concrete garage floor not sealed

Lexie_M

hoping for some expert advice on unsealed concrete floors please. I live in a new built house and the garage floor has not been sealed by the builder so the concrete is constantly dusting. I have asked them to seal it using concrete sealant but they seem reluctant to do this. Should I be concerned about the dust? Will it contain silica and can this be harmful to children if breathed in? Is there any building regulation about concrete garage floors?

LandyAndy

I painted my garage floor with Garage Floor Paint. Not terribly expensive and a day's work to do a large double garage.

Be sure to keep the door open while doing it, the fumes are strong.

[Deleted User]

Hi,


I did mine with PVA first to seal it then did it with the garage floor paint.

Lexie_M

thank you both. does the floor need to be sealed before painting?

[Deleted User]

Hi,


not really, but my thinking was, seal it first with PVA, then paint and one coat of paint did the job for me, whereas it might've taken two coats of paint.


PVA is cheap, you dilute it with water to use as a sealer, and you can pour it down and spread with a roller.


You can do paint with a roller as well, though I did my garage on hands and knees using a four inch brush.

king132

I'm all for DIY and im sure you've done a great job but PVA'ing anything before painting is a big no no!

Paint will look like its adhered to the PVA but over time it will start flaking and you'll end up having to do it again.

What you need is a proper floor sealer like an aryclic primer or something. This stuff actually absorbs into the concrete and creates a good surface for the paint to stick to....

Have a look at this.

https://www.diynot.com/diy/threads/mist-coat-or-pva-bare-surface-basics.425261/

OP - you can buy a £12 - 2.5 litre of Secrete Arcylic Primer (green stuff) from Wickes. Mix it 3/1 with water and roller it over your concrete floor. This will stop all that dust kicking up and prep your floor ready for paint or anything else.

[Deleted User] wrote:

Hi,


not really, but my thinking was, seal it first with PVA, then paint and one coat of paint did the job for me, whereas it might've taken two coats of paint.


PVA is cheap, you dilute it with water to use as a sealer, and you can pour it down and spread with a roller.


You can do paint with a roller as well, though I did my garage on hands and knees using a four inch brush.

phill99

You don't even need to paint it. Just seal it with dilute PVA and that will be adequate to stop it off dusting.


I think you're over-reacting as there will be plenty of concrete that you come into contact with on a daily basis that hasn't been sealed that hasn't killed you yet. Or your children.