Things You Need To Know Before Starting A Garage Floor Paint Job

Some garage floors are made of concrete, which is why their original color is depressing and drab. Many people ignore garage floor paint; even though appropriate painting of these floors can keep them safe from cracking, with projections of long-lasting acid or oil stain tolerance.  A garage is a busy place used as a gaming zone or Jam room, thus the need of making it look welcoming. What are some of the things you need to know before starting a garage floor paint job?

1:  Types of Paint

First, decide on the characteristics you would like your garage floor to have after painting. There are three unique paint options to pick.

The most famous garage floor paint is epoxy as it offers durability and complete protection against oil stains, grease, and cracks. It is a kind of paint specifically designed for garage floors and is not DIY-friendly. Under epoxy, there are more variations to consider, including solvent based, water based and solid types. Latex, however, is a smart option if you have less experience in this department. Unlike epoxy, one may not power wash or etch the area and simply rinse the dirt before commencing.  Additionally, if you would wish to undo the paint, you can easily wipe it off with water.

Oil based paint is not hard to apply like epoxy, but it is tedious to remove. Therefore, there needs to be some experience before experimenting with oil-based paints.

A completely new way of staining the garage floor is by utilizing concrete stains. Concrete stains include water, acid and mineral salts. The salts are color pigments that offer color shades to the flooring by settling on the concrete’s pores. Even though concrete stains offer sufficient protection to the garage floor, you may not be satisfied with the color variations they offer, as they are semi-transparent. They do not hide the color changes or the gray areas in the concrete to any given extent. Moreover, due to the acidic ingredients, heavy-duty washing of the surface is mandatory before applying the stain. If you are DIY and only want the garage floor to look good-looking, go with latex.

2:  Pre-painting Considerations

Checking the garage floor moisture level is mandatory. You can do this by sticking or taping a plastic bag to the surface for twenty-four hours, and check for any trapped moisture beneath the bag. For positive results, rule out the possibility of using epoxy. Equally, if you have used a concrete sealer previously, you cannot use epoxy as water beads tend to appear. Remove any form of dirt and dust in the garage before proceeding with any paint. You also have to degrease and etch the floor with muriatic acid before epoxy application.

3:  Deciding the New Look

Painting garage floor changes the personality of the whole garage. Therefore, consider the outcome you are aiming for. If you are just painting the floor to make the garage appear less drab, go for shades of white, brown or gray. However, others enjoy giving the floor more attention with shouting shades like shiny black and glossy maroon.