Afternoon all.

I'm getting to the stage of being able to paint my new workshop walls and I'm unsure what type of paint would be best. The walls and ceiling are plywood, and they are going to get a good going over with thinned Wickes Trade paint to act as a primer.

The problem I'm running into is one of my own causing. I'd like to have wipe clean(ish) walls if possible. Which points towards oil based paints. But I'm having a bit of a job finding anything suitable in big enough tins and colours other than white. Whilst the ceiling will be white, I'd prefer a light grey for the walls to prevent it being a bit clinical against what will be a tile red floor. I know Dulux do a cleanable paint, but reviews show it to be next to useless.

So I suppose my question is this really: Do I need oil based paint for the walls, and if so will white all over be too much? If not oil based, what's best?

Oh, the workshop is 7m long, 3m wide and 2m high, with a slight excess of lights should it make any difference to the answers:

If its a 'dry' garage (ie no damp at all) then i would just use a couple of coats of emulsion on the walls and a light grey floor paint for the floor. You have plenty of lights, so it will be ideal for spraying later on. Plus, when you do get to spraying, you can line the walls with clear antistatic plastic and the light will still reflect off the white walls.

I just used a few coats of wickes white emulsion over marine ply, had a few coats to get it nice. In the picture below (taken yesterday) my walls are still bright after 3 and a half years of grinding, throwing things at them, oil, dust, fibreglass dust and still look ok now. It was cheap at the time and I didn't expect it to last but all in all a cheap and good finish.



Description

That's good news. At the old house I just had painted brick walls and they seemed to gather the dust and dirt to them so they went grey quickly. But if plain old paint will do it trick it'll save me a few bob too.

That's why I just used old paint, the walls were smooth. All the dust and crap gathered around the floor where it meets the walls and I have it fully carpeted, so wheel the car out and a quick hoover and all clean again!! Although I only have one strip light and that gave good light, your set up look great! I could have done with a couple more strip lights, but hey ho, the car is finished now so can't really complain!!!

You can "toughen" emulsion paint by mixing in some oil based varnish. A tip picked up from an old boy decorator, it does work too.

I've used white Dulux silk emulsion on the walls in my shed and they're easy to wipe or brush down. I made the mistake of trying some of the B&Q value stuff but there was no pigment and it took 3 coats to get anywhere. The Dulux stuff went on much better and has stayed whiter than the cheap stuff.

dulux white emulsion on ply in my workshop. seems to wipe clean with a bit of brake cleaner when i splash oil up the wall with the lathe.

Hi sounds like you are sorted but the painter we get in at work uses egg shell paint on the lower levels of staircases and walls where the kids rub along which comes in same shades as the other emulsion. He always uses Leyland trade paints and gets some massove discount- no idea of relative costs but he does know his trade!
Hth
Mike

Well I've given what I can reach of the walls a first coat of cheapo paint and it seems to be going on well. Once I run out, if I run out, I may just give it all a final coat of egg shell to toughen it. But so far, so good:

From what i can see there is room for a few more lights down the sides

You are making a good job well done
Jacko

Well I did think about fitting some low level lights, but decided I probably had enough already!!