Question:
Are there any significant pros or cons to painting the garage floor
with garage floor paint? Or, is it just a gimmick to get people to buy
more stuff they really don't need?
Can anyone in the group help me solve out this confusing problem please?
Answer:
Personally, I think there are valid pros to it. Cement "dusts"
considerably without protection of some kind, with results
ranging from wear of the surface to tracking it into the house to
an abrasive dust in the air whenever it's stirred up. Oh, and of
course, a painted surface cleans up a lot easier too if, like we
do, you occasionally use the garage for a party or eating place
during reunions, stuff like that.
I also like the looks of it a lot better, and the fact that I
can wax my car in the garage on hot days without worrying about
scrubbing the dust abrasives into the paint. EAsier to see
things you drop too, especially if they go under the car or near
a tire
Probably the most important part of such a job is proper
preparation of the cement beforehand. You have to get the right
materials to remove or neutralize oil drippings, greasy spots,
etc., but it's not hard to do with the right products. Most any
car parts place has the right stuff, and the instructions are
good as I recall.
Then you do a final etching with Muriatic acid on any bare
concrete and you're ready to paint.
I used a latex product on mine because, after a little study,
I liked the idea of wetting the cement to let the paint "into" it
as opposed to just sealing it on the top surface. And no, it's
NOT true that latex products will stick to tires; as long as
you're using the proper product and let it cure properly. I
think I gave it a week before I put the cars on it; not sure, but
I waited longer than it said I had to, just to be sure.
We moved here in '83 so I think it was first painted in '85.
I'm pretty sure it was '99 when I redid it, using the same color
so I didn't have to go under the benches, etc.. It was pretty
well worn by that time, especially where the car tires sat, but
still in decent shape. I think the trick is to do repaints
before the cement's actually re-exposed. It took a LOT less
paint that time since it was still "sealed" or whatever you want
to call it.
It's 2006 now, and it's getting ready for another redo. I've
been sick the last few years so I haven't done as good a job as I
used to of keeping the salt, slush & sand swept out every now and
then. There's even some cement poking thru this time. Plus,
for whatever reason, my wife likes to turn the steering wheel
while the car's not moving, and that's rough on any floor. This
year I've taken to laying cardboard where she parks just to
protect the floor a little until I get to redo it next summer.
No experience with the epoxies and high-end stuff you can use on
a garage floor, but I've seen a couple that look as good as the
day they were put down. They even always look waxed. And, a
little slippery when wet, I might add. But, I'm not that much
of a perfectionist, nor that rich . You can't really do it on
the cheap, but it's not necessary ot go broke to do it either as
long as you pay attention to what you're doing and the
instructions on the materials.
I have a neighbor that does his with regular house paint. He has
to redo it every few years, but you know, it still works out OK
for him. I don't recommend it though; it's affected by too many
different solvents used in a garage.
