Best paint for garage walls?

[jbadjones]

Hello all,

What is the consensus on garage wall paint? Indoor/outdoor? Best sheen?

I've searched the internet for hours but with all the DIY pages and self proclaimed gurus on the internet it's hard to get a straight answer rather than just someone's opinion.

Also, if anyone has any paint color recommendations I'm open! Looking for a gray.

 

[bassJAM]

There really isn't a straight answer because it's going to depend on your needs, your garage, and personal preference. Is having walls that are easily cleaned important to you? Do you need a lot of light for work areas (high gloss), or prefer walls that won't have any glaring? Are there any external light sources? Are there a lot of imperfections in your drywall that you don't want to draw attention to? Possibly most importantly, are you married and does your wife give a $h!t what the garage looks like!

The only consensus is per the EPA you shouldn't use exterior paint indoors. Safety reasons aside, I see no benefit to paying more for exterior paint in an enclosed garage.

Addressing Indoor Environmental Concerns During Remodeling | US EPA

Addressing Indoor Environmental Concerns During Remodeling

www.epa.gov

• With painting indoors, make sure you select paints that are for indoor use. Do not use exterior paints indoors.

 

[yeldogt]

In a multi season environment where there may be periods of high humidity a case could be made for the use of a kitchen and bath formula -- that tends to be durable paint w/ additives for mildew resistance. Some can be higher sheen -- but, that's often want people want.

You don't want to use exterior paint -- it's not "more durable" ... it does have flex agent in it to handle the temp swings and it's self cleaning -- it will caulk. Both -- best left to outside.

In reality -- anything will work. Even flat paint is durable today. I typically use a light gray with some gloss on lower open areas as it hides scuff marks and cleans up. Flatter whites on the ceiling and above ... Both whites and light grays work well in and around work benches w/ shelves behind if they have some gloss for cleanups.

 

[Prospecter]

The glossier the paint, the more important prep is, and the more that imperfections will show. I would probably go flat, eggshell, or satin. Definitely indoor. Typically more expensive paints have more solids, so theoretically cover better. These days I don't paint much, so I only use Benjamin Moore, only because that it what I know. It's pricey stuff!

 

[IBEME]

The guy from Obsessed Garage said flat paint is the best. He did a garage giveaway in the multiple ten's of thousands of dollars and his reasoning was when was the last time you saw someone washing the walls in their garage and it is easier to touch up flat paint than other sheens. He recommends Sherwin Williams Harbor Grey flat interior paint. He also painted the ceiling Tricorn Black which really looks cool. See the video at

.

 

[619DioFan]

For me , I buy the cheapest flat white walmart carries. after all it is just a garage ( at least to me anyways ) if an area gets dirty I hit it with some stain block primer and slap some more paint on. can't help if you want a fancy garage. in the house is where I spend money on better paint.

 

[PoorUB]

I use white semi gloss.
Does it get dirty? Yes, but not as bad as you would think. The semi gloss cleans fairly easy. The biggest reason is white reflects light better than any other color, and I like lots of light, better to see what you are working on. As far as ouch ups? I "touch up" the inside of my garage roughly every ten years. In between I might give it a god wash down every 3-5 years, maybe twice between re-paint.

Gray walls and black ceiling, no way!! Sure it looks cool, but like I said, I want to see!

 

[Mikeske]

Gray walls and black ceiling, no way!! Sure it looks cool, but like I said, I want to see!


I 100% agree I spent 45+ years with the gray walls and dark ceilings in a industrial settings and NO WAY will I ever work in those depressing colors again. Of course being retired I choose what I want to see in shop. When I put up my wall panels inside my pole building out came the white gloss paint I used to paint the exterior of my home. White is the only color I paint anything as it really helps in lighting and and generally better reflected light in my shop.

 

[karoc]

Best paint? Well I would start with a good name brand which could be SW's,BM paints and I'm sure there are other good brands. But this all starts after a good cleaning and again best primer that money can buy. It being your shop we are wondering should use interior or exterior paints. Well as you know the exterior is design to take the abuse of the sun not fade. I also would do couple coats of primer if not more, give it plenty time to dry between the coats. Give the paint chance to be the best it can be.
Colors ? Its your shop, but where I work at the shop walls are all white from ceiling down to about 3' from floor where it is a light gray and its a cinder block wall.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I used an exterior paint for the house garage. It's an unconditioned space and we park cold/hot/wet vehicles in there. I think it might have been a semi-gloss, not sure that was back in 2008-2010.

 

[u2slow]

I'm using white semi-gloss on plywood walls. I want the light, and it wipes/cleans easy.

 

[drmarkr]

White semi-gloss. Way easier to clean than flat or satin.

 

[rayra]

The more sheen the easier to clean.
The brighter the paint the brighter the light.
White semi-gloss for me. Dark garages require a lot more key lighting.

 

[PoorUB]

A friend had sheeted the inside of his garage with chip board or OSB and never painted it. He was always complaining about how dark it was and wanted top add more lights. I finally convinced him to paint it. Chip board if like a sponge so it took a couple coats of primer and a finish coat. He also put down a coat of light gray epoxy on the floor. It really brightened it up and he never did add any lights.

 

[Walkers]

Overspray from painting hot rods and tractors!

 

[ddawg16]

Exterior Semi-gloss.

I do a lot of woodworking and the semi-glass is easier to blow the saw dust off of. And, as noted above, does not show as much 'imperfections'.

This is what my paint scheme looks like on the ground level (mine is 2-story)

Of course, I will never be able to see those walls again. I have so much **** in my garage, only about 1/3rd of the walls are visible.

Big yes on a white ceiling. It helps to reflect light.

 

[BigGarage]

Hi friend. I can tell you my bad experience about how I unsuccessfully painted my garage and then corrected this mistake, maybe this will help you with the choice of paint. It was a year ago when I was doing repairs in my garage and it was time to paint the walls, of external and internal

Here we go again

 

[karoc]

While you already have good answers, I throw my opinion in there. Don’t know if good or not but it’s opinion. Like any paint job it has to start with good primer and all surfaces free of dust etc. I don’t know if you have access to oil base paint as primer but that’s how I would start out. SW’s is my favorite brand. If new wood it may take couple coats of primer. After that I would go with good latex paint. I like gloss myself cause it just makes place look clean, but that’s all in my mind. Good paint is going cost more so be prepared

 

[ZRX61]

Hi friend. I can tell you my bad experience about how I unsuccessfully painted my garage and then corrected this mistake, maybe this will help you with the choice of paint. It was a year ago when I was doing repairs in my garage and it was time to paint the walls, of external and internal

Dear Penthouse Forum...
You won't believe what happened when I came home with a paintbrush & a bucket of pig ****...

 

[Metal-Marc]

Hi friend. I can tell you my bad experience about how I unsuccessfully painted my garage and then corrected this mistake, maybe this will help you with the choice of paint. It was a year ago when I was doing repairs in my garage and it was time to paint the walls, of external and internal

No one cares about you.

 

[steve308]

I've always used the system of whatever was left over from when I was forces to paint the interior of the house. Currently the garage has three accent walls and a garage door.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Spammer banned.

 

[4x4Pete]

Interior semi gloss in whatever shade tickles your pickle. Easy to wipe clean and reflects light decently.

 

[ZX3ST]

I went with an interior kitchen/bath in satin sheen and I'm happy with that choice. They tend to also be "scrubbable". I didn't care about the mold/mildew angle. Pick your favorite brand.

I wouldn't use exterior paint. They have flex agents in them, but the fumes aren't safe to breathe, and they tend to "chalk" over time.

2 coats of Kilz ahead of time. This might not be needed for many, but was the case for me.

I went white on the ceiling and upper walls (for lighting efficiency). Light gray on the lower walls, just to make it more interesting than a big white cube.

 

[thammel]

My garage is heated and air conditioned. So I used interior paint. Definitely prime first. Then I used flat white ceiling paint on the ceilings. Also, I use HD Behr paint; it gets good reviews in general. For the walls, I used semi-gloss and their stock off-white, which was called swiss coffee. Semi-gloss is easily cleanable.

 

[demarpaint]

I use exterior paint, usually a mid-gloss. In 40+ years of professional painting I haven't had a problem or a complaint with it. It is made to handle temperature swings, dampness and humidity. With most quality paints chalking is not going to be an issue inside of a garage. The main part of my garage was painted 24 years ago with MoorGlo white on the walls and MoorLife white on the ceiling, there is zero peeling or chalking anywhere. In fact it still doesn't need to be painted again.

 

[gahrajmahal]

My garage paint is “leftover paint”. whatever I had leftover from painting interior or exterior. The only chosen paint was the poured cement wall that was under ground level. The tool boxes and cabinets was getting rust/mold due to moisture coming in. I bought a couple gallons of Drylock paint

something like this.

It didn’t work. Moisture still worked it’s way through so I need to do it again with something else.

If you are buying paint my go to brand is Clark and Kensington from Ace Hardware. Indoors I use their Flat Enamel. It is washable and very durable and paints like a dream.

 

[BigGarage]

Are all of these replies to an almost year old thread bumped on Tuesday by a now-banned spammer just a joke or are you all that clueless? The OP never even replied in it. I'm sure he's painted already.

Dennis

 

[IBEME]

The reason I have not replied is that it took 15 months to build my house. I ended up doing the Harbor Grey flat walls with a white ceiling.
Just finished doing the lights last week. Now I'm trying to come up with a design for a Race Deck floor and some New Age cabinets

 

[Daniel Dudley]

Also, if anyone has any paint color recommendations I'm open! Looking for a gray.

Benjamin Moore, trout silver.

 

[Solpainter]

The reason I have not replied is that it took 15 months to build my house. I ended up doing the Harbor Grey flat walls with a white ceiling.
Just finished doing the lights last week. Now I'm trying to come up with a design for a Race Deck floor and some New Age cabinets

Looks nice. I thought I had the only painted garage in Fuquay!

 

[yeldogt]

F&B moles breath ..... you can tell your friends