How to paint bare concrete ceiling in a garage?

[TimofeyK]

 

I am trying to improve the appearance of my garage that is located under my townhouse. The ceiling is bare concrete and it looks awful with all rusty marks

I want to paint it with a uniform light colour that would cover all these marks. I don’t expect it to be a perfectly looking flat white but I guess anything will look better than it is now

What kind of paint can I use?

Would it work if I use some of garage / paving paint? 

Or it’s better to use primer and then normal interior ceiling paint?

 

Appreciate any advice 

[EricL]

Hello @TimofeyK 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's marvellous to have you join us and thank you for sharing your question about painting your concrete ceiling.

Your second suggestion of using a primer is the ideal way of painting a ceiling. I suggest using Dulux Precision Maximum Adhesion Primer. But before you begin, I suggest brushing the surface of your concrete ceiling with a broom to get rid of any dust or debris present. You can use either a brush or a roller to apply the primer. Once it has cured you can then put on your preferred ceiling paint. I recommend having a look at Dulux 4L Ceiling White Paint, its flat finish helps to hide blemishes.

Unfortunately, although it might look like paving paint might work, it is not rated to be installed in a reverse horizontal situation. My number one tip is to make sure to cover all your items with a dropsheet to prevent any paint splatter landing on your items in the garage.

Here are some handy step-by-step guides:

• How to paint a ceiling
   
• How to paint like a professional by @Peggers 
   

Please make sure to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when working on your project. 

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[TimofeyK]

Thank you @EricL !

 

I’ve got 4L of Dulux Precision Maximum Strength Adhesion Primer and it worked very well covering all marks. Will have to get 1L more because I ran out of paint and still have several spots to cover and few places that need another coat

[MitchellMc]

That looks great @TimofeyK!

Many thanks for updating us on your project.

Mitchell

[TimofeyK]

Ceiling done, happy with the result

For the double garage I had to buy 4L + 1L of primer. It’s very thick and I ran out quickly. Ceiling paint - spent probably 3.5L for 2 coats

 

[EricL]

Hi @TimofeyK 

Thank you very much for posting that update, your concrete ceiling looks excellent. 

We look forward to seeing your next project.

Eric

[Akanksha]

Let me also extend a warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, @TimofeyK.

Your painted ceiling looks great! Congratulations on a great result. Any words of advice for someone who is looking to paint their own ceiling? What was your biggest learning along the way?

Look forward to seeing what you tackle next.

Akanksha