Garage makeover

[Mr_ET]

Hi guys,

As some of you may know, I bought a house a couple of months ago and after nearly repainting everything I am now ready to give the garage some much needed tlc. The old home owners took very poor care of the garage so much patching, sanding and painting will be needed.

The good:

- wired for internet and phone
- many many power outlets
- has a 220 volt plug and a heater hose already
- very high ceilings

The bad:
- lighting sucks so working on the car with the garage door closed is not an option
- all walls will need much patching
- will need to be fully repainted
- I have to be able to fit my 2006 accord and 1991 civic
- staircase takes up a lot of room
- does not have enough storage for everything I have right now(stereo, cleaning products, power tools)


So I am hoping beyond can provide me with some advise and ideas to make this a true car enthusiats garage.

So what should I do for lighting? flooring? entertainment? paint? posters/banners/stickers? shelving?

Here are some pics of it right now:

brand new workbench
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010384.jpg
nice patching job by the previous owner...
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010387.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010389.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010391.jpg
bikes, tires
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010390.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010388.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010392.jpg
golf bags way up there
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010394.jpg
floor
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010398.jpg
little half wall
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010399.jpg
high ceiling with crappy lights
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010393.jpg
stuff i don't have room to store right now
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010397.jpg

Any comments/advise welcome:clap:

[stevo 27]

paint all the walls semi gloss white reflects lights and makes
it way brighter
get 4 floresant dual bulb fixtures
take out the drywall covering the bottem of the staircase
so you can put shit under it

build shelves stickin out 2 ft on one side bottom of the shelf
6'5" high so you can walk under and the car fits under

then find a spot for your tool boxs:bigpimp:

[Revhard]

Wash,etch and epoxy the floor. Best thing you will ever do.
Also, don't put the pebbles for grip, they are a huge PITA later.
Way easier clean-up without.

Another idea is to paint a section with chalkboard paint, or put up a whiteboard. Always great to have a spot to put a list for maintenance items, tools, car parts,etc.

[mo_money2supe]

Maybe build another level in the upper area of the garage to use for storage? :dunno: That way, you can re-route the wiring for the lights on the bottom of the new level so that light will reach the floor better also.

[Mr_ET]

great ideas guys

get 4 floresant dual bulb fixtures

where can I get some, how hard is it to install and what would be the cost?

take out the drywall covering the bottem of the staircase

I will probably take all the drywall off or put a door there and use it as storage.


So Chris can I get a kit to do the floor the way ou talk about?

Home Depot has one but it does have the pebbles with it. Would I just leave that part out or is there a cheaper way then paying 95$ for that kit.

Chalkboard paint sounds like a great idea and my daughter could dra on it too :thumbsup:

build shelves stickin out 2 ft on one side bottom of the shelf
6'5" high so you can walk under and the car fits under

Would you mind showing me a pic of what you mean for this^^
not sure I understand.

thx guys!

[mo_money2supe]

Originally posted by Mr_ET
build shelves stickin out 2 ft on one side bottom of the shelf
6'5" high so you can walk under and the car fits under

Would you mind showing me a pic of what you mean for this^^
not sure I understand.

thx guys!

I'm thinking what you have here is pretty much what he was referring to:

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010388.jpg

[EFHatch]

home depot carries the florescent bulbs. did you take a look at Martins ceiling when we were over there last? thats what he did.

[Primer_Drift]

wtf? stuco ceiling in a garage? When you grab the flourescant fixtures get the ones with the reflectors, they scavenge much of the indirect light that would otherwise be lost.

[Deucers]

how about a small shed in the yard to get lots of the smaller misc stuff out of there.

[HiSpec]

Originally posted by mo_money2supe

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/P1010388.jpg

I need one of those shelf to fit my tires up there!!!
Would I need some special brackets to hold up the weight of eight tires? And I see it is attached to a set of chain, which I worry about at how it is gonna without tearing a piece off the wall.

[topmade]

Originally posted by HiSpec


I need one of those shelf to fit my tires up there!!!
Would I need some special brackets to hold up the weight of eight tires? And I see it is attached to a set of chain, which I worry about at how it is gonna without tearing a piece off the wall.

I am assuming and hoping that those chains are bolted on to the wood beams. The amount of weights will depend on the anchors you buy and with a combination of decent wall brackets it shouldn't be any problem holding up 8 tires

[MPowered]

I bought those hanging shelving units from Can Tire and put up all my winter/summer tires, I think there are good for 200 lbs.

Another thing you may want to consider if you have enough room is to change the stairs to come down straight out of the door. I did this and shortened the staircase and it gave me enough room on the side to store my bike or put in your case more bench/shelves.:thumbsup:

[Mr_ET]

don't think I could get straight stairs to come down and take less room then the way it is right now.

Stucko on the roof is from the showroom office as is the internet and phone jacks. Also have way too many power outlets but that's pretty convenient.

the shed in the backyard might be a good idea later on.

[Mr_ET]

Bumping my old thread. I have almost finished repairing and repainting all the walls in there and will be ready to buy the floor coating products in the next few weeks.

Do you guys know any local businesses specializing in garage stuff including flooring?

I'd like to look at a few different options, materials and see what I can get.

Does a $300 budget to recoat the floor sound fair?

I will try and get some updated pics up in the next couple weeks as soon as I clear all the engines sitting in my garage right now..

[bobby_lu]

gonna go grab these soon for the tires...http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=1408474396672724&bmUID=1216760210906&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524443299827&assortment=primary&fromSearch=true

as for the rest, cabinets :thumbsup:

try DSOC Coatings for the flooring

[lint]

looks like lots of options here
http://www.garagegadgets.ca/Garage-organizational-products.htm

[TomcoPDR]

Any pics of progress???

[Mr_ET]

Soon man I just have to finish painting the last wall and clean it up a bit.

any other places for floor coating products, I think I`d rather have that then snap on tiles.

[Euro_Trash]

I have only heard good things about the snap on tiles, and they look really good. Make sure you post some after pictures, I am very interested!

[Mr_ET]

I know the tiles are probably very easy to install but I'm not liking the idea of having space between the floor and the tile where various engine chemicals can stay trapped and never get cleaned that's why I'm thinking about just getting the floor recoated.

Garage gadgets does not seem to carry recoating products so still looking for a few places for those.

[bobby_lu]

Are you wanting to do it yourself or have it done (the coating)...if you want to do it yourself why not pick up one of those floor coating kits?

[Mr_ET]

I am planning to do it myself and would love to pick up a good kit.

I know home dept has some but I have heard not to use the pebbles that come with it and that they are not that great.

[bobby_lu]

Yeah I would just use the coating itself, not the pebbles some of them come with.

[djayz]

I'm going to be coating my floor too.

Haven't started looking at any products but last time I was at home depot I took a quick peek and there was a kit for $140.

Not sure what was included in it as all I saw was a large bucket with a small bucket taped to the top.

Let me know what you find. I'll do the same as soon as I start looking haha.

[canuckcarguy]

I'd keep an eye on the classifieds or listen for friends renovating their houses and try to scam some old kitchen cabinets. There's no need to spend good money on specialized garage cabinets if you don't have to.

And I agree with you on the snap together tiles, they look nice but they trap dirt. The only benefit I can see is that the water from melting snow in the winter has somewhere to go, but you can also buy special under-car mats for the same purpose.

[bobby_lu]

Originally posted by canuckcarguy
I'd keep an eye on the classifieds or listen for friends renovating their houses and try to scam some old kitchen cabinets. There's no need to spend good money on specialized garage cabinets if you don't have to.


Sure there is, the difference is night and day between heavy duty garage cabinets that can actually handle the things you want to keep in there.

[canuckcarguy]

Originally posted by bobby_lu


Sure there is, the difference is night and day between heavy duty garage cabinets that can actually handle the things you want to keep in there.

I guess you could be right, if you're planning to keep transmissions and engines in cabinets. But the vast majority of people keep things in their garage cabinets that are no heavier than anything you'd store in a kitchen. I mean really, does a bottle of tire dressing actually weigh more than a bottle of salad dressing? Assuming you're keeping your tools in a tool box, all the various car chemicals and supplies will be easily stored in old kitchen cabinets.

Plus, I'm not convinced that these "specialized" garage cabinets are built much differently than kitchen cabinets. Okay, you can get checker-plate patterns on the doors, but really, they're still particle board and wood.

Old kitchen cabinets, in my opinion, are way stronger than new kitchen cabinets, or than new garage cabinets. In the 50s and 60s they built cabinets with plywood instead of particle board, so by installing old cabinets in the garage and painting the doors, you're definitely saving money and likely getting a superior product. The OP was concerned about the cost of floor epoxy, and he's raising a young daughter, so clearly he's one of the very rare people on this forum who isn't a "Baller Beyonder" with infinite financial resources. Just figured if he could save some money on cabinets, all power to him.

[bobby_lu]

Oh, we had garage cabinets installed last year and they were thicker/more heavy-duty in all respects than kitchen cabinets.

Tools and stuff get pretty heavy...more than I would want to put in a Kitchen type cabinet...and plus they look nice :D

[BigBearWest]

Try these guys:

Hard Rock Developments Inc.
422 Manitou Road S.E.
Calgary, AB, Canada
T2G 4C4 Tel:
Toll-free: 1-877-240-2508

My dad use them for there product and he has been doing concrete for 25 years.

[Mr_ET]

Ok boys here`s an update.

Finally finished repainting all the walls after fixing many many many holes and gashes.

before:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2541.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2542.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2543.jpg

After:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2552.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2550.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2554.jpg

Here`s the reason why I can`t recoat the floor right now...
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2553.jpg

hopefully most of it will be cleared up soon (2 engines and a dishwasher..)

[NickGT]

Looks really good man. My garage is still a work in progress... I'd like to build a little work bench at the front and maybe do something with the floor but here it is..

Before
http://members.shaw.ca/nickgt/unfinished.jpg

After
http://members.shaw.ca/nickgt/profile/5.jpg

[Mr_ET]

looks good man where did you pick up the flames flag I `d like to rock one too:thumbsup:

[civicman]

Well I have some of those lights you hang from the roof they plug in. (shop lights). I picked them up from Rona they run from 14 bucks to 17 bucks+ then the lights are like around 7 bucks for two of them in a pack and bright as heck. I have like 8 of these in my garage now and it's like having the sun in my garage and bright what a difference. Here are some pics of my little set up I got going on and look up you can see the lights these are the best pic's I could find.

[civicman]

Another pic of what I have as a set up. If you notice it's very bright in there and it's amazing for only spending under 50 bones and I have tons of light in there now. I just did this last weekend. I did for get to mention this is night time.

[Mr_ET]

wow when did you buy those I might check out Rona and pick a few up this week mine are still pathetic.

In the summer it`s ok with the door open but at night or in the winter with the door closed its way too dark.

[djayz]

Flourescent lights are great. I have 2 double 8 inchers in my garage and its a huge difference from the 60watt bulbs that I had in there before.

Might add 2 more of them at the back and front of the garage to even the light out.

As for coating the garage floor...going to go look around hopefully tomorrow and rona and home depot see what I can find.

[NickGT]

Originally posted by Mr_ET
looks good man where did you pick up the flames flag I `d like to rock one too:thumbsup:

Dollar Store :thumbsup:

[RC-Cola]

Just so you know, when you coat your floor with the epoxy the chips are used for gripping. The floor can get quite slick especially in the winter when there is snow, water and mud on the floor.

I've had several friends and family members put down the flooring and they all said the same thing... Looks great, very easy to clean and after a couple of years the chips start to come off the floor. Some seem to last longer (the more expensive sets) than others but eventually they all come off.

I've heard good things about these guys, you only need a half kit though!

http://www.epoxy-coat.com/

[Mr_ET]

Originally posted by RC-Cola


I've heard good things about these guys, you only need a half kit though!

http://www.epoxy-coat.com/

That is pretty much exactly what I am looking for but was hoping to find something like this in town.

What would make you say that I only need a half kit? I have a double garage and they mention a normal kit for up to 500sq/ft and a 2 car garage.

[Moe Man]

i have 3 double Flourescent lights , and 2 light racks with 4 bulbs in each rack.

used to have 3 60 watt bulbs :rofl:

[Mr_ET]

Hit up Rona last night and bought a couple of fluorescent lights for the garage. Since my ceiling is about 12 feet height, I will be hanging them with chains to bring them down a bit.

Should have some time to get working on that this weekend. will have some pics up later!

[legendboy]

haha civicmans bodyworking skills = :rofl:

[Mr_ET]

Here`s a quick update. One of them is now installed and what a difference. Night and day literally!

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2591.jpg
left is just regular 60w bults right is the new fluorescent
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2592.jpg
left
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2593.jpg
right and installed a new whiteboard so I can keep track of to do`s during installs
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/Mr_ET1979/IMG_2595.jpg

[civicman]

Civicmans body skills are done buy a 23 year old vet !!! it's just sitting that way in my shop for the time being. The only reason it looks that way is so I could drive it back to my Garage. I will have after pic's. Then I can have my laugh...


But let's keep on topic. This is about a Garage make over here not about someone elses skills...

[ZorroAMG]

I would remove all the tools and paint the new bench, all the bare wood and shelves and peg board the same color as the wall to blend it all in.

Oh and I'd blur out the tricycle, Sorath may get excited.

[Mr_ET]

Both lights up! Such a difference I am loving it :)

Thx for the heads up on the tricycle ZorroAMG :P

Actually met Sorath in person on Friday and you could never tell. Well Chris Hansen could...:rofl:

Now if I can find a place to put those 2 engines I will be able to start the flooring project.:thumbsup:

[bobby_lu]

Are the new fluorescent dual lights ok with the regular wiring for the old bulbs? Im looking to change those out as well.

[Mr_ET]

Yeah they work fantastic with the old wiring and the breaker doesn`t seem to have any issues with them.

I am told they actually draw less current than the crappy halogen bulbs...

[G-RS4]

Will your garage be heated in the winter? Fluorescent fixtures can be a pain in the cold. They can have a strobe like effect or sometimes not start very well unless they have a cold start ballast. People should change out their frosted incandescent bulbs for clear ones. You can even get 300 watt bulbs that fit in a regular socket. If need be add in a couple extra light outlets and you should have plenty of light. I much prefer incandescent lighting over fluorescent in a garage.

[Mr_ET]

These ballasts are made for cold weather so operation should be the same any season.

I have all the wiring and gas lines to run a heater but it won`t happen this year unless some of you guys feel like giving me some money for no reason;)

Probably sometime next year is when that will go up.