Painted garage floor, anyone?

[waynerd]

I'm contemplating painting the garage floor with an epoxy, or maybe just putting another coat of sealer on it, like I've done every 3-4 years before.

Does anyone have a painted garage floor? What did you use? How easy/hard was it? How is it holding up?

A neighbor down the street did his about 4 years ago with Rustoleum, and he said it was pretty easy to put down. It took him a couple of hours once the floor was cleaned and etched. But where the tires of the cars sit and run, it's pulled up. He's going to redo it this summer. Rustoleum said to wash the floor, lightly sand it, and repaint. No need to acid wash again.

Part of me just wants to apply sealer again if the epoxy only lasts as long as the sealer...way easier. But it doesn't look as nice. Your thoughts

[Sunday Rider]

Originally posted by waynerd
I'm contemplating painting the garage floor with an epoxy, or maybe just putting another coat of sealer on it, like I've done every 3-4 years before.

Does anyone have a painted garage floor? What did you use? How easy/hard was it? How is it holding up?

A neighbor down the street did his about 4 years ago with Rustoleum, and he said it was pretty easy to put down. It took him a couple of hours once the floor was cleaned and etched. But where the tires of the cars sit and run, it's pulled up. He's going to redo it this summer. Rustoleum said to wash the floor, lightly sand it, and repaint. No need to acid wash again.

Part of me just wants to apply sealer again if the epoxy only lasts as long as the sealer...way easier. But it doesn't look as nice. Your thoughts

my experience was the same as your neighbour. It only lasted 2 years though. I think I may just paint it. It has flaked all over the place after 4 years. Now it looks like nothing was ever done.

[GreenMachine]

They have those plastic-type squares that you can put down directly on the concrete in different types of patterns, but they are MUCH more expensive. I was offered this when we did the garagetek install. It did look good, but I declined because I was over budget already.

[whizmo]

I had mine professionally done when I moved into my current house fourteen years ago. It's not perfect by any stretch and there are a few spots where it has flaked up, but overall, it looks pretty good and much better than the bare concrete.

It was some kind of epoxy process and I recall the guy doing a chemical etch of some sort, so like most painting, I suspect success is in the prep work.

- Mark

[Sunday Rider]

Originally posted by whizmo
I had mine professionally done when I moved into my current house fourteen years ago. It's not perfect by any stretch and there are a few spots where it has flaked up, but overall, it looks pretty good and much better than the bare concrete.

It was some kind of epoxy process and I recall the guy doing a chemical etch of some sort, so like most painting, I suspect success is in the prep work.

- Mark

That is what made me so mad. I cleaned it, power washed it, etched it. Did it by the instructions. Stayed off it for 2 days. It started to flake before 1 year, and got bad in 2 years. I should have known better it was an epoxy kit the guy at Home Depot told me was great stuff. Well that was around 10 years ago.

Wonder if the Pros use a better brand? In my previous house, we used concrete paint that came in grey or rust. We used rust and it was cheap and stayed on for 5 years, with only wear marks, but not the flaking.

[rocky]

Etching is done with muriatic acid.

Griots garage claims its paint doesn't lift. Don't know if its true or not.....

[N_Jay]

The surface is only as good as the concrete underneath.
If the concrete surface is at all chalky even after etching, the paint will not stay on long term.

[dj5]

I did my garage floor several years ago. The folks at Home Depot told me to stay away from the Epoxy garage paint they sold as hot tires eventually make it pull up. The told me to go to paint store and get concrete stains. I cleaned and etched the floor and then stained. It fades a little after a few years, but still looks good.

[waynerd]

They have those plastic-type squares that you can put down directly on the concrete

I made a "mat" from those squares near the door into the house, apparently the low spot in the garage, so we wouldn't have to trudge through all the runoff from the cars that collects there in the winter.

I have some contacts that do this stuff professionally I probably should call to see how much it would cost....probably way more that I want to invest in the garage right now. There are a few other things that need that kinda dough right now.

As for Griots Garage, I love his car care products, but I haven't read any reviews (other than his own) about his floor paint. It's more expensive than the stuff at sLowes, but is the same process.

My garage floor went un-sealed for about 10 years before I did it a couple years ago. It's pretty beat up, with a few cracks (and a poorly placed low spot) so the paint MAY not be the way to go.

[A6Pilot]

I applied a two part epoxy coating used in aircraft hanger applications. I applied two coats, pure white, to muratic acid prepped concrete that was 5 years old. After 15 years it is still shiny and perfect except around where a few small cracks appeared after 10 years. I used a product sold by my neighborhood Sherwin Williams store. Not sure if it was a S/W brand, but, again, it was designed for aircraft hanger floors. Hot tires, spilled fluids, dropped tools, etc. are not a problem. I really like being able to clean it with a solution of 409 and water applied with a sweep broom. After rinsing, I remove the excess with a shop squeege. Takes 1/2 hour, and like new again.

I do remember that it was expensive, though. The materials cost me $800 for a large two car garage, 15 years ago. I did the work myself.