Garage Floor Paint & Painting Questions

[Robert11]

Hello:

No expert on this, and would sure appreciate a few opinions.

Moved into a 30 yr old house. Garage concrete floor in pretty good condition, but paint has flaked off, here and there. Would like to repaint it.

Really don't want to bother with any epoxy type of paint.

What are the "best" brands of concrete, formulated for garage floors, paint(s) these days ? Avail at HD ? Any to make sure to stay away from ?

How does one apply them ? A brush sounds like a real big, long job. Do they use squeegies, or big rollers, or... ?

Any problems in going directly over the old paint ? Any pre-treatment, etc., required ?

Any hints ?

Much thanks, Bob

[G Henslee]

In order for the finish to hold up to tire traffic and the heat from them you may have to use an epoxy product. Check out the Rustoleum garage floor epoxy.

Some paint mger's make self priming real heavy and sticky products that are used for striping in parking lots but not sure if they have the semi-gloss you want to avoid a million tiremarks.

[Pop]

===> And they aren't really necessary as long as you're satisfied with a "standard" finish.

===> Strictly Personal Opinion and Experience here; ymmv and my experience is no wider than my own and what I've seen at other's garages. ===> What's there now? If it's a water-base, stay away from oils; stick with water based. If it's an oil base, it's best to stick with oil paint; oils are more forgiving of little "problems" in the long run that way.

===> I used a roller on a long handle. Worked well, easy to apply, cheap to buy. Just for grins, I went out and looked at an old can: It specifically say

===>

[twfsa]

I just finished my 14X30 single car today , took about an hr to clean the floor with the detergent they provided, let it dry with fans for about 30 hrs.

One gal not enough ( bought 2 gals epoxy ) so the next time I do the job, and not knowing how far a gal will cover, I will leave a 2 ft path up the center of the floor, and as I see where I am at on applying the paint and figuring out how far a gal will go, if I think that there is extra paint in the first gal, I can walk up the center 2ft path and apply and extra heavy coat.Then as I retreat from the path paint my way out! The paint is expensive and I hate to throw it out.

Hope this is not to confusing.

Tom

[Joseph Meehan]

Then don't bother, you will not be happy with anything else. Garage floor paints have to put up with a lot. Those tyres are hot when you have been driving and park them on it, then you spill oil and gasoline on it. Nothing but the best is going to hold up.

Best are two part epoxy. I don't see a big difference between brands.

By following all the instructions on the container exactly. No skimping, especially in the prep stage. That means NO SKIMPING.

I use a roller.

This is the make it or break it question. If you old paint is failing, you are dead meat, nothing is going to do any more than to stick to the old paint that is flaking off and there for the new paint will come with it.

If the old paint is solid, then again follow the instructions on the package.

Don't skimp on the prep work. Everything has to be done as instructed, no grease or dirt at all left on the old floor!!!

[Joseph Meehan]

Did I mention don't skimp on the prep work??

Really 95% of the complaints we get are either not using an epoxy garage floor product or more often, thinking they could take some sort of short-cut on the prep work.

[G Henslee]

Are we supposed to guess the brand you used?