What paint finish to put in garage?

[lindy rig]

Flat or semi gloss or eggshell ?

[leech~~]

Flat or semi gloss or eggshell ?

Well, it depends if you want to clean the cooking grease off the walls? Then semi gloss.

[JeremyCampbell]

+1

[CAMAN]

Gloss is durable and easiest to clean. Flat shows every mark from every fingerprint and difficult to clean.

Just remember the glossier the finish, the harder it is to patch and paint a hole without having a noticeable spot, short of recoating the entire wall. Flat can be patched and re coated, and as long as the shading is correct you probably won't ever notice. If that matters to you.

[Pat K]

I'd use satin or semi-gloss because they wash down better and don't show splash marks as much as flat or eggshell. I've had better luck using exterior paint in an insulated garage that is only heated when I am working on something out there. I think it can expand and contract more than interior paint because it doesn't crack or peel as much.

[JeremyCampbell]

Ok, I'll admit I was a little lazy on my last responce.

Assuming your garage isn't heated:

If your doing it over winter.It's got to be a little warm in there for a good cure if its not, your going to have a peeling party over time and your work was all a waste.Read the label .I've seen some crazy peeling in garages over the yrs, just because they painted the surface below 35-45 deg.Depends on product.

If you go exterior, which you really dont have to.

Behr's,Exterior satin enamel is affordable and tough.I used it for yrs on exterior jobs.You don't need all the hoopla products like Resilience and such.The stuff I suggested works just as good and cheaper. I been doing this for a living since high school and they like to fill your head that if you pay more you get more.I believe that ,the longer a product has been around and hasnt been tweaked by the EPA "much" the better.In regards to painting.

Back to the question:

Any of these sheen's are fine: Eggshell,Satin,Semi.

I recommend Semi if your looking for a good cleaning surface and some degree of hardness from the product.

Satin for light cleaning and if you want to touch up later , like mentioned above you will also have lower visibility when you have to fix something.

Depends on what your doing in that garage I guess.

[lindy rig]

Currently building my "dream garage" 30x40 detached. I only plan to heat it when I am working on something.

They are taping right now and hope to paint next week.

I have a Flat finish in my attached garage, but I just don't like it. It smudges, shows finger prints, and seems to rub off on things. And I just don't like the texture. The guy who is taping, however, is recommending Flat so that you can patch areas later on. So I do acknowledge that benefit, but I'm hoping it's not because he wants to hide a crappy tape job.

Now the general is recommending Flat or Eggshell. He claims the Satin or Semi will show the joints more and thinks I will be unhappy.

What you guys are saying makes sense but is the general wrong? Does the ceiling make a differece?

[BartmanMN]

Eggshell is a good happy medium. Not shiny, but not flat. Cleans up a bit, but can be patched if not faded.

[JeremyCampbell]

Eggshell will be great too.As long as you can wipe it your set.I've used Eggshell on walls and ceilings in garages and never had a problem.

As far as the ceiling:

Most of the time ceilings are flat and hides better but if your doing your dream garage painting the ceiling in Eggshell will bring some good reflective light in.Just a thought.Usually it looks pretty sharp when it's done especially when the ceilings are textured anyways.

[leech~~]

He is right. Flat paint is more forgiving when it comes to hiding wall flaws, and is easier to touch back up without lines showing. But it is also the worst for cleaning when a fluid line blows!

[lindy rig]

Thanks guys for talking me through this. All the little decisions are starting to build up and I just want to be done at this point!

I guess that makes sense for the ceiling and why interior rooms have a Flat and textured ceiling. Since this is a garage, we are not spending the time or money for a knockdown ceiling but just want to pick one paint to spray/roll on.

So I can rule out Flat because I just don't like it.

Sounds like Eggshell or Satin would be my best choices, with maybe Eggshell being a little safter bet.

Now I just have to decide Interior or Exterior paint

[Pat K]

If you go with eggshell, I've only found it available in interior so that would eliminate one decision!

[Surface Tension]

If the general is recommending flat to hide flaws you hired the wrong general and he hired the wrong taper. Tell him your going with gloss and prime it first.

As far as repairs, again prime it before painting and they won't show.

[311Hemi]

Now the general is recommending Flat or Eggshell. He claims the Satin or Semi will show the joints more and thinks I will be unhappy.

I don't think that should be an issue if the taper does his job. The taper he used on my house was great, so hopefully who he has doing your house is no different

I would not go flat, eggshell at a min....possibly leaning towards satin. I would use exterior paint.

[leech~~]

Gees really guys? Is it a garage or the "Garage Mahal" Are you making into a man cave to have friends over and hide out in or are you just trying to fix it up a bit? If your like me and work on car's, snowmobiles, Dual Sport bikes, cut wood, spray paint stuff your going to have some stuff on the walls! If it were me I would paint it a nice light or dark gray in maybe egg shell so I could wipe off some of the craap splattered on it and call it good! My wife, is not going to be entertaining any of her friends in there!

[lindy rig]

It's a fairly large space and like I said bascially my dream garage. I've already spent a lot of money and just want it done right.

I am having issues with heat and getting the mud to dry. They are using propane heat which is throwing a ton of moisture into the area. This early winter is not helping.

[Surface Tension]

Maybe I was harsh.

Really though an experienced taper will make it look easy and wont have any problems.

Cold temps and unventilated propane heat isn't helping though. Let them know you understand and to take their time. Do you have a dehumidifier(s) you can put in the garage.

[lindy rig]

Dehumidifier is a good idea.... gosh I actually thought about that several days ago and then forgot. The other part of the problem is we don't have power out there yet either (whole nother story) But I can run another extension cord so I think I will do that.

I just got off the phone with the general right now. He was trying to explain that if I went with a higher gloss finish I might see the texture from the sheetrock to the mud because of when they sand it would scuff up the sheetrock? Anyway, then he said as long as they prime and then back roll it would be fine.

So anyway, now I am leaning towards the Exterior Satin.

Last question (hopefully) should I do the ceiling the same?

Thank you Thank you

[leech~~]

Because of all the temp and humidity charges that can take place in a garage from opening the big door, warming it up, cooling back off it maybe a good idea to go with an all weather exterior paint on the inside.

Just a thought.

[JeremyCampbell]

Im curious to know how the job is doing? They get the mud dried and the area painted?

[lindy rig]

I think it's going OK. I've been babysitting it quite a bit, turning on heat and opening windows ect. He is coming back to sand today... painting Tues and Wed...

Still lots of moisture on the floors and humidity has been in the 60s

[lindy rig]

Well, he came and left shortly. Still drying I guess.

[pikestabber]

That will all dry out a lot quicker with a 20" box fan. I have one for sale...

[JeremyCampbell]

That will all dry out a lot quicker with a 20" box fan. I have one for sale...

Pikestabber might be onto something....

[lindy rig]

I got a fan going now - thanks.

If using the Behr Exterior Satin enamel.... should I be using the Behr multi-surface exterior primer? It mentions superior adhesion and protection for multiple surfaces (but does not mention drywall) otherwise the drywall primer is an interior product.