Painting Breeze blocks - what's best

[slimtiler]

Hi, wasn't too sure quite where to post this, but I have a large double garage and a sizeable room behind it which is all breeze block and is very dull.

Breeze blocks have many gaps and holes in as a surface and I was thinking that brushing would be very hard work given the size (I can at a squeeze, get 3 cars in), but perhaps spraying using a compressor might be more suitable. Even the ceiling is concrete as the garage is under the house and we have a concrete flooring for safety reasons.

So, not being familiar with Painting and decorating as such can anyone recommend what might be the best solution?

I'd even thought of lining the garage with plasterboard, certainly the room behind, but I am no plasterer and on a limited budget. There must be many of you who have dealt with this kind of surface when tiling so what might be the best finish, any recommended paints (it'll all be white except the floor) or ideas on this idea of spraying will be most appreciated.

Thanks

ST

 

[Dan]

I'd either spray or roll with a thick roller (lots of paint on it).

If you want to plasterboard, dot and dab the lot, and use the type that can be decorated directly to (you have to tidy the joins up) and just paint the lot with a roller.

 

[slimtiler]

Thanks Dan, I've just seen your other forums too on your signature, didn't know about those.

If I plasterboarded the walls, would this dot and dab as you call it mean dots of cement behind or would it be best to batten it as I could do with a ring main in the back room? The garage doesn't really need plastering. Paint job would do. I'm on a tight budget so looking for a good DIY job really and I'm no builder.

 

[Dan]

Not 100% certain whether it's best to batten or dot and dab (using plasterboard adhesive) when it comes to breeze blocks. Battens would be a defanate but you might be able to use plasterboard adhesive and a straight edge to get them all plumb.

Let the professionals give you some advice on that one mate.

And no probs about the other forums. Most don't know we own a shed load of 'em.

 

[slimtiler]

Okay, cheers.

 

[White Room]

If you was going to dot and dab the walls dry wall adhesive would be my choice.....If you were going to paint the blocks and depending how old they are and if they have accumulated dust over a time a stabilizer would be a good idea then 2 coats of quality emulsion.

 

[Robb o]

hello Slimtiler

Some good advice all ready given
If I was you I would look at spraying for a cheaper and quicker job.
Get yourself down to local hire shop and get hold of a little Airless sprayer.
great bits of kit, not too messy.
I've just priced a job to paint a large industrial boiler room with one a 2 weeks hire £500 approx.
Very quick, use less paint,But you will never touch up with a normal paint roller

 

[slimtiler]

The house is 23 yrs old and I never got around to needing to paint it. Used the garage to build a car, store the car, keep junk and tools as we do, bins, bikes etc, but now I don't do so much and it's looking drab, I guess it is dusty for sure, but I have a water blaster that I can use once I clear out the contents and that should clear most of the dust and cobwebs out. Once it's dried out then I could seal the walls and then spray. I think purely for the time element, if I picked up a roller the job will never get finished as I have too many other distractions. If I've got a paint sprayer going nobody will come near me until it's finished and a few hours won't make a lot of difference. Paint brush or roller it'll be a couple of weeks being done.

I spoke to one hire place and they seem to be focussed purely on spraying machines rather than the HSS general type of hire company and they said some of these machines can slice you in two with the power of the jet so I need to be extremely careful using one. I didn't realise how dangerous these can be in the wrong hands so I'll need to be careful.

Thanks for all the tips though, this has given me more confidence to get on and do it so thanks a million folks. All of you.

 

[Dan]

Just out of interest, what car did you build?

 

[slimtiler]

Mini, old Mini Mayfair light blue. D reg 1987 997cc. Turned it into a boy racer with 1293cc engine, Took every nut and bolt off, lowered suspension, replaced, reconditioned or renewed everything. Spent over six grand on it although I didn't do the seating which was when I ran out of time and bucks, but it goes like a bat out of hell, around corners like a go-cart and the mistake I made was putting the wrong cam-shaft in I put in a 276 Kentcam, and it's more suited to road/racing than road and by replacing the dounuts in the suspension with polysomething rather than rubber it goes over road humps a little hard.

10-1 compression with about 90bhp. Upped the Carb to a 1.75 SU metro one and has a stage 1 Kit with multiple exhaust outlets. Picture's a bit dark, but you get the idea? Taihiti Blue - 5 yrs labour of love! :biggrin5:

 

[Robb o]

lovin the mini

I had 2 when I was 16
1000 Clubman with flip bonnet, mini lites MOT failure on welding bought for £70
850 with no brakes :yikes: Mot failure cost me £50

Never got round to doing them up as the car garage I was working at went bust.
I loved them cars,wish I kept them seeing the price they go for now.

 

[White Room]

My first car was a mini, starter was on the floor...

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Learnt to drive in a Mini and had a Mini Van for 1st job - longest gear stick ever!

 

[slimtiler]

Learnt to drive in a Mini and had a Mini Van for 1st job - longest gear stick ever!

I took that gearstick out and converted it to a short stem version. flicks in and out like an MG now. No wobbles. Very positive change.

 

[Peter]

Nice tidy Mini. A mate had a 1275 with twin 40s, 8j Superlites, Hi Los and wide arches. Weapon of a car when he was 18. Think it was insured as an 850. :lol:

 

[slimtiler]

Nice tidy Mini. A mate had a 1275 with twin 40s, 8j Superlites, Hi Los and wide arches. Weapon of a car when he was 18. Think it was insured as an 850. :lol:

Yeah, we got the Spax's too, makes such a difference. Didn't go for twin carbs though, thing was fast enough as it was!

The insurance is a problem, first because we bought a half engine block part exchange completely reconditioned but no number on it so the insurance co got shirty over where the engine came from and I ended up saying it was the same number as the one it had but it had just been refitted. That solved that bit, but then the upgrade shot the insurance through the roof. Problem with keeping it as 997cc (or 850 in you mates case) is that had he had an accident and the insurance co found the car had been modified they wouldn't have paid out. That can be a costly error.

 

[Dan]

Mini, old Mini Mayfair light blue. D reg 1987 997cc. Turned it into a boy racer with 1293cc engine, Took every nut and bolt off, lowered suspension, replaced, reconditioned or renewed everything. Spent over six grand on it although I didn't do the seating which was when I ran out of time and bucks, but it goes like a bat out of hell, around corners like a go-cart and the mistake I made was putting the wrong cam-shaft in I put in a 276 Kentcam, and it's more suited to road/racing than road and by replacing the dounuts in the suspension with polysomething rather than rubber it goes over road humps a little hard.

10-1 compression with about 90bhp. Upped the Carb to a 1.75 SU metro one and has a stage 1 Kit with multiple exhaust outlets. Picture's a bit dark, but you get the idea? Taihiti Blue - 5 yrs labour of love! :biggrin5:

View attachment 44830

Love the mini. A great car to build. Some really good practise to be had there that can be used in dozens of ways long-term. Apparently. Not built one myself but know a bloke who knocks one out a year! Actually, mainly during the summer he'll be on one. Sells them for about 8k a pop too.