Want to build/renovate a proper garage

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Going to try to DIY my garage and want to create a good storage and work environment.

I've never attempted something like this before and want to do the following:

1. Floors (thinking of "paint-on" type concrete floors).. and have a couple of bike mats
2. Walls.. drywall, that perforated board or panel walls... I want to do whatever is the easiest out of these 3 but don't know what I need or where to source the panelling or perforated board type walls.

Any advice or recommendations for the above? Also where would be the best place to source the parts?

I know it's ambitious but I want it to be a weekend project and I want to learn as much as possible from it.

Thanks
 
Personally, I wouldn't touch the floor. Most coatings like to peel/chip and I don't see the advantage for a working garage. If you are trying to build a show garage, go ahead, but for me, the cost and time involved isn't worth while.

Drywall for the walls. A lot of your walls will get covered by shelves/cabinets etc, if you want some peg board sections, add them where you want them. I just screw hooks into studs when I want to hang things. Homedepot has reasonable prices for drywall/screws/tape/compound and will even deliver if you buy enough ($500 IIRC). I am assuming you are already studded, add insulation before boarding, it's cheap and you can't go back later if you decide you want to use the garage in winter. I don't know if you need vapor barrier or not for a garage. One person should be able to insulate and board the walls in a weekend with no problem (may need to finish sanding/taping a day later). If you need to do the ceiling, you need a friend and/or a drywall lift. Remember to keep the drywall up off the floor (1/2" or so), bad things will happen where the concrete and drywall touch.

Give us a picture of what you have (and if possible a picture of what you are going for) and people will be able to provide more help.
 
I don't understand drywall for that application. It's a garage. I used 1/2 in. plywood fitted together as best as possible. Cracks and gaps can be filled in with PL400 mixed with sawdust. It's bomb proof and will hold heavy duty shelving.

Floor is a bit of a bother. Mine is uncoated and dust is a constant problem. Now that I've spilled oil all over the place I can't coat it. Funny, where the oil is spilled, there is no dust problem. I might just do the whole floor in boiled linseed oil.

Part of my house is on concrete slab. After pulling all the asbestos tiles and cleaning the glue (brutal job) I painted it with Color Your World polyurethane floor paint. Is holding up very well.
 
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If there is one thing i would "touch" its the floor...Nothing worse than being paranoid about spilling anything on the floor due to the concrete being marred forever.
 
Here is my project from last year:


Installed lights, cabinets and mezzanine.





Painted







Racedeck flooring



 
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Do the floor but prep it properly and it will last a long time.

Ive done mine and its lasted 3+ years now with no chipping etc, and it gets abused.
 
infernobuster said:
Do the floor but prep it properly and it will last a long time.

Ive done mine and its lasted 3+ years now with no chipping etc, and it gets abused.
Click to expand...

How to prep it? I play to dust and give it a good wash.. anything else I should do?

Drywall seems a bit more than I can chew.. so I think I'm just going to hang up some pegboards and screw them into the studs.
 
Take your time a plan well, and if it takes more than a weekend so be it. Much better to do it once right than live with a lesser result than you hoped for.
 
CruisnGrrl said:
Insulate so you can work in winter
Click to expand...

Beat me to it :(

Also, if you are gas heat, really easy to run another line and put a heater in there that will keep it nice and toasty.

Should only be a couple hours labor to run the line, I think most companies charge around $60-$70/hr to do it.
 
The best piece of advice I read about the floor was, duct tape a small (12" x 12") piece of plastic wrap (saran) to the floor (seal athe 4 sides) and leave it for a week. If it collects condensation you shouldn't paint floor as it will lift the finish.
On the walls, another thought, "drywall" is fire proof/retardent and cheaper than plywood. Also much easier to work with.
When I had my garage floor poured they " sealed" it and it works phenomenal, most spills wipe up.
 
e90 said:
Drywall seems a bit more than I can chew.. so I think I'm just going to hang up some pegboards and screw them into the studs.
Click to expand...

If you're going to do anything, you might as well do a good job (think about resale at some point in the future) - to me that means insulation and drywall. I wouldn't get hung up in the details though. That'll only make a relatively simple job way more difficult. Take everything one step at a time. And if you need some serious help, the guys and gals at Home Depot are extremely knowledgeable and are willing to go through the how-to aspect of any job you want to do. Use them as a resource and the job won't seem so daunting. Like someone else mentioned, if the job takes more than a weekend, then so be it. There's no need to rush and you'll be really happy with the results when you're done - not to mention how much you'll have learned!

In my mind, if you are capable of wrenching on a bike, then you're capable of hanging drywall.
 
Mini said:
On the walls, another thought, "drywall" is fire proof/retardent and cheaper than plywood.
Click to expand...

This is true. Plywood is not for the faint of heart. Functionally, it is better because it is stronger. It might also be against fire/building code.
 
e90 said:
How to prep it? I play to dust and give it a good wash.. anything else I should do?

Drywall seems a bit more than I can chew.. so I think I'm just going to hang up some pegboards and screw them into the studs.
Click to expand...

[video=youtube;hFpGvAMfaIg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFpGvAMfaIg[/video]
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