Garage floor epoxy paint

[Clark W. Griswold, Jr.]

While you will be surprised at how mych better the garage looks with a two part epoxy coat, you won't like untreated cracks. If anything, the epoxy will call more attention to the cracks. You should at least consider filling and caulking the cracks.

Key is removing any wet oil stains that are on the surface. Cleaning it with a muratic acid wash after getting rid of the oil won't hurt and will ensure a good adhesion.

You need to read the manufacturers instructions and follow them. As I recall, the minimum application temp is around 60 degrees, but once its down, it may not be as critical. Your garage most likely won't get as cold as outside ambient.

The biggest problem with curing is hot tires sitting in one spot, not general traffic. Putting small 3/4" plywood squares under the tires sounds reasonable after 5 days.

I've done this in several garages. 10 years later after an initial 2 coats and it still looks excellent.

[Greg O]

Too cold! I bet the floor is still cold from winter. Air temp probably will not affect the finish as much as floor temp. This is a job to do later this summer! Read the directions on the can, most will have you check the floor temp by laying a thermometer on the floor and covering it well to get the floor's temp. Also the epoxy is nothing more than fancy paint, it will not cover any rough areas or cracks. Any irregularities you see in the floor now you will see after the epoxy is applied. Any oil or grease stains need to be cleaned thoroughly as the epoxy will not stick well to those spots. I put epoxy on my garage floor a couple of years ago, I wish I had done it years ago!

[Walter Cohen]

I've been thinking of painting my garage floor with the two part epoxy paint system. I have no good reason to do this other than it would spruce it up a bit and cover up/in some of the cracks. The floor is plain/straight cement, 45 years old. I'd haver to clean off some of the old oil stains but that's about it. I read on the can that it states up to 7 days drying/curing time before vehicular traffic can be applied.

I can probably squeeze 5 days but probably not 7. Do you think this would be a problem? Wondering if after 5 days I could put down some wood sheets which I could drive over until the 7-8 days are up. Also as I want to do this probably in a week or two here in NY where it still goes down to freezing at night and mid 50's during the day, I think the temp might lengthen the curing time so it might not be an ideal time to do it.

Thoughts? Thanks. Walter

[m Ransley]

Wait till it is warm out and concrete is warm. 45 yr old concrete will need extensive cleaning with the strongest chemicals. Easiest would be rent a floor scrubber, powerwash, then acid etch. The job will last only with a clean floor. You havnt shown much concern for cleaning but that is why most fail. H&C at Sherwin williams make oil concrete stain it wont peel if done right and lasts longer. anything you puy on will make it very slippery wet sand additives ae good for traffic areas but sand areas wear

[yaofeng]

Could you provide the trade name and source? Thanks.

I did my garage floor about 10 years ago with polyeurathane. It has not peeled but it is also far from the thick smooth factory or professional look I desired. I am thinking to do it again this summer.

[BobK207]

Performance dependson the product used and the operational environment.

For coating concrete floors (when desire) I use

Rustoleum 9100 Series Industrial Mastic (weird new name for the paint)

I have painted shop, lab & garage floors.

The garage is in Mammoth Lakes, CA WInters get abut 300+ inches, road crews use fly ash(?), no salt. My in-laws drive their chains over it.. I have 4WD.

Painted it about 5 years ago & still looks very good. Unfilled cracks will show up but I was concerned about filling them with something that would pop out & spoil the paint job.

You are correct about the area outside the doors. Most epoxy is UV sensitve, my garage faces south but has a deck that shades it from the summer sun. It get sun about 1/2 day when the sun angles are low (winter) & almost no direct sun in summer. The paint is a glossy Navy Gray (other colors avavilable) & the outside strip has turned a little chalky.

It's a two part mix, you need at least to coats to get good film thickness. Floor prep is key. Depending on the type of old paint you may or may not need to remove it. If you decide not to remove a test patch would be prudent.

In another few years I will recoat using the same stuff. Ski wax is probably my biggest concern.

cheers Bob

[Clark W. Griswold, Jr.]

Most people don't know any better and put down wall or floor paint. That will lift from tire heat right away. You'll need to get paint remover and get it all off to get a good epoxy seal, but epoxy will last for 10 years or more. Snow, cold and salt will have no effect.

If you do get snow or a lot of rain, you should consider putting a small amount of grit in the epoxy. I like the surface very smooth, but it will be amazingly slick when wet.

[Alan]

I don't know what the previous owner put on my garage floor, but parts of it look terrible from peeling. The worst areas are those exposed to the outside just in front of the doors and those where the tires sit. Does epoxy stand up to extreme cold and salt? If I use epoxy, how much of the old paint would I need to remove and how?

[Harry Everhart]

I painted a a garage floor in PA with Rustoleum Eboxy Gray. It did a great job and 5 years later is looks great. The only thing is that it is slick when wet. But the floor looks great and tires do not peel it.

When I bought a home in FL - I tried some paint from Lowes called Hot Trax because I wanted a rougher finish and I was being cheap. I pressure washed the floor - even etched it with muriatic acid. Guess what? The floor flakes and peels. It looks like crap.

Now - I wish I used Rustoleum Epoxy in FL.

I would like to have a "do over" but I guess I would have to pressure wash all of this paint off before I can use the Epoxy.

My advice - don't go cheap like I did in FL. Clean the concrete really well - and then use Epoxy. It costs 2 - 3 times as much but it works.

Harry

[Goedjn]

No, five days will be fine. Hell even three days is enough for me.

*I* don't even care if you drive on it within the next three hours, it's no skin off my nose. Yeah I know it says on the can to wait 7 days, but what the hell to they know? Freaking idiots are just the manufacturer. *I* am some guy on the internet, so obviously I know best.

--Hail Eris

[Joseph Meehan]

You will like the results. I am very happy I did mine.

I do suggest that Greg may well be right. I may be better to wait until it is warmer, especially the floor temp. If it is cold it will also be damp and that would not be good.

First above all else, read and follow ever word in the instructions and don't skimp any step in the prep. How well it works depends on how well you prepare the surface. It is not hard and instructions are provided. Just follow the instructions.

I suggest later in the summer it will be warmer and it will cure faster. I believe I waited three days before carefully putting the cars back in. Just don't put them in after a long drive on a hot day as the tyres will be hot and that is the problem.

[Joseph Meehan]

Likely some sort of floor paint. It will not last. You need the stuff made for garage floors. If anything is going to work now, you will need to remove what you have. Sorry.

[Clark W. Griswold, Jr.]

I would avoid the big box stores and go to a real paint supplier. I used a Benjamin Moore industrial grade epoxy once it ran $40/gal for each part. Can't recall the name of the other time, but it also was an industrial coating.

Just make sure you get all the old stuff off. The epoxy will look like poured glass after a second coat.

[Alan]

Thank you all for your comments.

[Harry Everhart]

I have Rustoleum epoxy paint on the floor in my unheated garage in Pennsylvania. After 5 years it looks great - not one peel. We have plenty of ice - snow - cold - salt there.

Then stupid me - to save a couple bucks - I used "the other paint - Hot Trax" on my garage floor in Florida. In less than a year - about 20% of it has peeled off - it looks terrible.

Now - I must waste hours of work pressure washing it all off before I do Rustoleum epoxy on it.

Learn from my mistake.

Harry

[usenet]

As far as temperature goes you probable should not apply any epoxy floor coating when the temperature is below 50 degs. I found a good product that gave me many different options to customize my floor the way I wanted. You can view their site at

or at It has held up great for me. You also can view some photos if you go to this address Good luck with your project!