Our cars drag salt and snow into the garage each winter. We spill the occasional car oil or gasoline on the garage floor in the summer. What are the garage floor paint options?
Use latex paint for the cheapest floor protection. Use epoxy or polyurethane for a beautiful coating that provides real protection. For the utmost protection against brake fluid and battery acid, choose polyurethane garage floor paint.
Benefits of Painting the Garage Floor
Not only does garage floor paint look good, but it also saves you a ton of cleaning time.
A good concrete paint reflects light and protects the floor from spills and use.
Garage Floor Paint Improves the Appearance of Your Garage
A fresh coat of paint brightens your garage, and I don't mean that just figuratively.
Concrete absorbs light from any source, making the garage appear darker than it needs to be.
Paint reflects light, giving you more light throughout the space.
Plus, paint allows you to choose a floor color besides “concrete grey.”
Many concrete floor paints are customizable with color options.
Garage Floor Paint Protects the Floor from Stains and Dirt
A garage floor paint designed to go over concrete is excellent protection from oil spills and chemical stains. Concrete looks great when it's new, but that does not last.
You should expect garage floor paint to protect against stains and spills such as:
- motor oil
- transmission fluid
- brake fluid
- automotive grease
Painting protects the garage floor from oil spills
The garage floor paint will protect against chemicals such as:
- paint thinner
- solvents
- degreasers
- pesticides
- herbicides
- deicer (salt)
Paint protects against household product spills including those from:
- cleaning agents
- bleach
- laundry detergent
- clothes softeners
A good garage floor paint protects the concrete from automotive fluids such as:
- coolant
- power steering fluid
- windshield washer fluid
- gasoline
Some of the hardest stains to clean become easy with the right garage paint that protects the floor from organic stains such as:
- blood
- mold
- pet urine
- food
- beverages
- ice
- snow
- rain
Paint easily protects the floor from rust and metal stains including:
- tool rust
- car rust
- metal shavings
- corrosive products
Garage floor paint makes it easier to clean dirt and debris, including:
- mud and soil
- dust
- leaves
- webs and insect debris
Garage Floor Paint Protects Concrete from Wear and Tear
Concrete paint protects the floor from the driving, walking, dragging, and dropping that happens on its surface.
If applied correctly, good concrete paint will resist chipping, cracking, and peeling despite the physical assaults it receives.
The garage floor paint creates a barrier between the floor and sources of damage, including:
- dropped tools
- heavy equipment
- car traffic
- foot traffic
- scuff marks
- UV damage
Garage Floor Paint Makes the Floor Easier to Clean
Paint smoothes out the floor surface, so it's less able to grab and hold the dirt. An unprotected concrete floor makes dust, and paint seals that in.
A Painted, Smooth Garage Floor is Easier to Clean
Concrete naturally has pores and imperfections on the surface. Dirt loves to hide in these holes, and concrete has a way of gluing that dirt in.
Concrete paint fills in the pores, creating a smoother finish that is not a sticky dirt attractor.
The smooth surface is easier to sweep and mop because the broom and mop do not get caught up in the pore and imperfection network of jagged edges.
The stains and spills we discussed above are easier to clean for the same reason.
A smooth, painted surface does not allow oil and dirt to bite into the concrete and stick.
How to Choose the Right Paint for Your Garage Floor
You will choose amongst epoxy, latex, and polyurethane paint to protect your garage floor. Within each category, there are several choices.
Rather than dissecting every option, here are the pros and cons of the three most popular garage floor paint types.
The way to choose which paint is right for you is by comparing how you use your garage with the pros and cons of each.
No matter which you choose, you must prep the floor for paint.
Here are some helpful guides for paint preparation
Cleaning Guides
- Does Kitty Litter Really Clean Oil Stains?
- Don't Clean Your Garage Floor Before Seeing This
- What is the Absolute Best Garage Vacuum Cleaner in 2023
Fixing Guides
- How Do You Fix Garage Floor Spalling and Pitting?
- How Do You Fix Garage Floor Cracks?
- How Do You Fix Garage Floor Cracks?
Pros and Cons of Epoxy-Based Garage Floor Paint
Epoxy is beautiful and a horrible pain in the neck. Understand the commitment before deciding on epoxy paint.
Why You Might Love Your Epoxy Garage Floor
If you do epoxy correctly, you should expect a strong, beautiful, and long-lasting garage floor surface.
The composition of epoxy-based paint is a resin and a hardener that you mix together before application.
Epoxy paint is very durable. It's resistant to chemicals, oils, grease, spills, traffic, and abrasions.
Epoxy-based paint has a high-gloss finish that you can customize with color flakes, patterns, and non-slip additives.
Epoxy paint preparation is crucial, as we've warned many times on this website. You will clean, etch, level, repair the floor, and make sure it's dry before applying epoxy.
Epoxy paint has a long drying time, especially compared to other garage floor paints.
Why You Might Regret Choosing Epoxy for the Garage Floor
On the downside, epoxy preparation failures will cause no end of cleanup, money, and work. You must be meticulous to prepare a garage floor for an epoxy coating, or else the epoxy will peel away from the floor.
If there is water on the floor, the epoxy will bubble, and this is not something you can fix. You just have to remove it and start over.
You must clean, degrease, and etch (or profile) the floor to ensure proper epoxy adhesion. And make sure there are no coatings or sealers already on the floor! If there are, you need to remove them before starting an epoxy job.
Applying the epoxy is difficult because you have a limited time window to get the epoxy from the bucket to the floor. The two components mix to form an ever-hardening goo. If you go too slowly, the goo will get too hard to use. This is known as the epoxy “pot life.”
Epoxy can take several days to dry and cure. You do not walk or drive on it while you wait.
Excessive moisture in the concrete slab can cause the epoxy to bubble, peel, or fail to adhere. You have to mitigate the moisture before applying the epoxy.
Epoxy is a strong chemical and so has odors and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). You might find these obnoxious and uncomfortable. Properly ventilate the garage, and use personal protective equipment (PPE).
Epoxy paint can be slippery when wet, which could pose a safety hazard. Adding a non-slip additive or choosing a product with built-in anti-slip properties is essential to prevent accidents.
High-quality epoxy paint is generally more expensive than other types of garage floor paints, which may be a consideration for those on a tight budget.
Pros and Cons of Latex-Based Garage Floor Paint
Latex brightens the garage and protects the floor, but does not hold up to stress as well as epoxy and polyurethane.
Why You Might Love a Latex Garage Floor
Latex paint is a water-based acrylic coating. It is easy to work with and to clean up.
Latex paint is moderately durable, so it is suitable for medium foot and car traffic. Latex is the least resistant to chemicals and abrasions, compared to epoxy and polyurethane options.
Latex paint provides a smooth finish. You can choose from many colors to brighten the floor.
Preparation for latex paint is key to avoiding a peeling event in one to 3 years. The crucial elements of the repair and washing are providing a clean, dry surface when you start.
You apply latex paint using a roller, usually in two coats.
Latex-based paint dries fast. In a dry environment, the floor will be ready in a few hours.
Why You Might Regret Using a Latex Garage Floor Paint
While latex garage floor paint is an affordable and user-friendly option, there are several downsides to consider. With latex, you're trading a lower cost and easier handling for less durability.
Latex paint is not as durable as epoxy or polyurethane coatings. It is less resistant to heavy traffic, abrasion, and impact from dropped tools or equipment.
Latex paint has limited resistance to chemicals, such as oil, grease, solvents, and automotive fluids. Spills may cause staining, softening, or peeling of the paint.
Latex paint will not provide the same level of moisture resistance as epoxy or polyurethane coatings. Latex garage floor paint is more susceptible to water damage and mold.
Latex will peel or flake if you don't prepare the floor properly. It does not adhere to the concrete if it is dirty or wet. It will look good at first, but will soon break off in large chunks.
Due to its lower durability and resistance, latex paint requires a do-over every few years. As long as the paint is not peeling, this is much easier than applying paint to the concrete. Compared to epoxy and polyurethane coatings, latex paint has a shorter lifespan.
Latex is not as glossy as polyurethane and epoxy. You can choose between matte and semi-gloss finishes for the garage floor.
Pros and Cons of Polyurethane-Based Garage Floor Paint
Polyurethane paint is solvent-based garage floor coating. Polyurethane is different than the other choices because you can use it alone or as a topcoat over epoxy. Epoxy is already so durable that using poly over epoxy is overkill for most homes.
Polyurethane is extremely durable, with epoxy being the only coating in its class. Poly is resistant to chemicals and abrasions. You can spill an oil tanker onto polyurethane and it will be an easy cleanup.
Polyurethane paint dries into a high-gloss or satin finish. Unlike epoxy, poly is UV-resistant and so it neither fades nor yellows when exposed to the sun.
Surface preparation for polyurethane paint is the same as for epoxy: get it wrong and you will waste a ton of money and elbow grease. It involves leveling, repairing, etching, washing, and drying.
Use a roller to apply polyurethane, usually in two coats.
Polyurethane takes a few days to dry.
Why You Might Regret Choosing Polyurethane Paint for the Garage Floor
Polyurethane paint is generally more expensive than latex paint and may be costlier than some epoxy paints. You do get durability in return for the higher cost.
Failure to prepare the floor for polyurethane's needs will cause deep regret. The preparation for polyurethane is the same as for epoxy. The concrete floor must be cleaned, degreased, leveled, repaired, dry, and free of any existing coatings or sealers.
Polyurethane application is more complex than it is for latex. Poly often has a limited pot life, so it's like epoxy in this way too. You have to get the polyurethane on the floor in a limited time, or the mixture will harden.
Solvent-based polyurethane paints emit strong odors and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during application and curing. You must have good ventilation and wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
Polyurethane paint takes several days to dry. You cannot use the garage floor for any reason during this time.
So Which Paint Should You Choose for Your Garage Floor?
Compare your situation to the scenarios here to help you decide which type of paint to use on your garage floor.
When to Choose Latex Garage Floor Paint
Choose latex garage floor paint for light traffic and the lowest costs. Temper your expectations for high gloss and durability.
Choose latex paint for budget jobs. Latex is the cheapest of the three types of garage floor paint.
Choose latex for the easiest possible application procedure. Latex requires a clean floor, not one blessed by the Virgin Mary.
Latex paint is easier to apply than epoxy or polyurethane paints. This is because it has a simpler, single-component formula. You can apply latex on your schedule, without worrying about “pot life.”
Choose latex paint if you need to use the garage floor as soon as possible. Latex paint dries in a few hours, although you'd be wise to wait at least a day before walking on it, and 3 days before driving on it. Your floor will dry more slowly if it's humid outside.
Use latex paint if you want a floor coating without fumes and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Latex is friendly to the nose and lungs. Open a window or two to get some fresh air. You won't need personal protective equipment or strong fans to survive the fumes.
When to Choose Epoxy Garage Floor Paint over Polyurethane
There are specific reasons why one might choose epoxy or polyurethane paint to coat a garage floor, as each offers different advantages:
Choose epoxy for a self-leveling coating. Epoxy can level out garage floor areas that are uneven. It is more forgiving than polyurethane when coating low and uneven spots.
Choose epoxy for a thicker coating. Epoxy's thickness provides some additional protection over polyurethane.
Choose epoxy for a lower cost compared to polyurethane paint.
When to Choose Polyurethane Garage Floor Paint over Epoxy
Choose polyurethane if the garage floor is exposed to the sun between 10 am and 2 pm each day when the ultraviolet rays are the strongest. Polyurethane paint offers excellent UV resistance. Epoxy will yellow under UV stress, but polyurethane will not.
Choose polyurethane over epoxy if the garage experiences major temperature fluctuations. Polyurethane is better able to protect the floor from the freeze-thaw cycle contraction and expansion that results in cracks.
Choose polyurethane over epoxy if the garage has high traffic, heavy tool use, or any activity that could result in floor abrasions. Polyurethane paint has superior scratch and abrasion resistance compared to epoxy.
Choose polyurethane over epoxy if the garage floor is exposed to gasoline spills, organic solvents, brake fluid, battery acid, strong cleaning agents, or aircraft hydraulic fluid. Epoxy and polyurethane are resistant to grease and oils, but these particular fluids can harm epoxy floors.
Summary
Latex garage floor paint is easy to use, and the cheapest option, but has limited durability.
Epoxy and polyurethane are handsome floor coatings that require a dry, clean floor for proper adhesion.
Both are resistant to many chemicals, but polyurethane is the strongest of the two.
