Garage floor coating and garage floor epoxy
A coated garage floor stops the dust, shrugs off oil and cleans with a mop. Done for you, it's €30 to €50 a m² for a two-coat epoxy and €60 to €100 a m² for flake. A DIY kit costs about €7 to €8 a m² in materials, and the grinding is the part that decides whether it lasts.
Free, no obligation. One local installer prices it, not five.
Done for you or DIY
| Compared | Done for you | DIY kit |
|---|---|---|
| Cost, single garage (18 m²) | €540 to €1,800 | €7 to €8 a m² in paint (two 5 L tins, about €220 ex VAT), plus tool hire |
| Prep | Diamond grinder with dust extraction | Etching or a hired grinder |
| The coating | Two-pack epoxy, often a polyaspartic or PU top coat | Two-pack epoxy floor paint |
| Flake or anti-slip | Yes, broadcast and sealed in | Some kits, by hand |
| Moisture test | Yes, before the price | Up to you |
| Time | One to two days on site, then the cure | A weekend, then the cure |
| If it lifts | The installer comes back | You grind it off and start again |
Honestly: a careful DIY job on a dry, bare, ground slab can last years. Most failed garage floors failed at the prep, not the paint.
Why garage coatings peel
- Hot tyres. Tyres come in hot and soft. On a weak or single-pack paint they pull the coating up in patches. Two-pack epoxy and polyaspartic top coats resist it.
- Damp. Garage slabs often have no damp-proof membrane. Moisture coming up pushes the coating off. Tape a square of plastic to the floor for a day: if it's wet underneath, the slab needs a damp-tolerant primer first.
- Oil. Old oil soaks into concrete. It has to be degreased and ground out, or nothing sticks.
- Old paint. A new coating is only as good as the paint under it. Old paint comes off.
- Cold. Most epoxies won't cure properly below 10°C. An Irish garage in January often is.
Which finish for a garage
- Flake is the usual garage choice: it hides dust, tyre marks and the odd chip. See flake floors.
- Solid grey or charcoal is plainer and costs least.
- Anti-slip grit in the top coat for a floor that gets wet from cars, dogs or a sink.
- Metallic for a show garage or a gym, not for a working one.
What your garage costs
| Garage | Roller coat | Flake |
|---|---|---|
| Single, about 18 m² | €540 to €900 | €1,080 to €1,800 |
| Double, about 36 m² | €1,080 to €1,800 | €2,160 to €3,600 |
| Large or a workshop, about 60 m² | €1,800 to €3,000 | €3,600 to €6,000 |
Our multiplication of the guide rates, before VAT. Measure length times width.
Your floor, coated
Take a photo of the garage or the room, pick a finish and a colour, and see it before anyone quotes. Free, in under a minute.
- Upload a photo, or answer four quick questions.
- We pass it to one installer that covers your county.
- They ring you with a written price.
Preview of your photo, not a guarantee. Your photo goes to Google's Gemini service to make the picture.
A photo that works
- Daylight, or every light on.
- From the doorway, so most of the floor is in the shot.
- Cars, bikes and boxes can stay where they are.
- Hold the phone at chest height, level, not pointed at your feet.
Questions people ask
Which coating lasts on a garage floor?
For most garages, a two-pack epoxy on a diamond-ground slab, with flake and a UV-stable top coat. Single-pack paints lift under hot tyres.
How long before I can park on it?
Walk on it after about a day at 20°C. Most installers say keep the car off for about a week, until the full cure. Polyaspartic top coats are faster.
Can you epoxy over a painted garage floor?
Not safely. The old paint is ground off first, or the new coating is only as good as the old paint's grip.
Will it work in a cold garage?
Below 10°C most epoxies won't cure properly. Installers heat the space or wait for milder weather.
Get a price for your floor
Four taps and your number. It goes to one vetted epoxy flooring installer that covers your county, and they ring you back to look at the floor and give you a written price.
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Get a free quote for your floor
Four taps and your number. One vetted epoxy flooring installer that covers your county rings you with a price. Nothing is agreed until you accept it.