Workshop paint

[19eddie82]

Having just moved into my first own garage and started a business everything is going great, works picking up and the money's starting to come in, I wanted to put my own personal touch into the garage and I've decided to paint the outside and inside, having chosen my colour scheme and design ( white on top blue on the bottom and grey floor) the next part is proving to be a bit of a pain, I have absolutely no idea why sort of paint to use, I thought I could just use gloss but some one said it flakes off in the sun, I was told masonry paint is ok but weathers after a while so I'm a bit stuck as to what sort of paint to get.

I need somethin that can be wiped down or hosed once a week is hard wearing and bright, could I use floor paint on the walls and floor inside and out or is there anything else I should be checking for before I buy paint and start the job.

The walls are already painted by the way.

 

[BPJOOP93]

I used semi gloss bright white paint and so far it cleans easy and reflects light very good

 

[19eddie82]

Is that just on the walls? I wanted a really hard wearing paint for on the floor in a mid grey, I don't wanna be re-painting every 3 months so want somethin that's gonna last. Does it have to be sealed or somethin?

 

[nickleone]

Do Not paint the floor. It will wear off. And look bad
Epoxy?? or cement stain.

Nick

 

[19eddie82]

It's been previously painted, but it looks like it's been a few years ago and it's all worn off so wanted somethin that's gonna cover properly. I also need to know if I need to treat the walls or just slop the paint straight on.

There are patches where the paint has started to flake off and the gutters where damaged so I had a couple of patches of damp. Would this have to be sealed with a pva?

Sorry if these are stupid questions but I've no idea how I should be treating it or painting it, and as its my new garage I really want it too look good, for my self and also for potential customers.

 

[19eddie82]

Do Not paint the floor. It will wear off. And look bad
Epoxy?? or cement stain.

Nick

When you say epoxy? What dyu mean? I've seen epoxy in online listing but thought that was just a topcoat or sealer to apply over the floor paint!

 

[rburke65]

Milage may vary but painted floors in a garage do not usually hold up too well.

 

[kwb]

Polish the concrete if you want a finish on the floor that will last.

When done well it actually isn't as slippery as concrete that is trowelled very smooth.

Looks good, cleans good, holds up.

Do not paint/coat a working floor after concrete cures. There are a few finishing agents that are good if applied as floor is finish trowelled.

 

[19eddie82]

Im getting conflicting advice off people, I've been told to re point the walls fill in the cracks in the floor bond using pva and then use the floor paint and it will be fine. Then I got told to use epoxy rather then floor paint. Somebody told me emulsion or water based paint will be fine.

As I said Ive just started trading so although I want the garage to look the part I also can't afford to break the bank just yet. I'm thinking floor paint for the outside half white half blue, it's just the floor and the inside that's causing me a massive headache.

I'd prefer to pay a professional to do it, at least then if I'm not happy I can ask their advice, but as I'm doin it on my own every one I ask for advice is giving me different answers.

 

[maxpower_hd]

I have seen "epoxy paint" applied to several industrial floors and once it is painted you end up painting it just about yearly to keep it looking good. If you have anything other than foot traffic I would use an actual two stage epoxy floor coating and not ANY paint. If you cannot afford the epoxy right now you can certainly paint it but bear in mind you will be doing it again in the not so distant future.

With what I have seen, if I couldn't afford the actual epoxy coating then I would leave it until I could and just paint the walls for now and do the floor later. UCoat It is one DIY brand, Armorclad is another. There are also companies that apply a chemical resistant one that holds up well but is pricey. I had one done where I work now and it was in the thousands for that. But it is very thick and tough as nails.

For the interior and exterior walls I would recommend going to a local paint supply store and telling them your needs. They will recommend the best option. My thought is they will tell you to use exterior semi-gloss on the outside and interior semi-gloss on the inside in a brand such as Sherwin Williams or California. They will also help with color selection and coverage as well.

 

[19eddie82]

I did exactly as you say and went to my local trade paint supplier, the guy in there pretty much had no idea an told me that a lot of garages use floor paint and that once I knew what sort of paint I wanted I should go back and he could help me out!

Im obviously gonna be keeping it touched up, and although I'm hoping for heavy vehicle traffic I think 3-4 cars a day is about as busy as I'm gonna get so I think to start off with I'm just gonna have to go for floor paint on the floor and a semi gloss for the interior and exterior walls!

Thanks for all the help, ile post some before and after pics soon as!

 

[neilc]

I would not do just regular floor paint. It won't hold up. I tried that several times before going a different route. Hot tires will cause paint to buckle. Moving tools or machinery will cause it to chip.

As with any paint, surface prep is really important.

I have an epoxy floor in my garage and a polyurea floor in my basement workshop. Both professionally applied. I'd recommend the polyurea over epoxy personally. It's similar to what you see with spray-on truck bed liners - durable but flexible. Drop a wrench on it and it has a softer 'thud'.

As I recall, the steps they took were to sand the entire floor with a concrete abrasive sander and vacuum, then fill any imperfections, apply the first coat, then a second coat, then sprinkle color chips, then top coat with a clear coat.

Epoxy we had to stay off of for a week. Polyurea I could move stuff in after a day.

Epoxy after about 10 years is chipping and showing wear. Polyurea still looks great after three years.

You might google polyurea vs epoxy to learn more about the alternatives.

 

[Charlie51]

What did they use on the floors of the old Texaco gas stations? The ones I remember had a red floor, and I remember them rather dirty, but not peeling.

 

[nadogail]

Good polyurethane paint holds up well, last time I priced it, 1997, it was over $100 per gallon at Grainger.

 

[OldracerJones]

I would suggest the flooring forum, we have dozens of posts concerning this exact subject. You can see from the pic I used two stage epoxy and it has worked out great for everything except welding on it.

 

[zcar751]

Eddie - You didn't mention if the shop was new or previously used. This makes a difference when preping serfaces. If the concrete is fairly oil and grease free then you shouldn't have too much of a problem. If the floors are oil soaked don't waste you time. My experiance with painting truck shops and commercial buildings over the years has shown me that you are better off not painting a concrete floor unless you use a good epoxy finish and then you are looking at repainting every three to five years primairly where your tire lanes are. My suggestions is strip and sand the floors then tape off your tire lanes and paint the rest of the floor with expoy. Then finish the tire lane with concrete sealant. If you go this route Rustoliume's epoxy floor finish will work fine.
For walls you can use simi-gloss latex paints, you just need to properly prep them prior to paint. Remove any flaking paint and apply a borax solution and then rinse well works fine. The better the prep work and quality of paint = longer lasting paint job.

 

[ryburns]

Sherwin Williams 'Mindful Gray' on the walls, Sherwin Williams 'Extra White' on the ceiling and trim, both in flat, and slate gray Swisstrax on the floor. Can't go wrong...

 

[Bluedodge]

Eddie - You didn't mention if the shop was new or previously used. This makes a difference when prepping serfaces. If the concrete is fairly oil and grease free then you shouldn't have too much of a problem. If the floors are oil soaked don't waste you time....

Is your garage newly built or new to you? Was it previously used as a shop? Did you buy it or are you leasing it?

If there is oil already in the concrete, you're not going to get anything to stick to it; the old oil will slowly yet continuously work its way to the surface and de-bond whatever paint / poly / epoxy you try to put on there. Some guys try to burn out the old oil with a propane torch, but unless you know how much grease and oil are in your concrete, you could just end up spinning your wheels. Some guys try to lift the oil out with degreasers or diatomaceous earth. Same thing. You may get the oil out of the top 1/4 inch and think you're good to go, only to have oil from deeper in the concrete rise to the surface.

For your walls - are they drywall? Concrete block? Steel?