Here’s the situation—you want to give your garage a makeover and you’re ready to get started. But before you grab the paint roller, there’s one important step that can make all the difference in how your finished project turns out. Do you need to prime before painting a garage? Let’s find out!
What You'll Learn Today
How Do I Prepare My Garage for Painting?
Before you grab a can of paint and go wild, there are a few steps you need to take in order to ensure your project is successful. Read on for our tips on how to prepare your garage for painting.
Clean the Walls
Before you start painting, the walls need to be thoroughly cleaned. This will help remove dirt, dust, grime, and any other debris that might have gathered over time.
Use a degreasing cleaner or warm water with dish soap and spend some time scrubbing down all surfaces. If there is any grease or oil residue remaining, consider using an oil-based primer before painting.
Protect Surfaces and Tape the Area
Cover any furniture or appliances with drop cloths or plastic sheeting before starting so that they don’t get splattered with paint during the process.
Next, use painter’s tape around window sills, door frames, baseboards, and any other areas that are adjacent to walls so that those surfaces are not affected by the painting process either.
Prime Unfinished Drywall and Existing Wall Paint
If you have unfinished drywall in your garage, apply an oil-based primer first before applying paint as this will help seal off porous surfaces and provide a better surface for painting.
If you have existing wall paint in your garage but it’s not in great condition (e.g., chipped), use a good quality latex wall primer specifically designed for interior use prior to applying new layers of paint.
Paint, Dry, and Repeat
Finally—it’s time to begin painting! When choosing a color palette for your walls keep in mind the purpose of the room; if it’s going to be used as a workshop then lighter colors may be best since they reflect more light while darker tones can make a room feel more enclosed or cozy depending on what look you want to achieve.
Remember that most paints require two coats so allow drying time between each layer before moving onto the next one. Once all is said and done— stand back and admire your work!
Do I Need to Prime Before Painting a Garage?
The short answer is yes, you should always prime before painting a garage or any other surface. Primer serves as an adhesive layer between the wall and the paint that helps ensure that your paint job lasts longer and looks better.
Plus, primer will help seal any cracks or holes in the wall so they don’t appear once you’ve applied your color of choice.
Just like any other DIY project, there are certain times when priming is essential and certain times when it’s optional.
If you are applying paint over bare wood, concrete, new drywall, or previously painted surfaces with severe damage (such as peeling), then priming is essential if you want your paint job to look good and last long-term.
Primer acts as an adhesive layer between the wall and the paint that helps ensure that your paint job looks better and lasts longer than it would without primer.
Also, if you’re painting over bare wood or concrete surfaces, primer will help seal them off from moisture damage which could otherwise cause issues down the road.
If you are applying paint over previously painted walls with no signs of damage (such as flaking or peeling) then priming isn’t necessarily required but still recommended for best results.
Also, if you’re using a high-quality latex-based paint with built-in primer, then you won’t need to apply additional primer prior to painting since it’s already included in the product itself.
However, it’s still important to properly prep the surface prior to painting regardless of whether or not you use additional primer—this includes removing dirt, dust, grease stains, and so on, which will help ensure a smooth finish once your topcoat has been applied.
Here are some general tips for priming your garage wall:
Other Tips for Applying Paint to Garage Wall
If you’ve ever tried to paint a wall in your garage, you know how tricky it can be. From making sure you have the right paint to choosing the right brush, there are lots of things to consider before getting started on your project. Here are some tips and tricks that will help ensure your painting job turns out perfectly.
Check the Paint
Before you start any painting project, make sure you check the condition of your paint first! If you’re using an older can of paint, it may need to be stirred thoroughly or thinned with water if it has thickened over time.
Also, make sure to check the expiration date; expired paint won’t have the same coverage or color as fresh paint and won’t adhere correctly to your wall.
Protect the Floor and Garage Hardware
Once you’ve checked your paint, it’s time to protect any hardware or flooring that might get in the way during your project.
Put down a drop cloth on floors and cover any hardware with newspaper or plastic wrap – this will help prevent any accidental splatters from ruining those items. This is also a good time to remove any furniture or items from around the wall so they don’t accidentally get covered in paint while you work.
Come Up With an Action Plan
Next up is coming up with an action plan for painting your garage wall. Start by deciding which direction (horizontal or vertical) you want your stripes to go in and what size brush or roller you want to use for each stripe.
It helps if you draw out a plan before getting started so that everything stays consistent throughout your project. Finally, decide whether or not you want a border around each stripe; if so, use painter’s tape for added precision when creating them.
What is the Best Primer for Garage Walls?
When it comes to painting walls in your garage, there are two types of primer available: latex-based products and oil-based products. Latex paint dries faster than oil paint does, has minimal odor, and can be thinned with water instead of paint thinner.
However, oil paints take longer to dry and have a strong smell—so if you don’t want your garage smelling like a gas station bathroom, this is probably not the right choice for you. If you want to thin out an oil-based primer, you must use paint thinner rather than water.
If you plan on painting your garage floor (which is rarely necessary), then epoxy type coating is usually the way to go. It offers superior protection against wear and tear as well as water damage and other forms of damage caused by daily use.
On rare occasions when people do opt to paint their floors with regular latex or oil-based products instead of epoxy coating, they must make sure that they use paint specifically designed for cement surfaces—otherwise it won’t stick properly or last very long!
Believe it or not, most people don’t pay much attention to painting their garage ceilings—but doing so can really make a difference in the overall appearance of your space!
Fortunately, any kind of wall primer will do just fine here; whether it’s latex or oil-based doesn’t really matter since nobody spends too much time looking at garage ceilings anyway.
With that being said, though, we still recommend using high-quality primer just in case anyone ever does decide to take a gander up above!
Final Thoughts
Whether or not priming is necessary depends on what type of surface you are painting as well as what type of paint and/or primer product(s) that you are using for your project.
Primer serves an essential role in making sure that your finished project looks great and lasts long-term—so don’t forget this step when tackling your next garage makeover.
