Can you paint cinder block

The primary reason to paint blocks is to seal them and make them cleanable. Citrus lounge remodel. We painted each block the same color as the deck and walls in order to draw attention to the geometrical shapes. Painted cinder blocks create a clean contrast with the leaves and blooms of our flower bed.

Arrange concrete blocks for cleaning. We recommend resting each block at a slight angle atop wood slats, for example so that the blocks are not flat against the ground when drying. We added a dropcloth and used this arrangement for painting as well. Wash the dirt from your cinder blocks with a strong jet of water. We used a pressure washer. This step can be skipped if the blocks are new and clean. A scrub brush and garden hose sprayer could be substituted for the pressure washer.

The cleaner the block, the better the paint will adhere and the longer it will last. We waited four hours for the blocks to dry before applying bonding primer.

Prime and paint the blocks. Bonding primer assures maximum adhesion of paint to concrete. Both are latex acrylic-based for easy cleanup. If, after it dries, the caulk has shrunk or pulled away from the edges of the crack, apply more caulk and smooth it down.

Once again, wait for it to dry. A brief note : While some cracks are cosmetic, others are structural. They will perform an inspection and can tell you more. Concrete is porous , meaning it can hold moisture. Then, spread a drop cloth out on the ground. With that done, apply a thin coat of either concrete primer or concrete sealer to the wall.

Use a primer or sealer explicitly intended for concrete. Using a broad paintbrush can help you apply a smooth coat of the primer. The amount of time the sealer or primer takes to dry depends on the brand you selected and how thick a coat you applied. Always follow the directions that come with the sealer you purchased. Expect the primer to take at least four hours to dry. While you may not want to drag the painting process out any longer than necessary, leaving the sealer or primer to dry overnight might be the most convenient option.

Exterior acrylic house paint and exterior latex masonry paint will both work for this step. Now the questions: Should I prime the whole thing? Should I prime it with block filler? Should I put a finish coat over the dry lock in the back room or will that work fine as a finish coat?

One of your posts suggested using a satin or semi gloss finish for easier cleaning. The waterproofing contractor filled some cracks and holes in the block with polyurethane caulk. One of your posts said polyurethane caulk needs to be primed. What do I prime it with? Prime the whole thing with an oil based primer, like Zinsser Cover Stain. This will produce a good foundation for the new paint.

The poly caulk needs priming with the same oil based primer prior to painting. The dry lock can be painted over if wanted. Shinier paints are easier to clean but flat is fine if this is your preference. I have new foundation split face block walls that I am going to paint. We are along a creek and in a flood zone and it will flood at some point.

Do I seal the interior or do I seal the exterior? Or both? I am also not opposed to other brands. I would love to use an airless paint sprayer too if I can find one that the primer will work with. Thanks for in advance for your advice! You want to seal the foundation from the outside if possible. Damage to the cement foundation could happen if moisture is trapped in the walls.

Possible french drain with sump pump could also help, if applicable. Paint and primer, such as Loxon and Resilience, are above ground only. Do I really need an oil based primer? I thought black filler was a primer. Since the current paint, modern acrylic or latex, peeled a better primer is needed to make sure the new paint sticks and not peel in the future. Choosing a thicker paint, like an elastomeric coating will also help fill the pores. I am in the process of finishing my garage walls and inside garage foundation blocks.

I am preparing to install a resistance pool in the 3rd garage space and want the area to be as waterproof as possible. I realize that I will need to clean off any drywall patching mud and paint that has landed on the blocks but it will not be possible for me to wash the area as I have heavy equipment that will be difficult to move at this time. Clean any debri off of blocks and vacuum and sweep off before going to the next step 2. Since the blocks in some areas are not smooth, I was going to apply 2 coats of acrylic block fill primer 3.

Next, paint 2 coats of satin Sherwin Williams acrylic paint 4. Since the pool will cause moisture and possible water splashing on to the foundation blocks, I was going to add caulk to the area where the painted drywall meets the foundation block and where the foundation block meets the finished epoxy floor. I want it to be sealed as best that it can. What type of caulk would you recommend? Can you let me know if this sounds like a good plan or is there something I am missing or that you would change?

Can you recommend any specific products for the block fill primer? Sound like a good plan. The best caulk is a good urethane, Sherwin Williams Shermax will work well. Any good acrylic block fill primer will work, the most important part is what is put over it. Older basement 50s, cinder block, Was painted white, with with some areas of Efflorescence.

Was scraping the efflor.. Some places the paint is adhered well to the block. A little bit of a hodgepodge. Then paint with some primer just not sure if Oil Based or Water Based would be best. Is that true? Sorry for the late reply. Could use no-rinse TSP, easier to use and still does a good job. Your local hardware store should have some. Use an acrylic bonding primer, Zinsser Regular wall paint can be used and any sheen, whatever you prefer.

No need to go with flat unless that is your preferred sheen. My house was built in and the basement is unfinished with cinder block. The cinder block was painted white by the previous owner no idea what he used and could use a touch up after all of these years.

The paint is not peeling. The walls are dry. What type of paint would you recommend and what should I do to prepare the surface before doing so? Do I need to re-prime the surface given the age? Appreciate any guidance that someone can give. Most likely regular latex or acrylic house paint was used. Go a head and use a good quality interior paint, sheen your choice. Stains will need priming with a stain blocking primer, shellac or oil based work best.

If it softens then it is a latex regular type of paint and no priming is needed. Whoever owned the home prior painted them incorrectly and they are chipping and flaking and water has gotten in at some point. No water has been in the home for 20 years.

Sump pump installed with drain tile The walls are crumbly in some spots and there looks like there may be mold. Which do I use? Do I use TSP after scraping? I would like to seal it for moisture and also paint it. Thank you so much! First wash everything and kill the mold. Scrape away any loose material then prime. Either primer is fine, depends of the overall condition of your walls.

If you have a lot of stains then the restoration primer would be better. Thanks for responding! Wondering about the paint. Should I use a drylock or regular paint? We have 2 dehumidifiers and a sump pump. No actual water just damp feeling. Will that work? Thanks again! If you think there is excessive water vapor in the block wall then use the Dryloc, better product all around.

Trapping water in concrete, block or otherwise, will degrade the walls over time causing all kinds of future damage. Hi, Thanks for this page. I started prepping a concrete block wall that is part of a semi-finished stairwell outside my house that leads to an unfinished basement the blocks are below ground. The house is old and the concrete blocks are painted likely in the past 25 years.

Some of the blocks appear to have a light green? Otherwise, the wall seems to be fairly solid. My question — I am not sure how much more prepping to do, i. My plan after prepping is to wash the walls with non-rinse TSP, paint with Loxon and then finish with the exterior paint recently used to paint the rest of the house.

I live in a fairly wet area — water does sometimes get into the stairwell, though mostly on the stairs, not through the walls.

Right now just fixed the damaged areas, Cement All from Home Depot works well. No need to sand just patch as best as you can. You can prime with the Loxon the next day then paint after that. It has been previously painted and also had water entering through the bottom 2 feet of the walls when we moved in. Also, the previous water penetration has left some mildew stains and efflorescence. In addition, I just finished chiseling away any loose mortar and repointing these joints with new mortar so will have fresh mortar joints to paint as well.

I plan to scrape away all loose paint and then will do a wash with TSP. Will Zissner primer and then a good acrylic paint cover the mildew stains and new mortar joints? Or should I go with the drylok masonary waterproffer for this job. The mildew stains might need an additional treatment with a shellac or oil based stain blocking primer, BIN or Kilz. Go ahead and prime with the dryloc for the walls that occasionally get damp or wet and use everywhere else.

This will help stabilize the wall and keep the moisture from becoming a problem in the future. Then wait overnight to see if the stains bleed through. Spot prime the stains then paint. This is such a valuable resource, and you deserve a lot of credit for giving your time and expertise in answering. Thank you very much! We have just built a bessor block fence out front and back.

We put bondcrete on it first than we painted it with water based paint. But now when It gets wet the white streaks are coming out of the bricks how can we stop this. Water is getting in to the block from somewhere. When you applied the Bondcrete; Did you apply thickly and work well with a thick roller? Getting the pores sealed it very important with block walls.

At this point wash off the streaks, garden hose and maybe a little scrubbing with a broom, and apply another coat of paint. Apply a heavy coat of paint with a thick roller and really try to make sure the pores are filled, especially the to of the fence wall. Check for cracks that are not fully sealed and use caulking to seal them up prior to painting. I cannot find this addressed here or anywhere else.

How would I go about this? Do the stucco side first, I assume this is a building of some sort. If you use a synthetic stucco EFIS system then the exterior will be sealed from moisture.

I have used LaHabra Stucco with good results. The base coat, I have used Insul-Bond Dry Base, can be applied directly to the block and is used to level the surface.

Perma-Flex is used as the top coat and is tinted. This system is troweled on and dries really fast, hard to work with when by your self, but doable. If you know any stucco people you might want to ask for tips. You can also apply a traditional portland stucco to the block. A traditional stucco can be sealed with paint or clear sealer once fully cured, 30 day minimum.

You could purchase all needed supplied from Home Depot for this type of stucco. The stone veneer is the same. The mortar glue used sticks directly to the block. That takes care of the exterior. The interior is easy. Use a acrylic block filler primer to fill the pores then paint. Basically that easy. Hi, First and foremost, let me thank you for your time and the wealth of knowledge you provide on this site.

Moisture has entered the walls leaving stains as evidence, so I will redo the roof, and then move to walls. Is that a good plan or is that overkill?

Thanks again for your time and any advice you give. With the pores well sealed, blockfill primer, and good paint applied the block will be well sealed from the outside. The big thing is making sure the tops of the walls are sealed, roof or metal caps depending on the building construction. Windows, doors, roof flashings and roof penetrations also need to be in good shape with any sealants replaced were needed.

An alternative to using Dryloc as the finish paint is use a good elastomeric coating over the blockfill primer. Hello, and thanks for sharing this helpful info! Is it possible to do a faux wood painting technique on a cinder block exterior? Each block would need to be smooth in order to use a graining tool, unless you can free-hand paint wood grain. Drywall mud might work to smooth the block, then prime and paint with the back-ground color.

Graining will be a problem, normally this is done on a piece that is horizontal. A thick gel stain would be your best bet then sealed with an exterior rated clear coat. This website is so helpful…thank you. I have a couple questions as I read through the different posts: 1 in my scenario, is it better to use a block filler primer or a typical masonry primer before painting?

If the block is unpainted never been painted then a block fill primer is needed to fill the pores. Either a block fill primer or no primer depending on your situation. High humidity levels will slow down the drying and curing of all primers and paints which could be a real problem if there is rain or other adverse weather on the way. Paint will dry better in direct sunlight even when humidity levels are very high. Some paints work better for high humidity areas. Sherwin Williams Resilience drys fast even when humidity levels are elevated.

Talk to your local Sherwin Williams store rep about good paint choices for your area. I live in Colorado and we have the opposite problem, way to low humidity. We can have single digit humidity and paint that drys so fast it cracks if to thick, the surface hardens while the inside film is still a liquid.

Need advice. I recently gutted and renovated my kitchen. The walls are cinder block and except for a few areas have been painted many many times.

I can not imagine that I will ever successfully remove all of the glue. Any thoughts, tips, anything you can offer?

Easiest would be chisel off the glue, patch if needed with drywall compound then tile. Patching only needed for major damage, the glue and tile will hide a lot. For the other mentioned options; Prime the block then apply drywall compound to smooth it out. Prime the dry compound then either paint or apply some kind of vinyl wall covering. For the drywall compound use either 45 or 90 minute dry powdered compound, much easier and quicker For the primer use either a good acrylic, Zinsser or equivalent, or a fast drying oil base primer like Zinsser Coverstain or Kilz original.

Good day. I need advise, im about to paint a hospital which was previously painted years ago. The walls were not plastered instead they were cement bagwashed then painted so the texture is rough. Some sections the cement blocks were just painted. Would you advise i prime the walls first before applying two coats final coats or can I just clean the prepare the walls then apply two quotes as per the specification.

You advise is highly appreciated. Usually just a wash is all that is needed for painting. If there is a very hard enamel like paint, epoxy maybe, then priming will be needed. Greetings, we just purchased a house in SoCal and we would like to have my backyard exterior block wall painted. My concern is the longevity of the paint for the exterior wall.

With a good prime and paint, how long would the paint usually last before start to chip off and make the wall look ugly! As long as the entire wall is painted, includes the top and all sides, you should get years before needing maintenance. The main concern is sealing all sides and the top to prevent water or moisture from entering the wall. Hi there!

Everything I read about rain and painting seems to refer to painting over bare surfaces. I want to power wash the first few feet of cinderblock around the garage in the morning, then paint the second coat within a couple hours. You should be fine since the surface is already sealed as long as it is dry to the touch. A couple things to consider are temperature and humidity; warm temps help with drying out the surface but high humidity can be a problem, slowing down the drying or stopping it altogether.

Power wash with the least amount of pressure and give maximum time for drying before painting. Though now I have another concern. I sprayed the paint and back rolled but ended up running short on the last 8 ft x 5 ft section or so.

I ended up getting water on the wall in some spots as a couple minutes later, the Greige paint had brown streaks in it. Water obviously ended up on the wall but I used the last bit of paint I had in the roller tray and rolled over those spots. It was dark by the time I was done but even if it looks fine, would there be any concern about the water getting into the paint on the wall?

It will be fine. The worst that can happen is you will need to repaint that wall sooner than you expected due to thinning the paint too much. If you think this could be an issue, sheen looks off or the section looks weird, just get another gallon and roll out the section feathering into the adjacent areas. Hi there, thanks for this valuable information. I have been looking for tutorial on how to paint interior cinder block for days, and finally got here, so lucky!

I have recently bought a house built in concrete block in s. I want to repaint it. There is no obvious cracks or holes, should I just clean it with brush and paint with any interior paint? Typically a cleaning is all that is needed.

Just a wiping with warm water for surface dust or a little mild dish soap for some problem areas, no-rinse TSP can also be used for grease or particularly dirty areas. Then apply a good quality paint. When in doubt use a low voc primer, Zinsser or equivalent. We want to paint the exterior cinder block foundation on our home. It has never been painted, stained or otherwise treated in any way.

If we use a product like Rollerrock exterior concrete coating from Home Depot do we just apply to the cinderblock we already powerwashed it without needing to prime first? Second, I doubt we will go this route, but if we choose to go with latex paint do we prime first then paint or do we need to put a water seal on, then prime, then paint?

And lastly, is there a decorative paint-on product you would recommend? If the paint will be on exterior blocks, select a paint that is also weatherproof to prevent damage from the elements. Apply an even coat of paint using a 0. Work vertical sections, covering as much as possible with long strokes of the roller. If you have smaller areas that need to be painted, use a nylon polyester brush.

Allow the first coat to dry for 12 hours. Do this by touching the paint gently with a rag or gloved finger. There should be no transfer. Apply a second coat of paint using a 0.

Work slowly, taking a little bit of paint on the roller at a time and applying in long, smooth strokes. Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours. Test to see if the paint is dry by touching it with a gloved hand or rag in an inconspicuous area. Be sure to wait at least 12 hours before applying a third coat. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published.

Always paint in a well-ventilated area, and wear clothing that covers your skin for protection. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Use drop cloths or tarps to protect surfaces from paint drips and spills. This is important for both indoor and outdoor painting, to protect your floors as well as the environment!

Related wikiHows How to. How to. More References 1. About This Article. Co-authored by:. Co-authors: 5. Updated: September 15, Article Summary X To paint cinderblocks, first, get the cinderblocks ready by scrubbing them with a masonry cleaner and scrub brush to remove any powdery deposits.