Basement Laundry/Mechanical Room

[MJBaldwin]

Background: I live in an older house 1928, the basement is somewhat finished although the laundry/mechanical room has exposed concrete walls. Previous people painted it and its starting to flake off.. This is where I would like your recommendations...

How to remove old paint? (really don't want to use chemicals due to my young son)

What is the best concrete paint/sealer out there? The paint would be on the floors along with concrete walls (poured foundation not block)

Now on to a different topic located in that same room. There is a box about 18X18 that is covered with wood and goes to the exterior. Last year the caulk broke on it and started leaking water when we got a ton of rain. I patched it up with some additional caulk but wondering how I could remove the wood and pour concrete to patch it?

Hope you guys have some ideas!

[Tom7227]

The paint could have lead in it so you need to be a bit concerned about that exposure as well.

As for the hole - you probably are best off trying to fill it with cement blocks for bricks. It probably is an old coal chute opening.