Garage Car Wash

Burnout01 · 12-10-07, 07:08

I'm getting ready to start building a new house. It will have a 2 1/2 attached car garage. I'm curious if any of you have the ability to wash your car in your garage in the winter? I was thinking about having a drain installed and plumbing ran, but what do I need to do for the walls? Current plans have drywall being installed. I like the look of drywall but know it doesn't mix well with water. I've wondered if painting it with a latex exterior paint would work or if I'll just need to go with another material all together.
Thanks for any help or advice.

joyriiide1113 · 12-10-07, 07:13

Oh man. You are one lucky man if you indeed end up making an indoor wash bay.

Unfortunately my post contributes nothing as I know NADA about it.

JWNPlumber · 12-10-07, 07:23

Burnout, not sure if you could pipe in a drain to a garage floor legally by building code with out some type of grease trap. You may be able to get by with piping the drain into the ground but I would definately check the codes in your area. As far as the walls go a good idea would be the kind of material that your local grocerie store would have up in the meat department or deli area. I have seen it installed and if all of the seems are siliconed up tight you can hose it down.

BigJimZ28 · 12-10-07, 07:31

or just use ONR

Burnout01 · 12-10-07, 07:35

Will ONR be good enough after driving through Road Salt?

BigJimZ28 · 12-10-07, 07:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burnout01

Will ONR be good enough after driving through Road Salt?

there are prob. 100 threads answering that question

YES

if it is real bad $2 @ the coin opp first

ZimRandy · 12-10-07, 08:33

Here is an older picture of my garage, but it shows the tin walls. When it was done being built, I used a pressure washer to clean the chalk marks from the walls. There is running water, a drain, and provisions for a restroom with a shower (no time or money to finish that part, yet)

Good luck with your garage!
Randy

bert31 · 12-10-07, 08:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burnout01

Will ONR be good enough after driving through Road Salt?

If you have to, pull your car out of the garage and spray off with a regular hose (and pressure washer if you have one). Then pull it in and do a regular ONR wash, you will be fine.

integritydetail · 12-10-07, 09:28

grease trap will be necessary but its super easy. very cool idea. k-lite panels come in 5x8 sheets and most lowe's have it in stock. its just a vinyl like, white, thin sheet that you can go halfway or all the way over your drywall in the wash area. it looks pretty good, too.

boogiejoe · 12-11-07, 06:39

I wash my car regularly in my garage with drywall. I thought the drains would be code, or at least a good idea to let any water drain instead of sitting on the floor. I would think you would want a drain just from the snow your car brings in.

Can you wash your car without spraying all over the walls? When I wash, I don't park that close to the walls, and there is not usually much of a problem if you're careful.

Setec Astronomy · 12-11-07, 06:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by bert31

If you have to, pull your car out of the garage and spray off with a regular hose (and pressure washer if you have one).

I think most people who contemplate putting in drains so they can wash in the garage live in climates where it is below freezing regularly during the winter, which makes spraying off the car outside the garage unpleasant, impossible, dangerous, or all three.

Setec Astronomy · 12-11-07, 06:49

It depends on your locale, but you will likely get a lot of resistance to being allowed to put a drain in the floor. The oil separator is a big deal, it's larger than you think it would be (and therefore deeper). If you're very lucky they will let you put a sanitary drain in, and I absolutely would do it, not only from a car wash standpoint but being able to hose down the garage (no oil down the drain, that will get you in trouble).