Garage Workshop Transformation Part 1: Paint Walls

Husband and I are going forward with turning part of our garage into a wood workshop for me. We adjusted the budget a bit due to Blitzkrieg’s knee surgery. We still plan to buy as many materials as we can for the project from the Restore.

Some of the storage and insulation extras may wait unless a good sale comes our way. This will be a cash only project.

Here’s the before.

The beer sign is how dudes decorate. That is what Husband told me as he hung it up after I banished it to felt it worked better in the garage.

Here’s the plan.

 

1. Prime and paint the drywall.
2. Hanging bike storage.
3. Make a workbench with storage from old kitchen cabinets
4. Install shelves or more kitchen wall cabinets above the workbench.

Extra projects:

1. Insulate the garage door.
2. Insulate the unfinished walls.
3. Drywall or pegboard the walls (I’m leaning toward pegboard)
4. Prime and paint the finished walls (maybe)
5. Install shelving/organizer system on side walls.

Recycled Paint - OMG What Have I DONE?

I checked the Restore for donated cans of new mistinted paint. I don’t have a color scheme in mind, I just want good paint for cheap. I found two gallons of blue paint for $2.50 a can (normally $20 a can new.) Cans of $20 paint for $2.50? Blue’s just fine thanks.

The paint isn’t a no or low VOC paint. I’m not too concerned since it’s going to live in my garage. I have a fire door from the garage to the house and the garage door is up to air it out while I paint. I’m not too concerned about VOCs here because there are probably worse things VOCing in my garage – like our cars.

I primed the walls with leftover Kilz low VOC primer I bought when I painted the kitchen with low VOC paint. Kilz primer will cover anything but the regular stuff REEKS for weeks afterward. The Kilz low VOC primer works just as well. Kilz low VOC primer barely smells when I’m using it and by the next day the smells is gone. I pink puffy heart Kilz low VOC primer.

The next day I painted the wall with two coats of reclaimed paint.

It’s BLUE.

Like Grover and Cookie Monster had a cage match and then Papa Smurf came by and said, “It’s not blue enough.” BLUE.

 Blue!

Husband thinks his black Great Lakes Brewing Company sign will pop against the blue wall.

Drat.  

Well two can play that crazy garage sign game.

BuildaSign.com offered to send me a free sample of their custom signs. They make art prints, custom and reprints of famous metal street signs, and those vinyl banners I see popping up in my neighbor’s yards announcing their child’s graduation every spring. They also have official metal safety signs.

That gives me an idea.

A very twisted idea.

I asked Build a Sign to make me a custom metal safety sign to go with Husband's beer sign.

Warning: Do Not Drink and DIY

I’m going to hang it above my workbench.

Heh.

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