If you are looking to paint your garage floor there are a few things to know before you get started. A variety of different products exist for this purpose such as inexpensive garage floor paint and concrete sealer which are usually pretty basic in nature. The other option is floor epoxy which is more sophisticated and expensive. Epoxy is great because it has a glossy smooth finish that is very easy to clean.
Before you start you need to get your floor clear and clean. Everything must be out of your garage in order to start the process. Items can be left hanging on the wall however you should remove anything off the wall that you may need before any paint or epoxy is done drying. Cleaning the garage floor may also require special solutions. Muriatic acid is a popular product for both etching the cement and cleaning deposits of oil or other substances that may have soaked in to the cement. Even if your garage is brand new you still need to do this in order to etch the cement. This gives the paint or epoxy something to adhere too.
Drying time will vary based on the product you get and how many coats you put on. Paints will dry and cure faster than epoxies which need about 48 hours to fully cure to be driven on. Paint is much cheaper and quicker to put on however a painted surface can be more difficult to clean. Epoxy is more difficult to put on and takes longer to dry however it is much easier to maintain. It will take about two gallons to do an 800 square foot floor space with epoxy which can retail for about 100 to 150 dollars. This does not include the cost of any solutions used to clean the floor.
If you need more information about flooring ideas, check out floors-web.com, an informational site with postings from users about everything flooring. You can find tips and tricks for common jobs and learn what to avoid.