The Best Garage Floor Paints For A Showroom Finish
Five tough floor coatings that turn dusty grey concrete into a clean workshop or parking space.
Our quick verdict
Our pick of the best garage floor paint is the Polar Heavy Duty Garage Floor Paint, because it went on easily and looked great on our floor, and its chemical-resistant polyurethane copes with oil drips. If you want the walls and floor in one colour, the Everbuild Polyurethane Floor Paint is the better choice, as it goes onto brick as well as concrete.
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Our Picks At A Glance
- Check price of Polar Heavy Duty Garage Floor Paint
Best Overall
Polar Heavy Duty Garage Floor PaintGarages with a car parked inside that need a tough chemical-resistant finish
- Check price of Everbuild Polyurethane Floor Paint
Most Versatile
Everbuild Polyurethane Floor PaintPainting garage floors and brick walls in a matching colour
- Check price of Johnstone’s 307938 Paint For Garage Floors
Best All-Rounder
Johnstone’s 307938 Paint For Garage FloorsConcrete floors where a semi-gloss finish and oil resistance matter
- Check price of TA Paints Concrete Floor Paint
Best Colour Selection
TA Paints Concrete Floor PaintWorkshops and garages where colour choice comes first
- Check price of Leyland Trade 264619 Floor Paint
A garage that houses a car needs a different paint from one used as a workshop. Hot tyres and oil drips call for a tough polyurethane formula and a long wait before you drive on it, whereas a workshop floor can put colour choice and price first. Shine is the other trade-off, because a semi-gloss wipes clean but turns slippery under wet shoes.
We've painted the concrete floors in several of the garages we look after. The five below include budget greys, wide colour ranges and a paint that also goes onto brick walls.
How We Tested These Garage Floor Paints
Several of the rentals and Airbnbs we look after have garages attached, and there's another at the DIY Works office, so we've painted a number of concrete floors. Grey is our favourite colour for a garage floor, though most brands offer other shades.
We judged every paint on the finish, how easy it was to roll out, how far it went and how it stood up to cars and foot traffic afterwards. The first photo below shows a tin of Ronseal Diamond Hard, a paint from our wider testing that isn't in this list, and the second shows a garage partway through painting, with the shelving still in place and carpet offcuts down to walk on.
Our biggest tip for anyone doing this for the first time is to put the roller on an extension pole. You'll cover the floor much faster and your back will thank you. Keep a brush for the edges along walls, around the door frame and in the corners, and our roundups of the best paint rollers and best paint brushes cover the options.
Alongside our own floors, we compared each paint's resistance to oil and grease, drying time, colour choice and value. Coverage and drying figures come from the brands, and we've said where that's the case.
The Best Garage Floor Paints We Recommend
All five paints are made for concrete garage floors, and a few also work on stone, brick or timber. Allow for two coats when you work out how much to buy.
Best Overall
Polar Heavy Duty Garage Floor Paint
Best for: Garages with a car parked inside that need a tough chemical-resistant finish
Check Price On AmazonPolar makes specialist coatings, and its Heavy Duty Garage Floor Paint gives a hard-wearing polyurethane finish that resists chemicals. It went on easily and looked great once dry, and at its price it gets close to the finish of dearer paints.
The one thing to plan for is curing time. Polar says it's touch dry in 2 to 4 hours, but it took a while longer to dry right through before we were happy to drive a car onto it, so don't paint the garage the day before you need it. It goes as far as anything here too, with Polar quoting 12 square metres per litre, and it works on stone as well as concrete. It comes in grey, white or yellow, in 5, 10 or 20 litre tins.
What we like
- Chemical-resistant polyurethane finish
- 12 square metres per litre according to Polar
- Touch dry in 2 to 4 hours according to Polar
- Easy to roll out on concrete and stone
- 5, 10 and 20 litre tins
- Grey, white or yellow
What to know
- Took longer than the touch dry time before we'd park a car on it
- Only three colours
Our verdict
Polar Heavy Duty is the floor paint for a garage that actually has a car in it. The chemical-resistant polyurethane copes with oil drips and spills, and it holds its own against a lot of dearer paints. The only lesson we learned was to give it extra time to harden before driving back in. For a shinier semi-gloss, Johnstone's is the one to pick.
Most Versatile
Everbuild Polyurethane Floor Paint
Best for: Painting garage floors and brick walls in a matching colour
Check Price On AmazonEverbuild's solvent-based polyurethane floor paint goes onto concrete, stone and brick, which are all the surfaces you'll find in a typical garage. Because it suits brick as well as concrete, it can also take the garage walls in the same colour as the floor.
Everbuild says it resists oil, abrasion and dilute acids and alkalis, and it's touch dry in 2 to 4 hours. We'd apply it by brush or roller. The brand quotes 10 square metres per litre, which is lower than Polar, Johnstone's and Leyland, so you'll need more tins for a big floor. It's one of the dearer paints here as a result.
What we like
- Goes on concrete, stone and brick
- Resists oil and abrasion according to Everbuild
- Touch dry in 2 to 4 hours
- Brush or roller application
- Gave a matching finish on our garage floor and walls
What to know
- 10 square metres per litre is lower than most paints here
- Works out one of the most expensive for a full garage
Our verdict
Buy Everbuild if you want the walls and floor in one colour, or your garage has brick or stone surfaces to cover too. Budget for extra tins, as it doesn't go as far as the others. For a floor-only job, Polar Heavy Duty covers more per litre, and Leyland Trade is cheaper.
Best All-Rounder
Johnstone’s 307938 Paint For Garage Floors
Best for: Concrete floors where a semi-gloss finish and oil resistance matter
Check Price On AmazonJohnstone's makes this paint specifically for concrete garage floors, and it dries to a semi-gloss finish that looks smart and wipes clean easily. It resists oil and grease, so drips from a car or mower don't soak into the floor.
Johnstone's quotes 11 to 12 square metres of coverage per litre, and there's a choice of colours and tin sizes, including dark grey, dark green, black, white and tile red. Plan for two coats. It costs more per litre than Polar and Leyland, and what you get for that is a shinier, easier-to-clean floor.
What we like
- Resists oil and grease spills
- Smart semi-gloss finish
- 11 to 12 square metres per litre according to Johnstone's
- Five colours including tile red and black
- Choice of tin sizes
What to know
- Dearer per litre than Polar and Leyland
- Needs two coats
Our verdict
A semi-gloss floor that a mop actually cleans is what you get from Johnstone's, and the oil and grease resistance suits a garage with a car or mower in it. Expect to pay a bit more per litre and to put on two coats. Tile red and dark green give you something other than grey if you want it. If the budget's tight, Leyland Trade costs less.
Best Colour Selection
TA Paints Concrete Floor Paint
Best for: Workshops and garages where colour choice comes first
Check Price On AmazonTA Paints is the one to look at if grey doesn't appeal, with 26 colours to choose from, the widest choice in this list. Tins run from 1 to 20 litres, so you can buy just enough for a small garage or a large workshop.
It's also usable on wood, metal, stone and brick, which helps if you want to paint benches or shelving to match. TA Paints quotes a fast 90 to 120 minutes to dry and it goes on by brush or roller. Coverage is 8 to 10 square metres per litre, the lowest in this list, so it gets expensive on a large floor.
What we like
- 26 colours to pick from
- Tins from 1 to 20 litres
- Dries in 90 to 120 minutes according to TA Paints
- Also works on wood, metal, stone and brick
- Brush or roller application
What to know
- Lowest coverage here at 8 to 10 square metres per litre
Our verdict
TA Paints is the one for a garage or workshop in a specific colour, or where you'd like to paint other surfaces to match. On a large floor, the low coverage adds up. If grey suits you, Polar or Leyland Trade will go further for the money.
Best Value
Leyland Trade 264619 Floor Paint
Best for: Budget garage floor makeovers in a choice of greys
Check Price On AmazonLeyland Trade's floor paint is one of the cheapest ways to paint a garage floor, but it still gives a hard-wearing satin finish that copes with mild chemical spills. It works on concrete and wooden floors.
Leyland quotes 11 square metres per litre, which is good for a budget paint. Colours are slate, frigate and nimbus grey. The thing we noticed on our floor was that it lacked slip resistance once dry. Leyland does sell a non-slip version for a little more, which is worth it for a garage you walk through in wet shoes.
What we like
- One of the cheapest garage floor paints
- Hard-wearing satin finish
- 11 square metres per litre according to Leyland
- Suits concrete and wooden floors
- Three shades of grey
What to know
- Lacked slip resistance once dry on our floor
- Only grey shades
Our verdict
On a tight budget, Leyland Trade gets you a hard-wearing grey satin floor as one of the cheapest paints here, and it still covers a good area per litre. Our floor lacked grip once dry, so if you're in and out of the garage in wet shoes, pay a little more for Leyland's non-slip version.
What To Look For In A Garage Floor Paint
Garage floor paints vary a lot in how tough they are, how far they go and what they need underneath. Weigh up the following before you buy.
Resistance To Oil, Fuel And Tyres
If you park a car in the garage, the paint has to cope with hot tyres, oil drips and the odd fuel spill. Polyurethane and other heavy-duty formulas, such as Polar, Everbuild and Johnstone's, resist oil and grease better than general floor paints. Hot tyres can lift a weak paint, so leave the floor to cure fully before parking on it.
Coverage And How Much To Buy
Measure the floor, divide by the coverage on the tin and multiply by the number of coats. Coverage on the paints here ranges from 8 to 12 square metres per litre, according to the brands, and bare, porous concrete drinks more on the first coat. Large tins, such as Polar's 20 litre option, save money on a double garage. Any leftover keeps for touch-ups, and our guide to how long opened paint lasts explains how to store it.
Finish And Slip Resistance
Semi-gloss finishes look smart and wipe clean, but they can feel slippery when wet. Satin is less shiny and hides marks better. If you'll be walking in with wet shoes, buy the non-slip version where the brand sells one, as Leyland does.
New Concrete And Floor Prep
Concrete must be fully cured and dry before painting, and a new slab needs time to dry out properly. Our guide to how long concrete takes to dry covers the waiting time. On an older floor, sweep and vacuum thoroughly, degrease any oil stains and fill cracks. A floor that's uneven or badly pitted is better levelled first, and our guide to using self-levelling compound shows how.
Test for damp by taping a square of plastic sheet to the floor overnight. If there's condensation underneath in the morning, the floor needs more time or a damp-proof treatment before any paint will stick.
Painting The Walls To Match
A painted floor with tired, dusty brick walls still looks unfinished. Some floor paints, such as Everbuild and TA Paints, also go onto brick. Otherwise, a good masonry paint from our pick of the best masonry paints brightens the walls and stops them shedding dust.
Common Garage Floor Painting Questions
How long after painting a garage floor can you drive on it?
Leave a painted garage floor longer than the touch dry time before driving on it, because the paint needs to harden fully to cope with tyres. Check the tin for the brand's full cure time. With Polar Heavy Duty, we waited well beyond the 2 to 4 hours touch dry time before parking a car, as hot tyres can lift paint that hasn't cured.
Do you need to prime a concrete garage floor before painting?
Most garage floor paints don't need a separate primer, but bare, dusty concrete benefits from a thinned first coat or the primer the brand recommends. Check the tin, as some paints want a sealer on new or powdery concrete. Clean, degrease and dry the floor before the first coat, whichever approach you take.
Can you paint over an old painted garage floor?
You can repaint a garage floor that's already painted if the old coating is sound. Scrape off any flaking areas, degrease the floor and scuff glossy patches with sandpaper so the new coat bonds. Check that the new paint is compatible with the old one, as a solvent-based paint can lift some water-based coatings.
How many coats of garage floor paint do you need?
Two coats of garage floor paint give the most durable finish on most concrete floors. The first coat soaks into the porous surface and the second builds up a hard-wearing layer. Johnstone's garage floor paint needs two coats, and bare or dusty concrete benefits from a second coat whichever paint you use.
What's the best way to roll out garage floor paint?
Use a roller on an extension pole for the main floor and a brush for the edges. The pole lets you stand upright and get across the floor far quicker, while the brush gets along the walls, into the corners and round the door frame where a roller can't reach. That's our biggest tip for first-timers, and it works with any of the paints in this roundup.
Is Johnstone's Paint For Garage Floors worth paying more than Leyland Trade?
Johnstone's Paint For Garage Floors is worth the extra if you want a semi-gloss floor that a mop cleans easily and that resists oil and grease. It costs more per litre than Leyland Trade, which is one of the cheapest options here. Leyland's floor lacked slip resistance once dry on ours, and Johnstone's comes in five colours rather than three greys.
Can I paint the garage walls to match the floor?
Yes, if you use Everbuild Polyurethane Floor Paint. It goes onto concrete, stone and brick, so the same paint can take the walls and the floor, which is how we did it at one of our properties. Everbuild quotes 10 square metres per litre, lower than Polar, Johnstone's and Leyland, so budget for extra tins.
Is a semi-gloss garage floor slippery when wet?
They can be, especially underfoot in wet shoes, even though a semi-gloss looks smart and wipes clean easily. If you walk in with wet shoes, buy the non-slip version where the brand sells one, as Leyland does. Our Leyland Trade floor lacked grip once dry, so we'd pay the little extra.
Our Pick For Garage Floor Paint
Polar Heavy Duty Garage Floor Paint is our top choice, with a chemical-resistant finish and coverage as good as anything here. Johnstone's Paint For Garage Floors is the alternative for a smarter semi-gloss look.
On a tight budget, Leyland Trade gives a hard-wearing grey satin for less, and Everbuild is the one to choose if you'd like the walls to match the floor.
Eddie spent five years as a self-employed painter and decorator before going part time to become one of the main writers at DIY Works. From garden fences to mist coats on fresh plaster, painting and decorating is his speciality.