Garage floor paint...

[keyring]

A subject that should have plenty of opinions on here.... hopefully

I’m due to get the keys to my house on Friday, so trying to get things ready so I don’t waste any time, I want to get the workshop painted before I start moving things in, I’m just going to use white emulsion for the walls, however I’m struggling to to decide on a paint for the floor. I’ve heard epoxy mentioned a few times as the best option, but that may be overkill for a non business use garage?

What does everyone recommend? Ideally something hard wearing, that won’t lift with sticky/hot tyres
It’s a concrete floor, but I can’t remember from viewing it if it’s already painted or not, but I’ll find that out soon...

Thanks

[tristanh]

I just started researching the same. Epoxy is better than single pack, but if the floor was never grond down from new, that's as much a factor as the paint. The "fat" in the cement mix sits on top and that's soft and crumbly. You really need to take a mm or so off.

[kevstarlet]

I painted my workshop with 2 pack epoxy paint, concrete was probably 3 months in when I done it. Swept it all out, power washed it and then started painting. Thinned down the first coat very watery so it'd soak into the concrete and give better grip i.e. so that it wouldn't just form a skin on the concrete. The following coats were applied as guidelines. The floor is approx 60' x 40' so it took quite a lot. I used selemix, its manufactured by max meyer so quite expensive but there are fair cheaper 2k floor paints on the market

[madzuki]

As above, do prep the surface.
I made the mistake of not thinning the base coat, or using pva as a sealer. I now have various bits where the paint is chipping and lifting, though it has taken a number of years.

[slater]

Tile it! I've tried all sorts of paint and theres no difference. Cheap stuff gets scraped and comes off. Expensive stuff gets scraped and comes off. I certainly wouldnt bother with epoxy or primer or any of that lark again it would be cheap paint or if I could afford it a tiled floor..

[tristanh]

I thought about that, but I can't imagine too many tiles would like trolley jacks and axle stands, dropped hammers and the like.

[slater]

Depends which ones you use 🙂

[kevins]

Tiled workshops are very common in much of Europe, usually pretty thick hard looking tiles.

[tristanh]

Are they affordable for ordinary folk?
I thought about the hard plastic interlocking ones, but was afraid of the inevitable oil/coolant/fuel spills seeping through.

[slater]

I'd say something like these are totally affordable

www.directtilewarehouse.com/dotti-anti-slip-floor-tiles-ivory-floor-tiles/

[luckyseven]

May 15, 2019 8:03:28 GMT slater said:

Tile it! I've tried all sorts of paint and theres no difference. Cheap stuff gets scraped and comes off. Expensive stuff gets scraped and comes off. I certainly wouldnt bother with epoxy or primer or any of that lark again it would be cheap paint or if I could afford it a tiled floor..

exactly this. Mine is currently a mixture of leftover cheap paint a mate got in an ebay joblot that I'd never heard of the brand and never seen again since... and expensive brand name stuff that alleges to do exactly what it says on the tin. Guess which one has chipped and lifted?

It seems if you want good floor paint then (probably) illegally imported Eastern European stuff is the good shiz. Like every other chemical legal in this country, any brand name product is watered down to the point of ... well, pointlessness *

* see also; Nitromors, any glue you care to mention, celly thinners, etc etc

[tristanh]

May 16, 2019 7:56:23 GMT slater said:

I'd say something like these are totally affordable

www.directtilewarehouse.com/dotti-anti-slip-floor-tiles-ivory-floor-tiles/

Do you not think they'd crack if/when you drop a crowbar or hammer on them?

[voodoo57]

industrial carpet tiles, may not come in a tin, but probably a pallet or box? (yes, it's my humour! sorry!)

[voodoo57]

industrial carpet tiles, may not come in a tin, but probably a pallet or box? (yes, it's my humour! sorry!)

[slater]

May 16, 2019 13:24:51 GMT tristanh said:

May 16, 2019 7:56:23 GMT slater said:

I'd say something like these are totally affordable

www.directtilewarehouse.com/dotti-anti-slip-floor-tiles-ivory-floor-tiles/

Do you not think they'd crack if/when you drop a crowbar or hammer on them?

They might do but the way is see it is its a lot easier job to occasionally replace a damaged tile than the reasonably impossoble job of repainting a floor in a active workshop.

The tiles are certainly alot tougher an more hadwearing. Paint will chip a hell of alot easier.

[kenb]

Dunno if this appeals, as its not a cheap solution depending on the size of your garage, but I used 18mm chip flooring boards. Stronger than you think they might be, as I've use trolley jacks on it with no issues. The only thing I do is use chequerplate squares under axle stands to spread the weight. I used the moisture resistant stuff with black PVC sheeting underneath, and have had oil spills, but they clean up ok. Lovely to roll around on the floor with too compared with concrete anyhow and had no issues up to now. Warmer in winter too. Dropped hammers not an issue either.

[petervdv]

Put tiles in my workshop some 20 years ago. Salesman said the standard ones would do but they don't. Several ones cracked and advise is to use a 3mm thick steel plate under the wheel of the jack and i have a sheet of 6mm thick rubber approx 70cm wide positioned in front of the bench

[djefk]

I painted my concrete floored garage about 12 years ago - I used epoxy paint bought from eBay that was evil stuff if it got on your hands! Also I had to chuck anything used to mix and apply it, it really was incredibly difficult stuff to work with.

That said, once down with no preparation other than a clean floor with oil patches treated, it looked great once cured (took a couple of days and stunk the house out - integral garage in a townhouse) and was extremely hard-wearing. I was very happy as it made the garage a pleasure to use.