Painting a garage, store room, workshop or utility area is a simple way to transform a tired concrete floor. The right single-pack floor paint can help reduce dust, improve appearance and make the surface easier to clean.

However, single-pack floor paint isn't designed for every floor or every level of traffic. Choosing the right coating for how the space will be used is just as important as preparing the floor correctly.

What is single-pack floor paint?

Single-pack floor paint is a ready-to-use coating that doesn't require a separate hardener or activator. This makes it straightforward to apply, particularly for smaller domestic and light-duty projects.

Coo-Var's single-pack floor paints are suitable for foot and light traffic, making them ideal for applications such as:

• Garages with light use
• Store rooms and storage areas
• Utility rooms
• Sheds and garden buildings
• Light-use workshops
• Light traffic commercial areas 
• Areas where reducing dust and improving appearance is the main objective

The important point is light traffic. A single-pack floor paint isn't a substitute for a heavy-duty epoxy system where floors are regularly exposed to vehicles, forklifts, machinery, aggressive chemicals or significant abrasion.

Solvent-based vs water-based floor paint

Coo-Var offers both solvent-based Floor Paint and water-based Acrylic Floor Paint. So, which should you choose?

Solvent-based Floor Paint

Coo-Var Floor Paint is a single-pack, solvent-based coating with a semi-gloss finish. It can be used internally or externally on suitably prepared concrete, wood, metal and GRP.

It provides a traditional general-purpose floor coating and is suitable where a straightforward, durable finish is required.

Choose a solvent-based floor paint when:

• You want a traditional solvent-based coating
• The area has good ventilation
• Drying time isn't a major consideration
• You're coating a compatible existing single-pack floor coating
• You're looking for a versatile coating for light traffic

Because it is solvent-based, make sure the area is properly ventilated during application and drying.

Water-based Acrylic Floor Paint

Coo-Var Acrylic Floor Paint is a water-based, single-pack coating designed for applications where low odour and faster drying are important. It's suitable for concrete, wood, asphalt, tarmac and other suitably prepared surfaces.

It is particularly useful for garages, store rooms and workshops where you want a straightforward coating with less solvent odour.

Choose a water-based acrylic when:

• Low odour is important
• You need a faster-drying coating
• You're working indoors
• You want an easy-to-apply water-based system
• You're coating surfaces such as concrete or tarmac

How to paint a garage or store room floor

1. Prepare the floor

Good preparation is essential. Remove everything from the area and thoroughly sweep or vacuum the floor.

Remove oil, grease, dirt and other contamination using a suitable degreaser or oil remover. Allow the surface to dry completely.

Smooth concrete may need mechanical preparation or acid etching to remove laitance and provide a suitable key for the coating.

If the floor has existing paint, remove any loose or flaking material and abrade the sound coating before applying the new paint. Always check compatibility with the existing coating.

2. Check for damp

Don't paint over a damp problem. Concrete needs to be sufficiently dry before applying a standard floor coating.

If moisture is coming through the floor, investigate the cause first. Depending on the situation, a different preparation or coating system may be required.

3. Apply the first coat

Apply the appropriate primer or thinned first coat according to the product's technical data sheet.

Use a suitable roller or brush and apply an even coat. Avoid applying the paint too thickly in an attempt to achieve coverage in one coat.

4. Apply the second coat

Once the first coat has dried sufficiently, apply the second coat.

Drying times vary according to the product and conditions. Coo-Var Acrylic Floor Paint dries significantly faster than the solvent-based Floor Paint, making it a useful choice where you need to get the room back into use sooner.

Always follow the product's technical data sheet for recoat and curing times.

When is single-pack floor paint suitable?

The easiest way to think about single-pack floor paint is light-duty protection.

It's a good option for:

If a garage is mainly used for storage, occasional DIY or light foot traffic, single-pack floor paint can be a practical and economical choice.

But if you're regularly parking vehicles, working on machinery, moving heavy equipment or dealing with oil and chemicals, a more durable coating system like a two pack epoxy floor paint is likely to be the better option.

What about anti-slip floors?

Standard floor paint doesn't automatically provide an anti-slip finish.

If the floor is likely to become wet or slippery, consider a dedicated anti-slip coating. Coo-Var's Anti-Slip Acrylic Floor Paint provides a textured finish designed to improve slip resistance for areas where additional grip is required.

Single-pack or two-pack?

It ultimately comes down to the demands placed on the floor.

Single-pack floor paint: straightforward protection for foot and light traffic.

Two-pack epoxy: higher-performance protection for heavier traffic, abrasion and more demanding environments.

There's little reason to specify an industrial epoxy system for a lightly used store room if a single-pack coating will do the job. Equally, using a general-purpose floor paint in a busy workshop could mean replacing the coating sooner than expected.

The key is to match the coating to the traffic, wear and contamination the floor will experience.

Ready to paint your garage or store room?

Coo-Var's single-pack Floor Paint and Acrylic Floor Paint provide straightforward solutions for light-duty floors, with solvent-based and water-based options to suit different applications.

If you're unsure which coating is right for your floor, speak to the Coo-Var technical team for advice on preparation and the most suitable coating system.

Explore the Coo-Var floor paint range.