What is the best way to achieve a faux concrete look?
July 30, 2021 7:22 AM Subscribe
I just moved into a loft and I want to go for an industrial modern look. I have two large concrete pillars in the middle of my floor plan that have been painted white by previous owners. How can I best return them to a natural concrete look?
Try removing the paint with a heat gun. If there's any chance of lead (build date before 1980 or so), check for the existence of lead by getting a cheap test kit at a hardware store. Depending on the texture of the concrete underneath, it may scrape off pretty cleanly. Then you can sand off any paint that remains. I'd avoid paint stripper for this.
posted by mezzanayne at 7:52 AM on July 30, 2021
posted by mezzanayne at 7:52 AM on July 30, 2021
Response by poster: Forgot to mention that I am open to removing the existing paint or repainting/refinishing(?) over it. Thanks all!
posted by mushtale at 7:54 AM on July 30, 2021
posted by mushtale at 7:54 AM on July 30, 2021
Ardex Feather Finish is a concrete coating that pops up a lot in DIY tutorials — people use it to resurface countertops, floors and fireplaces.
posted by fifthpocket at 8:11 AM on July 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by fifthpocket at 8:11 AM on July 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
You could use a sand or walnut blaster to remove the paint. Unless the paint comes up easily with a heat gun, I think other removal methods will be painfully slow.
Otherwise plasterweld and cement plaster over top.
posted by flimflam at 8:32 AM on July 30, 2021
Otherwise plasterweld and cement plaster over top.
posted by flimflam at 8:32 AM on July 30, 2021
+1 Citristrip. I've used it. It's effective. Wear gloves.
posted by adamrice at 8:42 AM on July 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by adamrice at 8:42 AM on July 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Citristrip has the major advantage for indoor use of smelling much more like oranges than burnt paint.
It's a gel; you brush a thick layer on, which will stay put quite well even on vertical surfaces, then let it sit for an hour to do its thing, then have at the resulting softened mess with a paint scraper much as you'd do behind your heat gun.
On a porous surface like concrete there will probably be some residual paint stuck in the pores, but a second application of Citristrip, another hour's wait, then a good going over it with a scrubbing brush and warm water should get rid of most of that.
Wear elbow gloves and use a dropcloth. The active ingredient in Citristrip is benzyl alcohol, which is not terribly fumey but at the concentration in occurs in the stripper is not super good for your skin and you don't want to be ingesting it or getting it in your eyes either.
posted by flabdablet at 9:03 AM on July 30, 2021
It's a gel; you brush a thick layer on, which will stay put quite well even on vertical surfaces, then let it sit for an hour to do its thing, then have at the resulting softened mess with a paint scraper much as you'd do behind your heat gun.
On a porous surface like concrete there will probably be some residual paint stuck in the pores, but a second application of Citristrip, another hour's wait, then a good going over it with a scrubbing brush and warm water should get rid of most of that.
Wear elbow gloves and use a dropcloth. The active ingredient in Citristrip is benzyl alcohol, which is not terribly fumey but at the concentration in occurs in the stripper is not super good for your skin and you don't want to be ingesting it or getting it in your eyes either.
posted by flabdablet at 9:03 AM on July 30, 2021
+1 to Citristrip, though getting the paint out of the pores of the concrete could be pretty terrible. If it's latex paint this is a fun-but-goopy project; if it's oil-based paint it'll be a nightmare. You probably want something like a nylon flap disk drill attachment to help with this (I am assuming pressure washing a column in the middle of your living space is a nonstarter).
posted by goingonit at 10:17 AM on July 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by goingonit at 10:17 AM on July 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
Paint it light grey, let it dry for 3 days or so (latex paint "dries" in an hour or so, but takes a day or so to "cure" completely dry, and longer for non-porous surfaces like concrete). When completely dry, mix a small amount of dark grey paint (you will probably not need more than 1/2 cup or so), any kind of clear media or varnish (like clear poly in matte or gloss, your choice) to act as a binder, and water...you want it thin and runny. Slather it on with a big (frayed old not neat/new) brush and do your strokes in random directons. Use paper towels in random directons to remove most of it, leaving it behind in the cracks and crevices. Work a big area at a time (work quickly so it doesn't dry) so there's not so many overlaps. Do it thinner and in 2 coats for depth if you like (using a different grey helps). Shouldn't take more than an hour or 2, and will be much easier than stripping, which will probably leave white in all the cracks no matter what you do, short of sandblasting. Definitely let the base layer dry completely first or it can bubble up with the wet glaze layer.
posted by sexyrobot at 5:55 AM on August 2, 2021
posted by sexyrobot at 5:55 AM on August 2, 2021
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posted by flabdablet at 7:32 AM on July 30, 2021 [1 favorite]