Painting your garage floor is an great way to spruce up your garage and best of all it can be simple to do it yourself.. We had an oil stained garage floor when we moved into our home, I think the previous owners must of had a car that leaked and never really fixed it.
I was sick of looking at these stains so I started to search online for ideas, I found this article over at cleanandscentsible.com that helped me prepared my garage for painting . It turned out way better than expected, the garage looks new again. The floor part anyway! Go ahead and find out how professional painting services can help your property look stunning and also avoid any type of water damage in the future. Also have you tried out the new braunfels epoxy coatings to protect and make more lasting the floors at home? This site has more information regarding that topic.
A great looking finish begins with the right start. Following the proper prep procedures will dramatically affect the look and longevity of your finished project.
CLEAN AND PREP THE FLOOR.
Concrete is very porous and will easily collect dirt and grime, so cleaning with a power washer or floor buffing machine is best. Do not skip this part!!! If your pressure washer will allow it, you can add a degreaser to the water as well to really get things cleaned. Allow to dry well!
For those of you that do not have access to a power washer, you can use a stiff-bristled scrubbing brush {on a broom handle} and a hose with a high pressure nozzle as an alternative. You will just need to use a lot more elbow grease to really get that dirt out of there! Use either a degreaser, TSP, or laundry detergent for added cleaning power and, for extra dirty floors, allow the cleaner to sit for a few minutes before giving it a final scrubbing. Just make sure that you do not allow the cleaning solution to dry on the concrete!
**NOTE: We were starting with a bare concrete floor. If you have any old paints or sealers on your floor you will need to remove this first with a chemical stripper. **
FILL IN ANY CRACKS IN THE CONCRETE.
There are various products on the market to help you fill in the cracks. For smaller cracks, you can use a concrete/mortar repair compound; however, you will need a concrete patch for thicker cracks or holes. If it is a deeper crack, you will need to fill the crack in layers allowing adequate dry time between layers {this can take a while!}. Wipe the access product off the crack with a wet rag or scraper to level it out and create a smooth surface. Be sure to read all of the manufacturer’s instructions on your repair product for recommended cure times before painting. Ours was supposed to be a week while some others recommended up to a month.
ETCH THE FLOORS.
Depending on the surface of your concrete floors, you may need to etch the surface. {We didn’t have to do this part.} Etching basically opens up the pores of the concrete to allow the paint to absorb better. To test if your floor needs etching, drop a small amount of water on the floor and see how quickly it is absorbed. If it is absorbed quite quickly, you likely do not need to etch. If it tends to pool on the surface of the floor, using a commercial concrete etcher is recommended. Allow to dry thoroughly.
APPLY A BONDING PRIMER.
The primer is a pre-treatment for porous concrete and is designed to promote the adhesion of the paint. We just used a paint brush to cut in on the edges around the garage and used a roller for the rest. It goes on a little milky so you can see where you are painting, but it dries clear. Let it set for at least 4 hours {and no longer than 30 days} before applying your paint.
APPLY THE 1-PART EPOXY PAINT.
The paint went on really smoothly and covered well. As with the primer, we just cut around the edges using a brush and then rolled on the rest. It actually looked pretty good after just one coat but we did end up doing a second coat just to be safe. It was recommended that the second coat be applied in the opposite direction than the first coat {i.e. if the first coat was applied length wise, the second coat should be applied width wise}. However, due to the layout of our garage it was much easier to apply it lengthwise and we just did it that way for both coats. Although we were walking on the floor after about 24 hours, it’s recommended to wait at least a week before driving on it. So if ever you need any Plastic Materials like epoxy resins for your flooring then contact a supplier near you.
