OT: Garage Ideas

There are a lot of them. Here's Griot's Garage...

Here's Autosport...

I am jealous!!! A garage, what is that.

Make a nice location for your compressor. Pipes and quick connects everywhere for your air tools.

I agree with John about the air. There is nothing worse than air hoses tangled up everywhere. To add to this, you can never have enough electrical outlets and lights. While the floor is clean and new, I would also recommend sealing it with some type of floor sealer in a lighter color. This will help make cleanup easier, as well as reflect light. As you can afford it, I would also do something with the walls in a lighter color. Do a little research to determine the most efficient storage for your tools and equipment to preserve precious floor space.

Chris

Pi-Eyed Piper wrote: "So FINALLY I'm getting a garage. 24X26 Heated, etc... Can anyone give me some good ideas for building? Anything I should add on, leave out? Any ideas are appreciated!"

A bathroom: A small kitchen area with a stove: This is works well if you decide to throw a party, you can move your vehicles outside and entertain inside the climate controll garage. Food can be warmed and served. Keeps the mess out of your home and everyone can mingle ande have a good time without destroying your home. Sealed floor: makes clean easier. Run pipe in ceiling for hanging Air reels so you can use pneumatic tools by just pulling the hose down. Install AC cord reels from the ceiling also. A good work bench for tools Of course you got to have a good stereo to jam to while working on your car.

Sarge

If you can, add a sink to wash your hands when you are done.. You can even pee in it.

Is it attached or detached? You may look at how it would affect the cost to make it a bit bigger. It will never be big enough. I built my shop at 24x32. I put a bathroom in (toilet & sink) which is great. Mine is partially under grade and I insulated it really well, last winter when the temp dropped to the teens, it never got below 48 deg in the shop. After an hour with the kerosene heater, it would be up to 60. I ran service from my house to a 100 amp breaker box. If I were to do it again, I think I would put in a meter with 200 amp service. Also ran a cat5 and phone cable from the house. I paid a few extra dollars for "storage" trusses as opposed to regular trusses, lots of storage space up top. Go overboard on florescent lighting.

HTH Tracy Brooks '85 CJ-7

If you seal the floor, think about how to protect it when doing any welding. I sealed mine and now have small burn marks in the epoxy coating.

At LEAST one(1) preferably multiple 220 outlets. Then your welder can be used without running heavy duty large extension cords.

Lots of light - 1 watt of florescent per quare foot. Lots of insulation to keep it warm or cool and clean Lots of power: at least TWO 20 amp circuits for wall outlets with outlets every 8' and at a bit over 4' high (higher than the bench and higher than the 4'x8' plywood leaning against the wall.

20 amp, 30 amp, and 50/60 amp 240 circuits, preferably with more than one outlet per circuit. (for spot welder, air compressor, welder) full sub panel, somewhere around 100 amps, 60 amp is marginal Paint walls white or very light color, use semi gloss bathroom paint. Have the floor hard troweled, put down a 2 part expoy finish Proper heat, no unvented heaters! Cosnider A/C if you live in a warm humid climate. Make it bigger if you can, junk expands to fill the space available. Consider that if you are working on a car you would like to have a full 4' to 5' all the way around it to leave room for the tools and jacks. That works out to 16'x 24' of OPEN space per vehicle. If you have bench, machine or wood tools, etc, you are marginal for comfortable space for your work space. Stick framing vs pole barn vs steel all have pros and cons.

Pi-Eyed Piper wrote:

You have gotten a lot of good suggestions. My opinion FWIW..

You can never have enough electric outlets (120v and 220v) and lighting. Get 'commercial' grade fluorescent fixtures. They will cost an additional $10 apiece but you get real ballasts and an extra 20-25% light output. Be sure to 'ground fault' all the 120v outlets. You only need a GFI in the 1st outlet in the electric run and it will cover the rest. Call your local building department to see how many outlets you can have after the first. In my area it is six per circuit.

Get the largest circuit panel you can a you can never have enough empty slots. I just upgraded my parents 4 circuit fuse box to a 40 circuit breaker panel and used up 30.

Work benches are easily built out of common materials. Go out of your way to make then sturdy as you will regularly be abusing them.

Secure wall storage is easily built, extremely easy if you don't drywall the walls but easy none the less. Anyone can install drywall with common tools... it does take a bit of experience to do the finish work but most garages are limited to the first tape stage. Paint the walls with gloss white paint. The gloss will make it easy to maintain and the white will brighten the shop.

A half bath would be nice and your bride would probably appreciate if you added a freestanding shower unit so you aren't tracking the typical Jeep filth into 'her' house. To save some cash just rough in the 2" drain lines before you pour the floor.

Concerning the floor you want a steel trowel finish and after the cement has properly 'aged' coat it with epoxy floor paint. It will cost about $25 per

100 sq ft but is well worth it as it is indestructible. The epoxy floor of our local firehouse was done in 1963 and with the exception of some fading near the glass doors is in excellent condition. Pick a lighter color. It will show more dirt but will brighten the garage.

Before you install the walls and ceiling you can run piping for your compressor. Copper water pipe is plenty strong and you can sweat the connection together easily and then convert to NPT fittings and quick connects. As for compressors the larger the better and you can tuck it away somewhere so you can insulate against the sound. You can extend the tank drain petcock to a convenient spot like just above the sink or floor drain.

If you are really ambitious you can build yourself a mini grease pit to eliminate much of the need for jacks and safety stands. You can build it so a sturdy lumber floor can be installed when not needed.

Bill's idea of a lift is a good idea. In addition to his link they are also available from harbor freight starting as low as $960

Homier

is another good source. I have dealt with both these companies in the past. For additional ideas go to your local library and peruse their selection of do-it-yourself books. When you find one that fits your needs go and buy a copy as you will be referring to it often.

First, it isn't big enough. Seriously.

24x48 should be your minimum with a side door and a roll up door on each end.

One of the things I really wish I had in my shop or garage is a drain in the floor so I can wash my vehicles inside and hose down the floor when it gets grubby.. Water available and of course a good sink for grubby hands. Loads of power outlets and good lighting. Lots of good organized storage is a must and a solid workbench.

Good lighting and skylights for natural light.

A 220 outlet for a welder and an electrical panel that would handle a welder, air compressor and any other power tool you may add to it.

One thing I prefer to do with each power outlet is to make the top and bottom sockets on different fuses/breakers. That way I can run 2 power tools off the one plug-in without worrying about blowing breakers. I do this for kitchens too.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Billy Ray wrote:

Kate, that is bigger than my house. But then girls do believe bigger is better....

WOW, awesome ideas...thanks!

I can't wait, this is my first garage, looking forward to this winter! Did I just say that?

I forgot a water spigot near the door so you can wash your vehicles in the wintertime.

Everybody here probably has some good ideas. You might solicit photos/plans of different features. No sense making your own mistakes when you can use knowledge that others learned the hard way.

Harbor Freight stuff is crap. I'd NEVER risk putting anything of value up on a lift from them. It's one thing to buy a throw-away tool or two from HF, but permanent stuff like lifts should be of MUCH better quality.

So far, everyone has left out at least on essential: multiple well mounted fire extinguishers. Not the toy ones, real extinguishers. Ask you local fire department for recommendations. If you finish the walls, be sure you get fire rated sheetrock. If it's an attached garage check local codes - they will probably specify the fire rating for the joining walls. Run a phone line.

You might also consider running at least one cross beam sturdy enough to handle a hoist (additional support posts on the ends.

Hey, give us time - we can make this thing match your house mortage if we try .