How bad is just normal old concrete paint?

[Chargin8]

Im looking to jazz up my floor and have looked at just using waterbased paving paint. Its made by white knight and isnt cheapo paint so should be reasonable quality. I dont know if I can be bothered with epoxy or tiles so was wondering how just using paint would go?
I do a lot of metal work in my workshop but I wont be painting that area, this will be mainly for spills, sweepup and so I can see the reflection of my chrome wheels in the floor... LOL
Does normal concrete paint just lift/wearout really quickly?

[Chargin8]

Anyone? Is epoxy/tiles the only option?

[Luckydevil]

Honestly I would probably just leave it plain rather than paint it. If you are going to do the prep work in getting the floor ready for the paint then you might as well just use the epoxy. I'd be wary of the paint because of how thin it is. At the very least go for an epoxy based paint and not water based.

Hope that helps.

[krooser]

If you prep for a good job you had might as well use the best product...

[gb387]

I agree with the others... Many years ago my father painted the garage floor (prior to Epoxy, at least easily available) and it lasted a short time. Peeled up and looked worse than normal concrete.

[RonBou]

Years ago when I was working in gas stations we used to use "concrete floor paint" on our bays. It required repainting every 6 months and although ypu won't have the same amount of traffic as a gas station floor you will find that just the heat from tires after a long ride will start lifting pain in spots and it does wear in the high traffic areas. Use epoxy!

[Uncle Buck]

When I was a kid, dad painted the floor in the garage with oil base floor enamel, it did'nt take long for paint to start peeling. In 1997 I got my new garage and decided to go the same way my dad did. I thought the only reason he had problems was no proper prep of floor prior to painting. I was wrong, I pressure washed the garage, etched the floor with muratic acid then painted the floor with oil base floor enamel, I had no better luck than my old man, and today, you cannot even tell I ever painted the floor in the high traffic areas. If I had it to do over, I would not even waste the time, money or effort to paint the floor, I do way to much welding, fabrication work, painting and various other activities that would scar,mar or otherwise destroy even an epoxy paint job!

[red caddy]

I'm placing the slab for the new 36 X 60 shop next week, the plan is to wet cure for 15 days, then sand/grind the surface as smooth as I can get it, and roll out 2 coates of a surface sealer like Thompson's water seal. I had considered a coat of tung oil over the sealer, and still might, depending on how dirty the floor is after a couple of months of use and how much dusting or spalling I have. I fab racecar's and street rods so I expect the constant welding and grinding to take a heavy toll on the floor and want it easy to clean and as stain resistant as possible. I don't think any of the "high zoot"epoxy finishes would stand up to the welding /grinding/dragging/cutting /and burning. This is a workin' shop, not a show place, but I will put a "race deck" type floor in the machine shop and around the engine dyno, for a non slip walking surface. Anybody see any weak spots in this plan? RED

[Uncle Buck]

Actually sounds quite logical. I fully agree that no sweet finish will stand up to the punishment if you do alot of fab/weld work. I would use Home Depots Bahr product instead of Thompsons though, Thompsons has been riding on their name for years, look around, there are many products better than Thompsons!