If you’re thinking about painting the interior of your garage, first you need to do some planning.
Chances are your garage isn’t empty, so you’re going to have to find somewhere to store its contents for a week. Maybe someone you know has space in their garage? If not, you could always rent a storage unit.
Once you’ve got everything out, you need to give it a good clean. Make sure you remove any hardware from the walls, and if you’re not going to keep them in the same place, fill the holes in! Clean the walls and the ceiling just like you would in the house, and leave time to dry before you start painting.
Talking about filling in holes… don’t forget about the cracks!
Buy some heavy-duty drywall compound and fill in any cracks in the walls and ceilings.
Once the ceilings and walls are prepared and dry, get out the paint!
In 2017, water-based paint is lightyears ahead of where it used to be. Now, you can get good enough water-based paint for garages that’s even stain and mildew resistant. One thing we will suggest is that you don’t opt for the cheapest brand you can find. You want quality paint that will last, after all, you don’t want to repaint every year or two years!
You may need to apply a basecoat, if this is the case, don’t forget than you can apply water-based paint to oil-based paint, but you cannot do the reverse!
When it comes to colours, we suggest choosing a light, bright colour that will reflect plenty of light and make the garage look bigger. An off-white, such as light grey or light brown is ideal as it’s better at hiding marks and stains than pure white.
If you’re tackling the floor too, it’s time to get it ready!
You’ll need to give your garage floor a good clean. You can either by a commercial cleaner or make your own (3 parts water 1 part bleach). When cleaning the floor, it’s important to remember to wear gloves, a mask and goggles, and to keep the garage well-ventilated.
Once it’s clean, tackle any large cracks in the floor. You can buy a patching compound from your local renovation store that will do the job. If you’re having trouble getting it to adhere properly, use a grinder. Once that patching compound is dry, you should polish the entire floor surface to even it out. Then, if needs be, apply a resurfacer (an acrylic concrete sealant with resin). Wait 24 hours then start painting!
Last step, painting the floor
There are two types of paint you can use for concrete floors, latex with a satin finish or epoxy. We suggest using latex paint as it is much cheaper and easier to use.
Epoxy paint requires a catalyst. We recommend diving the floor into equal sections and only using as much paint as you need per section. Epoxy looks best when a thick layer has been applied, so don’t be too stingy!
Wait 24 hours before walking on the surface, and at least 4 days before parking on it.
It’s a long process, so if you’re not sure you have the patience, hire a pro!
While you’re giving the interior a makeover, don’t forget about the exterior!
Whether your garage door needs a tune‑up or you’re looking for a new one, get in touch with us at 519-326-5888. We’ll be happy to advise you based on your tastes and budget, we can even send a member of staff out to your home, or if you prefer, simply send you a quotation.
While you’re here, find inspiration in our image gallery or play around with our Design Centre to find the perfect garage door for your home.
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