Finishing drywall-get what you pay for?

[PAndaemonium89]

I’m getting quite the variation in quotes for mudding and taping and painting my 720sqft garage. All the drywall is mounted and [poorly] fire taped. There are big construction companies that can do it all and paint for $3500 and “little guys” off Facebook that can do it for $2000.

I gotta remind myself it’s a garage not a home, I don’t wanna mud/tape/sand. Where do you draw the line and consider “good enough?”

As you can tell I overthink these things when spending a chunk of money.

Edit: looking at level 4 finish at most.

 

[PelicanPines]

I'd want MUD/TAPE/SAND/MUD/SAND/PRIME/PAINT call me crazy but ... if you want a job done... get it done right.

 

[Shiftless]

If it was me, no matter which company I hired, I would want to see one or 2 of their recent jobs to see what to expect for a certain amount of $$$$. Level 5 takes a lot of time. Spatter coat and knock down goes quickly. Lots of companies use thinned down crappy paint. If you hate mud work so much, have the pros do the drywall and you doing the sealer and then one or two finish coats.
Like Pines just said, DIY gives you the best control of the job. With the money you save, you could buy one of those long handled power sanders with the vacuum attachment.

 

[PAndaemonium89]

If it was me, no matter which company I hired, I would want to see one or 2 of their recent jobs to see what to expect for a certain amount of $$$$. Level 5 takes a lot of time. Spatter coat and knock down goes quickly. Lots of companies use thinned down crappy paint. Consider having the pros do the drywall and you doing the sealer and then one or two finish coats.

Ha no one is offering a level 5 finish for sure. I’m content with level 3/4 for a garage. Both doing 2-3 coats of mud, spray primer and roll 2 coats of paint.

 

[duneslider]

It all depends on what you are wanting out of it. I can mud and tape but I am slow if it needs to look good. I am pretty quick if I don't give a ****.

For my garage I just didn't want the tape to fall off and I wasn't building a bmw or porsche shrine so I just slapped it up pretty good, gave it a quick sand and painted it white. It passed the 30 foot test and does the job.

I am sure the cheap guys will do a fair job but if you are wanting Level 5, you better check references. I just can't imagine spending an extra 1500 for a better looking mud job in my garage...I do understand that the BMW/Porsche shrine guys are after a different look than the guy that drives a 16 year old oil leaking jeep. I even just have bare concrete floors (gasp)

 

[PAndaemonium89]

It all depends on what you are wanting out of it. I can mud and tape but I am slow if it needs to look good. I am pretty quick if I don't give a ****.

For my garage I just didn't want the tape to fall off and I wasn't building a bmw or porsche shrine so I just slapped it up pretty good, gave it a quick sand and painted it white. It passed the 30 foot test and does the job.

I am sure the cheap guys will do a fair job but if you are wanting Level 5, you better check references. I just can't imagine spending an extra 1500 for a better looking mud job in my garage...I do understand that the BMW/Porsche shrine guys are after a different look than the guy that drives a 16 year old oil leaking jeep. I even just have bare concrete floors (gasp)

Haha I’m more in line with your point of view. I just want it to look clean, put up some cabinets and home for my golf simulator. I don’t plan on instagramming anything.

 

[Old tool guy]

Just asking ... do you know what the levels of finish are? 3 might be ok for a garage, but only with texture. Would texture be ok with the golf game?

 

[Shiftless]

Good points. If a guy plans to have the walls covered with pegboard or slat wall, cabinets, shelving, and posters, the level of finish on the drywall doesn’t matter much at all.

 

[QtheGenius]

Don't YOU have to draw the line on what you consider good enough? I did my own drywall/mud/tape/mud/sand/paint in the garage, and since 80%+ of the walls are covered in cabinets, tool racks, fridge, washer/dryer, then my quality of work is acceptable. If you're going for an Instagram worthy garage, then pay the $3,500. If not, get the $2,000.

 

[Bert_]

Sometimes the little guys are better. Two ~65 year old brothers did the taping in my house. Did a better job than I've seen I'm most new houses

 

[cgrutt]

Ha I've been working on this stupid little summer cottage for months (owner hasn't used it in over a decade and is in no rush) drywall takes time. I've lost my shirt on this small project lol but don't care want it to look as good as I can make it. I just did the ceiling (tear out, remediate mold problem , sheetrock, tape and paint). Primed yesterday just caulked all the joints (which are straight flex and have no gaps) just to level out any minor imperfections and make the seems look straight. I even fixed his walls as best i could because they were horrible! If I had to quote this project with a number that truly reflects the time and effort that went into it I'd never get the work! I understand guys that just do drywall can bang it out in a few days esp with a team behind them. You get what you pay for. I wouldn't look for cheapest proposal on this it's the finished project and you'll regret it everytime you are in the garage. Hire an experienced team or at least someone who cares about their work. Good luck!

 

[Rst277]

I’m getting quite the variation in quotes for mudding and taping and painting my 720sqft garage. All the drywall is mounted and [poorly] fire taped. There are big construction companies that can do it all and paint for $3500 and “little guys” off Facebook that can do it for $2000.

I gotta remind myself it’s a garage not a home, I don’t wanna mud/tape/sand. Where do you draw the line and consider “good enough?”

As you can tell I overthink these things when spending a chunk of money.

Edit: looking at level 4 finish at most.

It's a garage, no need to mud, tape, sand at all. Paint it with a roller and walk away. No one will care, adds nothing to the re-sale.

 

[75gmck25]

It also depends on what is the normal wall finish in your location.

I'm in Northern VA now and the standard finish is smooth drywall. Some companies are better at it than others, but all are very acceptable for a garage. However, when I lived in Texas the standard wall finish always had texture, and in the cheaper houses it really had some serious texture. It was so sharp that it almost felt like sandpaper. I think it was a very convenient way to hide just about any imperfection in the drywall mudding.

 

[PAndaemonium89]

It also depends on what is the normal wall finish in your location.

I'm in Northern VA now and the standard finish is smooth drywall. Some companies are better at it than others, but all are very acceptable for a garage. However, when I lived in Texas the standard wall finish always had texture, and in the cheaper houses it really had some serious texture. It was so sharp that it almost felt like sandpaper. I think it was a very convenient way to hide just about any imperfection in the drywall mudding.

No it’s all smooth. I thought about texture knockdown ceiling but if it cracks from a **** job then it looks worse patching.

 

[PAndaemonium89]

Hijacking my own thread since on the topic of finishing. Anyone know why the difference in stemwall/drywall from one side of garage to other?

 

[Old tool guy]

Anyone know why the difference in stemwall/drywall from one side of garage to other?

Busted dimension in the concrete formwork.

 

[Dakotadadv8]

Nice DIY project if you have time and patience. Like anything else buy good materials and tools. Do a little reading watch videos, you are not doing surgery.

 

[PAndaemonium89]

Busted dimension in the concrete formwork.

Ah figured. Gotta love new construction

 

[CraigStu]

Yep, reminds me of some threads here after a slab or foundation is poured. Then the diy'er starts putting walls in and realizes the concrete isn't square, or one side is an inch or two shorter than the other. The general fix is let the walls overhang the concrete a bit so they can be square or same dimension and the concrete is kind of hidden. That fixes the outside but your stem wall look on the inside can be the result.

 

[mm08822]

Hijacking my own thread since on the topic of finishing. Anyone know why the difference in stemwall/drywall from one side of garage to other?

The stemwall framing was set flush to the exterior side of the concrete so the sheathing and siding drain unobstructed without concrete in the way of the ground.

The other side of the garage, sill plate was run flush to the edge of the concrete. Allows sheetrock to go below top of concrete so it visibily closes off that construction joint.

 

[ludakris04]

I am so glad things like this don't bother me.
When we moved in our newly built house, I wanted to paint the garage. I started off with the idea of making it perfect, then I started sanding, then I reminded myself that it's a garage.. I knocked down the heavy stuff until my patience wore out. Then I painted. I have since repainted everything gloss white. I also covered 2/3 of the walls with slat wall. If I stop and stare at the ceilings, I can see the tape lines, etc, but other than that I never know they are there. I couldn't see dropping a couple g's on it, but that's just me.
Side note, I later found out my neighbor had the builder finish sand his garage.... not sure what he paid though.

 

[b-boy]

I went with 1/2" particle board (I wish I did plywood) and painted that. It looks fine and I can remove/replace it as needed. I can also hang lighter stuff without any issues. However, with the current price of lumber, it probably isn't cost effective anymore.

I can't imagine taping that much drywall myself. I'd definitely want to pay for that. I'd probably so with the lower quotes assuming I can get some references (and since it's agarage).

 

[rancherbill]

looking at level 4 finish at most.

This is a great opportunity to learn and save some money. Do it yourself.

Buy a power sander and a 20 foot extension hose for your shop vac. The power sander is great!!! Attach the extra hose to the exhaust port of your vacuum and have it exhaust outside. It is amazing how much dust gets by the filter in the vac. We did this at my son's house and I was totally amazed how well it worked.

Rember it's just a garage and imperfections are OK if you have trouble, but it is really quite easy if you watch a bunch of YouTube. There are lots of different ways so watch different people.

 

[PAndaemonium89]

This is a great opportunity to learn and save some money. Do it yourself.

Buy a power sander and a 20 foot extension hose for your shop vac. The power sander is great!!! Attach the extra hose to the exhaust port of your vacuum and have it exhaust outside. It is amazing how much dust gets by the filter in the vac. We did this at my son's house and I was totally amazed how well it worked.

Rember it's just a garage and imperfections are OK if you have trouble, but it is really quite easy if you watch a bunch of YouTube. There are lots of different ways so watch different people.

Eh, it’s honestly not worth my time. I am pretty handy and diy a lot of stuff. Mudding is not a skill I care to get good at

 

[Homebody]

A good dry wall person doesn't sand anything..
Just had two ceilings done and they didn't bring a single piece of sandpaper on site.

 

[Metal-Marc]

A good dry wall person doesn't sand anything..

This.

 

[duneslider]

A good dry wall person doesn't sand anything..
Just had two ceilings done and they didn't bring a single piece of sandpaper on site.

I've never met a good drywall person then, I've seen a lot of good Level 5 work too.

Now me on the other hand, I do a lot of sanding and it still is barely good enough. I did just get an electric drywall sander, somewhat excited to give that a try.

 

[Metal-Marc]

I've never met a good drywall person then, I've seen a lot of good Level 5 work too.

Now me on the other hand, I do a lot of sanding and it still is barely good enough. I did just get an electric drywall sander, somewhat excited to give that a try.

It's not my day job and I'm not that good, but I only lightly sand after the third coat of mud.

 

[cgrutt]

It's not my day job and I'm not that good, but I only lightly sand after the third coat of mud.

Me too sanding is generally not needed but usually hit it lightly before priming. I knockdown any high spots between coats with a taping knife.

 

[dcg9381]

I'd want MUD/TAPE/SAND/MUD/SAND/PRIME/PAINT call me crazy but ... if you want a job done... get it done right.

What's right? What's typical on residential around here is an OK mud/tape/sand etc job, finished with a texture that covers up most of the still there imperfections and the you paint it with a flat paint so you don't notice the other imperfections.

I've seen "level 5" drywall jobs... They guys who can do them have skills and take a lot of time. I've also seen the associated price tags.

If it was me, no matter which company I hired, I would want to see one or 2 of their recent jobs to see what to expect for a certain amount of $$$$.

This is exactly what I'd do also.

 

[CSRPenFab]

I guess I got lucky when our builder did a Level 5 job and then topped it with primer and a good coat of eggshell paint finish. The wall finish in the garage is just as nice as the interior wall finish.

It's kind of comical since there are 6 "semi custom" builders in our sub-division of 300 homes with prices in the mid $700's to over a $1M. My neighbor paid a little less for a similar house, but with a different builder that took every cost shortcut they could get away with. His entire garage is barely finished to "Level 1" with bare drywall throughout and sloppy tape joints. 4 years post move-in he hasn't touched it and it looks like ****. His HVAC equipment is exposed and out in the open area of the garage, whereas my builder put all the mechanicals in a nicely finished and lit room with two big double doors. I'd gladly pay a bit more to get stuff done right.

 

[Homebody]

I've never met a good drywall person then, I've seen a lot of good Level 5 work too.

Now me on the other hand, I do a lot of sanding and it still is barely good enough. I did just get an electric drywall sander, somewhat excited to give that a try.

I had just bought one of those orbital ones on a long pole to do the ceiling. Gave up after 30 minutes. The guy i then hired walked in , looked at the sander and laughed and said, Why the hell you sanding off what you just put on!" Said that's why most quotes are so high as it's taking them twice as long waiting for it to dry only to then sand it off and repeat. I'm a believer now.

 

[Shiftless]

I had just bought one of those orbital ones on a long pole to do the ceiling. Gave up after 30 minutes. The guy i then hired walked in , looked at the sander and laughed and said, Why the hell you sanding off what you just put on!" Said that's why most quotes are so high as it's taking them twice as long waiting for it to dry only to then sand it off and repeat. I'm a believer now.

So are you saying that guy could achieve a level 5 finish without sanding?

 

[Metal-Marc]

So are you saying that guy could achieve a level 5 finish without sanding?

 

[jkuro]

Level 6

 

[PAndaemonium89]

So explain to me PVA primer. They will be spraying it. I go to menards and half an hour stare at $39, $70, and $130 5g buckets. What’s the difference? Does it matter when spraying?

 

[Mike65]

PVA primer goes on drywall before paint. New drywall will soak up paint so you use PVA primer as a base before paint. It is less expensive to use 1 coat of PVA primer & 1 coat of good paint then 2 coats of paint.

 

[cgrutt]

Whatever product you use read the TDS. PVA is cheap primer that is meant to seal new drywall and compound joints. It's very thin and seals up the open pores on joints. If they're spraying it is sometimes recommended to backroll to promote adhesion. PVA is good if you're using a flat paint you may still see flashing between joints if you're using any type of sheen on topcoat. I have used PVA but prefer all purpose primer, which is a bit more expensive. I generally put two top coats in addition to primer and believe that is generally what's recommended (again, read the TDS for whatever product you're using). If you're going to caulk anything, corners, trim, etc. Prime first and caulk before the top coat.

Fun fact: Manufacturer's TDS will generally will recommend separate prime and two top coats even if the product you're using says it's a all-in-one primer and paint (which is really just marketing BS in my opinion).

 

[Metal-Marc]

which is really just marketing BS in my opinion

I have the same opinion as you on this.

 

[dcg9381]

I gotta remind myself it’s a garage not a home

That's blasphemy on this forum!

I went with 1/2" particle board (I wish I did plywood) and painted that. It looks fine and I can remove/replace it as needed. I can also hang lighter stuff without any issues. However, with the current price of lumber, it probably isn't cost effective anymore.

I did OSB in the shop and really like it. Structural enough to hang stuff. Removable if you need to rewire / re-plumb. Lighter than drywall.

In an attached garage (here) they are going to require drywall as a fire break.

I can't imagine taping that much drywall myself. I'd definitely want to pay for that. I'd probably so with the lower quotes assuming I can get some references (and since it's agarage).

Definitely one of those jobs where I'll always pay to have it done... Kinda like masonry.