If you want a shiny, new-looking garage floor that looks like it came straight out of Flow Wall’s Inspiration Gallery, painting your garage floor is a must. All you need are a few basic supplies and a couple days of elbow grease. Keep reading for our guide on everything you need to know for painting the garage floor.

How Should I Prepare the Garage Floor for Painting?

There are a few steps you should take before painting if you want it to look like a pro did it:

1. Move everything off of your garage floor.
   
   
2. Remove oil and grease spots by absorbing them with sawdust or kitty litter, and sweep up using a rigid-bristled broom. Pour dry dishwasher detergent or a concrete cleaner on the stains and let it sit 45 minutes. Then pour boiling water on the stains and vigorously scrub with a broom.
   
   
3. Fill in small floor cracks with an epoxy paste and scrape up any excess paste. After it dries, lightly sand it for a smooth finish. If you have a large crack, overfill it with epoxy, let it dry, and then grind the area until it’s flush with the floor.
   
   
4. If you think you have a moisture issue that might prevent paint from bonding to the floor, cut out a square of plastic sheeting and tape it down over your entire floor. Wait a day to see if water collects on the underside of the plastic. If it does, you’ll need to put down a good vapor barrier before painting the primer coat.
   
   
5. If your floor has been sealed previously (you’ll know it has been sealed if water beads up on the surface) then you’ll need to etch the floor before painting. Do this by applying a commercial concrete etcher and let the floor dry overnight.
   
   
6. If the floor is uneven and bumpy, maybe even the surface with concrete repair technique. You can also hire a Concrete Reno company (or for another location) that provides services such as concrete flooring. Ensure that the proper curing of the floor is done before applying paint on the surface.
   
   
7. Sweep well and power wash.

How to Paint a Concrete Floor

Ready to learn how to paint your garage floor? The process is surprisingly easy:

1. Make sure you leave your garage door open for ventilation during painting.
   
   
2. Apply sealant to your garage floor. This will help with paint adhesion and acts as a primer as well. Use a nylon brush around the edges of your garage floor and a roller (lint-free, all-purpose, solvent- and water-resistant with a medium nap and an extension handle) to apply sealant liberally to the rest of the floor. Let it dry at least 8 hours.
   
   
3. Mix your paint well and apply a thin, even first coat, cutting around the edges with a brush and using a roller (with a medium nap) for the rest. Let it dry for 24 hours before applying a second coat.
   
   
4. Wait at least 24 hours before walking on the newly painted floor and a week before driving on it.

What Is the Best Garage Floor Paint?

Don’t use the same paint that you used to expertly paint your garage walls. Garage floor paint is less expensive and runnier, and it dries into a less slick and lower sheen finish. It usually holds up for 1-2 years. The best garage floor paint depends on the color and finish you want in your garage. Floor paint colors come in a wide range and usually cost about $2-$6 per square foot, so you have lots of options.

What is the Best Garage Floor Coating?

Epoxy garage floor paint is an alternative to regular paint. It costs more and is stickier to apply, but it cures into a glossier, ultra-polished finish (it’s also slicker). Epoxy coatings usually cost about $10-$15 per square foot installed, depending on the specific paint chosen, but the investment will hold up for 3-5 years. You can additionally check out other options such as RFC concrete floor paint, which is a roller applied color floor coating. It may not require primer coating, and it can be dustproof as well.

Painting Garage Floor Over Existing Paint

Painting garage floor over existing paint requires more work than starting with a blank slate.

1. Clean the floor with a solution of water and household cleaner. Let the surface dry.
   
   
2. Scrape the floor with sand paper to get rid of any flaky paint and prepare a smooth surface.
   
   
3. Clean surface again with a dry mop.
   
   
4. Create a solution of denatured alcohol and hydrated lime in equal portions to remove any curing compounds (small spots below the old paint).
   
   
5. Prepare and paint the floor as listed in earlier sections of this article.

With these tips, you’ll know how to paint garage floor and know how to take a garage a drab floor to a fab floor in a weekend. Afterward, you’ll be ready to add panels and hanging storage from Flow Wall.