Uninsulated flat garage roof - Ideas to improve ceiling aesthetics?

[jake1734]

New to me house - 35m2 garage with flat roof attached to house.
I plan to epoxy floor, paint the brick walls white and add some more LED ceiling lights - Single skin brick walls with a double width up and over door to front.
Basic roof of felt over OSB, Laid onto joists running parallel to entrance.
I plan to use this for motorbike/bicycle storage/tool storage/workshop use.

Currently the joists and OSB are exposed, I'd like to improve this and look to have two options;
A - Paint everything white? - Joists, underside of OSB and associated structure. (This may be hard to achieve given all the nooks and edges)

B - Install a false/boarded ceiling - This looks to add complication with ventilation and potential moisture traps? I'm not looking to insulate the space (Its single skin brick walls), Just improve the feel and look of the space. It seems I would need to ventilate the area above the boards, the garage is currently not vented anywhere other than over the top of the garage door it has a raised/tiled area that allows airflow over the top.
I did consider adding vents into 'joist bays' from internal of garage, I.E cut a vent into each end of the board too allow air to flow through joist space that would be sealed once the boards are installed? The soffits/fascias currently have no venting other than a little breeze around unsealed edges.

All my research leads to advice on insulation and risks trapping moisture, Whereas I am doing this for visual gains. I accept the garage will be cold in winter.
Does anyone have any advice or suggestions on how to tackle this? Any other options?

Thanks in advance!
Jake

 

[tinmanwpk]

Paint it and be done.

 

[Stuart in MN]

A friend of mine used to have a dairy farm. Periodically he would hire a guy to come in and whitewash the milking parlor with a sprayer - I don't know if whitewash is available where you are, but it's cheaper than paint and for an open ceiling like that it will look just about as good.

 

[cmandp]

It looks like you are in the UK? It seems the recommendation is similar to here in NJ. Insulate and vapor barrier on the warm side of a wall or joist cavity.
So I would recommend that. It will be nicer to work out there and your energy bill will be lower.

 

[DGersic]

New to me house - 35m2 garage with flat roof attached to house.
I plan to epoxy floor, paint the brick walls white and add some more LED ceiling lights - Single skin brick walls with a double width up and over door to front.
Basic roof of felt over OSB, Laid onto joists running parallel to entrance.
I plan to use this for motorbike/bicycle storage/tool storage/workshop use.

I have a flat roofed garage. After it leaked (twice) and the sheetrock I hung on the ceiling fell (twice), I decided that I was done with sheetrock.

i hung sheets of white plastic corrugated roofing like this stuff:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Tuftex-SeaCoaster-2-2-ft-x-8-ft-Corrugated-White-PVC-plastic-Roof-Panel/3010589

I keep thinking about insulating the roof. I have insulated the walls, which helps a lot. But I do want more.

 

[bdbecker]

A warm white paint job would look really nice with the brick. If you change your mind in a few years and decide you want to go down the insulation route, you aren't really out much other than the cost of paint and some of your time.

 

[billconner]

I don't know what climate you're in but best insulation would be rigid to foam on top of roof deck and a membrane roof. That solves the ventilation and condensation issues so whatever you want for ceiling.

 

[ducatithunder]

I found that the 1/4" or 5mm underlayment has a nice sanded look to it. You can staple it up, then cover the seams with 1x1 for a coffered look. This won't require painting like OSB. You can leave it untouched. IF you get it all in one stack the material should be very similar in color. When I did my ceiling it was roughly $18 a sheet. Its likely closer to $30 now if i had to guess.

 

[Viper98912]

I would paint it white with a sprayer, not a roller. The sprayer will be much easier, faster, and thicker, especially on that type of wood. Although you will need to clear the garage and tarp the floor and walls due to the spray getting everywhere. Wear a mask (not a paper/dust mask) and a coverall. With white it'll help to reflect light in there and feel more open, since it appears the height is somewhat low.