Homeowners have a variety of colors to choose from for their garage floors.
Your garage doesn't have to be the worst-looking place in the house, with its floor covered with stains, dirt and tire marks. Applying a fresh coat of paint will spruce it up. Of course, this job is easiest tackled while the floor is relatively new, but this isn't always possible. Turning an older, worn garage floor into a new-looking one with paint is possible, but requires some work. Set aside a warm, sunny, rain-free weekend for the project, and by Sunday you'll be gazing proudly at your newly painted garage floor.
Instructions
1. Remove everything off the garage floor. Move items you don't want to get wet up high or out of the garage, because quite a bit of water is used during the cleaning process.
2. Use a flat shovel or scraper to remove debris from the floor. Sweep out the garage, including the corners, using a push broom. Use a blower, if necessary, to blow out any remaining dirt particles.
3. Scrub any oil stains thoroughly with a degreaser. Use a scrub brush and continue scrubbing the stains and dirty areas until water no longer beads up over them.
4. Fill a watering can with 1 gallon of water, then add 12 ounces of muriatic acid. Sprinkle the entire garage floor with the solution.
5. Use a power washer and wash the entire garage floor, removing the acid from the garage. Rinse the floor with clean water one or two more times and sweep out any remaining water with the broom. Allow the floor to completely dry overnight before continuing.
6. Fill large cracks in the cement floor with an epoxy crack filler using a putty knife. Allow the crack filler to completely dry, according to package directions, before painting the floor.
7. Tape off areas around the base of the wall, doorways and other areas you don't want painted. Using regular painter's tape works fine.
8. Mix the epoxy garage floor paint per the package directions. Wear a face respirator when applying the paint and leave the garage door partially open, because the paint fumes are powerful.
9. Paint the edges of the floor, where the floor meets the walls, with a paintbrush. Then use a roller to paint the main area of the garage floor, being sure to work from the back of the garage toward the door so you have an exit and don't walk on the painted surface. Keep children and pets from the area and keep the garage door partially open for approximately 1 hour.
10. Apply a second coat of paint, after the first coat is dry, following the label's directions. Add nonskid granules to the second coat of paint to keep the floor from becoming slippery when wet. Apply the second coat as you did the first coat, then allow it to dry.
11. Wait approximately 16 hours after applying the second coat before you walk on the surface. Wait approximately 3 days to 1 week, depending on the paint's label instructions, before parking any vehicles on the painted surface.
