11 replies to this topic

[Wumby]

We moved recently. I've always had a desk I can paint on and it's a pretty decent set-up in the spare bedroom or when we had a playroom, it was in there. In our new townhome, we have a one car garage, which is under the little one's room. My wife mentioned that she doesn't think we'll use it for the car just so opening the garage won't wake little bit up when she's asleep. I didn't argue because, I might have a more permanent set-up for painting. The garage isn't climate controlled, but definitely not as hot or cold as a detached garage. Question: "Does anyone permanently paint in a similar location and are there any problems storing paint "permanently" in such a garage? We live in TN, so there is definitely humidity and heat and snow and tornados. I've already figured out the problem with tornados.

[Inarah]

Humidity can work to your advantage as it means the paint won't dry on your brush like it would in a heavily air conditioned climate. Long term high heat can ruin paint. If it is too uncomfortable to paint, I wouldn't store paint there. Likewise, if it is too cold.

My concern with it being under the kiddo's room is fumes from primer or sealer. I would try to do that outside, or if wind is an issue, at least next to the open garage door.

Your wife is right that the door opening should not bother the child, she needs to learn to sleep with the normal noise of life going on around her.

[Wumby]

I think that the door won't bother her, my wife thinks that it will. Now, primer-wise, I usually brush-on anyway. Right after we moved, heat hit triple digits and humidity felt that way too, but the garage was nice. Warmer than in the house, but without opening the door, maintained comfortable level. This won't happen soon b/c I don't have a workbench, just the desk which stays inside. My intentions are not to "overtake" the space either, I want to be able to pull the jeep when one of those sporadic hail storms breeze through.

[Wren]

I live in TN, and I have some paints I keep in a bin to take to paint club. I don't like to store them in the garage just in case weather extremes affect them. If you use greenstuff or other putties, I probably wouldn't keep them there, either. (Some freeze well, but that makes me wonder if heat would have a negative effect.) Ditto glue. So if you don't mind setting up a bin to take in and out with some supplies and you find it comfortable for you out there, I think you could make your garage painting work pretty well! You could try it with a space heater in the winter if you find it chilly?

[Dilvish the Deliverer]

I've painted in the garage before during summers when I lived in NH. Never had many problems with the humidity except when using spray primer/sealer. As said above, don't store the paints out there if it gets excessively hot/cold (I always worry more about the cold than the heat living in the NorthEast).

As for noise, my wife and I subscribe to the "Bruce Willis" method of conditioning children. When they a little and get into the pass the heck out and enter a coma nap, put on a load action movie (Die Hard, the Matrix anything exciting and loud) and play it. My kids now sleep through anything. Getting them up for school in the morning is another story.

[Wumby]

I think I'll eventually set-up out there. I have all sorts of awesome plans, but as mentioned above, just shuttle my paints back and forth. The end result will be while this area in the garage will be a hobby space, it'll also be a work-bench. Multi-purpose! If I weren't so glacially slow at painting, I'd probably leave everything out there...me being slow is also why moving out of the guest room would be a good idea.

[Wumby]

Check this out. I did a bit of research and for about $70, Lowe's/Home Depot sells a garage door insulating kit. Different brands in each store. Basically, you get some fiberglass insulation pieces and the junk to get them placed on the door. The door itself has a tight seal, once again 100+ outside and low 80's in the garage. Near the bottom, on each side, there is a small gap between wall and door, which would be an easy fix. It's a one car garage, space heater in the colder months, and I think this would be a done project with the "feeling" of a dry basement inside. Gonna have to do it...sometime soon.

[DixonGrfx]

Be aware, that will hep to some degree, but it won't have a large impact. Most garage walls are insulated between the garage and the living space, not the outside walls. This is mostly to insulate the living space from the heat generated by your vehicle once you pull it into the garage. I know because of many years in the home building industry. Rarely do builders insulate the outside walls of a garage. It save on the building expense.

[Wumby]

Be aware, that will hep to some degree, but it won't have a large impact. Most garage walls are insulated between the garage and the living space, not the outside walls. This is mostly to insulate the living space from the heat generated by your vehicle once you pull it into the garage. I know because of many years in the home building industry. Rarely do builders insulate the outside walls of a garage. It save on the building expense.

I'm in a townhome, so all walls are insulated except for the door...that's why I was excited for the door insulation kit.

[DixonGrfx]

Sweet! I wish that were the case in my home. I would have insulated my garage door years ago if it were the case for me. It would make a most excellent mad scientist's lab..... Or game \ hobby room.


Heck, I would have added a couple of hvac vents in the garage ceiling and added it to the home environmental control. Geee, how '80s would that be. :)

[cerebro1974]

Sounds like you have a plan! Be sure to post the pics of your space!

[Wumby]

Ok, so here is my current space. No complaints. What you can't see is that my paints are in a tackle box on the floor to the right. Easy storage, easy move to the closet to give it a more "guest room" feel when we have guests.



Here is the space I'm looking at eventually having.



We're on the left. The builders actually did this right. There is insulation on all three interior walls. I don't know about the ceiling though. I will attest that the room above the garage is significantly warmer during the day. Other than the garage door itself, the other egress is on the back wall into our house. After insulating the garage door, I was thinking that when I was in there hobbying it up, I'd leave the door into the house open. So far, it's far below intolerable during the heat of the day. When winter comes, I'll see how cold it gets, and consider a space heater. Now, for the meantime, this thread will die and fade into oblivion until I land supplemental employment to feed the habit.