painting garage floor, how do i test for moisture?

C

coupe

New member
My *Home Depot 3-2-1* book says to tape down a 4'x4' sheet of some kind, dosent really say what it is or where to get it.



How do i test for moisture?
 
Just use a sheet of visquine. Seal it down with tape on all sides and if you have condensation under it, you have moisture coming through the concrete.
 
kompressornsc said:
Just use a sheet of visquine. Seal it down with tape on all sides and if you have condensation under it, you have moisture coming through the concrete.
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What he said.

Or you can always use a moister tester. They are not cheap but can probably be rented or borrowed.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
What is visquine? And if you have moisture coming through, then what? You can't paint? You have to give up?
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Visquine is plastic basically. Use a plastic drop cloth.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
Hey Coupe, so if you get moisture under the plastic, can you still paint, but you have to do another step first, or what?
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According to my *home depot 3-2-1* book (highly recomend for home owners, its a GREAT book) it says if there is moisture then you cannot paint. I dunno if that is true or if there is away around it. It dosent touch this subject very much/well.



So from what i understand i can use any plastic and just tape it down on all sides.

What i still need to know is how long i leave it taped down for and if i can do this in the winter, my garage is unheated.
 
I have never been very successful with paint or even clear sealer on my garage floor. I don't know if it's from moisture, improperly cured concrete, some other concrete problem, or road salt and stuff from before I tried to paint/seal it. Went through all the etching/cleaning, but I still get tons of spalling and dust.
 
Any type of plastic will work. Cut a garbage bag or something. I would do it for 24 hours. Tape down all the edges so any moisture that comes through the floor can not escape. What type of paint are you using? I would stick with the epoxy paint, the other types chip off and don't last. Rustoleum makes a epoxy kit that looks pretty good. Did you plan on painting it this winter? I would wait till summer to paint it for sure. If you wanted to do the test now that would be alright, but do it in the summer also.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I have never been very successful with paint or even clear sealer on my garage floor. I don't know if it's from moisture, improperly cured concrete, some other concrete problem, or road salt and stuff from before I tried to paint/seal it. Went through all the etching/cleaning, but I still get tons of spalling and dust.
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Moisture might be your problem. I really dont know becuase im trying to learn how this all works with paint concrete.



Danase said:
Got heat in the garage?
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Unfortunately no. I do have a forced air heater that puts out 30K BTU's though.





BlueZero said:
Any type of plastic will work. Cut a garbage bag or something. I would do it for 24 hours. Tape down all the edges so any moisture that comes through the floor can not escape. What type of paint are you using? I would stick with the epoxy paint, the other types chip off and don't last. Rustoleum makes a epoxy kit that looks pretty good. Did you plan on painting it this winter? I would wait till summer to paint it for sure. If you wanted to do the test now that would be alright, but do it in the summer also.
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I was thinkin i would use a garbage bag.

I will test it now and in the spring to make sure.

I was planning on buy a 2 part epoxy, i havent bought any yet though becuase i dont know what my moisture situation is yet.
 
I suggest U-Coat It. They make good products and are a Michigan based company. They should also be able to help you with any questions.
 
I did a little checking. "Apply when air (ambient) temperature is 60-100°F (16-38°C) and relative humidity is below 85%. Minimum floor temperature for painting is 60°F (16°C)."
 
Danase said:
I suggest U-Coat It. They make good products and are a Michigan based company. They should also be able to help you with any questions.
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Where are they located? Do they have a site?





BlueZero said:
I did a little checking. "Apply when air (ambient) temperature is 60-100°F (16-38°C) and relative humidity is below 85%. Minimum floor temperature for painting is 60°F (16°C)."
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Sounds like im gonna have to waite till spring to test, dang.
 
Coupe said:
Niiiiice, little pricey but very nice.
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If you want a cheaper option, check out the Rust-Oleum Epoxy Shield. I've seen it at Menards for $60-$90. There are a few different grades and options. I've never used the stuff but it looks pretty decent.
 
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