Dusty concrete is a real nuisance and covering it with a concrete floor paint helps to keep it clean and looking great too. The concrete floor in your garage, cellar or utility room will really benefit from a makeover with Garacoat Garage Floor Paint.

This was originally developed for industrial use, but here is a version specially formulated so you can paint concrete in your home. It may not withstand a regular pummelling from a forklift truck, though we doubt you had that use in mind. However it will handle the daily comings and goings of the the family 4x4 and more without breaking sweat.

It's our number one best seller and rightly so. Here's why:

It's an epoxy resin, which means it is avery hard wearing floor paint, which is long lasting and easy to clean, Say goodbye to stubborn oil stains on your garage floor - you can simply wipe them off with Garacoat

Can be applied over existing floor paint coatings to save you time

Garacoat is virtually odour free so won't get up your nose

Garacoat can be applied to floors that have underfloor heating

If you've previously painted a concrete floor with a non-epoxy resin you are probably disappointed with the results? Don't despair, you''ll be amazed at how effective Garacoat is, because it's a quality hard wearing floor paint not some inferior concrete floor surface.

Some people wonder why they should pay £55 for Garacoat. Basically, with floor paints, as with many other things in life, you get what you pay for. With cheaper paints you will be repainting every whipstitch so they cost you more in the long run in terms of money and time. When you come to think about it, £55 for covering a floor is very good value - you couldn't carpet your lounge for that amount.

Some people baulk at using an epoxy resin because it comes in two packs that need mixing together and they think that it all sounds very complicated. We really urge you not to be put off because it really isn't difficult to mix two packs together and then apply the product as you would any other paint.

The results in terms of looks, longevity and ease of cleaning will make you pleased that you used a superior hard wearing floor paint.

Case Study
A customer had painted his garage with a one-pack concrete floor paint and was really disappointed that when he drove his car over it with hot tyres (which was most of the time as he is an on the road sales rep) the paint came off. After applying Garacoat he hasn't had this problem anymore.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

To see how much Garacoat you need for your project and for advice on painting in the winter please click the Preparation & Application tab

Preparation
N.B. Garacoat should only be applied in temperatures above 10°C or the paint won't dry properly and will remain tacky.

Before starting you will need to ensure the surface is dry, clean and doesn’t have any loose or flaky parts on it. You’ll also need to roughen any existing painted surfaces so that the paint adheres

If your concrete is new you’ll need to leave it for at least four weeks and then treat the surface with Etch It to get rid of excess alkalinity.

If your surface is oily then Clean It will take care of that.

How Much Garacoat Do I need?
Two coats of Garacoat should ideally be applied to give a first class finish – especially if you are applying it to bare concrete.However, you will get away with one if the surface to which you are applying it is of a similar colour and in a reasonable condition. Each unit of Garacoat is made up of a tin of epoxy resin hardener and a separate tin of base. Once you have mixed the two tins together you get two hours to apply it before it hardens.

Theoretically, you should buy two units of Garacoat, one for each coat. Fine if your floor area is around 30m² (322 sq ft), but if you just have a small area to do, you could end up with some waste.

Here is a tip to save you money. If you have up to 15m² (160 sq ft) you could cover this with two coats using one unit if you very carefully halve the contents of the resin and hardener tins and treat them as two separate mixes, one for each coat. Give the contents of each tin a good stir before halving them and avoid dividing them further since an imbalance of hardener to resin may stop the coating hardening properly.

So, if you have a floor area up to 15m² (160 sq ft) perhaps a small single garage or utility room, you could order one unit of Garacoat and halve the contents to provide two coats.
For areas above 15m2, you would always need a minimum of two units.

Mixing
Garacoat garage floor paint is a two-part product consisting of a resin and a hardener, which are supplied in separate tins. The small resin tin should be decanted into the large tin containing the hardener and mixed thoroughly to achieve an even colour and consistency. Stir the floor paint well, but please don't thin it. Continue mixing until an even colour and consistency are obtained.

Application
Apply with a medium pile simulated sheepskin roller, working well into the surface of the concrete. Do not exceed the maximum coverage of 30m² per 5 litre pack, per coat. The product will darken slightly as it cures and it should not be over rolled. The second coat can be applied as soon as the first coat is dry (generally 12-18 hours) and should be applied within 5 days. If more than 5 days elapse, the first coat should be lightly abraded before the second coat is applied.

You can, under normal temperatures, bring the area back into use somewhere between 16-36 hours. However, the lower the temperature the longer the drying time.

Winter Application Advice
A question we are often asked is, ‘Should I paint a concrete floor in the winter?’ As people who sell floor paints, you might expect a resounding ‘Yes’ from us. However, whilst you can certainly carry out this kind of task in cold weather, you will need to be aware of the following:

We don't advise you to paint floors at temperatures lower than 10°C, which means the air temperature needs to be 15°C. To check, lay a thermometer on the floor. To raise the temperature you will need an electric blower, which can be hired from HSS etc. The golden rule is, heat the floor not the air, but by heating the air you will heat the floor. Don’t use a heater to dry the paint as this will affect the final finish.

If you can’t do this, then we recommend you leave the project until the spring.
If you do paint at less than 10°C then the paint will still go down, but will take longer to dry and will be more prone to scruffs and stains. In the cold or damp, it can dry to a matt finish, which you may not want.

On the whole, you will probably have more success painting in the winter if your garage is integral to your house. Stand alone garages are likely to be colder.

There is no reason not to buy your paint now though, as its shelf life is 2-3 years providing you don’t let it freeze.