Painting a new garage

[Bojans]

If you guys were going to paint a brand new garage (drywall hung, taped, sanded and primed already) would you use semi gloss or gloss paint? I am looking for something that will be good for years to come and can be cleaned off easily.

Thanks

 

[JMURiz]

I would probably go semi-gloss unless the walls are perfect. A full gloss paint will look horrid if there are seams visible.

 

[boiler7904]

I would probably go semi-gloss unless the walls are perfect. A full gloss paint will look horrid if there are seams visible.

The more gloss you have in paint, the harder it is to touch up and make look right down the road.

 

[dipper]

x2 for the semi-gloss.

 

[DHill]

Granted I haven't done it yet for my in-progress project, but my plan was to use the glossiest stuff I could find for only the functional purpose of reflecting as much light as possible into the work area. I've spent too many years working in cold, wet, dimly lit areas.

 

[thundercow]

Don't do gloss!!! You'll see every fault in the taping, drywall seams, and putty gleaming in the bright gloss...Semi gloss will clean up nicely, and look decent.

 

[5wndwcpe]

Don't do gloss!!! You'll see every fault in the taping, drywall seams, and putty gleaming in the bright gloss...Semi gloss will clean up nicely, and look decent.

What he said

 

[PushStick]

I used to be painting contractor.

For brand new drywall you must use a primer first or you're asking for trouble later on. Prime with Ben Moore Fresh Start with some white tint in it. Sherwin Williams also make some good primer.

But prime first then use a satin finish paint. You will get the best compromise between reflectivity and resistance to dust and grime build up. Actually flat white paint is more reflective than glossy and 2% more reflective than tin foil even. But flat attracts dust and dirt like no tomorrow so semi gloss or satin (eggshell) is a better choice.

 

[kwb210]

Can't agree more with the prime it first comment. I primered w/ the typical flat drywall primer, the drywall and mud really soaked it up. Just kept pouring it on. When I painted a semi-gloss coat it went on so easy! One coat and it looks perfect, not what I really cared about since it is a shop, but boy does it look good. With the exception of the primer, I bought all my paint at a used building store, called the Re-Store, they charge $3.00 a gallon for unopened paint and $2.25 if opened and used a bit. Great bargain and whats wrong with paint dated less than 30 days? woohoo, what a deal, I'll guess most towns have something like this at a recycle center.

 

[highside]

Reviving a slightly old thread.

My garage was not finished, just fire taped and so I had to attemp the mud work. Yeah it's a garage so I was too worried if I did lackluster job.

I did OK but I have primed 2 walls and after 2 weeks cure they of course are still there.

A guy at work told me I could mix Joint Compound into the paint and create a psuedo texture so I wouldn't have to remove everything in the garage to use a hopper and a texture gun.

Is this true or would it work? I'm really just trying to get a uniform look on my walls in the painting process so I don't have to go back and do more mud work. Which I won't do.

Thanks All,
Rob

 

[larry4406]

Prime the new drywall with a quality primer - not paint or diluted paint. After it dries, bring in the 500w lights, shine the walls and ceiling at a shallow angle to find all of the defects, point them up with tinted drywall mud (the tint helps you find the areas after sanding), reprime all of the pointed up areas to seal them off, then paint with semi-gloss. If you don't seal the point up, you will see it in the final coat.

 

[Matti]

My friend just painted his 30x32 with white semi-gloss. It still highlights the imperfections and is quite shiny. I certainly wouldn't go with gloss and would even consider one step down (eggshell?) for my garage. I think I will put a light tint into it, perhaps gray, and do the bottom four feet in darker gray.