# Tips on painting breeze block garage.



## markcaughey (Apr 3, 2015)

I'm doing a little spring cleaning in my garage and clearing out a load of clutter. The place is starting to look a lot better but one thing that's really letting it down is the walls. When the garage was built as a quick fix we went round the walls with any white paint we could find through a shoots/stone guard gun. The walls are white but barely and over the years it's looking a bit grubby in areas. 

If I could get the walls a nice solid bright white it would make the world of difference. I have had a quick look around and I'm thinking of getting Sandtex white masonry paint and putting it on with a masonry brush, I'm thinking the brush may work better filling in the porous block. It's not going to be a quick job and I will probably split it up and do 1 section at a time. 

Anyone have any tips or advice


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## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

Maisonary paint is the way to go for good thick coverage, as you mention a brush is great but takes a long time. You could try a long pile roller first.

I did mine by hand, it's a single garage and each coat took half a day!


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## shl-kelso (Dec 27, 2012)

Although it is slow you will find applying by brush allows you to control coverage much more easily than a roller. I used contract emulsion on my dense concrete blocks (three coats to get a decent look) in my double garage and although it took me a three days (one coat per day, several hours per coat!) it still looks decent 5 years later.


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## ActionTracked (Mar 15, 2016)

I like to use a big brush gives everywhere a nice even coverage, I do however give it at least 2 coats on a fresh block, you may get away with one if it's been covered already.

More importantly we want before and after shots!


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## ActionTracked (Mar 15, 2016)

I use this..


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

Get a nice soft yard/kitchen broom etc from a diy shop and use that.


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## EliteCarCare (Aug 25, 2006)

Coat the walls with a watered down PVA first to seal and then paint, this will make the paint cover easier as the blocks won't be so porous.

Alex


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## Jimmy The Saint (Sep 19, 2010)

EliteCarCare said:


> Coat the walls with a watered down PVA first to seal and then paint, this will make the paint cover easier as the blocks won't be so porous.
> 
> Alex


^^ This. Unsealed breeze block drinks masonry paint like you wouldn't believe. Otherwise buy double what you think you actually need.


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## m4rkymark (Aug 17, 2014)

I used normal emulsion on my blocks put on with a roller, 3 coats for good coverage, 1st was a 50:50 mix with water which sealed the stone first, 6 yrs later it's still fine.


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## JB052 (Mar 22, 2008)

EliteCarCare said:


> Coat the walls with a watered down PVA first to seal and then paint, this will make the paint cover easier as the blocks won't be so porous.
> 
> Alex


As above


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## markcaughey (Apr 3, 2015)

ActionTracked said:


> I use this..


Where can i get this stuff and how much was it ? cheers


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## markcaughey (Apr 3, 2015)

Thanks for all the replies guys :thumb:

I think I'm going to go for a coating of watered down PVA then Masonry paint with a long pile roller. The back wall is priority and then wall with the windows and then i will take on the last (biggest) wall doing it 1/4 at a time but as you can see with the size of the place it could take a while. Im just going to concentrate on getting 1 coat on, docent need to be perfect just a nice freshening up. I really have no idea how much i will need but will get 20 litre to start with and take it from there.

Thought i would post some photos up and let use see what I'm up against....:doublesho Also included some before and afters to let use see how the clear out is going, big difference but getting the walls nice and white again plus some fresh paint on the floor should set the place off.

Before




After





Sorry about the trailer but you get the idea.......

There is a few things left up near the door still to go to the dump.


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## markcaughey (Apr 3, 2015)

on another note this arrived today. will be glad to take a break from clearing the garage and try this out.


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## Squadrone Rosso (Aug 11, 2009)

Sandtex Smooth Masonry paint on this. Two coats


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## Guest (Apr 15, 2016)

By all means give it a go....but paint manufacturers and block manufacturers do not recommend PVA.The paint will just sit on the surface..no key the background.

Block manufacturers...
"Paints of most types can be applied
direct to the surface of the blocks.
After normal preparatory work, the
paint should be applied following
the manufacturer’s specific
recommendations. A mist coat (or
sealer) plus two full coats of trade
emulsion is generally adequate to
provide an economical finish."

Dulux..
The correct primer should always be applied to a new substrate to ensure that it is seale d and to ensure coating adhesion.
Substituting the primer with a non-primer, or an economical contractor’s PVA may compromise the coating system, as the
system is only as strong as its weakest link. The PVA may not perform adequately as a primer because alkali attack or any
moisture in the structure can weaken it, resulting in loss of adhesion and failure of the entire coating system.


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## markcaughey (Apr 3, 2015)

Squadrone Rosso said:


> Sandtex Smooth Masonry paint on this. Two coats


Looks good, how much paint did you use per coat


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## Squadrone Rosso (Aug 11, 2009)

I think just over 7 litres in all. The cement pointing needed a brush where it was deeper but other than that, went on with roller


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## phazer (Apr 3, 2011)

aka.eric said:


> By all means give it a go....but paint manufacturers and block manufacturers do not recommend PVA.The paint will just sit on the surface..no key the background.
> 
> Block manufacturers...
> "Paints of most types can be applied
> ...


This. PVA is one of the worst decorating myths. Use a watered down first coat of non vinyl paint and that will be enough.


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## chrisc (Jun 15, 2008)

Santex masonry paint great stuff just exspensive try find a local crown center there paint and women on counter reckons it's better than the santex bq etc sell.


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## markcaughey (Apr 3, 2015)

BnQ are doing 10 litre of Santex masonry for £40 

Think i will try it without the PVA and see how it goes and will just get 10 litre to start with, The walls have a good base colour to go off anyway so i think 1 good coat of Sandtex should do the job.


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## The_Weasel (Nov 23, 2006)

markcaughey said:


> BnQ are doing 10 litre of Santex masonry for £40


£25 at screwfix


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## Rayaan (Jun 1, 2014)

Doesn't matter if its a myth or not but PVA definitely works! 

However, use waterproof PVA not the normal one. That way it won't peel if it gets damp or something


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## PootleFlump (Jan 1, 2006)

Spray it on.


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## Two's Company (Feb 11, 2006)

I did this recently and it's a nightmare. The roller doesn't get in the nooks and crannies so ended up brushing it on. I would buy a sprayer next time.


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## adlem (Jul 6, 2008)

I'm a decorator by trade, don't use PVA as it seals the blocks and your paint can't soak in and adhere properly, it will just sit on the surface...

Trade paint is a lot better quality than what you'd get in the likes of B&Q/Homebase even if it seems the same. But from a proper merchants and you'll get the trade product, most are open on a Saturday morning.

White emulsion or preferably masonry paint is best. No need to go to the expense of sandtex for what it is. Dulux make Armstead, their trade brand but it's virtually identical, and their Masonry Paint is good for the price and available from a dulux decorators centre


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## markcaughey (Apr 3, 2015)

Thanks for all advice and comments and also the heads up on screw fix. Picked up 10L of Sandtex + a couple of long pile rollers this morning and got the back wall done plus painted the top shelf white. Its not perfect but a big improvement, the 10L is just about done and I'm not in any great rush to go buy more to paint the rest of the place ! As i said the back wall was the main problem the rest i can live with for now. I think what I'm going todo is get some masonry brushes and just work at it doing small areas at a time, the brush seems the only way to get a perfectly white consistent coating I recon i would need another 30-40 litre to paint the rest.

Next up I'm going to paint the floor and i wouldn't mind fixing some sort of doors onto my shelves making them more like cabinets.


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## WO-WO (Jun 29, 2015)

Now you've sealed the blocks it will get loads easier.

We did a first coat like yours and spread the paint on like butter from a knife and it came up a treat. You use more paint but well worth it:-


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## Ashtray (Jan 14, 2014)

On the walls where the paint has blackened looks like single skin block? that's had water penetrate from the outside, I would get some water seal (thompsons) on the other side or it will just re occur


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## markcaughey (Apr 3, 2015)

The wall was rendered outside around a year after the garage was built the wall blackened in this time. Thats about 5 years it'd been rendered so it's not bare block on the outside.


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## markcaughey (Apr 3, 2015)

WO-WO said:


> Now you've sealed the blocks it will get loads easier.
> 
> We did a first coat like yours and spread the paint on like butter from a knife and it came up a treat. You use more paint but well worth it:-


Yours looks great did you use a brush or roller ? I will get back to it at somepoint but I have been spending lots of time working on the garage recently so just going to give it a break for now and enjoy some time cleaning the car in the place now.

My plan when doing the second coat is to do it in sections working on 2-3 course of block around the full garage at a time working my way from the top down. That way it won't seem so overwhelming and I can just take my time making sure each block is well covered evenly. The garage is 12 course so 4 shifts and I'd say another 40 litre of paint should do the job.

The place is looking a whole lot better anyway so just going to get the car in enjoy spending some time working on that in a nice tidy garage.


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## WO-WO (Jun 29, 2015)

markcaughey said:


> Yours looks great did you use a brush or roller ? I will get back to it at somepoint but I have been spending lots of time working on the garage recently so just going to give it a break for now and enjoy some time cleaning the car in the place now.
> 
> My plan when doing the second coat is to do it in sections working on 2-3 course of block around the full garage at a time working my way from the top down. That way it won't seem so overwhelming and I can just take my time making sure each block is well covered evenly. The garage is 12 course so 4 shifts and I'd say another 40 litre of paint should do the job.
> 
> The place is looking a whole lot better anyway so just going to get the car in enjoy spending some time working on that in a nice tidy garage.


Hi, rollered the fist coat and then used a brush to spread the second coat on. It was an absolute PITA but well worth the final job.


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## Alfa male (Jun 16, 2009)

EliteCarCare said:


> Coat the walls with a watered down PVA first to seal and then paint, this will make the paint cover easier as the blocks won't be so porous.
> 
> Alex


In hindsight I wish I had done this with my garage...


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## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

Alfa male said:


> In hindsight I wish I had done this with my garage...


Flake, flake, flake.

prevents the paint from keying to the wall.


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## Deniance (Jun 28, 2008)

If your garage os single skin breeze block wall and is rendered or painted outside, then you need to check for damage before painting the inside, any cracks or holes in the waterproof render or paint outside will allow water into the breeze blocks which CAN dry out through the bare interior side of the wall, coaring the inside waterproof means in the event of water getting into the bricks from outside then the wall bexomes damp and your new internal paint adds to the problem and will start to flake! A quick look outside will tell you, and a check of the inside for damp! No point spending money on paint when next year it will be on floor!
Or a cheap breathable paint like dulux supermatt would be an option, although not hard wearing as masonary paint


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