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Permanent Garage Advice Needed

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These are great ideas!!

My 2cents worth... Put the air compressor OUTSIDE. Unless you got the money for a screw compressor, it'll resonate all over your garage. Put it in a small lean-to with the plumbing and regulators inside. Use closable vents for proper circulation of pump unit and protection from the cold. I have run a setup like this for years and I LOVE IT. Not to mention a 60gal compressor takes up quite a bit of space in a small garage...
 
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My 2cents worth... Put the air compressor OUTSIDE.

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Now THAT is a good idea! I have a pretty decent portable compressor (2HP/30Gal I think), but could still set it up outside under a shelter. Love those air tools!

Rob.
 
now where are you gonna get waste oil from. Certainly not the floor .... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Don't run H2O in the in floor, Glycol is far more efficient
 
I'm no super garage construction expert, but I've worked in a number of them over the years. Were I building my dream garage here's some of the things I'd be looking at.

Polished cement floor, uncoated. Done this way, they are virtually indestructable. I've yet to meet a cement coating that didn't come off. Traction is remarkably good on polished cement, and it cleans up superbly.

Foam boards under the cement slab. As in pour the cement over them. Remarkable how well they insulate and keep the cement from being so bone chillingly bitter in the winter.

Pipe the slab for radiant heat. Even if I never use it. It's not that expensive to have the lines put in before you pour.

White paint the walls and ceiling. Boy is a garage bright then.

I saw a place paneled with pegboard. Talk about a place to hang things! You could hang anything, anywhere. Darn handy.

Top lights are nice, side lights are incredible. I've yet to have too many.

Consider reinforcing an area for a crane or hoist. You may not install it, but it's nice to be ready for it.

Run water and gas lines and stub up. Maybe you'll never install them, but again, it's sure nice to have them out there.

You can never have too much workbench.

You can never have a garage that's too large to work in.
 
With regards to Foxtrapper's last two points, I could not agree more. This is just an other example of 'Mores Law' which as we all know is 'If some is good more is better'
 
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With regards to Foxtrapper's last two points, I could not agree more. This is just an other example of 'Mores Law' which as we all know is 'If some is good more is better'

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And following up on that point. One thing I heard over and over from Morton owners was that if they were to do it over, they would build it bigger. Figure out how big you need and then add a few feet to each direction. You rarely hear people complain that there shop/garage is too big.

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Thanks Foxtrapper - that is a good list. As for "never big enough", while I am sure that is true, I don't want too much of a monstrosity taking up the place.

Rob.
 
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As for "never big enough", while I am sure that is true, I don't want too much of a monstrosity taking up the place.

Rob.

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Absolutely, most people figured on their smaller buildings that just having a few extra feet in each dimension would be all they really needed.
 
You must have the obligatory couch for the ferocious guard dog. This couch is from SWMBO's Van and is removable from a wooden rack which has 4 swivel wheels - which is handy when working on the brakes as well.
 

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Are we having fun or what? Essentially all of us dream at one time or another about having our own garage/workshop that truly becomes My Space and nobody elses. I still work out of a one-car enclosed garage that doubles as a place for my wife to store a lot of her stuff, not to mention that she really wants the garage for the new Accord we just bought. Ain't gonna happen. I have a friend that has multiple workshops for his collection, all British cars. Now, he is not a rich man, just a good mechanic in his day job and his wife supports him in his passion, rebuilding British cars. His is up to number seven, with a few to go. He has essentially everything you could ask for, including a professional quality spray room, but the biggest asset is his absolute adherence to a total neatness policy.
A place for everything and everything in it's place. I think that quality storage is paramount in having a truly great workshop.

I still think you need a bathroom.



Bill
 
still nuthin like jacking up the car in the driveway, while lying in a pool of mud trying to get that stubborn bolt to release.......come on we've all been there!


just don't want to go back!
 
JPeter, The "ferocious guard dog" looks like he might just viciously lick you to death. Will he at least run for tools when your under the car?
 
As many have suggested, radiant floor heat is a MUST! I don't know where you heard that you'll lose heat to the ground, but if the slab has been constructed and insulated properly, it won't happen. Radiant floor heating makes having a high ceiling practical.

Separate, sound insulated room for you air compressor with sound attenuated venting to the outside. If you can, make it big enough for a dust collection system in case you decide to expand into wood working.

Lift/hoist... Well, the garage I work in has a huge beam spannign the width and is equiped with a chain hoist we never use. When time came to pull an engine, I used an engine crane (get a folding model, btw). I long for a 2-post lift. At the moment, I have seven cars to keep track of. I would probably use a lift at least once a week.

High ceiling. You can't have a high enough ceiling. Especially if you get a lift. Cooling in the Summer will be easier. As for heat, see comment #1.

Put EVERYTHING on wheels or hang from the wall. Shelves, cabinete, benches, everything. This makes cleaning much easier. Hang work benches from the wall so they keep the floor clear. Personally, I'm not a big fan of a large workbench. Flat surfaces collect crap.

Polished vs. epoxy. Well, there are benefits to both. Both require regular cleaning and care. Epoxy has one big benefit, IMO: it is a much brighter finish and therefore makes your lighting much more effective.

Air plumbing, receptacles, etc, have been gone over.

Unfortunately for me, I work in an industry where I design electrical systems for high-end cGMP facilities, so I get all sorts of engineering ideas that easily apply to garages and so I'm dreaming about this sort of thing constantly. However, cGMP facilities are not cheap. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
 
STORAGE!!!!! Can't have enough. Get more. BELIEVE ME. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
My shop is in the city and I was only allowed 1500 sq. ft. That's a nice one car shop if you have any knd of metalworking equipment.

I recently leased another 14X40 storage building and I put a 12X14 balcony in it...this is strictly storage for my projects, plus equipment not needed for the present project.

The moral of this story...build it bigger!
 
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