How to fix up your garage interior

An In-Depth Look at Traditional Garage Door Styles and Features

So, you’ve done it! You’ve decided to clean out your garage and give it a makeover, and maybe even a new coat of paint!

Okay, pull back and regroup. You’re on the right track, but you need to do a bit of planning. First off, pull back and take a look at your garage. Do you need a new coat of paint? Or a full rework?

And what about all the stuff you’ve stored in your garage? It’s not like you can just shove all that stuff out into the driveway while you do your rework. Maybe you have a buddy, or a family member who could store your stuff while you handle your reno project?

So, the key here is planning. And here are some tips to help you through the process.

Fix up ceiling and wall cracks

We assume that your ceilings and walls have already been drywalled. The next step is to take out any hooks, nails and hangers and fill the holes with drywall compound. In short, do everything in your garage that you would do in the interior of your home if you were renovating. Once the walls are prepped, make sure that they’re dry before you start painting.

Fix up ceiling and wall cracks

Paint the walls and ceiling

Here, a lot is going to depend on the shape of your ceiling and walls as they are right now. You might have to begin from scratch, applying a base coat before you paint. When you begin to paint, remember that it’s okay apply latex over oil, but not the other way around.

In terms of color, if you’re painting latex over oil, it’s usually best to choose a light shade. And if you’re painting over dirty walls, as often happens in an older home, generally, grey or brown shades will work best to hide dirt.

Paint the walls and ceiling

Preparing concrete

Your floor needs to be cleaned too. If you’re cleaning concrete, you’ll probably have to use a de-greaser. When using this type of cleaner, be sure to use protective goggles, rubber gloves and a face mask.

If there are big cracks in your floor, you’ll also need to patch them. You’ll probably need to use a grinder before applying the patching compound, in order to even out the surface. Concrete sealants need to cure for at least 24 hours before you can do anything else with the floor.

Preparing concrete

Painting

Once the surface of the concrete floor has been prepared, primed, and completely dried, you can paint it. You might have heard that epoxy paint is best, and for sure it’s a good solution, but you can also use a latex/polyurethane mix. Put on one coat, and then wait 24 hours before adding the second coat.

If you do decide to go with epoxy paint, you’ll need to use a catalyst. If you decide to go this route, then you should divide your floor into quadrants, and just do a bit at a time. Epoxy paint dries really fast (usually in about 45 minutes) so you really don’t have a whole lot of time to spare. Just prep a small area, and apply the epoxy paint. Avoid walking on it for at least 24 hours, and don’t park a car on it before it’s cured for at least 4 days.

All done!

Okay, you’ve chosen the paint that’s best for you, and you’re finished. Now, you have to think about your garage door.

Start painting the floor

Remember your garage door…

You’ve done a lot of work, and your garage floor looks great. But look up! How does your garage door look? Does it need tune‑up? Or a complete replacement? Whether you need a bit of maintenance, or a full replacement of your garage door, we’re here to help, so contact us at 978-342-3344.

We’d also be happy to send you an email quotation, visit your home at your convenience to talk with you about our full range of garage doors. We can help you to decide what garage door will best suit your tastes, needs and budget, so if you’re thinking about switching up your garage door, and you’d like to explore your options, give us a call. You can also go online and take a look at our Design Centre and image gallery where you can see what other happy customers have done with their garage doors.

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