How to Paint Garage Floor
If your garage or workshop needs some TLC, garage floor paint can make it look fantastic again! Not only that, but it’ll make the floor easier to clean while protecting it from spills, stains, and moisture.
If you’re on a budget or you enjoy doing projects yourself, painting your garage floor can be a DIY job. It’s a relatively easy and inexpensive way to totally transform your garage into a clean, fresh-looking space. Here’s everything you need to know about prepping and applying garage floor paint.
Is your garage floor a good candidate for painting?
If it has lots of divots, serious cracks, or loose chunks of flooring, you may need to get the floor resurfaced before painting. But if you just have a few minor cracks or chips, you should be good to go.
If the floor is currently painted, you will need to remove old paint to ensure adhesion. New concrete must be aged for at least 30 days before painting.
Choose the right concrete paint or epoxy garage floor paint
Benjamin Moore offers a few different options for concrete floors. These flexible paints are great at adhering to surfaces while also resisting cracking and peeling. Even with heavy foot traffic and parking vehicles, Hot Trax® Garage Floor Paint and Corotech® Command are extremely durable.
If you want an epoxy garage floor paint, Hot Trax® is an epoxy fortified acrylic that is designed especially for concrete floors. And, if you want an industrial-quality concrete paint that dries in just 24 hours, Corotech Command paint is the ideal choice. Both are available at Da Kine Paints, your local paint supply Kahului store.
Figure out what supplies you need
First, you’ll need to figure out what supplies you need to complete your garage makeover project. Measure your garage dimensions to figure out how many gallons of primer and paint you need. As a general rule of thumb, one gallon of paint or primer can cover about 400 square feet. You’ll need:
- Cleaning supplies (broom, stiff scrub brush, bucket, bleach, hose or pressure washer)
- Protective equipment (goggles, rubber gloves, boots)
- Crack filler
- Concrete etcher
- Paint (We recommend Hot Trax® Garage Floor Paint, Corotech® Command paint, V440 Waterborne Amine Epoxy. Or, if you want a clear coat, use V500 – Aliphatic Acrylic Urethane Gloss)
- Primer (V156 Moisture Tolerant Quick Set Epoxy Sealer or V155 100% Solids Epoxy Pre-Primer if using the V440 or V500)
- Painting supplies (rollers, trays, extension pole, etc.)
If you have any questions about what supplies you need, ask your paint supply Kahului store for assistance.
Prepare your space
You’ll have to clear everything out of your garage until the paint is completely dry, which may be difficult if you store a lot of items in your garage. Luckily, it’s only temporary, and you should be able to move everything back in a couple of days.
Before you begin, it’s also a good idea to make sure your garage is well-ventilated. Keeping the garage door open is highly advised. If you have any windows, open those, too.
If you feel you don’t have enough ventilation, box fans can help. The more air circulation, the better.
Clean the floor thoroughly
After clearing everything out, it’s time to clean the floor thoroughly. Dirt, debris, and oil stains will prevent the paint from adhering to the concrete. It’s an essential part of the process if you want a high-quality, long-lasting paint job.
- Sweep away all the debris, making sure to get into every corner.
- Scrub away stains and the remaining dust with bleach and water. Use a degreaser like TSP if oily or greasy stains remain.
- Lastly, rinse the entire floor with clean water, using a hose or pressure washer if possible.
Fill in cracks and imperfections
Once the floor is clean, you can get to work repairing any cracks, small divots, gouges, or low spots in the floor. If you paint without filling in cracks, moisture could get in under the paint and cause it to peel off. Follow instructions on the concrete crack filling product packaging.
Apply concrete etching solution
Once the floor and the filler are completely dry, you can apply a concrete etching solution. This will roughen the concrete help the paint to adhere better and last longer.
Follow instructions on the concrete etcher package and wear proper protection, including goggles, rubber gloves, and boots. After etching, neutralize the acidic etching solution with a mixture of water and baking soda. Finally, rinse the surface very thoroughly with clean water.
Prime the floors
Once the floors are completely dry after etching and rinsing, it’s time to prime. Just like the previous prep steps, priming will help ensure a durable, long-lasting, high-quality paint job.
We would recommend applying primer with a paint roller on an extension pole. Roll an even layer of primer over the entire surface. Again, let the floor dry fully before moving on to the next step. Check the manufacturer instructions on the primer to find out how long it needs to dry before painting.
Apply garage floor paint
After all that prep work, it’s time to start painting! After mixing the paint thoroughly, apply the first coat using your roller and extension pole. Be sure to wait 24 hours, or the recommended recoat time on the product packaging. Finally, apply a second coat for full coverage with total protection.
Lastly, let the paint cure
If you’re using Benjamin Moore’s epoxy garage floor paint, Hot Trax®, here’s how long you’ll need to wait before you can start using your garage or workshop again.
- Light Foot Traffic – 24 hours
- Heavy Foot Traffic – 48 hours
- Cool Tires – 5 days
- Hot Tires – 7 days
If you’re using Corotech Command paint, you can start parking your car in the garage after just 24 hours!
- Dry to Touch – 15 minutes
- Heavy Foot Traffic & Vehicles – 24 hours
If you’re using any other product, refer to the product information or ask your paint retailer.
For more information about garage floor paint, visit us at our paint supply Kahului store!