Should I paint my fire-damaged garage?

[Makita]

My car garage was on fire last year and it was burnt to black colour. I am in the process of having it repaired by insurance company. I want the ceiling, wall and floor to be painted because they could not be cleaned to the original look.

However the insurance company told me this: "The painted surface will create a highlighted clean look as distinct to matt concrete or brick finish. It looks good when its first applied, but it will scuff and mark with normal wear and tear by vehicle traffic and persons / items stored. What this means is you would have to repaint the surfaces every couple of years if you wanted to keep a pristine look."

Why will I need to repaint the surfaces every couple of years?

Will it be a wrong decision to repaint the wall and ceiling? I am sorry I don't see why this is a big deal? Please help.Thank you.

[JacobZ]

Hi @Makita,

Thank you for your question.

All surfaces will eventually require repainting, but I don't think this is a cause for concern or any reason not to do so. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, then you can reasonably expect wall and ceiling paints to be good for around 10 years before requiring repainting.

It seems like the insurance company's statement is referring specifically to painting the concrete floor of the garage, not to the walls and ceilings. Due to the high-traffic nature of a garage floor, then the requirement for recoating may be increased, but not to a point that you need to be concerned.
 

An epoxy product that's designed for use in garages, such as this Dy-Mark 8L Slate Epoxy Coat Garage Floor Kit would be a great option as it seals and protects concrete surfaces, resists hot tyre pickup and has good resistance to heavy foot and vehicle traffic while still looking good. 

You might like to check out How To Epoxy A Garage Floor and How To Apply Dy-Mark Epoxy To Your Garage Floor for some guidance on the process.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[Makita]

Hi Jacob,

Thank you for your detailed reply. I believe you are right and I should go ahead and have the garage painted. I may post the photos of my garage when it is done.

Jerry