Originally Posted by bignasty

Yeah I used to do that kind of work. Clean it real good, and be sure to give it a good acid etch. Since it's interior you can't use a pressure washer so just use a bug sprayer. You need to get the paint up. Stain works by penetrating into the pores of the concrete- paint on the concrete will prevent this. Depends on if it's oil or latex. Latex should come off easy with something like some denatured alcohol and a scrub brush. Oil will require a thinner or mineral spirits and will be more difficult to get up. They make different products you can patch the cracks with. Go with a good elastomeric one, that way it will have some give to it. Be sure to use H&C stain, it's available from Sherwin Williams, it is the only product I never had any problems with.