Walls and Ceiling

I’ve always hated drywall….and in a garage it always seems to be dented, the taped seams come apart because of humidity, and it generall doesn’t hold up well. I decided to to the walls and ceiling with OSB. A hurricane in Louisiana drove up the price from $5.65 a sheet to $17.50! I stalled and worked on other things until it came back down the the “reasonable” price of $9.00 a sheet. 55 sheets took a while to move from the driveway into the garage by hand and my lovely wife helped with the task.

The ceiling would have been impossible to do by myself, so I enlisted the help of my brother in law for a fast-paced day (Thanks Brian!). 10 Gallons of Gatorade later in the 95 Degree heat it was done.

The walls took me some time since I was working by myself again at this point. I built a jig to help me place sheets at the correct height on the walls. Power screwdrivers are a godsend (yes, screws. No nail pops in the future!) Then caulk for any gaps in the wood.

If I’d known how much paint I was going to use I would have invested in an airless sprayer. Seven gallons (two thick coats) of oil-based Killz to seal the wood–OSB is like a sponge. Lots of people complain about the smell of Killz–I didn’t even notice it.

Next comes two coats of latex eggshell white. Then a waist-high blue-gray coat to the ground. This is the area you just know you’ll bump into a lot so the gray will show it less.

All the sockets and switches were installed and I placed 8 new electronic, low temperature T8 fluorescent fixtures with 16 bulbs for nice even lighting through the entire area. No more flicker when the temps are low!