[Drhoda]

I ripped up carpet that was glued down in the basement of a rental propery I just purchased. The glue is hard as a rock and won't scrape off. Pretty much covers the entire area in swirl patterns. It is about 350 sq feet.

I thought about renting a grinder but figured that would require a LOT of time, labor and might not even get it all up or keep gumming up the grinder. Also figured using a solvent would screw up any chance of stain or paint adhering.

Instead I was thinking about just staining or painting OVER the old adhesive and leave it with a rough texture. Will either stain or floor paint adhere properly...one better than the other?

I was thinking planning to prep the floor by by powerwashing it with TSP. Will this also be sufficient prep?

 

[joecaption]

You can forget about stain for sure, paint most likly will not stick and unless it was all sanded will show all the flaws under the paint.
Tile, linolium, engineered hardwood will work.

 

[AppealingSpaces]

If you are wanting the concrete only and don't want other flooring materials, I would Definitely sweep, mop with a good floor cleaner to remove all the dirt and grime and then mop again with fresh water and let it air dry. I would buy exterior concrete paint which is often used for patios and garages. The swirls will show up but you can minimize this by sponge painting a second color. You can paint a lighter color on the floor as a base and once dry just lightly sponge the darker shade into the lighter giving a two tone look and then add an awesome large area rug

 

[Drhoda]

If you are wanting the concrete only and don't want other flooring materials, I would Definitely sweep, mop with a good floor cleaner to remove all the dirt and grime and then mop again with fresh water and let it air dry. I would buy exterior concrete paint which is often used for patios and garages. The swirls will show up but you can minimize this by sponge painting a second color. You can paint a lighter color on the floor as a base and once dry just lightly sponge the darker shade into the lighter giving a two tone look and then add an awesome large area rug

Yes, since it is a rental I wanted to keep it concrete....as renters tend to be hard on flooring and I wanted to minimize my repair costs. I like your suggestion! So if I prep it as you suggest you think the paint will indeed adhere and last?

 

[AppealingSpaces]

Thank you I think it will last for a while at least a couple years. I had done in a home we had and it seemed to work well. Good luck on your project and have fun. It was kinda of fun sponging the paint on. I used a roller for the base and a hand sponge for the second layer and in small sections at a time.

 

[joecaption]

If your idea of keep the labor and cost down paint is not the way to go.
You'll have to do touch up and recoating every time someone moves out.
Stop by a real paint store and ask them how they would or would not do it.
I know my local Shewin Williams store will suggest not painting it, and there losing money by telling me that.

 

[Drhoda]

I was also wondering about buying some overstock commercial carpet tiles. Apparently these can ge glued down or dry laid.

Does anyone know if you can install these over the old dry glue?