Greetings, I am a wanna-be pro-contractor. I have remodeled a number of homes, top to bottom. I have recently moved into a new home that has a standard 2-car garage. Since this is my first garage, I refuse to park any cars in it, and would like to create the ultimate DIY garage space. I am starting from a blank slate, four finished in walls, concrete floor. Can anyone make suggestions on what to include in this ultimate garage? I have purchased twenty feet of ready-assembly cabinets, and will put a counter top on them. What else should be in an ultimate DIY garage? I have all the normal tools: compressor, tabel saw, compound saw, router, etc.
I like to acid-etch the floor. I'm only familiar with the stuff at www.kemiko.com. It has worked really well for me.
I'm still in a quandry about shelve space. I bought basic steel rivet Gorilla Rack shelving. It's strong, but it's hard to make it look organized without putting everything in bins. Really nice metal shelving is very expensive, but I'd like to have doors to conceal the mess. I'd like to know everybody else's thoughts on that.
For a dream workshop, I'd have a central vacuum, distributed compressed-air taps, running water, fridge, surround-sound, wood racks, etc.
I have too many cars and too many hobbies... my garage is oversized and full to the brim.
SB, You may want to try something that is starting to take off in the shop environment. It is a rubber flooring. This is great for fatigue reduction and tool damage reduction. The site is www.artigo.com . I'm sure this is not the only company offering this item and that many qualities and prices exist between manufacturers. If you are looking to use your garage as a show/display/customer service/demo area as well, you may be able to get the manufacturure to cut you a better deal.
The first thing with any design is to establish a design program. Saying you want a DIY space does not define a design program. In you case it sounds like you mean a wood shop. This narrows it down a bit, but not enough. You need to get into details and at least identify major equipment, storage requirements, workspace needs, as well as some very important phisical plant requirements such as power, light, ventilation, water requirements etc...
This should have been done first. How do you know if the cabinets you acquired are right for the job?
Other considerations: Floor - what is the space used for, any weight considerations, does equipment bolt down, on rollers, or feet (does it need to be moved?
Concrete floors are hard and can be cold, but if you only use the space a few hours at a time you might not need a "new" floor surface and a good deck paint will do.
There are several places to look for shop layouts, Fine Woodworking comes to mind. Do a web search.
If you are doing furniture or using (high quality paint, stains, and oiling, etc. you might consider a "finishing booth". A small enclosed space with excellent ventilation and extra light. You want to keep this place free from all the other dirt and mess which makes a good finish impossible to obtain. Consider the largest pieces you will build and give yourself a minimum of 30" on each side. This would get you started in a small area like your garage. Locate it along a garage door for easy access and the ability to put a direct vent (fan) in the door as a cheap alternative.
Consider a vacume system for your shop ... As a pro there is nothing better than working in a clean clutter free environment.
I just built a new garage woodshop. My recommendations would be to put in an outlet every 6 feet and 2 or 3 220 outlets. Also I put in 4 ceiling outlets which I find are very handy. You can never have too many outlets. I also put everything I own on wheels. It is great for shop clean-up and for finding that screw you drop that goes under something. I can also roll a rack of clamps or drills or sanders over to my project and save steps. Another thing is to have as many lights as you can get. I have 10 banks of 4 light flourescents and it still doesn't seem like enough sometimes.
You all have great ideas. I like the idea of the rubber floors and agree that electrical outlets are important. Function and Saftey are just as important as the aesthetics in a working space like this. Check out the gladiater storage systems by whirlpool appliance company. They have an awesome line of storage product on wheels and even refrigerators, wall organizers and stools. Have fun! Christy
Don't foreget to think about what else is in the garage. In our case, one of our air conditioners is in the garage. We have to clean the sawdust from the filters after every job! Is your garage heated & air conditioned? Do you want them to be?
In addition to electrical, you need good lighting... WIDNOWS will be helpful for lighting & for ventilation. Consider if you need more windows. Maybe the addition of windows on the main garage door, and a window on the regular type door - assuming there is one, will be enough.
