the condition the slab was in. It was not stainable. It had green paint from where the builders had painted the cabinets and there was a patched area in the hallway going to the bathroom. In addition, when we pulled up the carpet, we had to then remove the tack strips which left holes around the edge of the room.

Chances are your concrete slab is not going to be as pretty as you think it is. Ours certainly was not. I would say how well your project comes out is going to depend on what condition your slab is in on the front end. This is where I wish we had spent a little more time on prep work. We did use an epoxy to fill the holes left from removing the tack strips, but I wish we had spent some time putting epoxy in some of the other smaller holes and cracks that we found in the floor. I also wish we had covered the patch spot with epoxy. My plan there was simply to cover it with a rug after we were done, but I never did.

How It’s Holding Up

This is the question everyone wants to know, right? How are the floors holding up? It’s why I am writing this painted concrete floors update, after all. Well, after four years, they are still great, actually. I mean, they aren’t perfect; but, they never were. Yes, there are some smaller scratches and we have a couple of chipped spots where the concrete patch was, but I think that’s just because it was a concrete patch. For a painted concrete floor, I think it has held up quite well for four years.

This is the main bedroom and the majority of the floor is covered by either furniture or a rug, so that helps maintain the paint, I’m sure. These pictures were taken three years after we painted the floors and I posted an update on this room in Master Bedroom Updates. If you were to look very closely, I’m sure you would be able to see some imperfections, but this is the main traffic area and I think it still looks great.

Would I Do This Again?

Would I do this again? Yes. Absolutely. For the money, this was a great update. I could not have lived with that carpet one more day and I didn’t want to spend the money on hardwoods. So, this was a very budget friendly solution. I thought this would just be a temporary fix until we put down hardwoods at a later date, but I might leave it forever. If I ever had to sell my house, I’m sure I would be advised to put down hardwoods, but I’m not selling anytime soon.

You can also see in these pictures that there is a gap between the floor and the baseboards. This is something to think about before you start this project. Will that bother you? It does not bother me and I had intended to put down some quarter round to cover that gap, but I just never did. When you take out the carpet, you will have a gap. You can either live with the gap, or put in new, lower baseboards. We are living with the gap!

My Advice To You – Take Your Time & Pivot

If I had this to do again, I would spend more time on the front end. I did not know how long this project would take, but it was a long one. We had our bedroom furniture in the living room and we were sleeping in the guest room. I couldn’t wait to be done! I wish I had taken maybe another day to work with the epoxy.

If you are thinking about painting a concrete floor, my advice to you would be to take your time. Spend time on the prep work and on the finish. I think several layers of top coat will help the floor look better longer. So, don’t rush through that step, either. It takes as long as it takes. Check out How To Paint Concrete Floors to see how long this project took us.

Also, be prepared for surprises when you rip up that carpet. You never know what you are going to find under neath; and, it might not be pretty. You might have to pivot! Lastly, use the Porch and Floor paint from Sherwin Williams. I do not know how another floor paint would hold up.

Pin Painted Concrete Floor Update Here

Shop Painted Concrete Floors Update Here

Porch & Floor Enamel – Sherwin-Williams

BEHR PREMIUM 1 gal. Wet Look Sealer 98501

Rust-Oleum 24 oz. Concrete Patch and Repair Kit 301012

Floor Scrapers – Flooring Tools – The Home Depot

Paint Rollers – Paint Supplies – The Home Depot

Paint Scrapers – Paint Tools – The Home Depot

Krud Kutter

Painter’s Tape