Concrete garage floors and driveways encounter more than their fair share of chemicals, including car grease, bug sprays, stored fertilizers, and more. But one of the hardest substances to deal with can be paint. Whether you’re storing old paint just in case (or because city trash services won’t take it) or you’re in the middle of a painting project, dripping paint can suddenly ruin your concrete surface, no matter how well you thought it was covered.
In this quick guide, learn some helpful tips about how to remove spilled paint before it dries or long after it’s set into the concrete. We also discuss a surefire way to protect your garage floor from any paint stain: a protective garage floor coating.
HOW TO GET FRESH PAINT OFF CONCRETE FLOORS
If you just tipped over a paint can or accidentally dripped paint onto the garage floor and you’re wondering how to get paint off of the concrete floor, here are some quick and easy steps:
- Remove excess paint. Paint is often too thick to seep into the concrete immediately. Use a scraper or thin piece of plastic to lift off as much paint as possible without spreading it around. Once you’ve removed as much as possible, use a paper towel to blot up more.
- Use acetone. In a well-ventilated garage, you can apply acetone to the stained area. Let it sit for five minutes. Then scrub it away. Ensure you wear gloves, a respirator mask, and goggles or other eye protection when working with acetone. If a stain remains, apply more acetone, let it sit, and then scrub it away.
HOW TO GET OLD PAINT OFF CONCRETE FLOORS
If you walk into your garage and find old paint stains, there are quite a few different strategies you can use to remove the stain. These are:
- Use a chemical paint stripper. Your local home improvement store will have lots of different paint strippers, ranging from caustic and thin liquids to eco-friendly gels. Different paint strippers will work best for different types of paint, so choose the right fit for the type of paint and your preferences. Apply the paint stripper according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Power washing or pressure washing. This option is generally preferred for driveways, not for garages. But you can clean away inset paint stains with highly pressurized jets of hot or soapy water. This process can also remove dust, dirt, and other stains.
- Grinding. If your concrete surface is heavily damaged by stains, you might consider professional grinding as a solution or how to get paint off concrete. This will remove a thin sliver of the top of the concrete along with the stain, but it can be the first step in repairing or restoring the floor.
BE PROACTIVE—HOW TO MAKE SURE PAINT NEVER TOUCHES YOUR CONCRETE FLOOR
The best way to get paint off the concrete floor is to never let the stain happen in the first place. Professional concrete floor coatings are a hard, durable layer that locks onto your concrete floor, protecting it from stains, water, impact damage, and other common types of damage. When Shark Floor Coating® protects your garage floor, the paint never reaches the concrete. Instead, you can simply mop away wet paint or scrap off dry paint without all the fuss.
REACH OUT TODAY TO START INSTALLING YOUR PROTECTIVE SHARK COATING
Transform your garage with professional Shark Floor Coatings® that shield the floor from damage and look great from every angle. Reach out today to schedule an appointment and pick a color or pattern that suits your style.
Image Credit: Doralin Samuel Tunas / Shutterstock