[macroy]

Anyone done it? The garage floor that is.... I'm thinking of doing this, but the prep work and drying times seems a bit daunting from a time/labor stand point (7 days before you can actually drive on it???). Wanted to see if anyone has done it, is it as involved as the instructions says? I do have a few oil stains... but nothing substantial.

Also, what product did you use?

Finally - do I paint the walls before or after I do the floors?

Thanks in advance.

[peeb]

Why do you want to do this? The prep and time is long, but that is because there is usually no dampcourse underneath and water can get in under the paint job. Is it worth it? I'm not sure if you just want to park your car on it.

[phantomdragonz]

A lot of guys on my 4X4 forum have painted their garage floors, they use mureaic (sp?) acid to clean it up and then use an epoxy based paint... they last well if you dont skimp on the prep... it's all in the prep work, if you do bad prep work your paint will flake off!

the only thing they dont like about it is in the winter and snow gets on it... it's like an ice rink!

BTW, congrats on the green stars!


Zach

[centerchannel68]

I did it once. I used a kit, I think it was "rustoleum" brand, and it was around $50-70 somewhere. It was an epoxy coating, and it included the acid to clean the floor. You had to let the acid soak a while, scrub, soak, scrub soak, then wash it all out onto your driveway with a hose, and let it dry for a few days. Once that is done, then you edge the thing with a big disposable brush, and the paint itself is mixed together from two different sources, as it is an epoxy coating. I worked in sections of about 5' by 5', and the kit also included these little white and blue plastic chips that you'd toss on the paint while it was still wet, to give it a bit more texture, and to hide future stains a bit better.

All said and done, it's still in PERFECT shape 4 years later, so I'd say it works very well. Whatver you do, do NOT use regular paint, even floor paint. ONLY use an epoxy coating, or hot tires will pull it right up.

BTW: PAINT THE WALLS FIRST. That way if you spill it doesn't really matter. Paint them white. I just used white primer, since it was cheap. It worked great. You don't need fancy paint, just a coat of matte white primer makes a WORLD of difference in appearance, and visibility as the white reflects a lot more light.

[Gossamer]

Originally Posted by centerchannel68 

I did it once. I used a kit, I think it was "rustoleum" brand, and it was around $50-70 somewhere. It was an epoxy coating, and it included the acid to clean the floor. You had to let the acid soak a while, scrub, soak, scrub soak, then wash it all out onto your driveway with a hose, and let it dry for a few days. Once that is done, then you edge the thing with a big disposable brush, and the paint itself is mixed together from two different sources, as it is an epoxy coating. I worked in sections of about 5' by 5', and the kit also included these little white and blue plastic chips that you'd toss on the paint while it was still wet, to give it a bit more texture, and to hide future stains a bit better.

I think I used the exact same kit you did when my dad and I did our garage. Like it's been said, don't skimp on the prep. Do it right and it will last you a long time. He found his kits (two for a double garage) on sale at Lowe's for less than $50 each. Luckily we did it when the weather was nice so it was okay to leave the cars outside. Also, DON'T park the cars in there early. It really does require that much time to cure correctly. I think my dad pulled one car in a day early and after it sat for a while it pulled up a little bit of paint from directly under the tire. Overall it wasn't too hard if you can keep yourself busy during the soak times.

[residentEvil]

here is another kit/system:

Welcome to UCoat It!

[Eriamjh]

U-coat it is expensive compared to the Rust-Oleum version sold at Home Depot. I did mine. It looks great after 1.5 years.

Rent a powerwasher before acid-etching. Also, you cannot coat concrete that doesn't have a vapor barrier underneath (plastic). If moisture is coming from under your concrete, you cannot paint (Well, you can, but the moisture will push the paint right off in a few years).

Read up on U-Coat-It's page about this.

[andi*pandi]

I used that acid to prep a concrete wall for painting, wear gloves and glasses, it's nasty stuff. Good luck.

[Benton]

Do paint the walls first as you would the interior before installing new carpet. Follow this link to Griots Garage catalog:
Griot's Garage 1-800-345-5789 - In Your Garage
Best Wishes

[macroy]

Originally Posted by Eriamjh 

U-coat it is expensive compared to the Rust-Oleum version sold at Home Depot. I did mine. It looks great after 1.5 years.

Rent a powerwasher before acid-etching. Also, you cannot coat concrete that doesn't have a vapor barrier underneath (plastic). If moisture is coming from under your concrete, you cannot paint (Well, you can, but the moisture will push the paint right off in a few years).

Read up on U-Coat-It's page about this.

Vapor barrier.... is that a normal thing? or is there a way one can find out if their floor has that? I though as long as the concrete is allowed sufficent time to dry you'll be okay? Or is that just not going to happen?

And thanks to all for the great tips / suggestions. Looks like I'll need to really decide if its worth the time, money and effort.

[Mike Pither]

I have heavy duty ceramic floor tiles on my garage floor, more durable than paint I would think. What ever you do the difference is definitely in the preparation as others have said.

[centerchannel68]

It's really not that hard dude. It's like 30 minutes-1 hours worth of work, per night, for a few days.

[Eriamjh]

To test for a vapor barrier, duct-tape a one-square foot piece of plastic to the floor (seal around the edge). After a few days to a week, check for moisture under the plastic. If so, you should not paint. This might not work too well in winter and is better tested in the spring/summer.