Painting Concrete Foundation

 

JOAN: Yes, well thank you, Tom and Leslie. About four years ago we had the outside of our house painted and now I’ve noticed, from last summer and also this year, the paint is chipping off the foundation because they also – you know, they painted the foundation along with the siding and it’s taking off a layer of the concrete from the foundation.

 

TOM: OK.

 

JOAN: And so, we really don’t know what to do; whether we should repaint the foundation or – basically, my husband would love to just get rid of the paint on the foundation but, again, we have that problem of the concrete chipping off with the paint.

 

TOM: Well, probably what’s happening is the paint is separating from the concrete foundation and the reason it’s doing that is because …

 

LESLIE: Because of the moisture.

 

TOM: Yeah, the concrete is very hydroscopic, Joan. It soaks up an amazing amount of water. And they probably used the same paint they used on the house and the foundation, which was the wrong thing to do.

 

LESLIE: Rather than using a masonry paint.

 

TOM: Yeah, correct. So I think that what you might want to do is try to get off all the loose paint you can on the foundation and then I would prime it again and do this on a really, really dry day. Make sure it’s primed …

 

LESLIE: Yeah, let it dry for a couple of days.

 

JOAN: OK.

 

LESLIE: Like wait until that foundation is as dry as it can possibly be.

 

TOM: Yep.

 

LESLIE: Take two, three days dry weather.

 

TOM: Prime it; use an oil-based primer. You’ll have the best adhesion and then you can put a topcoat of foundation paint, masonry paint, over that. You could have the paint tinted so perhaps your husband can get a different color, if that’s what he’s trying to go for. You know, maybe go back to the gray color. It doesn’t matter.

 

LESLIE: What about patching any of the concrete that sort of chipped off with the paint with an epoxy compound?

 

TOM: Yeah, if you have chips or holes, you can patch it and, as Leslie said, use an epoxy patch material for that.

 

JOAN: Oh, OK.

 

JOAN: (overlapping voices) Well, thank you very much.

 

TOM: (overlapping voices) Alright. It’s not critical; it’s more cosmetic. OK, Joan?

 

JOAN: OK. Well, thank you.

 

TOM: You’re very welcome. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.