The cohesion of the second coat to the first coat was stronger than the adhesion of the first coat to the floor, and it came off - in big sheets. For garage floors, however, Mathews likes concrete stains and alkyd floor paints because they're hot-tire resistant. If the garage is also going to be used for a shop, an epoxy system can provide stain and chip resistance. Mathews also recommends stains for pool decks, walkways, and driveways because they hold their color well. Jerry Dyer likes stains because they penetrate, and Rohwedder said stains are his product of choice when painting residential garages.
Concrete stains are also better than paint on stairs, because they're durable and slip resistant.
Smead also cautioned that when putting an alkyd material on a masonry surface, moisture must be strictly controlled due to the possibility that the alkali in the concrete will react with the paint in the presence of moisture, producing a soaplike film between the paint and masonry surface. Thinning the first coat of any material helps get adequate penetration. We recommend thinning 10 to 15 percent. Plus, when paint's put on too thick, it may not dry all the way to its proper hardness. This is a difficult thing to get across to people, because manufacturers usually warn against altering their products.