Garage Floor Paint

[Mad Mart]

I need to get my garage floor painted and was wondering if anyone, who has done theirs, can recommend a brand. I want to use a two pack epoxy resin type and I will need a sealant coat or two.

[triumphdolomiteuk]

https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... =5&t=36298

[Matt Cotton]

Alun's Watco paint was/ is great Mart. It is holding up well too so far.

BW
MC

[cliftyhanger]

I did my garage about 4 months after it was completed.
The "special primer/sealant" supplied was just PVA. Ho hum. However the 2k paint was lovely. Until it started liftying in patches, and I am certain the floor just wasn't dry enough. I am on chalk, near the top of a hill, and used a DPM. But i suspect the concrete floor needed longer.
The vast majority is still intact, and seems as good as when applied. I expect most 2k floor paints are very good. Just be aware of the issues I had if a new floor.

FWIW when I manage to empty my garage, I will be recoating the damaged areas. Very tempted to use a conventional floor paint, and screwfix "no nonsense" stuff has had great reviews elsewhere. But I worry about how long that will take to thoroughly dry and be "tyre proof"

[marshman]

I did my garage about 4 months after it was completed.
The "special primer/sealant" supplied was just PVA. Ho hum. However the 2k paint was lovely. Until it started liftying in patches, and I am certain the floor just wasn't dry enough. I am on chalk, near the top of a hill, and used a DPM. But i suspect the concrete floor needed longer.
The vast majority is still intact, and seems as good as when applied. I expect most 2k floor paints are very good. Just be aware of the issues I had if a new floor.

FWIW when I manage to empty my garage, I will be recoating the damaged areas. Very tempted to use a conventional floor paint, and screwfix "no nonsense" stuff has had great reviews elsewhere. But I worry about how long that will take to thoroughly dry and be "tyre proof"

In my experience "normal" non 2k floor paint is never "tyre proof" I first painted my floor about 15 years ago. It had a second coat about 10 years ago and has been "patched" several times where tyres have lifted the paint - the patches were thoroughly degreased, sealed etc. but still if a car is parked there for a few weeks - especially in hotter summer weather, it pulls the paint up - it sticks better to the tyres, years later, than it does to the floor. Must admit some cars/tyres seem worse than others.

I am considering investing in totally redoing the lot in epoxy paint, but it will be expensive and I have to sneak that past "the management"

[xvivalve]

Thorough drying time for cement based floors (without accelerants) is 24 hours for each mm of thickness!

[Mad Mart]

Thanks for your input guys. Basically, any 2k paint should be fine, it just depends on how much I want to spend?

[cliftyhanger]

Thorough drying time for cement based floors (without accelerants) is 24 hours for each mm of thickness!

I have always worked on an inch a month. Which is about the same. Mainly for staurated walls... which should dry quicker as 2 sided?
But yes, plenty of dryingtime, really the longer the better. I am trying to remember exactly how thick my floor was. It could have been 150 or 200mm, so probably shy on drying time.

[JerryTR5]

You should consider floor tiles. So much more comfortable to work on and insulating. I would not go back to paint.
https://www.garagefloortilecompany.com/
Jerry

[Mad Mart]

Just ordered a sample but it's going to cost me over £1200 for 45 square metres. What are they like for cleaning oil spills & the like?

[Matt Cotton]

Those tiles look superb.

The only thing that would concern me is if you do have a spill of oil (or a particularly leaky Triumph) is there a risk that the oil will then seep through the joints and just fester underneath the flooring?

Much nicer and warmer though to work with I am sure.

[Mad Mart]

Those tiles look superb.

The only thing that would concern me is if you do have a spill of oil (or a particularly leaky Triumph) is there a risk that the oil will then seep through the joints and just fester underneath the flooring?

Much nicer and warmer though to work with I am sure.

Yes that is my main concern, plus jacking up vehicles and moving heavy engine blocks around on an engine stand.

[JerryTR5]

No problems with trolley jacks or engine cranes/stands. The tiles are really tough & join together tight enough to form a seal. Oil wipes off with a squirt of engine cleaner. Water will sit there overnight if you let it. The suppliers will send you samples to try. I put a couple of pieces under a trolley jack & left it supporting a heavy Jag overnight. The wheels left minor dents in the tiles which recovered after a day or two.
No connection to the supplier, just a satisfied customer. Worth every penny & if you heat your workshop the difference in temperature is noticeable.
Jerry

[Mad Mart]

Jerry, how did you cut your tiles & did you use any adhesive?

I have a couple of samples and I think I'm going to go for it.

[JerryTR5]

No adhesive required. Instructions say to cut with a stanley knife, which is impossible. Fine tooth toolbox saw worked fine. Large mallet and wood block for the joints. Any holes in the concrete deeper than say 6mm probably should be filled. My floor was particularly scabby so needed a bit of that self levelling compound in a couple of places.
One issue I omitted to mention: you need to leave an expansion gap round the edge, however direct heat on one area will cause the tile to expand and buckle slightly. This can happen with bright sunlight streaming through an open door. Also happens with my gas heater - just have to stand the heater on a wooden pad and move it around to avoid concentrated heat. None of this actually matters as the tiles regain their shape on cooling.
You'll never have to paint again.
Jerry