How to Apply Epoxy Concrete Paint To Your Garage Floor

What a fine looking floor!

So, you want to give your garage floor that showroom shine? Good, it's nice to take pride in your things, but you should know that you can't just use any old paint to do the trick. You have to use epoxy concrete paint to do the job right. Technically, epoxy isn't even paint - it's a reaction between a hardener and a resin that form an incredibly durable coating. Manufacturers have just gotten so good at making it look pretty that it looks like a fresh coat of paint. If you were to just throw interior paint on your garage floor, even apply floor enamel to it, the hot tires on your car would peel it up the first time you pulled it in. Applying epoxy concrete paint to your garage floor is a bit of work, but if you do it right, it's a fantastic investment. This guide has been written assuming that your garage floor is bare concrete - without any previous coating.

Things You'll Need

• Mop
• Broom and dustpan
• Vacuum Cleaner
• Hose
• Plastic Sheets
• 1/2 gallon muriatic acid
• 5 gallon bucket
• extension pole
• 3/8" roller cover and roller
• 1/2" masking tape

Instructions

1. First, remove any clutter from the area where you wish to apply the coating, then sweep and vacuum as necessary to remove any dirt, dust and debris.

2. Next, we want to find out if there is a sealant on the surface. Concrete sealant, whether it be a deliberate addition from the concrete layer, or a random oil stain, is going to prevent your epoxy coating from properly bonding to the floor. You can check for it by spraying the garage floor with a hose, and looking for spots where the water is beading up. If it's not beading up anywhere, you should be ready to move on.

3. If it's beading up at random areas, it's likely due to grease build up or an earlier solvent spill. This can usually be taken off with a degreaser like Simple Green, and some elbow grease of your own. Once you think you've removed it, try the water test again. If successful, the water should absorb into the concrete without beading.

4. If the entire floor is beading up, there is likely a sealer on the concrete that etching will not remove (next step). This will need to be taken down by grinding or shot blasting the surface. If you don't know what you're doing, hire a professional, and meet me at the next step when you're done.

5. You'll now need to acid etch the surface where you'll be applying the epoxy concrete paint. Purchase a half gallon container of muriatic acid from your local hardware or paint store, along with a large bucket able to hold six gallons, and some thick (at least 1 mil) plastic sheets. Hang the sheets around the garage wall by taping them three feet from the floor - it may get a little nasty.

6. Mix water and the muriatic acid with a 10:1 ratio in the large bucket, and pour the mixture onto the surface you'll be covering. Work the acid mix around the surface evenly with a thick bristle push broom. Rinse the area off thoroughly and repeat the process one more time.

7. It's recommended that you don't wait more than two days after the acid etching to apply the epoxy. When you're ready, mix the resin and hardener according to the epoxy instructions, and get to work. In most cases, you'll be using a roller and an extension pole to apply the epoxy. Depending on the roughness of your floor, you'll want to use a roller with a 1/4"-3/8" nap and a phenolic core. Don't dilly dally during this last step - once epoxy is done hardening, there's no going back - plan carefully, and you'll get great results!

Tips & Warnings

• Don't paint yourself into a corner!

• Read the instructions on your product to find out how long you have to wait before you can drive on the surface.

• Do not take any shortcuts. Applying epoxy concrete paint is not something you want to mess up - mess being the key word.

• This is a general guide to the process. Always follow the instructions that come with your product.

• If you're not dealing with bare a bare concrete floor, do not follow this guide. Additional steps will be required.