Our garage floors are not always the first item or part of the house that we think about when it comes to making our homes look better.  They can be unattractive.  Garage floor paint not only makes your garage more attractive, but it holds a purpose.   It protects and beautifies.  Garage floors are used and abused from cars, lawnmowers, foot traffic and children.  Dirty toys, radiator fluid, oil, dirt and grease get spread around and make the floors look unorganized and filthy. Cleaning the floor becomes a project in itself. Protecting the floor could save you thousands in future repair costs. It is a good idea to research and buy the best garage floor paint on the market, although the quality is important you also need to make sure your cement is ready for application.
Concrete garage floor paint usually comes in three different types: latex, oil and epoxy.  Each one has its benefits.  Use floor paint that is specifically used for garage floors, specifically epoxy paint,because standard paint will cause more problems. There are many colors to choose from and finding the right color can really improve the looks of your garage. You can even make the  garage floor a non slip surface. You can purchase a residential grade  paint or an  industrial garage floor paint.
Preparing the Floor
Painting your floor is not as easy as just putting paint on your roller and spreading it around.  A paint solution for garage floors has the properties to withstand the oil drippings and constant onslaught of cars pulling in and out of the garage.  A thorough cleaning is needed.  The floor can be cleaned by pressure washing and or using an acid. The stains from the grease and oil spills will need extra care.  You may need to use a degreaser. Washing the floor after the paint is applied should be a lot easier.
Getting your floor painted can not only add years to its life but it can be turned into a showroom like quality flooring.  If you are willing to put some time and effort into your floor then this might be an option for you to invest yourself into.  The effort you put into it may save money and time.

The imagination is only limited to what colors you can find and how you want to pattern your  garage floor. Would you want to match your car colors or pick a color that encompasses what a showroom garage floor should look like? Some of the more common colors for tiles seem to be blue and white . These two colors really seem to be the most unoffensive colors to use.
Installation of these tiles can be connected by an interlocking system instead of a gluing them together.
The cost of these tiles are more than what most people want to pay, so for those who are on a budget, painting a garage floor might be more economical.

With the right attitude and organizational skills you could really make a garage a place to “hang out” Get shelving to organize your tools and hang up the tools to keep them off the ground. There are plenty of workbench ideas too,that look really professional. Colors can match your tiled floor with ease. Before you know it you will be having the garage of the neighborhood. There are not many people who have such a nice place to park a car. Investing into your garage can really make the difference in how people perceive you and maybe even increase the value of your home. Think about what type and color garage floor tiles you would like, then make an attractive pattern.

My garage is mixed with kids toys, bikes, tools ,ladders and even comes with its own cupboard space. The cabinets in this garage are sort of an eyesore. Only because they were at one time what the kitchen had in them. They are a direct product of the seventies and early eighties. so if you can imagine for a second brown laminated somewhat decorative kitchen cabinets that are used and abused, hinges broke and even some doors are nailed shut. Mind you although this description seems ugly, if the living space is organized it doesn’t look bad at all. A little sanding and some paint and I should have them looking like almost new.  Of course buying new garage shelving and cabinets may be easier.
When spring arrives there will be alot of garage clean up,washing the floor and cleaning and organizing so I can feel like I am organized inside. Cleanliness is next to godliness.

At this time spending alot of money on any garage cabinetry is not in my budget- yet. I do have plenty of stand alone shelving that I bought from Home Depot.

My garage floor is what you call a work in progress. Before the fall Quikrete concrete leveler was applied in a very thin manner as so as to get the cracks and pitting covered for an even surface. The thought being to go ahead and paint over the floor with a good quality floor paint- maybe an industrial garage floor paint. Well time got the better of me and I found that the temperature started to drop,  so the only answer was to go ahead and wait. I have only a few more spots to cover. which probably will entail two more purchases of leveler compound. Then waiting for about thirty days to get the proper adhesion and settling of the material. Ninety days later, knock on wood it has held up great, even through the salt, dirt and abuse.

When the temperature is proper for painting then I will begin the arduous job of cleaning and painting. It sure beats sitting inside after a long winter.

Cement floors have the ability to keep stains and odors embedded in them. Cement is porous, so the oil or product that lays on top will eventually find its way into the surface of the concrete. Applying an good quality industrial epoxy floor paint will be abrasion resistant, impact resistant and resistant to chemicals.

The advantages of painting with an epoxy is its hardiness, the ease of cleaning and it makes the overall look of the building attractive. Cleaning plain cement can be tedious and it never looks as good as the original day it was poured. With a mop bucket and some soap you can achieve a reasonable cleanliness. The floor will have an attractive shine. You can usually choose the color to accent the walls an decor of the business. There are many types of places that would benefit from a clean looking floor like hospitals,dog kennels,fire departments, food service institutions and hotels. With the germs that circulate in a hospital and combined food service they provide, epoxy painted cement floors have a durability that lasts long time. There are different textures available too, either gloss, flat, satin or even skid resistant. The reason why industrial garage floor paint works so well is that it is heavier than most residential epoxies. It contains one hundred percent epoxy material, therefore increasing its durability. Residential epoxy paint has less epoxy solids.

If painting a floor with an product that is meant for an industrial application is what you want for your floor at home then you will need to find a dealer that will explain the proper way to mix and apply the material. Customer service is as important as the quality of the product. Buying an expensive epoxy paint product without the support needed will only hamper your painting efforts and cost you money in the future.

A commercial application for a small business can be costly.  Instead of applying this as a do it yourself project you could find a company that will apply your garage floor paint product properly for you.  It will take some effort, you will have to get references and identify what they have successfully applied to other commercial floors. Businesses have an image and a improper floor painting job may cause the loss of income. Installing a non skid surface is also important so people don’t fall and get injured at work. If this become a project that you want to attempt on your own you can save alot of money, but you may be risking a poor paint job and risk exposing untrained personnel to an inhalation hazard- although a 100% solids epoxy has no or very few fumes.    Usually epoxy paint that is used on garage floors has a strong odor. This odor should be a clue that the paint you are using is not as strong as an 100 percent epoxy floor paint.  A 100% solids epoxy paint does have an odor but it has low VOCs(volatile organic compounds)These VOCS are basically vapors or gases that are emitted from liquids or solids.  There is no substitute for a well made epoxy paint for the floor. With the abuse and shock from pallets, steel and overall rough service you will find that an industrial grade floor paint has more long life capabilities than other floor paints. Stay away from your local stores that sell over the counter paints -they will not last long and you will find your paint chipping and popping.

There are many coatings that can be applied to the floor. An Epoxy coating is ideal because it has a very sturdy and long lasting coverage. Whether its a dull, shiny or nonskid surface you can detail it to your needs.  A good quality paint job on the floor of your garage can really make a statement about your home and the way your car looks in it.

Some of the things you should consider when you paint over your old floor. Is your floor pitted, full of grease or unlevel? Getting your floor leveled before you paint may be a good choice because any water that flows on it will move easier after it is painted. Your floor should have a natural curve toward the drains. Degrease the floor if it needs cleaning, because you need a surface  is free of grime to let the paint adhere properly.  Floors that are pitted need some type of leveler. You can ask the company that you buy your paint from what they recommend. Usually it is acceptable to use a quikrete type leveler for this purpose. The surface should be porous enough to accept it and if not a sanding of the surface with a 60 to 80 grit paper would help significantly. Let the surface leveler dry properly, about thirty to sixty days in dry time.  To be safe let it dry when the outside moisture levels are lower, not the early spring.

Other type coatings like garage floor mats and garage tiles sometimes can replace or be installed in lieu of using a garage floor paint.  the cost of garage floor coatings depends on whether you buy a quality paint or buy garage floor type tiles to offset your time. Garage floor tiles interlock an have insulating advantages form noise. Instead of waiting for twenty four hours or more to park your car you can have it installed in less than a day- usually 4 hours. These tiles can be resistant to oil, grease antifreeze and more. One of the advantages of tiles is the ability to move them from one area to the next or to showcase a vehicle or motorcycle.

You may ask “How to make a floor nonskid.” The nature of epoxy paint is that it can become slippery when wet.  The floor can become a dangerous place to walk, so spreading a material to keep the surface from becoming an ice skating rink is probably a wise decision to make. Some ways to make your floor non slip is to spread a commercial grade material or aggregate made for the application. Do not use sand or brush the floor with a broom.  Making broom strokes in your in paint will make your floor alot less attractive. Sand may work but probably  will be visible to the naked eye therefore your painting of the floor will become dull.  Some choices for floor aggregate can be aluminum oxide, quartz crystals or polymer beads. Some ways to spread the materials vary from throwing them up in the air like colored paint flakes to rolling the paint with the material in it.  Some paints also come with the nonskid material already in it. Will the question of the spreading ability of the paint be an issue with the material in the paint? It might slow the spreading factor slightly, but not enough to notice.

Other Non Skid Surfaces

Of course there are other options for your floor beyond painting it.  Some garage floors have interlocking tiles on them. With the new technologies in plastics they can add to the looks of the floor and supply a function at the same time. They are an easy way to substitute the hours of preparing and painting a garage floor and can supply the skid resistant surface you want, but may be expensive for the typical homeowner.

A garage floor non skid surface is what keeps the floor from becoming an injury prone area. If you want to spend time painting or putting down tiles for your next garage floor, will be a personal choice. The ultimate goal is to have a non slip surface to drive and walk on.

There are some things that you should consider before you decide to paint a floor.

Should I Paint a Garage Floor?

• Do you want to spend the time? Prepping the garage floor takes alot of time, make sure you deal with a reputable company that has a good support system. Remember there is a fair amount of cleaning time. Sweeping,washing and moving everything out of the garage will be the first step in the painting process. Then etching the surface with either mechanical or and acid wash may be involved with more rinsing.

• Do you want to spend the money?

• Can you paint over the existing concrete, consider performing a moisture test to verify that you can paint it.

• Consider the quality of paint, buy a good quality epoxy paint that is designed for a garage. Don’t cheapen the job.

If you buy a paint kit from your local Do it yourself store you might have problems with the paint popping off or not adhering properly. Go online and search for an established garage floor paint company.

• If you are trying to sell your home it could be a great way to be different and separate your house from another.

Should you paint your floor in the garage? That decision is entirely up to you. There are many garages that look great and they are long lasting, but there are other jobs that have been painted incorrectly and have caused the paint come off the cement. Your tires from your car are abusive enough, and other elements like salt grease and oil will help pull up the paint.  So if money or time is not an issue when investing in a garage paint job, and if your garage is able to be dry enough to hold paint then you should think about painting it. Do enough research and ask alot of questions so you can avoid any problems that are associated with a poor epoxy paint floor covering.

Painting a garage floor is really not that difficult, it is the painstaking preparation work that is entailed in the project that takes all the time.  Again remember that if the prep work is not done properly no matter how good of a job you do when painting the paint may chip and crack.

Painting a typical two car garage may take less time than you think. Tools you will need may include:

• Solvent resistant and water resistant paint rollers
• A vapor/acid gas filter or better( ask the paint department which filter is best to use) when using epoxy paint you will need plenty of ventilation.

• Paint brushes to trim the edges.
• Last but not least- your favorite garage floor paint

Whenever you paint any project it is a good idea to have plenty of evaporation removal as you are painting.  Place a fan to push put any strong odors away. The air flow should be such as to have air coming in the garage and air leaving, don’t close the garage door and try to push the air outside with no incoming air to replace it.  Make sure you wear your respirator and it is snug to your face so there are no leaks. The vapors for epoxy paint is very strong.

There are a few tips to help you get started. Just as a quick overview you should:

• Make sure there are no sealers on the concrete floor.
• Wait 30 days or more before painting a newly poured garage floor.
• Do a moisture test to make sure you can paint over the concrete.
• Make sure there is no old paint on the surface.

After removal of all the contents you should paint and trim all around the edges of the floor.  You may want to trim up the wall to get a good seal where the water may flow and it will help when the water splashes against it.  When painting any project you should move at a steady pace so the edges don’t dry.  Don’t rush just take your time.  Start in an area where you can back out and carefully end where you can escape.  Don’t back yourself into a corner.  Let the paint dry overnight preferably twenty four hours before a second coat is applied.  Applying a non skid surface will help with walking because epoxy paint can be slippery.

Parking your car in your garage should be withheld for more than seven days, if you would like to wait longer that would be ok too. The full cure usually takes about thirty days or more. See the paint manufacturers recommendation for this procedure.

Preparing the Surface
Some of the problems that people experience are probably in part from lack of surface preparation and having a surface that may not be able to receive the paint.  Remember when your car parks in the garage that your tires will be hot from the friction on the ground.  The heat from your tires may pick up the paint in the area it sits, and may pick up as you turn your wheel in the garage.  The quality of the job and the quality of the product applied may be a factor.

Testing your Garage Floor
Your floor should be tested to make sure you can use good epoxy garage floor paint.  If you take a plastic bag cut it into a square and tape it to the floor sealing all four sides, then wait for twenty four hours you may notice moisture trapped underneath.  If you find this moisture you can not use epoxy paint.  You should not use this method in cold weather or in high humidity in the summer, because as your results would not be evident in the cold weather or it may be skewed in the high humidity.  A good time to check with the moisture method is when the humidity is around fifty percent.   Any sealer on your garage floor may prohibit an epoxy coating too. To get the sealer off you have to mechanically etch the surface, because an acid will not work for sealers
Cracks and uneven cement need to be fixed prior to your paint application.  Use the best crack sealer/mortar mix you can buy.  Clean the cracks and apply according to the directions from the manufacturer.  Uneven cement may need to be replaced or just re-leveled.  If there are major cracks or major unevenness in your cement, replacement may be your only option.  If the garage floor has pitting it can be re-leveled with a concrete leveler or called a self leveling floor resurfacer.  If using a good concrete leveler it needs to be applied in warm temperatures and needs to set from 30 to 90 days before any paint is applied. A good time to apply this would be spring or early summer so you can maintain proper cement temperatures and have time to paint
The type of paint is important in painting your floor.  Of you ask any reputable contractor or handyman they will tell you to use epoxy paint only.  It is tough, durable and made for the rough use your garage has on a daily basis.  There are other concrete paints that are not epoxy, but the lifetime on the garage floor is short.
Preparation of your floor should be methodical and precise. Take your time and your floor will be ready to paint. The floor temperature should be over fifty degrees. Follow the recommendations on the product purchased.
Cleaning and Etching the Concrete Floor
Chemicals, oil and grease after years of dripping and work performed in your garage needs to be cleaned thoroughly. With cleaning, acid washing and any other chemical used the fumes with cleaning your garage can be strong; just make sure that the garage is well ventilated.  You can use a good cleaner like TSP and use a brush to clean the cement or use a degreaser and/or cement cleaner to clean the stubborn oily residues.  A pressure washer can be rented to clean any remaining chemicals.  Using a pressure washer after long periods of use can make you sore, so take your time and don’t rush it.  If you want to section off your work you could clean half of your garage, paint it then work on the second half.

Contractors like to use mechanical methods like a scrubber to grind the concrete or a shot blaster to etch the cement, but acids work well too.  The surface of the cement needs to be etched so the surface can be adhered to easily.  Etching works well with an acid if you don’t have a sealer on your concrete, or you are using it for the garage floor only because the fumes for a basement floor maybe overwhelming, otherwise using a shot blaster or a mechanical grinder is the preferred method.  Usually both mechanical methods are and maybe better used by a professional.  Remember to wear protective clothing, because solvents and flying debris can always run the risk of injury and make sure you follow the recommendations of the company that makes the etching compound or cement cleaner.
After all of your hard work in cleaning the floor, it needs to be swept up with a broom and vacuumed making sure that all dust and debris are picked up and especially shortly thereafter  clean up when the acid is used.