ᐅ Retouching a Concrete Wall Yourself – Exposed Concrete Finish DIY
Created on: 27 Mar 2023 00:43
B
bowbow91
Hello everyone,
In our house, we have two walls that we would like to finish with an exposed concrete look. Both walls were actually cast in concrete (the bedroom in the “living basement” and a structurally necessary living room wall).
The wall in the living room turned out quite well, and we think we can leave it as is without much additional work. However, the wall in the bedroom is quite uneven in color; there are no significant aggregate pockets or surface defects, but the color variation bothers us because it looks quite inconsistent.
Now the question is, what is the best way to do a DIY touch-up on a concrete wall to achieve a nice appearance?
For example, we have considered retouching the wall with a suitable concrete paint. However, we have no idea which type of paint would be best for this.
Does anyone have any ideas or have done something similar themselves?
In our house, we have two walls that we would like to finish with an exposed concrete look. Both walls were actually cast in concrete (the bedroom in the “living basement” and a structurally necessary living room wall).
The wall in the living room turned out quite well, and we think we can leave it as is without much additional work. However, the wall in the bedroom is quite uneven in color; there are no significant aggregate pockets or surface defects, but the color variation bothers us because it looks quite inconsistent.
Now the question is, what is the best way to do a DIY touch-up on a concrete wall to achieve a nice appearance?
For example, we have considered retouching the wall with a suitable concrete paint. However, we have no idea which type of paint would be best for this.
Does anyone have any ideas or have done something similar themselves?
Concrete is never truly homogeneous.
The walls shown are also far from being fair-faced concrete. Just the uneven surface alone…
You can achieve a lot with grinding and sealing. If you want a uniform gray color, painting is the only option.
If there are children in the house, sealing is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, you will get fingerprints on the wall every time it is touched.
Then my usual question: how are the joints supposed to be sealed?
There are special concrete paints available. Usually, a primer is needed to prepare the concrete surface properly.
Personally, I would try grinding it (for example, Hilti offers a concrete grinding system). You can get it to a high gloss finish if desired.
If you still don’t like it, you can paint it afterward since the surface is already smooth.
The walls shown are also far from being fair-faced concrete. Just the uneven surface alone…
You can achieve a lot with grinding and sealing. If you want a uniform gray color, painting is the only option.
If there are children in the house, sealing is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, you will get fingerprints on the wall every time it is touched.
Then my usual question: how are the joints supposed to be sealed?
There are special concrete paints available. Usually, a primer is needed to prepare the concrete surface properly.
Personally, I would try grinding it (for example, Hilti offers a concrete grinding system). You can get it to a high gloss finish if desired.
If you still don’t like it, you can paint it afterward since the surface is already smooth.
Tolentino schrieb:
@dertill say more about that... Nope... I have no knowledge about concrete. 🙂L
LustigerFrosch28 Mar 2023 10:41I would also quickly put up a sign on the walls indicating that the concrete should remain exposed. The first trades are already marking the wall.
You don't want to end up with marker paint on the wall as well.
Wouldn't it have been possible to have it done as exposed concrete from the start?
You don't want to end up with marker paint on the wall as well.
Wouldn't it have been possible to have it done as exposed concrete from the start?
LustigerFrosch schrieb:
The first trades already start marking the wall.The question is whether you prefer exposed concrete or a raw construction style; there are fans of both.rick2018 schrieb:
Then my usual question: how should the joints be sealed? The joints don’t bother us; on the contrary, I actually find it quite appealing when the concrete wall isn’t “perfect.” The joints of the formwork panels and visible anchor holes are part of that look.
rick2018 schrieb:
There are special concrete pigments. Usually, a bonding primer is needed to densify the concrete surface.
Personally, I would try grinding it first (Hilti, for example, offers a concrete grinding system). Yes, we will start by cleaning and sanding the walls. Then we’ll see how it looks and decide whether a simple sealant is enough or if a tinted concrete stain might be useful.
LustigerFrosch schrieb:
Couldn’t it have been finished as exposed concrete right away? Sure, it could have ;-) Originally, we wanted the walls to be fully skim-coated and then painted. The idea to leave it as it is came only after it was finished.
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