Top tips for giving your garage a fresh coat

To help make the whole process a little easier, we’ve created this blog post with some handy tips from planning to completion.

Start by deciding where you’re going to store the items in your garage. Do you have a friend, neighbour or family member who has space in their garage? Do you have space in the basement? If not, you might need to rent a self-storage facility while you carry out your project. One thing you do not want to do is leave your treasured items outside unprotected.

First things first, are there any cracks in the ceiling or walls?

If there are, you need to fill them in before you start painting. You’ll need to buy a heavy-duty drywall compound. Before you apply it, make sure the walls are clean and dry, just like you would do in your house.

Once you’ve got the cracks filled, you can crack open the paint!

If your garage walls are in a bad way, you may have to start from scratch and apply a basecoat. It’s important to remember this basic principle of paint: You can apply water-based paint over oil-based paint, but you cannot do the reverse!

Luckily, nowadays you can get high-quality water-based paints that are perfect for garages. Don’t opt for the cheapest brand, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll want to repaint your garage every two years! When it comes to colours of course your preference is the most important thing, but we would suggest choosing a light colour, which reflects more light and will make the garage look bigger.

Prepare the concrete floor

Even more than the walls, your floor will require a good cleaning. Depending on the type of product you’ll be using, for instance a degreaser, make sure you wear protective goggles, a mask and rubber gloves. Instead of buying a commercial cleaning product, you can mix your own general floor cleaner. Combine three parts water for 1 part bleach. If needed, use a detergent to remove oil or gas stains. It is very important to adequately ventilate the garage when using any cleaning product.

If you have large cracks in the floor, you’ll have to use a patching compound to fill them. If needed, use a grinder so that the patching cement properly adheres. Once dry, polish the whole surface to even the floor out. A resurfacer (100% acrylic concrete sealant with resin) can be applied if the concrete was stained or isn’t attractive. After any product is applied to the floor, wait at least 24 hours before moving on to the next step.

Paint the concrete floor

After the surface has been primed and is completely dry, use a latex paint (100% acrylic with polyurethane) with a satin finish. This is a more economical option than epoxy paint. It is advised to wait at least 24 hours before applying a second coat, if needed.

If you choose to use epoxy paint, you must add a catalyst. So, divide your floor into four parts and do one at a time, because this product dries very fast (in around 45 minutes). Only prepare enough of the paint for the area you have to cover. Don’t apply too thin a coat of epoxy. It is always better to put it on a little thicker to get a better result. Wait 24 hours before walking on the surface and 4 days to a week before parking a car on it.

We understand that a project like this can be time-consuming, so if you don’t think you’ve got the patience, hire a professional!

While you’re at it, get your garage door checked out!

We recommend that any garage door that’s over 5 years old should be tuned up every 18 months. So, if your door is ready for a tune-up, or if you’re ready to invest in a new door, give us a call at 613-749-2138. We can even send someone to your house to evaluate your needs! When we know what you’re looking for, we’ll send you a detailed, customized quotation via email.

If you are thinking about changing your door, have a play around with our Design Centre tool or browse through our image gallery for inspiration.