The garage floor is the first thing you see when you open the door to your garage. The floor is a large part of the overall garage aesthetics and, aside from a general state of organization, it can make the biggest difference in how the garage looks overall. So you might as well paint it and have it look nice!
More and more people I know have been painting their garage floors. This can be a great way to make the garage look nicer and create a more pleasant environment. This short article will give you some ideas on how to paint a garage floor.
Preparation
First of all, you will need to get the garage floor ready. You will need to remove anything that may be on the floor. This includes old flooring (usually rugs, but sometimes tile sections), but also workbenches, tool chests, and anything else that may be on the floor.
Cleaning
You will need to clean the floor before you paint. Sure, you’ll want to sweep the floor, but that’s just the start.
You will by doing some sort of deep clean, including a degreasing if your car has been dropping oil or any other fluid that might affect the paint. You might want to use a scrub brush and some bleach and water, or a commercial cleaner, depending on what’s on the floor.
Always finish up by cleaning with just water to get any chemicals (including cleaning materials) away. Power washing is also a good idea if you have a pressure washer and you can control it enough that you aren’t going to soak or damage the walls.
Repair
If you have any cracks, chips, gouges, or holes in the floor, now is the time to patch them up. A concrete repair kit will make any work of small damaged spots in order to make sure you are starting with a nice surface.
It’s Decision Time…
Now it’s time to decide if you are going the simple route or the hard route. If you go simply, all you have do to is paint the floor and you are good to go! You’ll have a nice looking garage floor that will last you for about 3-5 years. The vast majority of people will want go this route.
If you want to try to attempt a professional-grade job, then you are taking the difficult route. The good news is that it’s doable, the bad news is there is a lot of work ahead. Expect a pro-grade job to get about 15 years of life.
Abrade
All paint sticks better to a rough surface than a smooth one, and concrete is no different. To get the best results you’ll want to abrade, usually with concrete etching, the floor so the paint has something to grab onto.
Concrete etching solution is available at most hardware stores. It’s a liquid that you dilute with water and sweep into the floor. It’ll make the concrete flooring grippier and help the paint adhere much better. Just make sure to follow the directions and keep the garage door open for ventilation.
Primer
Now’s the time to get some concrete floor primer and roll it on. You’ll just need one coat so it’ll move quickly. Most of the primers will handle 400 square feet which means you’ll probably only need a single gallon for a single car garage (usually 15′ x 30′ at most).
Epoxy
Yes, we call it “painting” the garage floor but a high-end job will actually be putting epoxy down. You’ll want to add two coats of epoxy to ensure a great finishes that lasts up to 15 years.
The timeline will be based on the product you buy, but normally you can put down a coat, wait 24 hours, do a second coat, and then wait 5-7 days before walking on the floor or pulling in your car.
Benefits Of Painting Your Garage Floor
The floor is made of concrete, so nothing short of a jackhammer is really going to hurt it too badly. In this respect painting your garage floor is really about aesthetics.
One thing to note is that concrete is relatively porous where you can seal the garage floor with some paint and primer, which means the next time you spill some oil or gasoline on the floor, the pickup will be a lot quicker and the smell won’t linger for weeks.
Which Garage Floor Paint?
You will want to use a paint that is made specifically for garage floors. These paints are formulated to be tough and are meant to be used on floors. They are also made to be easy to clean and easy to maintain.
Personally, we’d recommend Sherwin-Williams Armorseal Tread-Plex if you are going the “easy route” and simply painting the floor.
If you want to add some grip we’d recommend buying some Shark Grip additive and having the paint company mix that in when you buy it.
Wrapping Up
A painted floor will help make any garage look better. The look of beat-up concrete splattered with oil stains and some overspray from your last spray paint job might have been what you grew up with (it was for me) but it’s so easy to upgrade your garage with just a gallon (or so) of paint and an afternoon of rolling.