The Best Garage Floor Coatings As Decided By Real Customer Reviews

A bare concrete garage floor can easily start looking tired. Everything you spill on it soaks in and leaves stains, plus it will likely crack and start breaking up before too long. When you try to sweep it, you'll probably get a lungful of dust. There are pros and cons to painting your garage floor, but modern garage floor coatings can be convenient, cost-effective, DIY solutions that are hard-wearing, attractive, and easy to clean. They can even boost your home's resale value.

The challenge you face is selecting the right one among dozens of acrylic stains and paints, one- and two-part epoxies, and other coatings. To find answers, we researched customer reviews from major online retailers Amazon, Lowe's, and The Home Depot. If we focus purely on the number of reviews, then across those three stores, the best garage floor coating is Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield. However, the figures alone only tell part of the story. To confirm which is the best garage floor coating, we have to search beyond the number of stars customers leave and take a look at a few of the key details they mention.

While two-part epoxies like the one from Rust-Oleum are among the best types of paint to use on garage floors, there are several popular products that are more affordable, so we ought to consider those, too. At The Home Depot, the most reviewed concrete floor coating is Behr Granite Grip. Over 4,000 people have left comments, and while many were positive, close to 25% rated it only 1 star out of 5. Poor coverage was a common complaint. Over at Lowe's, KILZ Decorative Concrete Coating appears to be a similar product but has too few reviews to properly judge its performance.

We certainly shouldn't ignore KILZ, though, because over at Amazon, KILZ 1-Part Epoxy Acrylic Concrete and Garage Floor Paint has 2,700 ratings averaging 4.4 out of 5 stars. It's also very affordable. Typical feedback is that application is easy, if a bit time-consuming; it's also low-odor and dries quickly. Only 7% of respondents left give negative reviews, most of which related to adhesion. This is hardly an uncommon problem, and while the product may be at fault, these ratings also underline the fact that proper preparation of your garage floor's surface is absolutely vital. In this case, we recommend using a paint stripper, and depending on the existing surface, possibly a degreaser and an etch.

If you're looking for a garage floor coating that consistently performs well across all three top online retailers, nothing comes close to Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield. It has thousands of reviews averaging higher than 4 out of 5 stars. There are a couple of different pack sizes to cater to different-sized garages. The majority of customers think this product works perfectly, looks great (metal flakes are included, though using them is optional), and is very strong. However, some reviewers found it lumpy and difficult to work with. On balance, though, it certainly appears to be one of the best flooring options to consider for your garage.

There is another Rust-Oleum garage floor coating out there, and it may be even tougher than EpoxyShield. Rust-Oleum RockSolid Polycuramine is the brand's proprietary blend of epoxy, polyurea, and urethane that claims to offer industrial-grade durability. Like EpoxyShield, this is a two-part product with thousands of reviews. However, while the majority are positive, more than 10% of buyers were unhappy for two major reasons. First, coverage was much lower than expected, leading to increased costs (and this product is already more expensive than the brand's EpoxyShield). Second, customers report having to wait a week or more for this coating to fully cure, which is far longer than the one-day waiting period advertised on the packaging. The numbers suggest that this product is popular, but based on reviews, Rust-Oleum EpoxyShield appears to be the best garage floor coating for the majority.