Tips for painting block walls of workshop

[seanf]

Hi All,

I am finally getting around to sorting our garage after moving a few months ago and this will become my workshop (my first dedicated space, very exciting!). The garage is double skin, integral to the house and has a block interior. I have been painting the blocks with masonry paint over the past couple of nights and this has been fairly slow going. Does anyone have any tips on this please? The paint did not mention watering down so I have not done this. I am using a masonry brush after giving up on a roller, as that just seemed to eat the paint and hardly covered the wall. I will continue tonight, but always up for suggestions. I am hoping after the first coat is finished and dry that I might be able to roll on the next, but that may be wishful thinking!

Thanks

Sean

 

[baldkev]

Medium or thick pile roller, depending on the blocks. Yep it uses more paint, but the time saved is huge compared to brushing it in.
Or hire a sprayer or buy a cheapy if you can cover anything you dobt want painted

 

[eribaMotters]

I hand painted my last workshop, 10 x 5 m with pitched roof up to 5.5m high. Walls concrete block and ceiling osb. It took 140L of paint, a very long time and tingling hands. Do yourself a big favour and get a cheap spray gun.

Colin

 

[seanf]

Thank you both. Had another good go tonight and am now typing with my tingling hands! Good to know I’m not alone! I looked tonight at hiring a sprayer, but am about 80% off finishing the first coat. If the second coat goes on easier then maybe I can just get through it by hand or with a roller. I'll see how tomorrow goes

Sean

 

[Fergie 307]

Bit late now but did you seal it first? PVA or similar seals the surface so it doesnt just suck up your paint. And you can certainly thin it a bit if it helps.

 

[clogs]

as above either a sprayer or a GENUINE sheepskin roller......
it will easily hold 1/2 liter of paint when new.....and get in most of the holes first coat......
large paint kettle on the floor and the roller mounted to a decent painters pole.....
I prefer the double ended roller *proff*, u can really push the paint in and then cut in the corners etc with a decent 4" brush....

PLUS use a decent paint......no need to go industrial.....u'll get good results from B+Q's Crown emulsion.....
forget Leyland emulsion.....no pigment.....
I did a comparrison from a DuLuxe's paint store to the Duluxe at the big stores and found no difference other than the high price form the D/Lux store.....
I'd say painting the 3 walls in an empty single garage with the above equipment should take about 2 hours even with a brew...........

my house gets painted inside every year and outside every 2.....touching up when necc.....
now 73 and to old for the rollers so looking at a sprayer.....the outside take almost 40liters for a one coat job.....
just getting to old now......hahaha

PS last time I asked they charge €1200 just for labour to paint mine..........

easy peazy.....honest....

 

[ivan]

Hi, I can reccomend a bagging coat to fill the pores of the blocks. Mix up a weak mix of fine sand (silver sand best) and cement, to the consistency of emulsion paint. Brush this on to fill pores with 6" brush. When part set rub surface over with a pad of hessian (best) or try a sponge (allways hard on sponge for me!) Properly done looks like cut stone blocks with mortar lines. A bit of practice is easily removed for another go. A lot cheaper than surfacing with 100% emulsion!

 

[seanf]

Thanks again all, lots to think about. If I ever paint a block wall again I will certainly be taking a different approach! I bought some new rollers yesterday ready for the second coat. I'll battle on with the first coat by brush now I am this far through. I have to say it is looking pretty good, just a lot of work to get in all the little holes in the blocks. A good second coat will hopefully be enough to get a decent finish

Sean

 

[Inspector]

....my house gets painted inside every year and outside every 2.....touching up when necc.....
now 73 and to old for the rollers so looking at a sprayer.....the outside take almost 40liters for a one coat job.....
just getting to old now......hahaha.....

So if I read this right your house is held together with paint?

Pete

 

[seanf]

All the rooms seem to have shrunk since he bought it!

Sean