Painting a garage floor can be an exterior painting challenge but the end result, if done right, can be very satisfying. Imagine pulling into your garage with a showroom quality floor after a hard day at work and you get the idea. This article will give you 5 key tips to make your garage floor pop and assumes you have done some homework on “how-to” paint a garage floor.
- Not all concrete floors accept epoxy. New concrete must cure about 30 days before painting. The floor must be dry and free of paint, grease and dirt. Test your floor for moisture by firmly taping a plastic garbage bag to the floor and let sit for 24 hours. Lift a corner of the bag and check for moisture. If wet. DO NOT USE EPOXY.
For this Atlanta painting project, be certain the epoxy is applied when the outside temperature is between 60 and 90 degrees on a day with low humidity. Low temps and high humidity make the curing process take longer and the excess moisture will affect the epoxy’s ability to remain bonded to the concrete.- When cleaning the floor use a 3 to 1 water and bleach solution (or a commercially available concrete cleaner) with a scrub brush or power scrubber to wash stains and degrease. If using a pressure hose set the nozzle to a medium angle fan spray to get enough pressure without sacrificing coverage.
When using acid to etch the floor use muriatic acid instead of phosphoric acid. Muriatic acid has a higher acid content and will do a better job. Wet the entire floor and remember to wet the driveway or any concrete that rinse water will travel over. After etching, rinse thoroughly. After rinsing neutralize any acid residue with baking soda and vacuum it up or use a simple green cleaner. CAUTION: Do not use any acid unless area is well ventilated. CAUTION: Always mix ACID to water. NEVER mix water to acid.- When applying epoxy use a brush for the corners and where the concrete meets the wall. Then, using a roller, paint a 3 to 4 foot “W” pattern, then reverse direction to fill in. Try to complete the W and fill in about 60 seconds. This will insure an even uniform coat.
If you apply a coat of floor wax after the epoxy has cured the floor will be easier to clean and it will add a final touch that will make your exterior painting project really pop.