How to Paint a Peeling Basement Floor

I have a basement floor that has been painted at least once, and probably with an oil base. The current topcoat was a latex paint. In preparing to paint the floor with a concrete water-based acrylic floor coating, we are…

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I have a basement floor that has been painted at least once, and probably with an oil base. The current topcoat was a latex paint.

In preparing to paint the floor with a concrete water-based acrylic floor coating, we are seeing the current floor coating bubble and chip off. This is from damp mopping and we plan to use a TSP cleaner. Do we need to completely sand all the paint off? Do we need to scrape the floor and sand it? Is there a sealer for the floor that will seal the old paint so it won't bubble and then chip and become the base for our new paint?

The basement is unfinished and I'm simply trying to update the paint on the walls and floors to freshen everything.

Our Answer

The first rule of painting is this: Don’t put good paint over bad paint! You need to first strip off the old. But before taking the time and trouble to do that, consider alternatives such as laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is a dream solution in situations like yours: It’s inexpensive, extremely durable, and provides a very finished look to a space. It's also completely damp-proof, and therefore perfectly suited for basements. By the time you're done stripping and repainting all that old paint, you’ll find laminate floor could've been put down in a fraction of the time. Based on what you described, it really is the best option.