How To Refresh Your Garage

How do you refresh a tired garage?

A garage is where most households keep some of their most valuable things — tools, bikes, golf clubs, a wine collection, the car — and it often doubles as a home gym, study or playroom. Refreshing it comes down to five things: the garage door, the floor, sealing the gaps, storage, and paint.

Of those, sealing is the one that changes how the space feels day to day. Draughts, dust and dirt come through gaps in the walls and around frames, and a garage that is sealed properly stays cleaner and holds temperature far better than one that is not. It is also the cheapest item on the list.

Seal it up

Spend some time finding the gaps in the walls of your garage, then fill them with the right product for the size and location of the gap. Selleys makes three that cover the range.

Large or hidden gaps — No More Big Gaps

Selleys No More Big Gaps is an expanding polyurethane foam formulated to fill large or irregular holes and cavities — around pipes, behind skirting boards and architraves, and around window and door frames — to block draughts, noise, pests and birds.

Technology	Polyurethane
Colour	Cream coloured firm foam
Expansion	2.5 to 3 times initial extruded volume
Tack free	Within 15 minutes
Cure time	A 3–5 cm deep application is fully cured in approximately 5 hours
Shrinkage	None
Yield	Approximately 25 times can volume — 750 mL can yields at least 19 litres; 390 mL can yields at least 10 litres
Packaging	390 mL and 750 mL aerosol cans

Indicative data only, not intended for preparation of specifications.

The expansion figure is the one that catches people out. The foam expands 2.5 to 3 times its extruded volume, so the instruction is to fill about half the space and let it do the rest. Overfilling a cavity behind an architrave can bow the trim. Shallow applications expand more than deep ones, and confined or large spaces are best filled in layers 4–5 cm deep, letting each layer cure before the next and spraying the surface of the cured foam with water before re-applying.

Practical points from the data sheet: store the can upright, shake it vigorously for 60 seconds, turn it upside down to extrude, and vary trigger pressure to control flow. Moistening the surfaces with a light water spray gives maximum expansion and faster curing. Wear the protective gloves provided in the cap and eye protection, and clean up overspray immediately while wet — acetone or nail polish remover helps, because cured foam is difficult to remove from skin and clothing. Once cured, it can be cut back with a sharp knife, then sanded, plastered or painted.

Two extras worth knowing. For exterior applications, the foam must be protected with paint, sealant, filler or another opaque material. And if you are blocking rat or mouse entry, install small mesh bird wire before applying the foam so the wire ends up embedded inside the cured product.

Exterior gaps and weatherboards — No More Gaps Exterior

Selleys No More Gaps Exterior is the one for gaps around and between weatherboards, eaves, and exterior windows and doors. It uses a titanium compound to protect against UV and weather damage, and it is mould resistant and paintable with water clean-up.

Technology	Water-based
Colour	White
Application temperature	5°C to 40°C
Skin time	30 ± 5 minutes
Tack-free time	45 ± 5 minutes
Elongation at break	500% (ASTM D412)
Movement capability	±25% (ISO 9046)
Shore A hardness	> 40
Packaging	430 g cartridge

Indicative data only, not intended for preparation of specifications.

Apply it with a caulking gun, pushing the product into the gap or joint, then smooth it out with a wet spatula while making sure enough product stays in the joint. Clean up wet product with a damp cloth immediately. Allow the surface to skin before painting — approximately 30 minutes — and 24–48 hours before painting with oil-based paints. To avoid paint cracking, apply to gaps no larger than 5 mm deep and 10 mm wide at temperatures above 10°C, and avoid applying paint too thickly. For maximum durability on bare exterior surfaces, apply a coat of acrylic paint and let it dry before applying the filler, then always paint over with a quality exterior paint.

Interior gaps — No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose

Selleys No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose handles gaps between architraves and brickwork, skirting boards, cornices and window and door frames on the inside. It is water-based, with a 20 minute skin time and a movement capability of ±15% (ISO 9046), and it is formulated to cope with building movement so the finish does not crack.

Allow around 30 minutes before painting with water-based paint and 24–48 hours before oil-based paint. It is not suitable for permanent water immersion or constantly damp areas, and not for gaps between tongue-and-groove boards or weatherboards — use the Exterior product for those.

Paint the floor

A protective coating on the floor is a simple way to improve the appearance of the space. Berger Jet Dry Heavy Duty is the paint named in this guide, and a light colour such as "Silver Slipper" brightens up a dark garage. Follow the coating manufacturer's own preparation and recoat instructions.

Up your storage game

Start by sorting everything currently in the garage into keep, donate and discard piles. Once you are down to the keep pile, sort it and store it. Flat-packed shelving systems, consistent plastic storage containers and clear labelling are the combination that actually works — the labelling being the part people skip and later regret.

Make the most of wall and ceiling space

Walls and ceilings are prime real estate in a garage. If you have a roller door, you may be able to use the ceiling for flat, lightweight items you rarely need — surfboards, skis, leftover pipe or MDF sheets. Ceiling shelving and wall hook systems make this straightforward, and walls are a good spot for garden tools and brooms on large hooks.

If you would rather not drill into brickwork for wall racking, how to organise your garage covers mounting racks with adhesive instead, and the DIY garden tool organiser is a purpose-built rack for long-handled tools.

Have some fun with colour

There is no reason a garage has to be beige. A blackboard-painted wall gives you somewhere to keep score or let the kids draw, and a mural or some abstract shapes cost nothing but a weekend.

About the garage door

The original version of this guide includes a contributed section from B&D Garage Doors covering door replacement, locking systems, smartphone control, insulation and warranty. Those are B&D's own product claims rather than Selleys information, so we have not restated them here — check the current details with the manufacturer directly.

Common questions about refreshing a garage

What should I use to fill a large cavity around a pipe?

No More Big Gaps expanding foam. Fill about half the space — it expands 2.5 to 3 times its extruded volume — and fill deep cavities in 4–5 cm layers.

How long does expanding foam take to cure?

It is tack free within 15 minutes, and a 3–5 cm deep application is fully cured in approximately 5 hours.

How much does a can of expanding foam fill?

Yield is approximately 25 times can volume: a 750 mL can yields at least 19 litres and a 390 mL can at least 10 litres, varying with conditions and how confined the space is.

Can I leave expanding foam exposed outside?

No. For exterior applications it must be protected with paint, sealant, filler or another opaque material.

Can I use the foam to block rats and mice?

Install small mesh bird wire first so the wire is embedded inside the cured foam.

Which gap filler goes around exterior windows?

No More Gaps Exterior — UV resistant, mould resistant, with ±25% movement capability and 500% elongation at break.

How soon can I paint over a gap filler?

Allow the surface to skin — approximately 30 minutes — before water-based paint, and 24–48 hours before oil-based paints. Longer drying is needed for flat and ceiling paints because they flex less.

What size gap can I fill and then paint?

No larger than 5 mm deep and 10 mm wide, applied above 10°C, to avoid paint cracking over the joint.

Which filler for the joint between architrave and brickwork?

No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose for interior work; No More Gaps Exterior outside.

Can I use interior gap filler in a damp garage?

No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose is not suitable for permanent water immersion or constantly damp areas. Where there is water contact or excessive movement, a silicone sealant is the right product.

What temperature can I work at?

No More Gaps Exterior has an application temperature range of 5°C to 40°C, and gaps that will be painted should be filled above 10°C.

How do I clean up?

Both No More Gaps products clean up with water while wet — cured caulk has to be cut, and the remainder softened with acetone. Expanding foam overspray must be cleaned immediately with a dry cloth, assisted by acetone or nail polish remover.