This article can tell you about the benefits of painting your garage floor as well as teach you how to do it! Garage floors can stain and become unattractive over time from oil, grease, rust, and the like. Painted garage floors are more resistant to stains and are easier to clean, among the many other advantages.
Benefits Of Painting Garage Floors
- Easier to clean
- More slip resistant
- Adds value to your home
- You get to personalize your space
- Collects less dust, dirt, and pollutants
- Brightens the garage due to light reflection
Tools
- Paintbrush and roller
- Extension pole for roller
- Broom (preferably a push broom)
- Floor scraper
- Plastic spackle knife
- Squeegee
- 5-gallon bucket
Materials
- 2-part epoxy kit
- Degreaser
- Sawdust or kitty litter
- Concrete floor patch
Testing Garage Floors
This step involves testing the garage floor to see if it has any problems or previous work was done to it. If they fail the test(s) you may want to take care of them before moving on to the cleaning stage.
Moisture Testing
Moisture issues can prevent paint and sealant from bonding to the floor. You can check for this issue by taking a square sheet of plastic (2’x2′ or larger) and tape it flat down on the garage floor. After 24 hours or so look to see if any moisture is on the underside of the sheet. If so, you may want to put down a good vapor barrier first.
Sealant Testing
It’s not the best idea to paint over old sealant and checking for it is easy. Take some water and pour it on the garage floor. If it soaks in relatively quickly (a few minutes) it’s good, but if it beads up or doesn’t soak in, it might be a good idea to etch and reseal the floor.
Etching Garage Floors
Etching gives floors more texture, which means it offers a better surface grip. Purchasing a commercial concrete etcher and following the instructions is the best and easiest solution. You can tell it’s working if it fizzes up as you apply it. After a night of drying your floor is etched and is ready for cleaning and prepping.
Cleaning The Garage Floors
A clean surface is the best when it comes to prepping and painting, so here are a few tips for cleaning your garage floors:
Clean Off Oil & Grease Spots
The prep to paint garage floors involves using a sealant on it, which in turn acts as a primer. A sealant can help minimize or prevent staining, concrete dust, and makes it easier to clean. The best sealants to use are generally a water-based floor epoxy or a solvent-thinned epoxy.
- Using a nylon brush, apply the sealant to the corners and edges of your garage
- Take the roller (lint-free, all-purpose, solvent- and water-resistant with a medium nap) and attach it to the extension pole
- Apply a lot of the sealant evenly over the garage floor
- Allow it to dry for at least 8 hours
- Begin painting your garage floors!
Painting Your Garage Floors
Some quick items to know- paint during warm and dry weather, do it in small sections (4’x4′ is good), paint towards an exit, follow all instructions on the epoxy kit. Let it cure for 1 day before walking on it and 3 days-1 week for cars.
- Cut in along the edge of the garage section you’re painting first
- Lightly apply the first coating (a second coating is recommended but not necessary)
- Roll the epoxy on more heavily
- For best results, roll in different directions for the first and second coating (long ways then short or vice versa)
- Allow it to dry
Anyone Can Paint Garage Floors!
Now your painted garage floors look amazing, are less slippery, and are easier to clean and maintain. With the right tools and materials, along with this guide, painting your garage floors shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. It’s best to choose a week where there will be as little rain as possible since any cars will need to be outside. Now that you’ve painted the floor, is the ceiling next?