New garage.....sheetrock help!!!

[Lori77563]

Put a 1X4or6" hardyboard on the bottom then the sheet rock that way you can hose out the garage without screwing up the sheetrock. Did that to whole bottom part of my house after Ike in case I get minor flooding again. Yes go horizontal, put a "rubrail" (trim) between the Horizontal sheets so if you do have to replace the bottom it will be easier.

[reeltime]

Take some pic's and post them.Is this garage gonna be have A/C going to it....then insulate.are there any pipes in the walls then use green board on the bottom.I use to sheetrock mesquite bushes but no tape and float.

[Swells]

Wish I has in the area because I'd help hang the drywall and tape & float it for free beer & BBQ. I used to use taping tools like the banjo and bazooka and boxes but found that doing it by hand is the way to go. Just remember every day to clean the turds off the floor - no matter what you do, some mud hits the floor. An important thing is to seal the drywall when done with the tape & floats because most garages have a moisture control problem. Do all that and any trim before doing the floors.

For a VA tile job with those 12" squares, just scrape the floors again real smooth including any paint blobs (I have sanded a bit too). And pits and divots should be filled with a gray grout filler they make for doing VA tiles. Then you're gonna seriously need some professional knee pads which hopefully you can borrow. Snap a chalk line somewhere near the middle but accounting for you edges - you don't want to cut little 1 inch borders and that looks like heck. You use a thin-set mastic that looks brown in the can buy dries clear to you can see the line - and don't slap on too much or you'll have a mess. I use the cheap disposable trowels with the FINE teeth such as from Home Depot. You can get two rows off that chalk line and once that gets going, you're on a roll. Very easy once you get the hang of it.

The trick is to match them edges perfectly within less than a 16th of an inch. Gaps look like black lines and heck. Keep them black lines uptight and outta sight! It's not like contact cement so you can squish the tiles around a bit. Don't worry about the glue unless you used it too much - that tile will be impossible to remove in a couple days of curing and only little bits will come up it you try to rip it out.

Just remember that all VA floor tile is directional and comes in batches - one batch lot number will not match the next so buy plenty figuring an extra case or two for borders because there is some waste. You can alternate directions or colors however you want but you'll see any mistake later on - but hey it's a garage, right?

Now you've got to sweep, mop with water, and then apply a sealer system and that is usually two steps. Follow the directions on the bottles but the stuff is very easy to apply with a mope, being careful to get a good distribution. You can even put on a wax/shine coat that can be buffed if you rent a buffing machine, which looks awesome cool like the grocery store floors. No sealer/finish, no shine.

Hope that helps and wish you were in the neighborhood - I'd hep ya for free. Weeeeell ... I drink like a fish, tell terrible fish stories, and have to sit down 15 minutes every hour. I'm a fisherman, right?

[45 ACP]

Thanks again for all the replies. Good information there Swells. Sounds pretty in line with everything Ive read.

I am still looking for someone to help lay the tile. I could be a "helper" to cut down on cost. Just a little nervous trying it myself. Dont want to screw it up and then have a big mess. I know contractors dont typically like to come do labor only, but if yall know anyone wanting to do a side job and make some cash, please let me know. If anyone has experience with this type of flooring I will gladly pay for the help, and also supply all the free beer and food they could consume.

[45 ACP]

UPDATE!!!!

Got the sheetrock hung. I did a good job and there are no big gaps anywhere. I have now temporarily moved off the garage project so that I can paint the house. So now I need someone to come do the tape and float. I will pay cash if anyone is interested. I just dont have time to tape and float right now.

So if anyone does sheetrock work on the side, or if you know of anyone experienced in this, please reply or send a PM. I want someone who really knows what they are doing so they can do a good job and knock it out pretty quick. All I need done is tape and float. Let me know....