The inside of my garage is not painted. It is mostly tan color from the drywall. I want to brighten the garage by painting it white or off white.
What type of paint and sheen should I use? Can I do without a primer? I don't mind if it doesn't look perfect. But I do want the paint to last as long as possible.
I suggest basic flat contractor paint and plan on repainting it from time to time. That contractor paint is cheap and does not clean up well, but it covers very well and in a garage, you can just repaint when it gets grungy.
Get the surfaces as decent as you want them first, tape & mud as you prefer. Then paint with a regular drywall primer because 1) it's really economical; 2) it looks fairly decent as applied ; if you decide it should be more elegant later your primer is already in place for the topcoat. We call that a win-win situation, right?
Joe
Prime it. If all you want is lighter, stop with that. If you also would like to be able to clean it easily from time to time or hose it down, topcoat with acrylic latex, either glossy or semi-glossy.
Agreed, particularly on adding a semi-gloss topcoat.
KB
Stop. First, how old is the garage? If new, just prime and paint. If it's old, you may find that the tape comes right off on your roller. Try an inconspicuous spot, and if the tape lifts give it a thin coat joint compound and let dry before painting.
On Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:08:51 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, "peter" quickly quoth:
My garage is my shop, and when I painted, I went with a pure white latex eggshell paint, all walls and the ceiling. (Gloss enamel paint creates too much glare from lights and especially sunlight.) I also painted the already sealed concrete floor with white latex porch & floor paint. The difference in there is amazing. I love it! The white floor shows dirt more, but it also shows those dozens of teensy dropped items immediately.
It's a 2-car shop and is well-enough lit (for me, age 53) by only five
4' dual fluorescent fixtures. Total cost: $35 and a couple days work moving -everything- around thrice. (The floor got two coats and a day of drying time between 'em before moving the stuff to the painted third.)HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.