Foxer55

Not sure if this thread belongs here but the Off Topic forum seems more for politics and banter. I need some real recommendations.

Finally getting around to finishing my garage after buying this new home 5 years ago. The builder put a thin coat of compound on all the drywall joints and screwheads but I just put a thicker coat on. Boy, this is a bigger job than I thought especially with the 10 foot ceilings and a beam down the center of the garage and the logistics of the junk in the garage. I'll be ready to put a coat of primer on next week and hopefully will only need one coat of paint but not sure. Ceiling will be white and walls will be light/medium gray. See the pics below.

My question is this: should a garage be full gloss paint or flat? The other option is semi-gloss but it seems to me anything less than gloss will contribute to dust and grime clinging to the finish. A kitchen and bathroom usually are full gloss for the same reason, they are working areas and gloss is easier to keep clean.

Any thoughts.

jft69z

I used semi-gloss everywhere in my shop. Cleans up easy enough & no glare from the lights.

Johnathon59

When I redo my garage walls I'm thinking about hanging a wall size mural of a scene of RT66 or something auto related on the forward facing wall.>>><<<

Foxer55

Johnathon,

Yeah, a mural on the front wall of a scene going down Route 66 following Tod Stiles and Lincoln Case in the '63 Corvette. Kewl!

See5see6

Exactly. Me too!

09LS3

Suggestion;
Paint the floor too, keeps the dust down, is easy to clean, and makes the garage much brighter.

Madfence

I used a Matt finish, not shiny and still cleans up easy. On the trim a simi or glossy finish is standard. Personal preference I like the glossy on the trim because I like it to pop. The reason for a matt finish on the walls is that it won't show the imperfections in the walls as bad as a semi-gloss finish will.

Foxer55

09LS3,

This is a really big issue that gets a lot of discussion. I note that the floor painting kits from big box stores are pretty useless because they are reportedly prone to flaking and deterioration within a short time of being applied. And my garage faces the sun all day long which is brutal on paint because of the UV. A Vette friend of mine had his big garage floor done professionally in the paint chip and polyurethane finish and it is outstanding! They grind the floor first and then put down multiple coats of finish. One estimate so far for having that floor done to my garage was for ~$3300. One advantage is it carries a warranty against chipping and flaking, etc. Its a tough call.

ButWhatDoIKnow

I used a medium gray exterior semi gloss on my walls and Garage deck flooring.

4SUMERZ

I painted mine with a White Matt finish as well. It cleans up nice, and less glare from the lights.
Here is a pic when it was just finished. It has changed some since.

lavla

I painted my garage walls with flat paint (light gray) and I'm happy with it. Once in a while I have to use the long broom to swipe the cobwebs from near the ceiling but the paint has held up well.

One suggestion for you, put florescent lighting in your garage instead of incandescent lighting. The difference is significant.

4SUMERZ

Florescent lighting does make a huge difference. That is one of the changes that I made to my garage.

dbratten

On the subject of changes prior to final finish in addition to lots of florescent lighting that you can set flush into the ceiling sheetrock (I put in 8 four tube fixtures for two stalls), make sure you have lots of electrical outlets, perhaps a 220v plug, and, something I find wonderful, a faucet with hot & cold water to attach to your garden hose for washing the car.

--Dan

CheckeredFlag

interested to see how this comes out, since I'm about 1/2 a step behind the OP

BEAR 55

In my 3 car garage with 12' ceilings. I had my electrician add a second row of 4' 4 tube light fixtures and my painter painted walls and ceiling with exterior semi-gloss white paint to make it brighter and easy to clean.

RocketDawg

Mine has flat paint and it's not a problem. But when and if I paint it, I'll use eggshell, which is a bit shinier than flat but not nearly as shiny as semi-gloss. That's what most kitchens and bathrooms use.

I've never seen a kitchen or bathroom with full gloss on the walls. It's only used on the trim and moldings.

pkincy

The best thing you can add to any garage is the epoxy covering on the floor. Doesn't show tire marks, and oil just wipes right up. I actually kept mine clean with shop towels and Simple Green.

billyboy47

did the same. actually i had my brother and his son do the painting, i'm too lazy. i have my other brother do my landscaping because i'm really, really lazy. then my wife calls me from her work and asks if i made dinner. life is good

4SUMERZ

...and you had the Maid fix dinner...you are lazy

92Beast

Built a 30 x50 couple years ago. Painted the interior semi gloss off white. Had the floor poured level to facilitate moving the four post lift on its wheels. Covered the floor in Amstrong black and white tiles 1'x1' in checkerboard pattern at 0.50 each. Had an engineer compute how much light I would need for my less than young eyes. Came up with 16 8' two tube lights. These were good lights and not the cheap ones. Like daylight in there.

Floor has held up great. Paint has stayed clean. Considered the decking but did not like the idea of pulling it up to clean up spills or dirt. With Tiles wipe spills up and sweep out dirt.

Good luck.

Doug.