Winchester's Budget Double

[Winchester38]

Figured I'd start a thread to chronicle the changes/upgrades I'm starting in my new garage. We've recently bought a new house, and I'll be doing most things on a relatively tight budget.

The garage is a ~500sq/ft attached 22'8" wide, and 22' deep double. It currently has insulated and drywalled walls, with the first coat of mud/taping done. My wife will be using the left side of the garage for parking her car, the remainder will be used primarily as a motorcycle workspace/storage.

Here's what it looked like the day we took possession:

And here are measurements (not to scale):

 

[Winchester38]

This past weekend, I tackled the floor.

I went with the Rustoleum one-part epoxyshield paint. I know it doesn't get much love compared to the two-part epoxies, but the cost savings, and ease of touching it up in the future sold me.

I went with armor grey, with tan flakes. I added one pack of the anti-slip additive to my top coat, since we live in Alberta, and I'd rather not have my wife break her neck on ice/snow/water that gets pulled in with the car.

I ended up using two and a half cans (first coat took 1 2/3 cans), one bag of anti-slip, and one pack of chips.

My flooring process started Thursday evening and looked like this:

Prep:
Swept floor (twice)
Wet swept floor (twice)
Wet swept floor with degreaser
Dried over night
Etched with muriatic acid (31%) mixed at 3:1 (twice)
Neutralized w/baking soda/water
Wet swept floor (twice)
Dried overnight
Dry swept floor (twice)

Application:
Cut in perimeter with brush
Rolled entire floor
Dried overnight
Marked off 5'x5' sections (tiny marks on floor with Sharpie)
Rolled floor in 5'x5' sections (I ended up with 16 sections)
While section was still wet, spread chips (I evenly divided the package into 16 piles to ensure even coverage)
Dried overnight

So far, it looks pretty good, and seems to have decent grip to it. All of the chips have stuck nicely.

What I've learned; When you think your floor is clean/degreased fully, clean it again. Twice. My floor showed no signs of oil staining, but I still hit one or two spots (where the previous owner parked) that the first coat didn't seem to take to the floor as well. Time will tell if/how much of an issue it''ll be.

After etching:

After top coat and chips:

Close up of anti-slip texture/chips:

 

[grease_monkey]

Looks like it came out great! I'm always curious how the non 2-part epoxy's fare over time/wear.

 

[Winchester38]

Looks like it came out great! I'm always curious how the non 2-part epoxy's fare over time/wear.

You and me both!

I considered putting clear over top of it, but that would make touch-ups more difficult down the road, so I've decided not to.

I'm into the floor for about $125 at this point, so if I need to touch it up everyone once in a while, I'm not going to be heartbroken.

I'll be putting carpet squares under the tires on the wife's car when she starts parking in there, just in case.

 

[Winchester38]

Hired someone yesterday to come in and finish the mudding/sanding. There are few jobs I'm not willing to attempt myself, and this is one of them (I've tried and the past and butchered it terribly).

Looking forward to having the walls ready for primer/paint.

I've also decided it's probably worthwhile to plumb the back wall for a sink while I'm at it. The furnace/mechanical room is directly behind the back wall of the garage, so hopefully it shouldn't be an overly difficult job.

 

[HSpencer]

Looks like you were ahead of the game when you started out with all the nice shelving already built in place. That has to be a plus if they are where you want them. Your floor work looks great, and has already added so much to the project. I think your going to have a very nice garage/shop. I am curious to see what else you do in there.

Best Regards
Herb Spencer

 

[Winchester38]

Current plan is to cut off the lowest level of the suspended shelving:

I'm thinking I'm going to mount one or two 4' dual T8 fixtures under the shelving that remains, and that area is where my tool box/workbench/sink will end up.

The rest of the shelving will probably stay, but get a make over. Trying to figure out the best way to pretty it up without it becoming a project that requires pulling it all down. Thinking of maybe casing it with painted MDF trim or something similar.

 

[Winchester38]

Drywall finishing started this week and should be done by next weekend hopefully.

I decided to tear out the suspended shelving. It was deep enough that I could see myself breaking my neck on a ladder trying to retrieve something, and i think it would have made the workbench area feel too closed off.

I'm thinking I'll replace it with one or two runs of wire shelving. It'll let more light through while still giving me some accessible storage.

 

[Styx]

looking good Winchester, keep the pictures coming...

 

[crab]

That's basically what I have, works out fine. Of course more room would be nice but it is what it is. Precious will leave her car outside if I'm doing something and need the extra room. Putting the table lift in the floor was the best space saver I've done. My sig doesn't show it in the floor but it's where it was but now level with the floor when not in use. I posted pictures of it. With the amount of space we have you just can't have stuff around that you don't need and use but that's ok. My wife says that if I had a 4 car garage it would look the same within a year, she's right. Guess the size kinda keeps things in control.

 

[Winchester38]

Yeah, everything I do, I'm trying to plan based on maximizing the space I have available.

Drywall work got finished this evening. Hoping to roll on primer this weekend!

 

[Farmerjonathan]

Depending on the matting of the carpet squares, bet the tires alone will create less marring than 4 squares of carpets absorbing dirt, sand, salt and whatever and grinding it in the floor's epoxy every time the tires run over it.

 

[Winchester38]

Depending on the matting of the carpet squares, bet the tires alone will create less marring than 4 squares of carpets absorbing dirt, sand, salt and whatever and grinding it in the floor's epoxy every time the tires run over it.

Not a bad thought at all. I'll consider other options when the time comes...

 

[Winchester38]

Hoping to go pick up primer either this evening or tomorrow. Thinking about grabbing Kilz Pro-X PVA stuff. Decent choice? A five gallon paid should be enough, no?

As for paint, I'm thinking I might do two tone grey on the walls, darker on the bottom, lighter on the top (hopefully to match the floor), with a black vinyl strip separating the two. Ceiling will be white. I've done some searching, but can't seem to find any picture of two-tone grey walls. Thoughts?

 

[Winchester38]

Been a busy few weeks, but finally finished the priming yesterday. One coat on all walls, and one coat on the ceiling, with maybe a half gallon of primer left over. I'll grab a pic tonight to post.

Also picked up a gallon of flat white ceiling paint, so hoping to roll that on tonight or tomorrow night. Going to grab some color swatches today if possible to start trying to figure out my wall colors.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Good start, Winchester! Were you able to salvage the material from the shelves you took down?

 

[Winchester38]

Ceiling done!

I think I've decided on wall colours. CIL "Evening Shadow" on the bottom 4' of wall, and CIL "Surreal Blue" on the top 5'. The Surreal Blue matches the floor perfectly. Thinking the bottom will be semi-gloss, the top satin, and the two will be separated by a 4" gloss black vinyl stripe.

Thoughts? Will it be too dark in there without white on the top of the walls?

 

[Winchester38]

Good start, Winchester! Were you able to salvage the material from the shelves you took down?

I was, yes. I'll be using it to reinforce the shelving that remains, and to frame the shelving for doors.