I retired a few years back, but I've had this 16x16 external garage since I bought the house decades ago. I mostly used it as a storage area to keep my attached garage clear enough to park both our cars. It contained lawn mowers, gasoline, paint, etc. We are third owners and the builder was thoughtful enough to insulate the walls before adding sheet rock. What he didn't do was insulate the attic! Since I retired in the Fall, my first order of business was to get the garage better insulated so I could work there in the Winter. HD carried these 8 foot insulation batts that fit perfectly between the rafters.
This garage has an 8 foot steel, short panel overhead door with no insulation and windows on the top panel. I had a new weatherstrip installed and picked up this Owens Corning garage door insulation kit. The insulation didn't want to stay in the panels in the center, so I used downspout straps and sheet metal screws to keep it in place. The kit only came with enough panels for a 7 foot door, so I just left the window panels open. I'm thinking of going back and covering those because now I've got great interior lighting. (More on that later.)
As many of you, I discovered that the concrete floor was a HUGE heat sink. My one-burner propane heater had to run nearly an hour just to get things comfortable. After a lot of research, I decided to go with the HD Husky 18"x18" PVC floor panels. I wanted to do the whole black and gray checkerboard thing, but I figured that black floor panels would make it hard to find the small parts I would inevitably drop. So, I went with all gray.
Another important item was getting rid of the heavy gasoline / chemical smell that got all over my clothes just from being in the garage. For this, I went with the Kilz Original Low Odor primer. The garage hadn't been painted in about 30 years, so it really soaked up the Kilz. It took 8 gallons to do that interior, including the ceiling. For some reason, the builder had put a popcorn ceiling in this garage. I know there are ways to get rid of that, but I just picked up some 3/4 inch nap paint rollers and made it work. The Kilz seriously eliminated 99.9% of the odor. I can't smell anything when I enter the garage now. Once I'm back in the house, though, there is still this faint odor on my clothes. I have since tried an interesting product to eliminate that 0.1%, but that's a story for another post.
Oh, I almost forgot about the lighting! For that, I installed 2 x 8 foot LED double light strips by Lithonia Lighting from Lowes. Those LED lights along with the newly painted white walls made it noticeably brighter.
So, that's how I baselined my 16x16 external garage.
Knauf Insulation R-19 EcoBatt Kraft Faced Fiberglass Insulation Batt 23 in. x 94 in. x 6-1/4 in. 5001472/814623 - The Home Depot
Save energy, money and get a better sound control in your space by installing this extra ordinary Knauf Insulation r-11 R Kraft Faced Fiberglass Insulation Batt 61/.
www.homedepot.com
This garage has an 8 foot steel, short panel overhead door with no insulation and windows on the top panel. I had a new weatherstrip installed and picked up this Owens Corning garage door insulation kit. The insulation didn't want to stay in the panels in the center, so I used downspout straps and sheet metal screws to keep it in place. The kit only came with enough panels for a 7 foot door, so I just left the window panels open. I'm thinking of going back and covering those because now I've got great interior lighting. (More on that later.)
As many of you, I discovered that the concrete floor was a HUGE heat sink. My one-burner propane heater had to run nearly an hour just to get things comfortable. After a lot of research, I decided to go with the HD Husky 18"x18" PVC floor panels. I wanted to do the whole black and gray checkerboard thing, but I figured that black floor panels would make it hard to find the small parts I would inevitably drop. So, I went with all gray.
Husky Gray 18 x 18 x 2.1 Thick PVC Exercise/Gym Flooring Tiles (6 Tiles/Case) (13.95 sq. ft.) HDTRP6DG - The Home Depot
Provide a clean and fresh look to your entryways or garage by using this Husky Gray PVC Garage Flooring Tile ().
www.homedepot.com
Another important item was getting rid of the heavy gasoline / chemical smell that got all over my clothes just from being in the garage. For this, I went with the Kilz Original Low Odor primer. The garage hadn't been painted in about 30 years, so it really soaked up the Kilz. It took 8 gallons to do that interior, including the ceiling. For some reason, the builder had put a popcorn ceiling in this garage. I know there are ways to get rid of that, but I just picked up some 3/4 inch nap paint rollers and made it work. The Kilz seriously eliminated 99.9% of the odor. I can't smell anything when I enter the garage now. Once I'm back in the house, though, there is still this faint odor on my clothes. I have since tried an interesting product to eliminate that 0.1%, but that's a story for another post.
KILZ Original 1 Gal. White Low-Odor Oil-Based Interior Primer, Sealer, and Stain Blocker 10941 - The Home Depot
Visit the Home Depot to buy KILZ Odorless 1-Gallon White Sealer, Primer and Stainblocker 10941
www.homedepot.com
Oh, I almost forgot about the lighting! For that, I installed 2 x 8 foot LED double light strips by Lithonia Lighting from Lowes. Those LED lights along with the newly painted white walls made it noticeably brighter.
So, that's how I baselined my 16x16 external garage.
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