How to Refinish a Concrete Garage Floor
- 1). Sweep the floor with a broom to get rid of any loose dust. Pay particular attention to the corners.
- 2). Mop the floor with warm water and a mild detergent to remove any tougher dirt and debris prior to refinishing. You need the floor as clean as possible. Treat any existing stains with a concrete solvent such as muriatic acid to remove them. Follow all instructions on the container and wear rubber gloves because the solvents are very corrosive.
- 3). Apply a stripping compound to the floor with a clean mop if the floor has been sealed in the past. It is important to remove any previous floor coverings. Some strippers will require dilution ahead of time and others won't so read the instructions and verify the stripper is intended for concrete. Start in the far corner and mop backwards to the door so you don't get stuck. Stripping compounds are highly corrosive so avoid skin contact. Allow the stripper several minutes to seep into the floor and then rinse it with a hose before picking it up with a mop, wringer and bucket.
- 4). Fill any cracks in the floor with an epoxy sealer and sprinkle sand onto the epoxy before it dries, which will help it bond to the new coat you will be applying.
- 5). Mix an epoxy coat by mixing epoxy paint with the hardener in accordance with the paint instructions. Stir the mixed epoxy for three minutes to ensure the hardener is thoroughly mixed in and then let it sit for thirty minutes. Keep it out of the sun.
- 6). Paint the edges of the garage with epoxy using a brush. Use a roller to apply the epoxy paint to the floor, starting in the far corner and moving backwards towards the door. Paint in square sections, going over each section twice with the second pass made perpendicular in direction to the first. Wait 24 hours for the first coat to be completely dry and then repeat the process to put a second coat on.
- 7). Prepare the top coat once the epoxy paint has completely dried. As before, you will add the hardener to the clear top coat and stir it for three minutes before letting it sit with the lid on for 30 minutes.
- 8). Paint over the epoxy paint with the top coat in the same fashion as you did when using the epoxy paint. This coats the epoxy with a clear coat for further protection against moisture and damage. You'll only have two hours or so to get the top coat applied before it becomes unusable. Once applied, allow the top coat 24 to 76 hours to dry before walking or driving on the floor.
