"Is Garage Floor Paint
A Viable Finish
For Your Garage Floor?"

Garage floor paint is one of the finish applications for residential garage floors that falls into the category of topical coatings. How well it will bond to your garage floor will depend upon how well you clean and etch your surface prior to the application of a bonding primer and, if you have a vapor barrier such as polyethylene under the surface of your concrete floor to prevent moisture penetration through the concrete that could ruin the bond of the primer.

This vapor problem often occurs with basement garages where a portion of the garage flooring is below the surrounding grade level. It can also occur in an attached garage that sits entirely above grade. You can perform the moisture test illustrated on our Epoxy Garage Floor page to learn if you have a moisture problem under your concrete garage floor. You will have to use your best judgment based upon the moisture test results to determine if your garage floor is a good candidate for a topical coating finish.

Once you have decided to move forward with using garage flooring paint for a finish, the following are good steps to follow in the application process.

Cleaning And Etching

Depending on what brand product you purchase you should follow that brands recommended surface cleaning and etching procedures using whatever etching solution the brand recommends. Usually, this etching product is a chemical solution containing a small amount of acid that will etch the surface of the garage flooring concrete with minute scars that a primer will lock into. Follow all safety precautions when using these type of solutions.

Concrete And Masonry Bonding Primer

Behr® Products offer a primer for porous concrete and masonry surfaces that works well with their topical finishes. It is a ready to use, water based pre-treatment designed specifically to promote optimum adhesion. When properly applied, this primer provides a sound surface with excellent resistance to water, alkali and efflorescence. It improves the adhesion of Behr® paints and stains by binding together loose particles, according to the manufacturer. It should not be used with 2-part epoxy coating finishes.

1-Part Epoxy Concrete & Garage Floor Paint

Behr® Products offers a 1-Part Epoxy garage garage flooring paint for porous concrete that is water-based. It resists marring and hot tire pick-up, chemical spills, oil and gasoline. It comes in a satin finish that also resists scuffing, cracking, fading, peeling and blistering. A number of enhancement additives are available such as a non-slip surface agent that helps prevent slip when the floor is wet. This product is designed for residential use and not industrial or fork-lift traffic. It can be used over the bonding primer mentioned above and is for interior or exterior applications.

You should follow all label instruction for all of the above mentioned products and talk with your local authorized Behr® dealer before purchasing or applying these products to your garage floor. They have special knowledge and training that can aid you in getting a professional looking result, and a long wearing finish application.

For more information on application procedures, read our pages supporting our Epoxy Garage Floor page linked at the bottom of that page.

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