How do I get paint off my basement floor that is peeling and what kind of

[Beth H]

paint should I use to repaint it? My basement floor had a gray epoxy paint over it and I painted over that with primer and a latex paint which is now peeling. I have scraped some if it off but it seems like it will take hours and hours to get it all off. Is there an easier way to do this without sanding it? Also, is there a way to paint over the epoxy that will stick or a really good primer I could use; again without having to sand it?

[ntharotep]

That's paint? I thought the Wild Turkey tasted funny after the seventh glass....

These bunch of drunks got me to drink paint????

What the painter wench said...

[Blackjack girl]

throw an area carpet over it and be done

[LuckyD]

You need a floor sander. There are mason grinders (HILTI) for floors and you can sand it down to a mirror finish! It's way better than painting it.

[PoeticMistress]

I would scrape any flaking paint and sweep it up. But, I suggest you go with the second answer, get a carpet, you can usually find remnant carpet pieces fairly inexpensively. Perhaps even less cost than a sander and repainting, etc. Plus, it will act as a sound filter, reduce any echo you may have now. A cement floor is cold too, carpet warms the room up aesthetically as well as otherwise! =o)



EDIT: I think bolt is smoking some heavy $h!t, be careful he could blow up the basement with all those paint fumes.. and Stop sniffin that $h!t!!

[corder24]

some type of standing sander would be fit for this. Go to a local hardware store and ask for a rental idea on that. as far as the pain, i would epoxy it. EPOXY> the best but expensive. They have epoxy chips as well. where you paint and then scatter these tiny chips around while its still wet. They have team colors and stuff which is cool. Looks great and very long lasting given you keep it clean and mop it everynow and then and use some kind of protective wax. PRETTY PRETTY

[Gwenevere]

Up at home depot they sell/rent scrapers that are meant specifically for removing paint and other icky things off of cement floors. Sand blasting would work, but in an enclosed environment is not really suggested as it can be quite caustic if inhaled. A traditional belt sander for wood flooring may work, home depot rents those out as well. However, the best thing that will work is elbow grease, time and patience. Once you have removed all of the loose paint, clean the cement thoroughly and allow to dry. What to clean it with, TSP would probably work, but if your basement is extremely well ventilated you could use mineral spirits to clean it, and I mean REALLY WELL VENTILATED!!!
Take a sample of the existing paint you are scraping up to the paint dept to see if they can identify what type of epoxy paint was used. Your best bet would be to go back over it again with an epoxy paint, Behr (home depot) sells an epoxy paint for cement floors that works great and can be tinted just about any color you want. We used it in a laundry facility at the apts I manage and it's been doing great for 3 years of very high traffic and humidity.
Another option, depending upon how damp your basement is, would be to consider using a pool deck paint. It is great for high traffic areas as well as damp and standing water. Check with your local pool supply store, such as Leslie's Pools.
Finally, if you don't want to paint it again, you could consider tiling it or as said above, carpeting it. There are carpet products that are made for damp areas (also sold at home depot) as well as this new product: http://www.flor.com/service/flor/shop_by_martha_stewart_floor_designs.html?id=yB7nm Gdr&mv_arg=07 Good Luck!