# Garage refurb begins



## Del-GTi

A couple of years ago I posted a new thread asking about garage sizes as I was looking to buy a new house and wanted a decent garage to go along with it:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=358703

Anyway, to save reading that thread (as photobucket ruined it!!) we found a house which came with an attached single garage and also a detached wide single garage at the rear of the property. Happy days! :buffer::thumb:

The only thing was, the garage had quite a large side window and ideally a door would have been a better option. Saves having to open the main roller door every time you want to enter/leave the garage. Only problem was - when the garage was built, all of the rear garden was finished with decking and a door wasn't possible with it still there. So, it was decided that all the decking would be ripped out and replaced with a tiered garden area(which was the original layout), which conveniently meant I could get a door/window unit fitted.  That was finally completed a couple of weeks ago and now I'm ready to tackle the garage.

Started off like this:










And this is how things stand at the moment, sort of a blank canvas. Think this is the emptiest it's ever been!:





































Plans so far are:

Paint the walls white.
New LED lights.
New light switch at door.
Box-in electrics.
Plastic floor tiles.
Fit kitchen style cupboards etc.
tool storage/work bench.

Nice to haves but not right away:

Floor loft area.
New electric roller door.

However, I am looking for ideas/suggestions as to what else to do with it. I am on a budget so don't go wild.

It's a great garage and has lots of potential. The only issue with it is that although it's nice and wide, it's not the longest at 4.8m from back wall to door. So I want to keep the back wall clear so I can get a car as close to it as possible.

I'll post more (better) pics soon, showing garden before/after etc, but in the meantime i'm looking forward to working on it through the winter months and posting up the progress.

Cheers

Del


----------



## Gizmo1973

Hi..

Looking great...! Can't wait to see more from you.. 

Sendt fra min HUAWEI GRA-L09 med Tapatalk


----------



## enc

is there an issue wuth water entering the garage? (from the drive maybe )
your first image shows a damp patch at the front left ? 
maybe worth sorting some run off drainage first perhaps ?

nice garage.. what going in there ?


----------



## percymon

Nice progress

If you are short of length then perhaps a kitchen worktop across the back wall with wall cupboards over the top. Will allow you to tuck the front of the car under the workbench, but still have storage on the wall and a work surface when the cars not in. You may be able even to put a narrow floor unit in the corners.

I'd hang fire on LED lighting until you have the walls painted - it might be money that could be saved until a later date. If you intend to part board the ceiling then a white ceiling will help too :thumb:


----------



## Slammedorion

Invest in some of these led lights off eBay... job sorted

https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/272470978065

6000k 4ft lights







I wouldn't buy anything else...


----------



## Del-GTi

Thanks guys. Not a lot been happening lately but I'm hoping to get some work done this weekend so hopefully have new pics.

There was an issue with water entering the garage. It was coming in where the power cables enter, this was due to the water running off under the old decking and flowing through the conduit. All sealed up now and with the decking gone, it's never been an issue since, even after torrential downpours.

As for what's going in it - for now it'll be either the wife's mk7 Astra or my Fabia. So nothing special for now unfortunately. It's mainly going to be used for detailing or to keep the Skoda out of the rain as it's only used about 4 days a week!

I do have my eye on some kitchen units and I was thinking on wall mounted or running them down the side as I the garage is fairly wide. So that is a good shout.

Those lights are very similar to ones I'd looked at on ebay. They were recommended by someone on here. So thanks for that, I'll consider those when I get ready to buy the lights.


----------



## Del-GTi

Think this may take some time:










Started the first coat this evening. Did buy a cheap sprayer from eBay but it was useless (it was mega cheap), so out came the brush. I am going to invest in a decent masonry roller but not sure if it'll be any more effective at painting all the little holes in the blocks. Never used one before.

Breeze blocks are horrible to paint btw!!:wall:

The good thing is, I'm not in a rush. So will just take my time and do an hour or so each time. That way, I hopefully won't get too fed up doing it.

In other developments, I finished sealing the floor this morning. Good old PVA mixed with water worked perfectly. No more dusty floor!


----------



## Jue

Del-GTi said:


> Think this may take some time:


Looks like a few more coats of paint are needed mate :doublesho


----------



## Del-GTi

I think you might be right!


----------



## DouglasH

Looking good. Did mine last year and it took 4 coats, I bought a good roller on a pole and it really did make a difference, it can be a soul destroying job but worth putting the time in.

Doug.


----------



## shl-kelso

I tried all the "clever" shortcuts and found none were effective when painting my garage blockwork. I went back to a 2" brush - it took ages but at least I got the coverage I wanted although it took 3 coats in total!


----------



## Deathstar

Are you not better using Sandtex, it hss a higher pigment content.
May cost more, but time is costly too.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk


----------



## Alfa male

Sealing the porous blocks with a PVA mix will help reduce the number of coats !


----------



## Soul boy 68

That is looking rather good, wish I had a garage of that size. :thumb:


----------



## Slammedorion

2 coats on a roller tops

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-trade-bare-plaster-paint-brilliant-white-10ltr/51004

This stuff is awesome, so thick just chuck it on


----------



## BrummyPete

Cracking sized garage there mate, keep up the good work


----------



## staffordian

I used an emulsion brush (about 5 or 6 inch wide) and thinned the first coat with about 25% water when I did mine.

Still a long job, but working the brush into the holes and indentations by twisting it round as I brushed helped.

I'm not convinced dear paint is much better - perhaps it has more pigment, but I used cheap B&Q trade stuff and it covered ok.


----------



## Del-GTi

Little bit of progress. First coat done:










Can just about make out where it's not dry yet at the top. I actually quite like the sort of speckled effect from the breeze blocks where they are really rough. Have now started on the second coat but not too fussed if I still get that effect in places after I'm finished.


----------



## brodders1979

Del-GTi said:


> Little bit of progress. First coat done:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Can just about make out where it's not dry yet at the top. I actually quite like the sort of speckled effect from the breeze blocks where they are really rough. Have now started on the second coat but not too fussed if I still get that effect in places after I'm finished.


Be worth it in the end bud.... second coat goes on easier so hardest part done.

Sent from my SM-T825 using Tapatalk


----------



## dailly92

Good Work, The white makes a massive difference.


----------



## Daz.

Slammedorion said:


> Invest in some of these led lights off eBay... job sorted
> 
> https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/272470978065
> 
> 6000k 4ft lights
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I wouldn't buy anything else...


How many do you have fitted?


----------



## Slammedorion

11x4ft on ceiling 
6x4ft on walls
2x2ft on walls

:thumb:


----------



## Daz.

Bloody hell, more than I thought then. I'd decided on 6!


----------



## Slammedorion

Daz. said:


> Bloody hell, more than I thought then. I'd decided on 6!


I'm used to having a lot of light at work 
But in my garage at home is something else :lol:
Never have too much light, I should have done it sooner


----------



## chongo

Love the alloys on the lawnmower:thumb: what size are they:lol:


----------



## Del-GTi

Not much to report, mainly as I have been out of the country and busy with other things.

Still got a bit of painting left to do but it's nearly done.

I did get my extra switch ran for the lights. So now I don't have to walk across the garage in the dark to get the light switch. New one is just inside the side door:



















I've also finished wiring up my external lights which I can control from a Hive socket. Really happy with this as they are switched via a photocell but I can turn them off/on from my phone if I want, so don't need to leave them on all night.



















Apologies for poor image at night. Must do better.

In other news, I have ran the aerial and power cables for the tv and Installed the massive aerial in the loft area. I just hope I can pick up a signal with it. It's quite a rural area and tv signal isn't the best - we get our signal from a repeater mast. I'm gonna use a chromecast or firestick anyway so no great shakes if it doesn't work.










Hopefully I'll get some more done during the Christmas break, as I'm off work.


----------



## Del-GTi

Long overdue update. Lot of things happening since my last post on this, though work kinda stalled for a while as I kept going away with my job. Then there was the weather which was so poor I kept a car in there out of the worst of it.

Winter at its worst:









So the painting eventually continued and I got it all finished, bit of a slog but worth it in the end. All that travel I was doing had helped with the refurb fund so I decided a ceiling was required. So this turned up:


















Ending up with this:


----------



## Del-GTi

Then I decided the old fluorescent lights had no place in the garage, bit rusty, inefficient etc. So I invested in these:



















3x 6ft Battens from https://www.ledsave.co.uk/slimline-integrated-led-batten-light.html They'd been recommended by someone on here and they seemed a good price for the output. Haven't really tried them when it's fully dark yet but they seem mega-bright. They also have a combined output of 96w compared to the 420w of the old lights. I'll see how they are when I have a car in there and it's properly dark. Can always add a couple more if need be.

I also gave the ceiling a couple of coats of emulsion. I did want to get it skimmed but funds didn't allow and I think you can get away with it being a garage.


----------



## Del-GTi

So with that finished (except the loft hatch, still to be fitted) I turned my attention to the floor. I deliberated for a *long* time over which flooring to go for and had almost decided on duramat when I suddenly realised that I couldn't justify the cost. So I had been looking at alternatives and finally settled on industrial carpet floor tiles. Now, I know some people will say that they won't last or will mark easily and what about when they get wet. But my take on it is, I don't really put a car in there when it is wet, I may get some cheap foam tiles for the tyres to sit on and they do seem very tough. Plus the cost was less than half of what I was going to pay.

Before:









After:









I went for two colours, dark grey and anthracite, as I wanted the checkerboard look. I'm quite please with how it turned out.


----------



## Nick-ST

Looks brilliant!


----------



## Del-GTi

The money I saved on the flooring paid for the units I had my eye on. Luckily, when I went to order them, they had 20% off - bonus!










Need to get some more pics of them, but for the money I think they are decent enough. I got them from Argos and they were delivered straight into the garage on a date of my choosing.

I've got tons of storage space now, so much so that I might not need any more storage shelving (for now). Helps with the clean uncluttered look.


----------



## Del-GTi

Next I picked up a tv mount and all the other little bits and pieces I needed. This included one of these, free from Now TV:









So, tv mounted on wall and all wired up and connected:









Also, stuck my old ps3 in the garage as not really used anymore, but will give me internet access plus tv apps:









The tv is nothing special, just an old 32" Technika, (looks so small on the wall) but it'll do for what I need. If it breaks I may replace with a cheap 42" but only if it breaks.


----------



## noidea0

Del-GTi said:


> So with that finished (except the loft hatch, still to be fitted) I turned my attention to the floor. I deliberated for a *long* time over which flooring to go for and had almost decided on duramat when I suddenly realised that I couldn't justify the cost. So I had been looking at alternatives and finally settled on industrial carpet floor tiles. Now, I know some people will say that they won't last or will mark easily and what about when they get wet. But my take on it is, I don't really put a car in there when it is wet, I may get some cheap foam tiles for the tyres to sit on and they do seem very tough. Plus the cost was less than half of what I was going to pay.
> 
> Before:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I went for two colours, dark grey and anthracite, as I wanted the checkerboard look. I'm quite please with how it turned out.


Looks really good! 
Like you I have been deliberating for ages on flooring, I have almost made my mind up for Swisstrax but after seeing your carpet tiles I am having second thoughts!
I am changing the garage doors and the cost is more than I had thought as I am not opting for the budget roller doors you can get but going for the Securoglide Compact. So any cost saving is a bonus.
Do you have a link to the ones you bought please.


----------



## Alan L

That's my plan when mine is done, TV, internet access and maybe a console.... and a dartboard.....and a small fridge.


----------



## James_R

Walls, floor tiles and cabinets look great !!!

Nice work Del


----------



## Del-GTi

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/262954074999

Above is the link to the tiles. They seem really good, well made, accurately cut and all the same size.

No dartboard for me...yet. But I do have a little travel fridge in there which does get nice and cold.

Next big purchase for me will be a new garage door but I'm scared to get a quote! :doublesho If you don't mind me asking, what have you been quoted for the Securoglide Compact?


----------



## noidea0

Del-GTi said:


> https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/262954074999
> 
> Above is the link to the tiles. They seem really good, well made, accurately cut and all the same size.
> 
> No dartboard for me...yet. But I do have a little travel fridge in there which does get nice and cold.
> 
> Next big purchase for me will be a new garage door but I'm scared to get a quote! :doublesho If you don't mind me asking, what have you been quoted for the Securoglide Compact?


Thanks for the link, I have just ordered them!

Did you glue yours down?

The quote I have had to supply two doors (Seceuroglide Compact) as a reveal fit in Ivory with a brown frame and full box and the Rollixo control (Somfy) is £1269 per door. The local guy who is supplying will remove both my old doors and take them away, install both new rollers for £500.
I may add the frame and box to be in the same colour as the door and this is about £90 extra for each door. To me this will make the door look bigger and blend in better.

I have been looking at roller doors for ages and I know I can get a door for about £550 each and they will probably be ok, but I am happier with the quality of a British made product with a 5 year guarantee. You pay your money and take the choice!


----------



## WHIZZER

Its Looking great


----------



## Del-GTi

Yeah I glued mine down, using spray contact adhesive from Screwfix. I'd already sealed the floor using a pva/water mix to cut down on the dust. I thoroughly brushed it again and vacuumed it prior to installing the tiles. 

That's good you've ordered them. Hope your as happy with them as I am.

Thanks for the info on the door, it ain't gonna be cheap, that's for sure.


----------



## enc

Del-GTi said:


> Next I picked up a tv mount and all the other little bits and pieces I needed. This included one of these, free from Now TV:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> So, tv mounted on wall and all wired up and connected:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also, stuck my old ps3 in the garage as not really used anymore, but will give me internet access plus tv apps:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The tv is nothing special, just an old 32" Technika, (looks so small on the wall) but it'll do for what I need. If it breaks I may replace with a cheap 42" but only if it breaks.


:doublesho why would you need a TV in a garage ?


----------



## VeiRoN

Because he can.


----------



## macca666

enc said:


> :doublesho why would you need a TV in a garage ?


With internet access he'll be able to access music, car shows, guides etc.

Nothing better than being able to watch a detailing guide whilst trying it out at the same time :thumb:

Or having sports etc on whilst you're working in the garage.


----------



## Del-GTi

Exactly as above. 

I'm likely to be in the garage for a few hours at a time so thought it would be handy for watching the F1 or football while I'm in there. Also, as said, can use it for Internet and music. 

Anyway, the tv was going spare so why not put it to some use. It hasn't cost me much to set it all up.


----------



## macca666

Del-GTi said:


> Exactly as above.
> 
> I'm likely to be in the garage for a few hours at a time so thought it would be handy for watching the F1 or football while I'm in there. Also, as said, can use it for Internet and music.
> 
> Anyway, the tv was going spare so why not put it to some use. It hasn't cost me much to set it all up.


Plus when you fall out with the other half it gives you somewhere to go :lol:

I was thinking about a loft conversion in mine I reckon I could get a sofa bed or similar so i'd be sorted :lol::lol:


----------



## Trix

I've had a tv in the garage for years.. Love having it in there while I'm doing what I do..
My internet just about reaches the garage so need to work on that.. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated .:thumb:


----------



## Gixxer6

Trix said:


> My internet just about reaches the garage so need to work on that.. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated .:thumb:


WiFi signal boosters/extenders are useful to extend the WiFi range of your router, something like this: http://www.argos.co.uk/product/8145431
Powerline networking is another alternative as it uses the electrical wiring to provide networking/internet but it depends on your existing wiring and electrical noise and also the appliances used can also interfere with speeds. I had powerline at my parents house (1960's build) and the performance was really bad and the room was only 10 metres away. I bought a decent WiFi router and now they have no issues.


----------



## Del-GTi

Thought it was about time for an update, seeing as the refurb is almost complete!

The garage is quite well ventilated, with air bricks leading into the garage - 2 at each side and 2 larger vents at the back. They looked a bit unsightly though so I wanted to get some vent covers to hide them. A quick search on ebay found these:



















I secured them in place with white silicone sealant. The grills have a mesh screen so hopefully might cut down on number of 8-legged friends too. They are actually mounted upside down - reason for this is, when you look at them this way, they hide the hole a bit better.


----------



## Del-GTi

After that, I picked up a loft hatch.










So easy to fit, some screws secure the frame to the ceiling.










Then 2 clips secure the hatch to the frame:










Finished! Nice and light to use and no more hole in the ceiling.


----------



## Del-GTi

That pretty much bring us up to date. There are a couple of minor things i'd still like to do - fit blinds, get some signs/pics put up, possibly add another two strip lights. New garage door is the big one, but that will have to wait.

So this was it at almost it's worst I'd say, just after the door and window were fitted - when the end looked a long way off:










How it looks now:










I'm very happy with it. I don't think I'm fully taking advantage of it yet, as it's the summer so have been outside more. I'm sure when it's the middle of winter, and I've got the lights, heater and tv on it, I'll appreciate it a bit more.


----------



## percymon

Great result that, looks fabulous for what you've shelled out


----------



## James_R

Looking good now fella :thumb:


----------



## VW_Ben

Del - I enjoyed reading about your garage makeover. I am trying to convince my wife that a garage is much better when it is used as a garage rather that cloak room, store, bedroom, dressing room, etc


----------



## VIPER

Del-GTi said:


> .


Your floor looks a bit like mine, buddy! :thumb:

Great work all round


----------



## Del-GTi

Cheers mate. The tiles are still looking pretty good. I give them a vacuum regularly to keep the place tidy.


----------



## Del-GTi

Recent update. My neighbour gave me a convection heater (new and unused) last year as he was having a clear-out before they moved. It had been lying in the garage for months so thought I should put it to good use. A closer look revealed that it could be wall-mounted, so spent a little while today fitting it.









Cable reaches the socket but i'll probably buy some conduit and extend it, just so it's neat and tidy looking. That is, if I end up keeping it. Heat from it is ok, but I think my little fan heater from Tesco does as a better job of warming the place up.









Any other suggestions which don't require shares in the local energy provider? I've also got a little oil filed radiator but it's a bit puny.


----------



## Darlofan

Del-GTi said:


> Recent update. My neighbour gave me a convection heater (new and unused) last year as he was having a clear-out before they moved. It had been lying in the garage for months so thought I should put it to good use. A closer look revealed that it could be wall-mounted, so spent a little while today fitting it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cable reaches the socket but i'll probably buy some conduit and extend it, just so it's neat and tidy looking. That is, if I end up keeping it. Heat from it is ok, but I think my little fan heater from Tesco does as a better job of warming the place up.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Any other suggestions which don't require shares in the local energy provider? I've also got a little oil filed radiator but it's a bit puny.


I use a tiny fan heater from Dunelm when I'm in the garage, connector I tried but not the same unless on all the time, which I couldn't afford!!


----------



## WaxIsForWinners

Garage looks great!

Have you considered a gas burning heater?


----------



## Del-GTi

I’ve not actually considered one of those. Could be worth a look.

If I’m honest, I don’t need the place to be toasty hot. Just warm enough to take the edge off so that wax/sealant cures etc and it’s comfortable to work in. Essentially when I’m working on the car inside, I’m not usually cold as I’m keeping active.


----------



## Kev_mk3

Nice work


----------



## Del-GTi

Thought it was time I updated this as it's long overdue. After I painted the walls I started having issues with the paint flaking off onto the floor. It was only in certain places and it started to look like a fluff or mould, which sat on the wall or fell off onto the floor.


















A bit of research online drew me to the conclusion that it was efflorescence in some of the blocks, which is salts migrating to the surface and is usually caused by moisture. Now to me, the garage seems dry and it was worse in winter so this leads me to believe that it's either:
1. Water from heavy rain is wicking up between the brick and block, thus forcing out the salts.
2. Dampness from cold, wet winters is the cause.

The garage is detached, isn't heated and isn't used regularly so i'm thinking that the second point could be the reason. I'm certainly hoping this is the case as think it would be a lot of work to sort actual water ingress. The garage is well ventilated with plenty of vents and a massive gap at the top of the door so i'm guessing that even with all that - if it's wet/cold outside, it's gonna end up damp inside. Winter months see temperatures of 2-3 celsius inside the garage.

This is what it looked like after it had been cleaned up:









Looks very similar to marks on the wall before it was painted (obviously I had no idea that they would cause an issue.):









I also noted that my cheap units do not cope well with moisture and have warped so will be replaced in the future when funds allow.


----------



## virgiltracey

any possibility of running a dehumidifer in there occasionally? that should help?

In fact a few of those Silca box "damp traps" from the home shops will help absorb some of the moisture in the air, for a pound or so per box its worth a try


----------



## Andpopse

If it’s not a cavity wall construction, you may want to apply a clear sealer to the outside brickwork. The flaking paint could be due to moisture coming through from out side. Or is the damp proof course working properly?


----------



## beatty599

Del-GTi said:


> I've not actually considered one of those. Could be worth a look.
> 
> If I'm honest, I don't need the place to be toasty hot. Just warm enough to take the edge off so that wax/sealant cures etc and it's comfortable to work in. Essentially when I'm working on the car inside, I'm not usually cold as I'm keeping active.


There's also Tube Heaters (https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Produc...UM2mcN1LVCu9syZUMDBNI05LpJxEbCYwaAtVlEALw_wcB) They can keep the chill out and act as a towel drier, they don't get massively hot so you'd need a few 6ft ones.


----------



## SteveW

Andpopse said:


> If it's not a cavity wall construction, you may want to apply a clear sealer to the outside brickwork. The flaking paint could be due to moisture coming through from out side. Or is the damp proof course working properly?


I had to do this to half of my garage to stop moisture soaking through the brickwork during driving rain storms.

Half of my garage is attached to the house so isn't affected, but the rear half is single skin. Since the sealer has been applied I get nothing through into the inside of the garage now


----------



## Del-GTi

Thanks for the ideas guys. 

I am considering a dehumidifier for in there but was under the impression that they needed to be on constantly to be of any benefit? I have a few of those silica box things in there for now and they do trap quite a bit of water.

It is cavity wall but I had thought about sealing as much of the outer wall as I can, see if it helps. That was why I was thinking about it wicking up between the layers. Could be a job for next summer. 

Anyways, what I did after getting it back to bare wall was to spray it liberally with a solution of white vinegar and water, apparently this neutralises the salts in the wall. Then I left it to dry and then sprayed the wall with plain water to rinse off the vinegar. After that I applied a coat of dulux damp and seal (I think that’s what it’s called) which is white and meant I didn’t need to paint over it.

Will see how it goes. I still haven’t sorted out another form of heating. I nearly bought a calor gas heater as I’d seen a few people with these in large sheds and garages but a guy in work said they were expensive to run. So still undecided. I remember my gran having one in her house years ago and was sure they gave off a good amount of heat but not sure if it would add to the potential condensation issue.


----------

