Preparation is important when applying floor paint. You can only expect a surface to stay in place, if its substrate is permanent. If the substrate crumbles or moves, your surface and floor paint will move with it. After 40 years of application practice, flooring experts have developed application preparation procedures that minimize the risk of substrates moving. Floors that are new are especially vulnerable and require extra preparation before painting the floor. While a new concrete floor is dusty for the first couple of years while the latent of concrete on the surface are kicked, walked, or driven off. The latent must be removed before quality topcoats are applied; or the topcoats will move with the latent as they break free from the substrate.
Cleaning first with a high pH or alkaline degreaser attacks oil and grease contaminants while moving the floor pH higher will do wonders for the floor paint finish. And afterwards you put on a low pH acidic cleaner that attacks minerals, rust and other particles. That makes your pH jump 10 points or better to shock contaminants loose from substrates. An acidic cleaner should have detergents, rinse agents and water softeners blended into it so that it is formulated to do the best job possible. It is very important to bring the pH back to normal 6.5 or 7 pH after cleaning, using a scrub rinse.
If you have ever tried to run your fingers across your car after pressure washing it; you know that it still has a thin layer of road film on it. That is because surface tension holds even high pressure from penetrating the road film. You must break the surface tension with contact during all three steps of cleaning. The more aggressive the contact the better for removing concrete latent, small particles of concrete that are ready to break of to become that endless dust coming off unquoted concrete floors.
You should be careful relying on retail store clerks alone, to help you with a floor that will be used for the next 10 to 20 years. Now a day’s factory-direct kit of materials including step-by-step instructions and a 24/7 online help are now on hand. With these resources, you can put quality floor paint down in your garage that will last for many years. Like with a car finish, you may get some scratches and marks, but likewise a car finish, a little touching up can keep the floor paint looking good for many years.