Guys,

The concrete base which my garage sits on has been previously painted and badly done! It is peeling and lifting in places. I assume it was not sealed before the painted was laid down. I know garage floor paint was used as the can has been left. Simply painting the floor again will only lead to more issues and the same issues.

The base is roughly 8x4m, so its a fair size. I don't want to to hire a concrete polisher given the cost and the levels of dust they create. Also, I font want to use loads of chemicals to strip the paint. It does not need to be a mirror finish job, just tidy and not peeling.

My thoughts are:

Tool up with the right PPE. :-)

1, Pick a small area which is affected. Probably 1x1m and give it a good scrub with a wire boom.
2, Seal the area with a water and PVA mix. I would like advise on the ratio.
3, Leave it to dry and them apply a decent paint and monitor before attempting the rest.
4, Once painted maybe add more PVA and water to apply a top coat seal.

Thoughts?

Thanks
Ash

If the paint is having issues because the concrete is damp, there is not much you can do without adding a damp proof membrane. AFAIK no paint will act as a membrane for any length of time.
However, if it is just a poorly applied paint, I guess a simple scrape down is all you can realistically do. Then apply a 10:1 PVA mix, it needs to soak in nicely. Maybe 2 coats. Then paint of your choice.

I would not put PVA on top though.

My advise would be to give regal paint a call.

I have just painted my garage floor and found them very helpful.
I used the epoxy primer first then 2 coats of the epoxy top coat, each top coat needs at least 5 days to dry properly.

My floor now looks great, it is even smoother than before I started which is a bonus. I'm not sure if you will be able to prime over the top of your existing paint but they should be able to tell you.

They weren't the cheapest but from all the research I did they came out as being very good.

I do agree with you about the damp, but I don't think that is the case. There is no rising water or wet areas on the base.

I used Aldi garage floor paint on an unsealed concrete floor. Apart from tool damage and oil marks, it's been fine. It's quite a thick paint, you don't as much paint it as pour it out and spread it around. 2.5 litre tins was meant to do 25 square metres, I think I got closer to 5 square metres per tin but that was probably the concrete taking it's share!

Considering the price it's a really good surface. I'm keeping an eye out for next time it comes round so I can touch it up.

i know you say you don't want to use chemicals but I've found wire brushing the flow doesn't really do the job on its own , my lock up floor is the same and found soaking a small area at a time with gun wash thinners works. If you use thinners make sure you have adequate ventilation

Thanks for the info its appreciated.

I bought myself a breathing mask respirator for situation like this and when sanding and painting etc.

I hate dust!

You can hire a concrete scrabbler or cutter which will take the top mm or so off the concrete floor. there are various different types, the best and most expensive is the floating diamond cutting discs. Other types are vibrating pins but are a pain to use.

Cheers!