Sealing garage floor
Discussion
Just found a new garage that I am renting, it is pretty dry but I think a bit of humidity is coming through the concrete floor. Would sealing it somehow help? I was literally thinking of diluting some PVA with water, probably 1 part PVA to 10 water and spraying it or brushing it on the concrete floor. Would this help seduce the moisture coming through?
Or would I be better with some garage floor paint like this? I hear that they peel up pretty easily though..
http://www.decoratingwarehouse.co.uk/buy/paints--c...
Or would I be better with some garage floor paint like this? I hear that they peel up pretty easily though..
http://www.decoratingwarehouse.co.uk/buy/paints--c...
jackpe said:
Just found a new garage that I am renting, it is pretty dry but I think a bit of humidity is coming through the concrete floor. Would sealing it somehow help? I was literally thinking of diluting some PVA with water, probably 1 part PVA to 10 water and spraying it or brushing it on the concrete floor. Would this help seduce the moisture coming through?
Or would I be better with some garage floor paint like this? I hear that they peel up pretty easily though..
http://www.decoratingwarehouse.co.uk/buy/paints--c...
Don't know about the above paint, but about 15 years ago I used a Johnstons garage floor paint (white spirit based), applied as directed (1st coat thinned with WS) and it lasted 5 years with a lot of use, and no peeling. With hindsight I'd have mixed some sand or similar into the final coat, 'cos if a walked in the rain from outside the wet feet made it lethal. Otherwise it was great - preparation (as with most of these things) is key.Or would I be better with some garage floor paint like this? I hear that they peel up pretty easily though..
http://www.decoratingwarehouse.co.uk/buy/paints--c...
You need to do both. Floor paint will peel as it doesn't grip to the slightly powdery surface of the concrete. You need to mix a PVA wash to seal the concrete, do a couple of coats letting it dry fully in between, then a couple of coats of floor paint (I second Johnsons, very good). I did my garage 3 years ago like this and it only has a couple of small scuffed areas from the odd axle stand & trolley jack scrape. My final tip would be to leave a carpet tile under each wheel if you leave the car for any periods of time, such as winter, as the one thing that can pull the paint off is tyres sticking when they are left in one spot for a while.
Roy C said:
I very carefully sealed the concrete floor of my garage (2 coats) and then used garage floor paint (2 coats). It lasted about a year. 
I suspect that a successful outcome depends on the nature and condition of the concrete itself.
I think must be the case Roy. I painted my garage floor with Wickes garage floor paint 15 years ago and only last year did I feel the need to refresh it so I used the same again. Originally it was bare concrete which was about 15 years old. I just swept it first and brushed it on with a £2.99 nylon broom which I chucked away afterwards. I suspect that a successful outcome depends on the nature and condition of the concrete itself.Rubin215 said:
Liberal doses of spilled oil and grease will render the concrete impermeable to damp...
It's worked for me at our current place place.RichB said:
I think must be the case Roy. I painted my garage floor with Wickes garage floor paint 15 years ago and only last year did I feel the need to refresh it so I used the same again. Originally it was bare concrete which was about 15 years old. I just swept it first and brushed it on with a £2.99 nylon broom which I chucked away afterwards.
Last house was a newbuild and I painted the floors myself. Despite sweeping them, in hindsight, I think the concrete was too new to take the paint, because it flaked like a b
d and, if you bought the car in with hot tyres, would stick to the treads.PVA is water soluble, so if the floor is damp it will soften and allow the paint to lift. I treat concrete like new plaster- thinned down first coat of paint to soak in, then 2 full strength coats. I read somewhere on here someone cleaned a new concrete floor with an acidic brick or patio cleaner to open the surface up - seems a sensible option.
"I think a bit of humidity is coming through the concrete floor."
If it is, then there isn't a damp course under it. Paint on it will just well up into big wet blisters. Only cure is to dig it up and install a waterproof membrane, sorry.
But that would be so expensive that coat of PVA might be worthwhile first. PVA cheap.
John
If it is, then there isn't a damp course under it. Paint on it will just well up into big wet blisters. Only cure is to dig it up and install a waterproof membrane, sorry.
But that would be so expensive that coat of PVA might be worthwhile first. PVA cheap.
John
PVA is water soluble, so if the floor is damp it will soften and allow the paint to lift. I treat concrete like new plaster- thinned down first coat of paint to soak in, then 2 full strength coats. I read somewhere on here someone cleaned a new concrete floor with an acidic brick or patio cleaner to open the surface up - seems a sensible option.
Another way of doing it if your going to rent for a good while, ie to get your monies worth,is to treat the floor as you would in your house.Coat the floor over with a latex smoothing compound & then coat with a surface dampproof epoxy membrane (2 coats) .You,ll end up with a smooth ,dry bomb proof surface.Obviuosly this will cost a bit more than paint,but in the long run it will work out cheaper .
Stegel said:
PVA is water soluble, so if the floor is damp it will soften and allow the paint to lift. I treat concrete like new plaster- thinned down first coat of paint to soak in, then 2 full strength coats. I read somewhere on here someone cleaned a new concrete floor with an acidic brick or patio cleaner to open the surface up - seems a sensible option.
PVA is water soluble when in it's wet mix bit once it has cured it is supposed to be waterproof, not seen anything to say it is not... Huff said:
Concrete really is essentially waterproof and vapour tight once cured; I'd look everywhere but the floor for moisture/water ingress problems.
The largest surface temparature swing and therefore condensation problems are actually likely to come from the roof for a start.
I am also going to insulate the roof, however there seems to be little or no condensation there. The concrete floor is however quite thin and I do think moisture is seeping through.. If it had been done properly that would not be the case but in this garage I think it is.The largest surface temparature swing and therefore condensation problems are actually likely to come from the roof for a start.
jackpe said:
I am also going to insulate the roof, however there seems to be little or no condensation there. The concrete floor is however quite thin and I do think moisture is seeping through.. If it had been done properly that would not be the case but in this garage I think it is.
Condensation can often appear to be rising damp - Put a ceramic tile on the floor and leave it overnight, by midday if you see damp on top it's condensation, underneath it MAY be rising damp. We had this happen in a room and were worried it may be rising damp, but the 'tile test' confirmed it was merely condensate. One a rad was in the room and a carpet fitted all was ok.
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