I want to paint my attached garage floor with epoxy paint. The floor is made of 4 concrete sections separated by expansion joints that are about 1/2 in wide and deep. The slabs are smooth and have no cracks. But there is a crack in the concrete at the bottom of one of the expansion joints. Do I have to seal or patch the crack before applying the epoxy? If so, how is the best way to do this?
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Do I epoxy down into the expansion joints? Or do I just epoxy the flat surfaces and leave the expansion joints open and untreated? I want to paint my attached garage floor with epoxy paint. The floor is made of 4 concrete sections separated by expansion joints that are about 1/2 in wide and deep. The slabs are smooth and have no cracks. But there is a crack in the concrete at the bottom of one of the expansion joints. Do I have to seal or patch the crack before applying the epoxy?
If so, how is the best way to do this? Do I epoxy down into the expansion joints? Or do I just epoxy the flat surfaces and leave the expansion joints open and untreated? Hello macmil and welcome to The Community! We want to help you paint your attached garage floor and have some answers for you. I contacted Behr Technical Support (1-800-854-0133) to help with the concern about the expansion joints.
You should repair the crack at the bottom of one of the expansion joints first - before applying the epoxy. (The expansion joint is used for weight distribution.) Use a filler to repair the crack. The store associates in the paint department can assist you with selecting the best filler to use. You can then epoxy down the expansion joints and the flat surfaces.
The epoxy will stay on top if the joint is filled. Do not leave the expansion joints open and untreated. There is an excellent Project Sheet at Behr’s website on “.” You will also find a list of recommended products and suggested equipment needed to complete the project. If your concrete is bare, you should clean and etch the concrete using Behr’s Concrete & Masonry Cleaner/Etcher NO. Make sure that you completely scrub and rinse – rinse – rinse when using this product.
You will then need to bind the topcoat to the concrete with a primer using Behr’s Concrete & Masonry Bonding Primer NO. If the concrete was previously painted, you will need to strip off the old coating using Behr’s Concrete & Masonry Paint Stripper No. 992 then scuff sand the concrete. If you have severe stains, you may also need to use the Behr Concrete & Masonry Cleaner/Degreaser No.
All of this preparation will create a fabulous foundation (no pun intended!) for your paint layer. I recommend applying the 1-Part Epoxy Acrylic Concrete & Garage Floor Paint since it is made for household use. It is a heavy-duty, multi-surface coating that provides a durable and long-lasting finish. There are 38 custom colors and computer matching is available. For additional slip resistance, consider adding Decorative Color Flakes or a Non-skid Floor Finish Additive No. (Note: Behr also makes a Premium 2-Part Garage Floor Coating which made for industrial or commercial usage, has better durability, lasts longer, and is stronger.) Best wishes on the garage floor project and please keep us posted on your progress!
Hello macmil and welcome to The Community! We want to help you paint your attached garage floor and have some answers for you. I contacted Behr Technical Support (1-800-854-0133) to help with the concern about the expansion joints. You should repair the crack at the bottom of one of the expansion joints first - before applying the epoxy. (The expansion joint is used for weight distribution.) Use a filler to repair the crack. The store associates in the paint department can assist you with selecting the best filler to use.
You can then epoxy down the expansion joints and the flat surfaces. The epoxy will stay on top if the joint is filled. Do not leave the expansion joints open and untreated. There is an excellent Project Sheet at Behr’s website on “How to Prepare and Coat a Concrete Surface.” You will also find a list of recommended products and suggested equipment needed to complete the project.
If your concrete is bare, you should clean and etch the concrete using Behr’s Concrete & Masonry Cleaner/Etcher NO. Make sure that you completely scrub and rinse – rinse – rinse when using this product. You will then need to bind the topcoat to the concrete with a primer using Behr’s Concrete & Masonry Bonding Primer NO. If the concrete was previously painted, you will need to strip off the old coating using Behr’s Concrete & Masonry Paint Stripper No.
992 then scuff sand the concrete. If you have severe stains, you may also need to use the Behr Concrete & Masonry Cleaner/Degreaser No.
All of this preparation will create a fabulous foundation (no pun intended!) for your paint layer. I recommend applying the 1-Part Epoxy Acrylic Concrete & Garage Floor Paint since it is made for household use. It is a heavy-duty, multi-surface coating that provides a durable and long-lasting finish. There are 38 custom colors and computer matching is available. For additional slip resistance, consider adding Decorative Color Flakes or a Non-skid Floor Finish Additive No.
(Note: Behr also makes a Premium 2-Part Garage Floor Coating which made for industrial or commercial usage, has better durability, lasts longer, and is stronger.) Best wishes on the garage floor project and please keep us posted on your progress! Hello DepotLou and thank you for joining our discussions. We are glad that you are here. You are right, jhutch, there may not be much success in either covering the cracks or with new epoxy sticking to the existing epoxy. (Welcome to The Community, too!) I am assuming DepotLou that you used the 1-Part Epoxy Acrylic Concrete & Garage Floor Paint. The instructions below will fill the cracks and finish your garage floor but you will need a little time to get the finished results. (Note: If you used Behr’s Premium 2-Part Garage Floor Coating, the following instructions will not work for you.
Please contact me for help with that product.) You will need to remove the epoxy from the area around the cracks, sand to the bare concrete, and fill in with masonry filler (patch). Your local store can recommend a Quikrete product that is best for you. Let the surface cure for 30 days or as recommended by the manufacturer. Perform a water test to ensure a porous surface: sprinkle water over the area that was filled in over the cracks. If the water is absorbed in a few minutes, you have passed the water test! If the water is not absorbed, etch the surface with Behr’s Concrete & Masonry Cleaner/Etcher NO.
991 and rinse thoroughly (following the manufacturer’s recommendations); let dry before proceeding. If necessary, use the Behr Concrete & Masonry Cleaner/Degreaser No. 990 to remove any stains.
Next you will need to prime using Behr’s Concrete & Masonry Bonding Primer NO. Now you are ready for the 1-Part Epoxy Acrylic Concrete & Garage Floor Paint. Blend the new epoxy into the existing areas. You may want to apply a thin coat over the entire surface to even the finish. Be sure to apply Decorative Color Flakes or a Non-skid Floor Finish Additive No. 970 if previously applied over the surface.
Let dry for 72 hours before allowing foot traffic and 7 days before parking the car. If the temperature is cool (below 60oF) or there is high humidity, you will need to allow the surface to dry for a longer period of time. Best wishes on your project and please keep us posted on your progress. Thank you for joining The Community. Hello DepotLou and thank you for joining our discussions. We are glad that you are here.
You are right, jhutch, there may not be much success in either covering the cracks or with new epoxy sticking to the existing epoxy. (Welcome to The Community, too!) I am assuming DepotLou that you used the 1-Part Epoxy Acrylic Concrete & Garage Floor Paint. The instructions below will fill the cracks and finish your garage floor but you will need a little time to get the finished results.
(Note: If you used Behr’s Premium 2-Part Garage Floor Coating, the following instructions will not work for you. Please contact me for help with that product.) You will need to remove the epoxy from the area around the cracks, sand to the bare concrete, and fill in with masonry filler (patch). Your local store can recommend a Quikrete product that is best for you.
Let the surface cure for 30 days or as recommended by the manufacturer. Perform a water test to ensure a porous surface: sprinkle water over the area that was filled in over the cracks. If the water is absorbed in a few minutes, you have passed the water test! If the water is not absorbed, etch the surface with Behr’s Concrete & Masonry Cleaner/Etcher NO. 991 and rinse thoroughly (following the manufacturer’s recommendations); let dry before proceeding.
If necessary, use the Behr Concrete & Masonry Cleaner/Degreaser No. 990 to remove any stains. Next you will need to prime using Behr’s Concrete & Masonry Bonding Primer NO. Now you are ready for the 1-Part Epoxy Acrylic Concrete & Garage Floor Paint. Blend the new epoxy into the existing areas.
You may want to apply a thin coat over the entire surface to even the finish. Be sure to apply Decorative Color Flakes or a Non-skid Floor Finish Additive No. 970 if previously applied over the surface. Let dry for 72 hours before allowing foot traffic and 7 days before parking the car. If the temperature is cool (below 60oF) or there is high humidity, you will need to allow the surface to dry for a longer period of time. Best wishes on your project and please keep us posted on your progress.
Thank you for joining The Community. I would recommend always using the cleaner/degreaser.
Even if a surface has never been driven on (tires are a petroleum product that drive on asphalt, a petroleum product, those same cars drop oil, a petroleum product, you get the idea) trees and plants have natural oils in their branches, bark, leaves, blossoms and fruit. The cleaner/degreaser or the cleaner/etcher will take care of any of it. When using that bonding primer, only put it on bare concrete. Where you have the existing paint at the edges of your expansion joints, you can scuff it with sand paper to help give it more tooth if you think you're going to overlap a bit onto the painted edge. I would recommend always using the cleaner/degreaser. Even if a surface has never been driven on (tires are a petroleum product that drive on asphalt, a petroleum product, those same cars drop oil, a petroleum product, you get the idea) trees and plants have natural oils in their branches, bark, leaves, blossoms and fruit. The cleaner/degreaser or the cleaner/etcher will take care of any of it.
When using that bonding primer, only put it on bare concrete. Where you have the existing paint at the edges of your expansion joints, you can scuff it with sand paper to help give it more tooth if you think you're going to overlap a bit onto the painted edge. Hello, Reading your post clears up some questions I had about redoing my garage floor. I just wanted to ask a bit more. My garage floor is painted and getting old. I power washed it and removed much of the old loose paint. I wanted to apply the 2-part epoxy paint but berfore I do, can I just sand down the old painted surface to ruff it up and then power wash it again before painting, or do I need to add the topcoat primer?
I read some horror stories of the paint not sticking and I wanted to make sure to do it right. Although I was hoping I did not have to completely strip the floor.? Thank you, Jeff. Hello, Reading your post clears up some questions I had about redoing my garage floor.
I just wanted to ask a bit more. My garage floor is painted and getting old. I power washed it and removed much of the old loose paint. I wanted to apply the 2-part epoxy paint but berfore I do, can I just sand down the old painted surface to ruff it up and then power wash it again before painting, or do I need to add the topcoat primer? I read some horror stories of the paint not sticking and I wanted to make sure to do it right. Although I was hoping I did not have to completely strip the floor.? Thank you,Jeff. You can rent a floor grinder from your local THD (guessing around $100) and just take it all down to bare concrete. Then you're assured of getting a good bond of the epoxy to the floor.
Yes it will be a bit more work, but in the long run, it will pay off. I've never liked putting a garage floor coating over an existing coating. The existing coating is the foundation of the new layer.
If it's not in good shape, you've just wasted your time and money. In my view, garage floors are one of the more difficult things to paint. Not only do you have normal foot traffic, but you have a two ton vehicle on it, with four hot tires. Not to mention all the stuff that drips off that vehicle, such as salt and petroleum products. Maybe ordjen will weigh in on this topic with some of his insight. You can rent a floor grinder from your local THD (guessing around $100) and just take it all down to bare concrete.
Then you're assured of getting a good bond of the epoxy to the floor. Yes it will be a bit more work, but in the long run, it will pay off. I've never liked putting a garage floor coating over an existing coating. The existing coating is the foundation of the new layer. If it's not in good shape, you've just wasted your time and money. In my view, garage floors are one of the more difficult things to paint.
Not only do you have normal foot traffic, but you have a two ton vehicle on it, with four hot tires. Not to mention all the stuff that drips off that vehicle, such as salt and petroleum products. Maybe ordjen will weigh in on this topic with some of his insight.
Hello Jeff and thank you for joining The Community! We are glad that you are here. Paul is right – garage floors can be a challenging surface to paint and maintain. Patience and proper preparation will pay off.
Be sure to use proper personal safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, a mask or respirator (if you are sensitive), and wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt). The Home Depot has 2 kits that use the 2-part process: Behr and Rust-Oleum. I spoke to the Technical Teams for both companies to get their responses and selected best practices for your garage floor.
Be sure to completely follow the manufacturer instructions for the product you select since there are differences between the products. Here are the helpful tips provided by the respective vendors: (Technical Support 1-800-854-0133 x 2) The Behr 1-Gallon Premium 2-Part Epoxy Garage Floor Coating is a store exclusive product. It is available in 1 gallon gray or tan. As long as the previous coating is not peeling, you are good to go.
Rough up the surface with steel wool or a wire brush (sandpaper is okay but may be a slower process). Use the Etcher only on bare concrete patches (apply, let set 10-20 minutes, then THOROUGHLY rinse off).
You do not need a floor primer; you can then paint on the surface. (Note: Bonding Primer is sold separately and used with the 1-part floor coating system.) Be sure to check that the environmental conditions are 50-80oF and less than 50% humidity.
The painted surface will dry to the touch in about an hour. If desired, you can coat with a wet look product after 4 hours (waiting 24 hours or longer will give better results). Use a fan to help dry the surface. Light foot traffic can enter the surface in about 6-8 hours while heavier traffic should wait at least 24 hours.
You can drive on the surface as soon as 3 days, but the heat from the tires has the potential to lift the surface. It is best to wait several more days under the proper temperature and humidity conditions for best results.
(Technical Support 1-877-385-8155 x 4) Rust-Oleum EPOXYShield 2-Part Epoxy Garage Floor Coating Kit is a store exclusive product. It is available in 1 gallon semi-gloss tan as well as 2 gallon high-gloss gray or tan. Make sure the floor is clean and dry. Use a wire brush to remove any loose or peeling paint or stain. If any existing areas lift or peel, the new garage floor coating will also lift and peel.
Scuff sand the floor with 60 grit sandpaper. Rinse thoroughly.
A floor sander is an excellent option to get the surface down to the concrete layer. Be sure to remove the dust and dirt (mop, rinse, and dry). You do not need to etch if using the floor sander. Once the floor is fully dry, apply the epoxy over the garage surface.
Apply in conditions that are 55-80oF and less than 85% humidity. You can walk on the surface in 24 hours and drive on the surface in 4 days. You will achieve better results if the floor can dry longer.
Best wishes on your project and please keep us posted on your progress! Hello Jeff and thank you for joining The Community! We are glad that you are here.
Paul is right – garage floors can be a challenging surface to paint and maintain. Patience and proper preparation will pay off. Be sure to use proper personal safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, a mask or respirator (if you are sensitive), and wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt).
The Home Depot has 2 kits that use the 2-part process: Behr and Rust-Oleum. I spoke to the Technical Teams for both companies to get their responses and selected best practices for your garage floor. Be sure to completely follow the manufacturer instructions for the product you select since there are differences between the products. Here are the helpful tips provided by the respective vendors: BEHR PREMIUM™ 2-PART EPOXY GARAGE FLOOR COATING (Technical Support 1-800-854-0133 x 2) The Behr 1-Gallon Premium 2-Part Epoxy Garage Floor Coating is a store exclusive product. It is available in 1 gallon gray or tan. As long as the previous coating is not peeling, you are good to go. Rough up the surface with steel wool or a wire brush (sandpaper is okay but may be a slower process). Use the Etcher only on bare concrete patches (apply, let set 10-20 minutes, then THOROUGHLY rinse off).
You do not need a floor primer; you can then paint on the surface. (Note: Bonding Primer is sold separately and used with the 1-part floor coating system.) Be sure to check that the environmental conditions are 50-80oF and less than 50% humidity. The painted surface will dry to the touch in about an hour.
If desired, you can coat with a wet look product after 4 hours (waiting 24 hours or longer will give better results). Use a fan to help dry the surface. Light foot traffic can enter the surface in about 6-8 hours while heavier traffic should wait at least 24 hours.
You can drive on the surface as soon as 3 days, but the heat from the tires has the potential to lift the surface. It is best to wait several more days under the proper temperature and humidity conditions for best results. Rust-Oleum EPOXYShield® Solvent-based Epoxy Professional Floor Coating(Technical Support 1-877-385-8155 x 4) Rust-Oleum EPOXYShield 2-Part Epoxy Garage Floor Coating Kit is a store exclusive product.
It is available in 1 gallon semi-gloss tan as well as 2 gallon high-gloss gray or tan. Make sure the floor is clean and dry. Use a wire brush to remove any loose or peeling paint or stain. If any existing areas lift or peel, the new garage floor coating will also lift and peel.
Scuff sand the floor with 60 grit sandpaper. Rinse thoroughly. A floor sander is an excellent option to get the surface down to the concrete layer. Be sure to remove the dust and dirt (mop, rinse, and dry). You do not need to etch if using the floor sander. Once the floor is fully dry, apply the epoxy over the garage surface. Apply in conditions that are 55-80oF and less than 85% humidity. You can walk on the surface in 24 hours and drive on the surface in 4 days.
You will achieve better results if the floor can dry longer. Best wishes on your project and please keep us posted on your progress!
Monday, December 27th, 2010 Posted by Use The Best Garage Floor Cleaner To Remove Stains Maintaining a clean and beautiful is very difficult. You have to identify the type of stain and use the appropriate product to remove the stains. There are different kinds of floor cleaner products available on the market today and they each have their special use. Not every cleaner will remove all types of stains. So you have to be very careful to choose a floor cleaner according to the stains found on the floor. The first step before buying the cleaner is to identify the kind of stain.
The stains could be formed due to many reasons like grease, oil, road salt, grime and other kinds of dirt which penetrate the. You should also consider the type of flooring you have used inside. If you have painted the floor you may think it is better to apply another over it to cover the stains. But if the paint does not stick properly, which it probably won’t, then your problem will be worsened and you will have to use a cleaner. Some of the different types of cleaning options which can be used include dishwasher soaps, trisodium phosphate, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, solvent cleaner, pressure washer and steam cleaner. To remove the stain, you have to first soak it up by using any one of these absorbent materials.
You can use sawdust, baking soda or cat litter over the stain and leave it for about half an hour. When the stain has been absorbed, clear the mess and dispose of it properly. You can also use a pressure washer or a steam cleaner as these will help you to avoid other kinds of cleaners. There are both toxic and non-toxic cleaners which can be used. For simple stains use the dishwasher soap solution or the trisodium phosphate. If they are not working, you can try stronger cleaners to remove the stains. Some of the strong cleaners include ammonia and bleach.
Use appropriate protective gear while using these products. If you have a concrete floor you want to use a product that has the ability to dissolve oil and grease from concrete.
You can get these from your local hardware stores. Whatever the type of cleaner you use leave it for at least half an hour on the stain and then rinse it off with water and a heavy sponge. To remove any remaining cleaner from the floor sprinkle baking soda over the area. By knowing the type of stain you can easily remove it with a proper garage floor cleaner to get a clean floor. In order to prevent your garage floor from all kinds of dirt and abuse you can either use a mat, carpet or even cardboard over it. If you find this article helpful, check out these other posts: For more information.
Recently Commented.: Hi Leonard, I would recommend an acrylic latex or latex enamel wood floor paint. Be sure your floor is.: Andy, What would you used on a wood front porch w.hich is painted and chipping off?????.: There are a variety of natural green cleaning solutions. It is hard to stay eco friendly from the carton to the.: Better if you choose a NOT rainy day to install garage floor protector.: Hi Mitzi, thanks for the question. I would say you may be happy with a clear epoxy coating over the top.