Part Two of a Series

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.