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garage finishing

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prkaye

Well Known Member
My garage is my shop, and I just ordered a new insulated door for it. I'm thinking of finishing it off with drywall, paint and that epoxy-paint you can get for a nice floor finish.
The bottom 10 inches or so of my walls are poured concrete (the framed wall sits on top of of this concrete). How do you recommend I finish this, to give it a nice look? Should I use the same epoxy paint I use for the floor? Or some kind of really wide baseboard ? Also, how to finish the bottom edge of the drywall where it meets this lower concrete portion of the wall...
Tips?
 
I would use the same epoxy paint that you use on the floor. The advantage of having concrete up the sides is that you can clean the floor with a hose.
 
>> you can clean the floor with a hose.

Ah, very good point!

I've never really done drywalling before... what's the typical way of finishing a nice seam between the wall and the ceiling, where the two pieces of drywall meet?

What is the preferred paint for a garage? Semi-gloss? Same for floor and ceiling? I want to go white to keep everything bright.
 
I wouldn't use drywall. It will get abused will look rough after a short period. I used a plywood beadboard. It gives the shop an elegant look, and it takes a beating without showing wear. I painted my beadboard with a nice latex white which really makes it bright in there. Casual contact with water does not hurt it.
 
The ceiling and one wall is already done in drywall, but I could do the last wall in the beadboard (it's the one I'm planning to hang my wings on). How also the front wall around the garage door.
How does the cost of the beadboard compare to drywall?
Ho are you supposed to finish the seams between beadboard panels, and the seam where it meets a drywall ceiling?
 
Construction issues.

Phil,
You could learn at lot at your local building supply store.
Lowes. Home Depot, etc.
They have "how to" books about drywall finishing, drywall is easy to finish ok looking and hard to finish perfect. The joint at the top is finished with "mud' and tape like a flat seam. But you can always nail a piece of wood up in the corner to cover the joint too.
If the transition from drywall wall to foundation wall isn't flush, I would use trim to cover it, like a window sill effect.
Paint, semi gloss is easier to clean or blow off, but any paint is better than no paint. White is the preferred color to reflect light.
Floor paint is another story, really good floor paint is Epoxy and somewhat hard to do correctly, there are floor paints that aren't as hard but not as nice either, but again, any paint is better than no paint, as it makes it easier to clean and see parts you drop.
Good Luck,
 
Nothing is less expensive than drywall, and if you can build an airplane you can hang and finish drywall. One of the big advantages of drywall is the fire rating. That's why you have it on the wall and ceiling adjacent to living space. In most areas of the country, to meet code this drywall has to be a fire rated variety, a little thicker or a slightly different compositon that's supposed to have a one hour fire rating. Drywall is very easy to repair when you have the little bumbs and bruises, and a fresh coat of paint makes it look like new. I would also remind you to install extra electric outlets, airlines and insulation/air infiltration before drwall.
 
epoxy floors

As for floor coatings, there seem to be epoxy paint coatings you can do yourself. These are apparently not as durable as the commercial products.
One potential problem is that last summer I applied a sealant to my garage floor, and this might cause problems with an epoxy coating bonding properly to the concrete floor.
Advice? Has anybody had good/bad experiences with the do-it-yourself epoxy paint-on coatings for garage floors?
 
prkaye said:
As for floor coatings, there seem to be epoxy paint coatings you can do yourself. These are apparently not as durable as the commercial products.
One potential problem is that last summer I applied a sealant to my garage floor, and this might cause problems with an epoxy coating bonding properly to the concrete floor.
Advice? Has anybody had good/bad experiences with the do-it-yourself epoxy paint-on coatings for garage floors?
Click to expand...
I have no personnal experience, but I haven't really heard many good things about the do-it-yourself kits available at the home stores. Lots of problems with adhesion, and with your floor now sealed, you will have to spend an awful amount of time stripping the sealant (if even possible). I would be inclined to say you should skip the idea of painting the floor and look for some garage floor tile or mat (google it). There are a bunch of rubberized interlocking tiles or mats available for your garage. No lengthy prep, no adhesion issues, and it will give you a slight cushion. Just a suggestion.
 
Epoxy floor paint

I used the store bought epoxy for my basment floor and after 2 years it hasn't held up to well. This stuff cost about $30/gal.
For my garage I went to Durall and used the Dura-seal 400 and love it. Wasn't any harder to put down than the cheap stuff. If you contact them they will reccomend the correct product and provide you with a cost for eveything you need. I think it cost $310 for a 24'x24' area.

http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/#duraseal
 
Griot's Garage Epoxy Floor Paint

Phil,

I used the product that Griot's Garage sell for the floor in my garage. It was about $60 a gallon US. You have to etch the floor first to apply it. It is a water based product and the instructions have you put on two thin coats. I got the idea from an article I read in Aviation Consumer about the product that they used in a hangar testing paints.

If you get it apply it with a regular 3/8 nap roller ,it will go on better and you will use less. Don't use a epoxy application roller. I tried that first and it didn't go on as well and wasted paint. My garage floor is 36 X 25. I used the Dry-Loc paint on the lower 12 in foundation at the bottom of my studded walls.

My garage is insulated with R13 fiberglass batts in the walls and R40 and R19 in the ceilings. I used 5/8 firecode drywall for the ceilings and 1/2 for the walls. I bought a 38,000 btu ProCom natural gas heater to keep it warm. We have milder winters and I haven't turned it past the 2 second setting on the worst day we had this last year.

I also have insulated overhead garage doors.

I like the idea about having one wall in slant or beaded board to hang stuff on. Wish I had done something similar.
 
How have those products, Groits garage paint and the Dura-seal 400, held up for you guys? Any flaking or peeling?
 
garage walls - don't be dumb like me

Phil, its a garage. I didn't mud and tape - no biggie, its a garage.
I don't regret leaving off the mud and tape.

I SHOULD HAVE PAINTED EVERYTHING BRIGHT WHITE. The paper yellows a bit and is impossible to clean. I have a single garage with what should have been an abundance of lighting. Don't be dumb like me - I have a garage full of stuff, and I won't stop building for three weeks to paint the walls and ceiling.

I bought some 3 ft wide galvanized ducting material (flat) and used that with drywall screws and washers to put up a plans holder over the workbench. Lee Valley tools sells some strong magnets with small handles. The stronger (the call them door hangers) magnets are expensive ($8.50) but will hold airplane parts to the wall.
 
Garage Finishing

I'd attach a photo of mine but my options DON'T allow it....
The Griot's floor system is excellent, but a lot of work to prep - like most things you want to do correctly in finishing. I'd suggest a tall rubber base around the bottom of your drywall AFTER painting the drywall with an Elastomeric paint as I did. Then you can hose down the walls and wipe them with a towel, all will look great when you're done. :D
 
Howard's right.

Howard's right. Paint the ceiling and all walls gloss bright white and make you get 3200 lumen fluorescent lite bulbs.
 
The painted floor at the Air Guard was really slippery when wet or when entering with wet shoes. Unless you can find a finish that is not slippery when wet, I wouldn't paint it. Not only does it kinda hurt when you head hits the floor, but more importantly, you might reach out to save yourself & pull down an expensive part. Your head will usually heal for free.
 
To finish out the lower section of the wall which sits on the concrete you can furr out the wall with 1x2's on the studs and apply drywall or bead board. Use anchors bolts, ramsets, or concrete screws (pre-drilled into concrete) to fasten the furring strips.

The edges of the plywood can be trimmed with furring strips across the top and down the sides of plywood- a tongue and groove board would fit together better. Furring strips can be any material- sections of plywood cut 1-2" wide would be fine.

Depending on your climate- consider caulking the bottom of the framing along the concrete before setting drywall/plywood.

HURRY UP AND GET ROLLING ON THAT RV!
 
Thanks for all your advice guys. I think I've decided to leave the floor as it is (sealed concrete). On the weekend I got most of hte drywall up. Over the next couple of weeks I'll get it all taped and mudded, and the whole garage, walls and ceiling, are getting painted semi-gloss white.
As for the plane, I put my wing stands on some castors, so I can wheel my nearly-complete left wing around the shop to make space for painting and drywalling... very convenient.
 
Keep in mind that shiny paint shows defects much more readily than flat. Depending on how picky you are and how good you are at the whole mudding thing (I'm not very good), a non-flat paint will show more defects. Granted, the eggshell and shinier paints are a little easier to clean stains off of, but a high quality flat paint will work fine. I painted mine flat - the key is to paint white for better light, but I'm not sure a glossier paint makes much difference.

Just my .02. I've done lots of interior house painting with my dad ... forced labor for his painting job when I was a kid!

Thomas
 
I agree, a high quality flat wall paint will hide a bunch of drywall problems, and be easier to apply. After you're done with your plane just give it another coat of paint. I've found that the paint at Wally world is very good, and relatively inexpensive. Consumers Report agrees by the way.
 
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Concrete painting/sealing

We just went through this recently with our hanger floor. Epoxy was all the rage, but turns out to be expensive, shows all the dirt that blows in, scratches up if the floor gets some grime on it and you walk/slide that around, can 'bubble' if the concrete has any water in the soil underneath. Cost to apply here in Cal is abourt $3.25 sq ft. or $5000 for a box hanger.

We settled on Jasco Concrete Sealer...about $18 a gallon. It makes the floor look much better, oil wipes up in a flash and it can be polished with a buffer to look fantastic! Did two coats in less than one hour with 5 gallons.

We have a retired general at the airport who has a whole system of polishing/buffing the concrete and his floor looks the best on the field in my opinion. Reminds me of when I was in the Army and we kept our floors so clean and shiny you could eat off them. I'm looking for a buffer on Ebay now.

Cheap and easy and nice to look at.
 
Whites and greys...

MrNomad said:
Howard's right. Paint the ceiling and all walls gloss bright white and make you get 3200 lumen fluorescent lite bulbs.
Click to expand...

Gloss is not needed for the reflectance... in fact, a white flat will disperse the light over a greater angle and give a more shadow free work area, as well as making the place look "brighter".

Most good flats are quite "scrubbable" and should be good enough for workshops... If you are really going to splash stuff on the walls, then a semi-gloss might be better... :D

In my hangar/workshop, I painted he lower 42 inches or so of the walls a mid-grey to not show dirt... :rolleyes: ... this lower portion of the walls, away from the lights on the ceiling does not take away from the room brightness, and is mostly covered by workbenches, etc.

gil in Tucson

Just don't be like the Rolling Stones...
 
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