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How dumb is this going to look? (Halfway doing a garage ceiling)

cuthroat72

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2010
Messages
12
First, let me say that I am beyond impressed at the garages showcased here. I enjoy having a clean workspace that has purpose, but I never knew how good a garage could look until I stumbled across this forum. I have been in garages that get used, and garages that have storage and are clean, but I have never seen the likes of the majority of the garages seen here. Truly inspirational.

On to my dilemma.
The garage I am working on (and eventually in) is the ground level of my condo. The actual space is about 15'9" width x 26' deep, which is less than ideal in terms of useable workspace, but it is my home while I am here (school).
There is enough room, however, to put some shelving along the long wall, and a workbench in the deepest part, which is enough for me at this point in my life.

However, it is a DUNGEON down there. The floor supports received the "insulate between the floor trusses and throw some fishing net over it to keep the insulation from falling" treatment, which is bad enough. What's worse, is that there are 3 incandescent bulbs in the whole space. So, you can see where you are going, but that's about it. There is a beam 13' into the garage which is the lowest point along what would be the ceiling. In the shallowest 13' of the garage (closest to the garage door), there is a drainage pipe which is below the floor trusses, as well as some ventilation ducting, and of course the rails for the garage door. This seems like a nightmare to try and sheetrock and make pretty, and I am not sure I have the patience (and I definitely don't have the time) to try and tackle that kind of project right now.

The good news: everything in the deepest part of the garage is flush (with the exception of the one incandescent bulb fixture). It should be no problem to throw up some sheetrock to try and brighten this area up. So my plan is this:
1. Paint the bare cinderblock walls to create some reflectivity in there (I have been told that "Kilz" primer will work for this purpose, but am curious as to whether or not a block filler would be better)
2. Wire in some more fixtures in both the front and the back portions of the garage, possibly converting to fluorescent fixtures throughout. While I am at it, I will put in some more outlets because having only 1 between the man door and the garage door on the front wall is NOT going to cut it.
3. Sheetrock the deepest 13' of the garage, as this is where all my tools and storage are anyway.

So, feel free to laugh, cause in the end it WILL look like it's a half @$$ job, but I suppose you could say it's intentional.

Am I crazy for thinking I will be okay with this? It makes sense to me because it will provide more light where I need it. If I need to work on the back of my car, I can always back it in, and the tools are going to be on the deep wall anyway...

Any suggestions, peanut gallery style comments, declarations of genius or insanity on my part are welcome.
The only pictures I have at present are cell phone pics, and if interested, I will try to post some up.

Thank you to everyone for all of your posts, and I look forward to the day when I will be able to share some "inspiration" with new members down the line.
 
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DeadSock

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 17, 2006
Messages
161
Location
Sterling, AK
One thing you could consider is to frame a wall to separate the finished half from the unfinished half. I'd probably make the wall have a centered 8' opening, and then 2 sliding doors.

Depending on your location, might be nice to have the finished area heated/cooled.

Be sure to plan everything that might go in a wall/ceiling *before* you hang the rock!
 

AlbertaGuy

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Messages
79
Location
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The lighting shouldnt be an issue. I just bought a new house and insulated and finished the garage. It is 21 by 22 with a 12 ft ceiling and only had two incandescents in the ceiling. It's super easy to run some lumex from the existing fixtures and throw in two more. You can remove the fixtures and replace with boxes and put in flourescent as well or even recessed lighting if you want the room. I'd look at ways to run the ductwork between the trusses so it doesnt drop below them or drop under in a less conspicuous place. Know any plumbers? Ask him to look at relocating that drain pipe for you. Im lucky cause im an HVAC mechanic and work in a shop full of plumbers and gas fitters so sometimes what seems simple to me is a major pain for others but asking around will sometimes get some good results. Or just invite Mike Holmes over for coffee one afternoon.....
 
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Scout Driver

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 20, 2009
Messages
4,286
Location
South Dakota
Welcome cuthroat72! As for your plight....I can say from experience that KILZ will work on bare, block walls. Visit with the paint person where you intend to buy the KILZ. There are a few different formulations and some are better suited to block. Good luck with your project.

Scott
 

mdbeck1

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 7, 2010
Messages
2,297
Location
Norman, OK
Did you think about a drop ceiling (we used to call them false ceilings)? You put a up a frame held by wire. If it's done right you end up with a smooth surface. You could leave the beam exposed and if it's made of steel you might even use it for a trolley for your new engine hoist.
 
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cuthroat72

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2010
Messages
12
Thank you to all for your comments and suggestions! I am going to try and get some pics loaded, but I warn you, they are all cell-phone quality.

In terms of re-routing the pipes and wires, the only problem is the one pipe that has to cross the floor, and must run 90 degrees to the floor trusses, which would require drilling a 4" hole in the floor trusses, compromising their integrity. Naturally I thought about a drop ceiling, but in order to cover everything, I would have to leave a giant hole in order to open the garage door, but I thought about it!

Walling it off won't work, because I wouldn't be able to get my 4Runner in there anymore (it's deeper than it is wide). I agree that it would help with heating and aesthetics, but it gets plenty of heat with a small electric space heater. It's not 70 degrees in there, but when it's 14 outside, 55 feels just fine, and when you're working, you really don't notice.

I am going to price some paint sometime this week, so I'll have something to keep me occupied when the studies get too much. (What better way to burn off stress than to be constructive, right?)

Again, thank you to all!
 
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cuthroat72

Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2010
Messages
12
Pics!
Down the long wall, you can see the beam supporting the floor trusses. In the deepest half of the garage the wiring and plumbing is all flush. This is where I plan to sheetrock. The shallower part of the garage, the overhead space is pretty cramped, as evidenced by the garage door rails, ducting, and plumbing.

Notice that in all of the pictures, you can see the insulation, which is held in place by small, clothes-hanger diameter wires, and a layer of what looks like "fishing net". It gets the job done, and I bet it was cheap!
 

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MBfreak

MEMBER EMERITUS
Joined
Dec 10, 2010
Messages
2,301
Location
Linkoping , Sweden
Hi.
A fairly easy way to lighten up the ceiling sitauation would be to just paint everything up there white. It will make the room "feel" more spacious, will give a nice visual impression since the different stuff hanging up there will blend in and if you then mount a number of low-profile fluorescent light fixtures where you best need the light, you are on your way for a rather small outlay. Then paint the walls in a slightly off white color.

Ola
 
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