Garage Workbench Makeover

Floor issues may have obstructed progress on my garage makeover, but it certainly hasn’t dampened (pun intended – sorry) my enthusiasm for the project.  (For those who missed that clever reference, I discovered a lot of moisture in my garage floor, which could prevent me from resurfacing and epoxying it in the way I want. This sort of thing is way beyond my expertise, so I’ve halted progress while seeking expert opinions.)

While I wait to find out what I can do in the space, I entertained myself by tackling a furniture project that will be in the final room.  This huge workbench came with the house (because it was likely way too heavy and cumbersome to try and move). It sat at the end of the garage before we cleaned it out, looking cluttered, asymmetrical, and rustic-in-a-bad-way.

It was likely made by the previous homeowner, who did a lot of DIY work. Like many of his projects, it is sturdy, functional, but not exactly built for aesthetics.

What drives me a little really crazy is that the drawers are off center and not the same size, making it look a bit wonky. It is made from all different kinds of scrap wood and is splattered with different colors of paint from old projects.  It was also never sealed, so it has some damage from water and just being in a damp space.

So, basically, it is a perfectly functional workbench. However, given the overall dingy state of our garage, it was really getting on my nerves.  If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem, workbench.

With the help of both of our fathers (thank you!), we lugged that thing out to the driveway and covered it with a tarp… where it sat for a while making our neighbors feel like they were in the classiest neighborhood ever.

We had to wait for a stretch of dry weather to align with a free weekend, but finally we were in the clear. We sprayed it down with the hose to remove the years of dirt and grime. Usually I would take a more delicate approach to cleaning wood than blasting it with water, but this piece didn’t seem to call for it.

I also went around and hammered in or removed loose and rusty nails, and pulled off loose pieces of wood. There was a whole portion of the bottom shelf that must have been made from a scrap piece covered with a nice veneer, which was totally peeling now.

I just pulled them off by hand and scraped up the stubborn bits with a screwdriver to get to a mostly flat surface.

We let it dry out, and then I got to work priming the base. I used a super intense oil-based primer that we bought as new homeowners before we knew what a pain oil-based paints are.

It is suitable for exterior use, so I thought it would work well in a (potentially very damp) garage. It can also be used with both oil or water-based top-coats, so it kept our options open.

I have to say, I was very pleased with myself while priming. It immediately looked so much better! Covering the dingy old wood with fresh white felt very good.

And this wood was THIRSTY. I used the full quart in priming just the base, and I had to stretch the end of it to cover everything that I wanted to.

After letting that coat dry letting it dry, recovering it with the tarp, weathering a crazy thunderstorm that blew the tarp away and covered the bench with mud, scrubbing it down, and letting it dry out again… it was time to paint.

I used an acrylic paint made for floors and porches, in hopes that it would stand up to the garage conditions and heavy use.

I had been considering a bright color (I am always considering a bright color) but decided to go with a crisp white base and dark top for a fresh look. As usual, my self-satisfaction over priming paled in comparison to how very pleased I was when I saw the coverage from actual paint.

Is it just me who always thinks primer looks great until I see real paint in action?

I needed so much less paint than primer – like half as much.

That just goes to show how thirsty the wood originally was. This is great, because now I can use some of this same paint elsewhere in the garage (whenever I get to finish it).

I didn’t paint the top of the workbench, because I don’t want it to be “precious,” or something that I won’t be comfortable working on, cutting with saws, splattering with paint, etc. I want it mainly to be functional.  But even clean, it was just dull and dingy.

To bring out the “good qualities” of the wood, I decided to stain and coat the top.

I would have liked to buy a nice dark walnut stain for this, but I had most of a can of cherry stain left over from a past project, and just couldn’t justify a new purchase.

I did buy a sealer designed for exterior surfaces so it would hold up to the moisture and temperature fluctuations of the garage. This stuff has some flex even when it dries, so it can handle the expansion and contraction of the wood boards outside.

I rubbed the top with clean water to open the woodgrain, and then applied the stain with a clean cloth.  I let it sit for 15 minutes, and then wiped off the excess… except that there wasn’t any excess because this wood could probably drink gallons of the stuff.

I let it dry overnight, and then applied two coats of the sealer.

I thought this would be the quickest step, but it actually took a while to get it into every nook and cranny of the top.

But it was so worth it! I am not really one for the shabby chic look, and don’t use a lot of distressed and weathered wood. But the garage is the perfect place for it.  I’m sort of crazy about the character that these boards now show.

To finish the workbench, I just put the old hardware back on. The drawers are different sizes and are not centered, so it really wouldn’t do much good to spring for new hardware. This works fine!

I really love the contrast of the clean white paint to the dark, shiny top.

If I wasn’t already convinced of the impact of white paint from Sage’s dramatic guest room transformation, I would be now. It looks so much better!

It’s definitely still a workbench…. but it is a better looking workbench.

In all, this only cost me about $20 to update since I was lucky enough to already have the primer and stain (and the workbench, obviously).  All I had to buy was sealer and paint.

Having this piece done only makes me more antsy about my garage. I can’t wait to get it in there and all set up to use! It was a total bummer to put this piece back under the tarp in the driveway. (We’re totally everyone’s favorite neighbor.)

(Sharing at Two Uses Tuesday, Totally Terrific Tuesday, Create Link Inspire, Whimsy Wednesday, Thrifty and Vintage Finds, Pin Worthy Wednesday, Think and Make Thursday, Your Turn to Shine Link Party, Weekend Retreat Link Party, I Heart Naptime, Create It Thursday,  One Project at a Time, Remodelaholics Anonymous,  Thrifty Decor Chick’s Before and Afters, and Tip Me Tuesday)