DIY How to Paint a Compass Rose on a Concrete Floor
- Surface preparation is the same for all types of concrete floor paint. A power washer makes the job a lot more simple. If painting the whole floor first, clean and degrease the surface with a commercial degreaser and tri-sodium phosphate. Scrub or powerwash, rinse and let it dry for several days before painting.
- Several types of paint are designed for concrete painting. Latex is the cheapest, but doesn't last very long. Oil paint is tougher, but cleanup is a bear with mineral spirits which generate a lot of toxic fumes. Rubber-based paint is used in swimming pools and works on concrete floors about as well as oil-based paints. Epoxy paint is the best for painting concrete, but is even tougher to clean up than oil and makes for a very slippery surface. For large floor areas, garage floor epoxies often come with texture to improve traction. For the rose itself, you can probably get away without texture since the floor beneath will already have it. Apply the background floor paint with a floor roller. If adding texture, follow instructions on the package. Allow the paint to cure. Select colored paints with the same type base to paint the rose.
- To make a 12-foot, 8-point rose, start by marking two 10-foot perpendicular lines crossing at the place you want the rose. For authenticity, get a compass and line up the legs north and south, east and west. Mark two more 6-foot long legs through the center at 45 degrees from the long legs. The legs run northeast to southwest and southeast and northwest. Mark the short legs 6 inches from the center. You should have four star points -- N, S, E, W. Draw lines from the 6-inch mark on the short legs, 6 inches up the outside edges of the long legs. Use those eight points to draw a line to the tips of the short legs. You now have four short star points oriented NE, NW, SW and SE. You can continue bisecting the points the same way to create 32 compass points if you wish.
- You'll need two colors, one dark and one light. Go to each star point and mask the left half of each with tape. Paint it the light color. Apply two or three thin coats, allowing the paint to cure between coats as recommended in the paint instructions. When done, use a box cutter to cut the paint free from the masking tape and peel the tape away. Next mask the right half of each star point and paint with dark paint. Cut away and peel back the tape again and allow the compass rose to cure overnight before applying a clear sealer to protect the new floor and design.
