Painting Concrete Floors
Most garage floors that I have seen always have paint missing where the tires usually rest when parked. This is because the hot tires heat up the concrete and causes the paint to release. In most cases these concrete floors were never prepared properly. And in some cases the wrong products were used altogether.
The trick to painting concrete floors is cleaning them and preparing the surface for paint. This can be achieved several ways. On a new surface it needs to be clean from any dirt, mud or any debris that doesn't belong there by washing it down with water first. After the water dries. I personally like to use Muratic Acid to etch the new concrete. One part water and one part acid will work fine. The more the pores are open the better the paint will stick to the concrete. WARNING: Muratic Acid is poisonous. And should be treated accordingly. Always wear protective eye goggles and keep plenty of water around. And wear rubber boots. Walking around in this stuff is just as dangerous.
As you can see from the photo below the new concrete has some discoloration in it. This is normal because when the acid first hits new concrete it goes to work really fast. We like to take a stiff broom and move the chemicals around. The best way to apply the acid and water is in a water container that is used in a garden to spread water. It has a sprout with many holes in it. And spreads the chemicals evenly.
After the garage floor is
properly prepared. Keeping it clean and free from dirt, dust
and other particles is difficult. And constantly sweeping and
picking up debris is a nuisance. Patience is required in this
part of the work. Making sure it is clean when it's ready to
paint is a must.
I've tried many products for concrete. And there are some
good ones. My favorite is from Sherwin Williams Paint Co. ,
H & C ® Silicone Acrylic
Concrete Sealer. Which actually more like a stain. Which
means it penetrates the concrete instead of laying on the
surface. This particular product is scratch resistant,
chemical resistant (motor oil, household paint, dyes etc.).
And wears extremely well. I have never seen this paint peel.
This particular product comes in many different colors.
Old concrete floors may be a little tougher to prepare for
paint. With motor oil and other tough stains that have been
on the concrete for years. Most paint products that we use
have special chemicals to remove these stains on the back of
the product. They are straight forward instructions on how to
do this. Good luck on painting your garage floor.
As you can see below this is no ordinary garage. It has over
2,000 square feet. And will hold a few cars I'm sure.
If you have any questions about painting a garage floor.
Don't hesitate to email us. We can be reached here.