Floor Paint - which is best ?

[pubrunner]

Hi All,

I've decided that I'd like to smarten up my garage and give the concrete floor a coat (or two ?) of paint. Can anyone recommend a suitable floor paint ? Would it be advisable to go for an oil-based paint or would water-based be as good ? (I don't want to use one of those mega-expensive two-pack paints).

I'd be pleased to know how your floor painting experiences might have gone, any hints/tips would be much appreciated.

 

[Gareth]

I used regal floor paints for my current workshop, and it's been down 12 months now and I have no complaints: I do a lot of welding, grinding and general fabrication work. It is a little bit worn around the chop saw area, but that is because it is the one area in the workshop where cutting coolant is splashed, and I don't have a rubber mat to stand on while working there.

http://www.regalpaints.co.uk/anti-slip-floor-paints.html

In a previous life when the company I was working for was in the processes of being bought out, we had to repaint all the workshop and factory floors to the colours of the new owners. The factory was cleared, deep cleaned and the floors undercoated. it was a thursday afternoon and we were painting towards the main access door ways so that when finished the paint could be left over the weekend to dry before the production areas, walkways and forklift roadway could be painted the designated colours.

A workmate and I decided to have a little fun ....... and painted a murder victim outline on the floor. We had just finished this when my manager came down on to the shop floor with the board of directors of the new owners. I was asked what was that on the floor, to which I replied "that was the last unauthorised person to walk through the factory doors that I had to deal with."

 

[pubrunner]

Thank's for the info. and the link, Gareth ; it is good to hear of personal experiences of doing the job.

 

[siadwell]

No experience of this one, but from Thursday this week, Lidl has 5 litre cans of Baufix "Liquid Plastic Floor Coating", which seems a good price when compared to floor paint at B&Q. Described as "high-quality protective coating for sealing and coating concrete/screed floors or fibre cement panels", it appears to have a gloss finish, though.

 

[pubrunner]

Lidl has 5 litre cans of Baufix "Liquid Plastic Floor Coating", .

That's interesting, I'll see what I can find out about it; thanks for taking the trouble to post a reply

 

[Night Train]

No experience of this one, but from Thursday this week, Lidl has 5 litre cans of Baufix "Liquid Plastic Floor Coating",

I might have to look into this one.

My metalwork shop has a concrete floor that I painted over 12 years ago. I only gave it 2 coats of B&Q grey and it has been fine except where there has been impact damage and abrasion from dragging metal over it. It is due a repaint in those areas.

I do like a smooth shiny floor in a light colour hence going for a light grey finish, not so keen on the dark brick red look. I used the same grey floor paint in my woodwork shop and that has been great over the last 6 years.
I have also used green floor paint to paint MDF boards used in workshop and shed cabinets in the past, seals it up nicely and is hard wearing.

 

[Gareth]

Yes!

I also like the smooth, shiny, light grey floor paint: Very hard wearing, easy to keep clean, and it's also easy to find that small part or screws when you accidentally drop them.

 

[swee'pea99]

A workmate and I decided to have a little fun ....... and painted a murder victim outline on the floor. We had just finished this when my manager came down on to the shop floor with the board of directors of the new owners. I was asked what was that on the floor, to which I replied "that was the last unauthorised person to walk through the factory doors that I had to deal with."

Reminds me of a brilliant story I heard once, about a guy who while on National Service was given the job of repainting the 4" white line that marked the perimeter of the parade ground. He managed to get right round to the starting point, half way along the 'this end' line, before he stumbled, knocking the paint can over. He looked at the spreading puddle in horror, then, thinking quickly, painted it into a neat one yard x one yard square. No-one ever mentioned it. And when he paid a visit 30 years later, he was delighted to find an immaculately-painted 4" line right round the parade ground, complete with an equally immaculate one yard square.

 

[siadwell]

Just been in to Lidl and looked at the Baufix paint. Alas in the small print at the bottom, it states "Not suitable for garage floors". Dunno why, but there you are.

 

[Hacienda71]

I would go for this

Gives a real sense of depth.