Subscibe to our feedCreating Chad's Ultimate Workshop
Chad Knaus knows a few things about shops and garages, except when it comes to the one at his new house. So Knaus called the team at Lowe’s for some assistance with getting his workshop from unfinished to fabulous – quickly and cost effectively.
From paint and flooring to workspaces and equipment, in just a few days the Lowe’s team transformed the space into a fully outfitted shop where Knaus can work on his hobbies – household projects and cars, of course!
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Start with the Walls
First, the walls were primed with Valspar Interior Latex Multi-Purpose Primer. Then, they were painted with Valspar Ultra Premium Interior Latex Semi-Gloss Wall and Trim paint in a subtle beige. The semi-gloss finish makes it easy to wipe off smudges and stains. A 9” roller from Wooster made the project go quickly, and the windows, doorways and trim were cut in with a 3” flat Wooster trim brush.
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To create a distinctive Team 48 paint scheme for your shop or garage, paint the walls gray, then add a blue and yellow stripe horizontally around the room. To make the stripes for your project, mark off the lines at the designed height all the way around the room. Then use 3M blue painter’s tape to mark off your area. Paint the stripes with the selected color, let dry, then remove the tape for clean, crisp edges.
Give the Floor Some Flair
The shop floor gets plenty of wear and tear over the years. Improve that floor with a treatment that protects the surface, upgrades the look of an important bonus space, and makes home pit-stop projects more enjoyable. For Knaus’ workshop, the Lowe’s team chose an epoxy finish because the epoxy bonds very well with concrete and provides a tough surface that’s resistant to stains.
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The Quikrete Epoxy Garage Floor Coating Kit make the going easy. It contains all of the elements needed to clean, seal and paint the floor. The team used beige paint with brown flecks to coordinate with the wall color. A wide 18” roller from Wooster was perfect for this project because it applies paint evenly and quickly to a wide area.
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Just be sure to plan plenty of prep time into this project, because a clean, well-prepared surface is key to a lasting finish. Don’t forget to test for the presence of sealer on the floor’s surface, and make sure it’s removed before an epoxy coating can take its place.
Create Work and Storage Space
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To provide task-specific work stations around the room, SKIL Tool provided a variety of its new Benchtop Tool stands and high-performance power tools.
The shop now includes a Benchtop Band Saw, Benchtop Drill Press, Bench Grinder, Compound Miter Saw and SkilSaw, so Knaus can tackle any project, large or small.
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To power the air tools in the shop, Kobalt installed an 80-gallon air compressor. Note, this needs to be wired into the home electrical so it’s good to call an electrician to install!
Kobalt also provided rolling tool chests with durable, steel construction that stands up to tough treatment. And, Kobalt stocked the chests with Kobalt’s line of hand and power tools for automotive and household projects.
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With these workshop upgrades, Knaus will be ready to tackle all of his projects. Team Lowe’s fans can create their own version of Knaus’ Team 48 workshop with the downloadable shopping list at
www.LowesRacing.com/FastFix
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Tom Kraeutler delivers
home improvement tips
each week as host of The Money Pit, a nationally syndicated
home improvement
radio program. His latest book
My Home, My Money Pit: Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure
, is available at bookstores nationally.