is it necessary to etch/acid an unpainted concrete basement floor? will general citrus cleaner work?

Question

-what kind of paint should i use?
-my basement floods mildly.

Answer 1

Yes is is necessary(really) use muriatic acid which neutralizes the lime on the cements surface. Lime is used to strip paint. So you see the reason. Citrus cleaner has oil in it. Not good for adhesion.
So long as your flooding problem exists the paint will peel off as the water pushes off from behind. You need to dig around the house and improve the drainage away from the building.

Answer 2

I agree with the other answer as far as drainage is concerned. You don't want a wet basement no matter what you do to the floor. Instead of paint, though, you might consider concrete stain. It's available in a number of colors, although mostly earth tones, and can be sealed as a matte finish or high cgloss. It can be quite stunning and it is much more durable than paint because it actually changes the color of the concrete. If you do a web search on concrete stain you will see numerous sites with pictures to show you the possibilities. If you do use a stain, don't use an acid cleaner. The stains are also acidic, and using an acid cleaner will keep the stain from having the necessary reaction with the concrete.

Answer 3

I am a painting contractor and I agree with the previous posts , you should use the acid ,otherwise you will get poor adhesion,and I would reccomend an epoxy paint for the floor.

Answer 4

Is it worth it to do it twice? I used a cheap cleaner on a floor that then wouldn't absorb paint, hence pealed. Bad move.