Advice needed: to paint, or not to paint, garage floor
 

After many years of sealing, and periodically re-sealing, my concrete garage floor, I am thinking about painting it. My main motivation is better visibility when I work on the cars. I noticed that the Griot's Garage catalogue offers a paint that they claim is outstanding, won't lift off, or so they say. Anyone with experience with Griot's, or any other paint, I would most appreciate your expertise. This is not a heated garage, though I do run a small space heater when I do things in the winter. The walls are insulated, and I have insulation panels with bright aluminum backing as my ceiling.

Anyone with preparation tips, I would be most grateful. Anyone who thinks it would be a bad idea, please weigh in.

I've done this, though I don't recall the manufacturer.

Most of the work is in the preparation (like any good paint job). You'll need to make sure you remove all oil from the concrete before application.

I found it made working in the garage much more pleasant, no grit mixing with oil on tools and parts, much easier to mop up spillage, etc.

Thanks, jjl. Keep your thoughts in mind. I have noticed over the years the grit and oil issues. When I seal it, it looks great for a while, but eventually it just doesn't shed things as well. Hard to keep clean.

I am also considering painting my garage floor, though its a ways down my list yet.
These two companies seem to have excellent products. When I finally do paint the floor I only want to do it once. Have a look at these and see what you think:
Ucoatit
Muscle gloss

I looked into some sealers during garage construction. Then I thought about paint, after the sealer had been applied. It seems most of the paint and sealers warn about attempting to put one over the other. I wonder if painting is even an option for me. I am off to re-read the 5 gal. bucket of sealer.

No experience with the products mentioned, but I can tell you not to use the Behr concrete paint from Home Depot. Hot tires will lift it in short order.

If the concrete has been sealed you are going to have to strip and "etch" the concrete before you apply paint. If you don't I can send you pictures of what it will look like:(

All opinions much appreciated. I know the Griot website mentions etching with muriatic acid. I think I'll research it seriously before painting. Thanks for all your help.

Joe

The acid etching prepares the surface for the paint for adhere properly...normally the garage surface is too smooth for paint to stick.

I painted mine with epoxy floor coating that I bought from Home Depot made by Rust Oleum several years ago. The result has been better than expected, to say the least:) Contrary to claims by most of these products, the hot tires in the summer, especially after high speed driving, will lift the paint. Solution, I bought rubber/vinyl sheet and cut them 2X2 and place them under the tires. They work great.;) For older floors, etching is a must. Good surface preparation is very important, just like painting any surface. Otherwis, the coating will not adhere properly. The dirty snow crap in the winter can be washed off easily is another benefit. I suggest that you do it on a low humidity day to expedite drying and adhesion process. You need to etch a few days before the coating so the floor is dried properly. The whole process is not really that time consuming. Rolling on the coating is pretty easy process once you've got the floor etched.

I painted the garage when we moved into the house in 1992. this is a complicated job.
I used Sherwin-Williams (SW) 2 part Industrial Epoxy with grit added so it's not slippery when wet. I chose battleship gray as a color but you can have them tint it to about any color.
A note. Use 2 part epoxy not one part paint or stain. The hot tires of the car and the slight squrming of the front wheels will lift anything but 2 part industrial epoxy. It cost me $400 for a 3 car garage. It's about 1 gallon for a standard car position. And since the SW came in gallons I had 4 gallons to use. With about 1/2 left over.

1. You must use muratic acid to remove the compounds in concrete that will allow the paint to peal up.

2. You can not drive on the epoxy for 21 days to allow it to cure. You can walk on it after 24 hours. but no cars for 21 days.

3. Prep is everything. Wash, degrease like mad and then the acid wash.

4. You have about 8 hours of working time with the SW epoxy.

5. I poored it on the floor and used a roller.

6. Consider applying a heavy cote where the tires will go. Make sure you don't go to thin. I have a few thin spots that I could of used that extra 1/2 gallon on.

7. After 24 hours you can walk on it. I would wait 2-3 days before machinery goes on it. Then that dreaded 21 days for your car.

My floor is in good shape. It has some age on it but I am very happy with the results. I am now starting to get some tire lifting after 14 years. Cleanup is great. I use 409 or the degreaser Costco sells. Anything that spills will cleanup easily. The battery acid I spilled on it discolored it slightly. That's the only blemish on the epoxy. Besides all the dirt and grime from years of use. But 409 cleans it up really well.

If you put the grit in the epoxy it does cut down on the slipperyness of the floor. However it does tear up a mop pretty good, sort of like sandpaper.

Dave

PS Consider doing 1/2 at a time. That way you can shove everything to one side. Complete it and after 2-3 days shove everything to the other side and finish the garage.
My job wa easy. We were moving across town and had 2 houses for a while. So I did a couple of things to the house while it was empty. Epoxying the garage was one of them.

Thanks for the thorough replies. Will keep your post as a guideline, Dave.

I'm resurrecting this one to see if anyone has any new ideas.
 

Who has painted their garage floor, what did you use and how happy are you with the results?


Also, any alternatives to painting that you've used?

Thanks,
Al

X2

And brake fluid will take it right up.

:jester:

If I ever clean my shop out, I'll be using the epoxy. My floor is painted now and it's peeling up pretty badly.

Great post, Dave.
Covers everything I was about to add and then some.
We used the 2 part epoxy on our hangars. The 10 days (Not 21 days for our product.) we had to stay off it sucked, but the end result is very nice. Etching with something (not sure what they used here) seems mandatory. Stinks bad, too.
Yep – Grit is a nice feature. Without it, you’re apt to come in with wet shoes and wish you had.
As for cleaning it. A “Spray Broom” works nicely if you have the right run-off, and can get a hose in there.

All I can add is: Do it right the first time. Otherwise re-doing it will be a real chore.

Astro-turf.

I used several coats of Acrylene/Chemguard, which is a semi-gloss clear sealant. According to the concrete supply shops I went to, it's one of the toughest clear sealants available.

http://www.innovativemanufacturing.ca/uploaded_images/files/PDF%20Documents/3201Lpds.pdf

I've only had it on the floor for about 1 year, but so far it looks as good as new and shows no sign of peeling. It's been very, very durable so far, surviving a puddle of spilled diesel fuel that sat for 2 months! It has also been able to stand up to gravel and salty slush tracked in by the car. Slush and mud on the smooth surface can be easily cleaned up with one of those rubber floor squeegees.

You can get the stuff they put in pickup beds, its called Dura-Liner on the truck beds. You can apply it to any surface, including outside sidewalks. Its flexible and i assume the prep is not too bad, although I do not know if the stuff need an acid wash on the concrete first. It goes on thick, like an 1/8 inch or so. Looks great. I saw it at a home show. Not sure if it is available for a DIY job, or if you must use one of their people to do it.

I am thinking it might be pricey compared to other alternatives, but maybe not.

Porcelain tile, epoxy grout!

The extra visibility is a plus.
My job involves various type of inspections in the construction industry. One of my clients was Office Depot who were rehabilitating an older store. One day they were grinding and polishing the concrete floors. I asked the Proj Manager, " Why"--as I also do floor flatness testing and thought maybe he was trying to get a flatter floor.
He produced some research showing that the increased reflectivity from the polished concrete cuts the lighting bill, while maintaining the required illumination.( I forgot the exact savings but it was a lot more than I would have thought possible)

ps
Anyone needing FF and FL testing, please feel free to contact me.

I've always thought that the epoxy would be the way to go, if I ever see the floor of my garage again . . . Don't know about the cost, though. It may be pretty expensive.

Interesting thread. We have just bought a house. Recieved the keys this afternoon. It has a three car garage that I want to epoxy before we move in in a months' time. This thread has already been most helpful. If I succeed with this I'll post some pictures.

- Peter.

My painter just researched this for us.

He found a Sherwin Williams 2 part epoxy called "Armorseal". The retail version is 650SL/RC; the trade version is 1000HS which is rated for more demanding marine applications.


We still are doing a lot of work in the house, but hope to get to this soon.