Ok guys, I have decided to go with 1/2 in. plywood for my shop walls. How do I start, do I need a primer or do I just go into it with paint ? I am painting the walls and ceiling white.
Also, another figure for you painters, here are my shop dimensions. How much paint/ primer will I need ? 24 ft. wide X 40 ft. long X 12 ft. high.
Any particular brand of paint/primer for years of service ?
Thanks so Much, Iowa883
yes primer is cheaper than paint. if you are using a color, have the paint store tint the primer close to the finished color, it will save a coat. each gallon is 400 sq ft. (depending on thickness) ... you have close to 2500 sq ft to cover.. that's a bit more than 6 gallons per coat... first coat absorbs a lot. probably need 2 complete coats & a touch up coat after that. if you spray it or use a heavy napp roller you could easily use 25 or 30 gallons. happy painting.
Unless you don't care if the paint is sucked up more in the soft grain, primer first. Oil primer. _____________________
24x40x12 = 11,520 sq.ft. You don't have any doors or windows?? :) 11520 sq.ft / 400 sq.ft per gallon (optimistically) = 29 gallons per coat. Plan on two coats, both primer and top coat.If you want long service, use oil paint. If you also want easy cleaning, use semi-gloss. Not going to look great on plywood though. Neither would latex.
-- dadiOH ____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
that's cubic volume its (24*12)2 + (40*12)2 +24*40 (ceiling) =2496 sq ft. div by 400 = 6.24 gallons per coat
Actually, I have a 9X7 garage door, 3X3 window and two walkout doors . I wasn't going to get that complicated but if you have some free time and subtract that from my coverage go ahead and be my guest :-) Thanks so Much, Iowa883
check the home stores for pre tined paint. I have use it for years as a primer. As long as you do not get some dark color then try to put a light coat over it. Recently I wanted some block fill for my fence. I found a 5 gallon container at the depot for $25. Mixed it with some water and my sprayer went to town. I put 2 coats of my color over the top and everyone says how nice it looks.
Just do not try mixing latex and oil doing this.
Yeah, my brain was disengaged, I'm really not a paint salesman :)
I get closer to 1500 sq-ft ((40+24)*2) * 12.
First coat over plywood will be closer to 150 sqft/gal, top coat about
300 will probably be better estimates. You'll need one primer coat and (probably) two top coats if you want a real good coverage.I'd go w/ a glossier top coat to shed dirt and reflect light better for a shop.
...
Probably don't need the mildewcide unless you're in a really humid area, but wouldn't hurt. Primer isn't intended as a top coat and won't serve very well as such.
At that point you're getting into whether you're looking to get by cheep or want a good job. An enamel top coat (can be latex) of higher gloss will be much easier to keep clean, last longer, and reflect light better.
I would probably have a white tinted just a little to keep it from being "too white" and being blinding to look at directly...
Primer is normally white. Sure, you could use it as the final paint but it isn't exactly what i would choose for a shop. You're better off priming, then top coating.
Note that I had a brain fart when calculating the area and the correct amount is about 6 1/4 gallons per coat assuming a coverage of 400 sq.ft per gallon. If you subtract out the doors and windows, 12 gallons for two coats should do you if the walls are reasonably smooth.
-- dadiOH ____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
You can just leave it as primer. Primer will not hold up as well over time, is flat and does not clean as well. Right now I have about half my garage insulated and sheetrocked and primered. I'm waiting until it is all done to put hte finish, but it does not look all that bad.
Since you need more than one coat, using one primer, one finish, will still give the best overall results. Primer will allow the finished coat to cover more space with less paint.
So, I need to either stay with oil based or latex for the primer and top coat ? Thanks, Iowa883
Add the ceiling of 24x 40 to that .
I do agree that the first coat will be much less and maybe 300 sqft for the second coat.
You could deduct about a quart per coat.
-- dadiOH ____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
Ralph Mowery wrote: ...
OP: "I have decided to go with 1/2 in. plywood for my shop walls. ..."
Don't see anything about a ceiling there... ?)
Iowa883 wrote: ...
Not necessarily...the other post was talking about taking a bunch of returned or other low-cost paint and using it as primer...was mixing all the various things he found together--obviously, that would have to be at least all an oil- or latex-based to have any chance of mixing well...
There are both oil and latex primers suited for either oil or latex topcoats. The particular primer will say whether it is/is not suitable for a given top coat.
Ok guys, I have decided to go with 1/2 in. plywood for my shop walls. How do I start, do I need a primer or do I just go into it with paint ? I am
painting the walls and ceiling white. ___________________________
Do you see it now that I added the space ?
The calculation is still wrong. I knew mine was but I figured the guy that cprrected me was right and didn't check it. It should be...
((40 + 24) X 2) X 12 = 1,536 sq.ft.
Divide that by the 400 sq.ft. coverage per gallon and you get 3.84 gallons per coat
-- dadiOH ____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
Why oil?
Again why?
If you also want easy
Agreed on the semi-gloss. Though in this case I'd tend more to an eggshell or satin.
Not going to look great on plywood though.
You can tell the difference between an oil based paint & latex on plywood? I suppose I could on trim, but on plywood? in a shop?
I came from the old school- where oil was the absolute best. Not necessarily so anymore. Acrylics have improved considerably in recent years.
It is, after all a shop. And to the OP a, damn nice sized shop. I'm envious.
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