If you could do it over again...

[mcgruff38]

If you could do it over again, what would you have done different with your garage? Im about to start with the elctrical and finishing the walls. So now Im just looking to not have to do it over again.

Im getting ready to start finishing my "unfinished" 2 car garage. I do mostly mechanic work in it (on my sandrail or the cars), and various other home projects. Im considering looking into taking up airbrushing as a hobby. As it is, the garage has 2 oulets, 2 overhead flourescent lights, and 1 one lightbulb on the wall. I want to get the walls finished next. Im planning to run 6-7 more outlets across the garage, and possibly 1 more on a switch. Im going to add insulation and finish the walls with plywood most likely (I like the idea of being able to screw into the wall to hang stuff.). other than that, Im pretty open to suggestions. I have a 20 gal compressor with a 25 foot hose. I was considering running air lines over to the work bench, but I think that might be more than I need. My main concern is finishing the walls, and not having to open them up again to do something over.

 

[PugetDude]

Double the size before doing anything to the inside.
but I don't have the room...

 

[kd3pc]

larger by 10' each way...of course my wife tells me it could 5,000 sq ft and I would still be ankle deep in stuff.

Seriously, larger if I could have afforded it. Secondly, I would put an exterior outlet pad on all 4 sides, to include air, water, and electric outlets.

Ceiling height to clear a lift with a car/truck on it.

I would epoxy the floor.

I would have HVAC.

The rest of it turned very well on my budget and I love having the space to be "inside" even without heat, it seldom gets below 40 degrees inside and ZERO wind, snow or ice.

bests

 

[mcgruff38]

Yeah, expanding it is definitely out of the question. Its an attached garage with no room (or budget) to expand.

 

[morrillm06]

if you take bigger out as an option you probably wont get many answers, mines not finished yet, still sheathing the inside and its to small (32x40)

 

[shelteredV]

Try to find someone else to pay for it??!!?
Air conditioning gets over looked alot. When it gets really hot out, you won't want to spend time out there like you would if you had AC.

 

[unslow1]

I would've raised it enough for a lift. Then put in more electrical and NG. I already put new doors, windows, siding and a 20x 20 concrete slab between it and the house before I discovered the whole garage is on one 15 amp circuit. They put a breaker box in the garage and one line from the house was jumped inside the box to feed both rails. I can't run the compressor, lights and a garage door opener at the same time.

 

[Gerald O]

What would I have done different? Nothing. I designed it from the beginning for no regrets, and am completely satisfied with the results.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=200759

 

[CoogarXR]

Just remember to paint your walls BEFORE you move in. I wish I would have painted mine, and now there's too much **** in the way.

 

[Kaizen]

I had my slab poured and a one foot knee wall after. I cut the relief joints clear across the whole pad before the wall was added. As I am doing this solo its taking a long time and all water that falls makes a lake inside as I have the man door and one roll up door in. I think I would have put some kind of a pipe or plastic wrapped rod that I could have pounded out after the knee wall was put in so it would have drained by itself. In the worst of winter I had inches of ice in there. but every day the sun melted a little that would have easily drained.

 

[Blk88GT]

More windows and a bathroom.

 

[Falcon67]

Misc small wishes - 6' deeper, 1' taller lol. Taller windows. Cheated it over closer to the property line by the house.

One large wish - that I'd check the forms for square and level after the contractor laid them and before the pour.

 

[johnnyradiant]

I would think carefully about your bench area. An airline over there may feel like overkill now but I think you will appreciate having it. It is a convenience but it also allows an secondary access point and keeps a line out of the way. If you run some lines even if it is just a flexible air line strapped to the ceiling or wall it also allows you the ability to tuck your compressor out of the way and potentially even allow you to dampen the compressor's noise with it's own closet or even a 'hutch' outside.

Good lighting over the bench
Shelving and/or built in storage
Attention to the floor for fluid lakes and anything that rolls - patch / fix and then
Epoxy or your floor preference
Walls if it were me would be finished in such a way that if I broke out a hose to clean up would not be damaged - no drywall, no baseboard made out of anything but plastic or solid real wood. Ideally you would have your cement foundation wall / knee wall going up - put your finished wall from the top of that up, don't fir out or strap your cement walls to allow you to finish down to the floor. As a mechanic the idea of washing down the floors is very appealing and necessary at times. As a woodworker a broom, a vac or a blower usually gets you clean.
Painted ceiling helps bounce the light around - I would use either semi-gloss or at least eggshell finish. Typical flat ceiling paint will hold dust/dirt and cobwebs more and can not easily be wiped clean / without showing the dirt now as a wiped smudge. Only to be done once in a blue moon on a leap year within 2 months of a solar eclipse.
If no a/c some sort of fan to move the air around. Not enough hot days around here to the days I get in the shop to justify a/c. I have a used furnace fan mounted on my wall blowing out opposite my door - it works good for changing the air and circulating the air around the shop adjusted somewhat by the amount the door is open.
Maybe even an extension cord dangling down in between your bays if you don't plan on a trouble light with a built in plug.
Good insulation and maybe a double layer of your finished wall or a layer of drywall and then plywood on your common walls to help deaden the sound to the inside of your house depending on what's on the other side of your garage walls.

 

[johnnyradiant]

....
One large wish - that I'd check the forms for square and level after the contractor laid them and before the pour.

And maybe a spec in the contract about level and square tolerances? Why do so many things have to always meet the 'good enough' standard that frequently is more like not good enough or barely manageable?

 

[cjcocn]

1. If you don't have a big enough electrical panel - first increase that.

2. Envision as best you can what will be in your garage (tool boxes, work benches, shelving, etc.) and lay out your receptacle locations accordingly - including the number required.

That should greatly reduce the potential to get everything set up only to find that something is blocking an outlet (shelving that's "too wide" or a workbench that is too high, etc.) or not having enough.

You can do the same for any additional lights, including external ones.

3. Consider your current windows and, using the idea from 2. above, determine if you need any more windows - it's best to install them prior to closing in your walls.

4. If your floor isn't finished, you might as well drag everything outside if you can (or move to half of the garage) and finish your floors now. Chances are you won't feel like doing it after you've done your finishing work.

5. If there is the potential for an addition down the road, run your wiring high enough so that you can cut out a man door without having to worry about wiring. If you end up not getting an addition, it only cost you a few feet of wire.

As far as that goes, you can even screw in those sheets of plywood (where the man door would go) to facilitate removal should you get an addition.

6. I do not know what your painting set up is currently like, but if you get into air brushing you may need some exhaust fans. It would be best to plan for that now so you don't have to worry about wiring for it later, plus it would be easier to install fans on the wall prior to insulating and sheathing it.

That's about all I can think of for now.

Good luck with your finishing project.

 

[rsanter]

Everything I would do different would pend on having the money and space to do it different

10k# square feet.
Separate into areas for woodwork, metal work, automotive work, car storage, and parts storage.
Thenworkmareas would be heated and cooled, storage would not be.
Outdoor covered parting and dirty parts storage....

The list goes on......and on.....

What have I don't right for what I have?

Pull down hose reels. One central in the garage trade the f ont and one near the garage door to reach outside

Pull down electrical, since putting those in I rairly plug into the wall anymore.
Wall outlet are for things that stay plugged in

Paint the floor, it makes cleanup/sweeping easier and go faster.

Mobility, many things in my shop are on wheels. They get pulled out to use them and sorted away when not used.

Pallet racking, even in a smaller garage....
In my first house I used a pallet ranch at my workbench. Set the first shelf at the desired work height, next shelf high enough to not hit my head. Add a light under the second shelf.
Greatly increased the usable storage area in the garage for cheap and con hold a ton of weight.
Same deal with parking mobile equipment under the shelving and then you gain the storage over the equipment

Bob

 

[ezriderga]

If electrical code would allow, I would put receptacles waist high. I did that in my last garage and it sure made life easier.

 

[chruler]

Radiant heat in the floor.
Air Conditioning.
Insulation.
Refrigerator.
Bathroom. Running water.
Ventilation.
Any kind of serious flooring.
Excellent overhead lighting, and lots of localized lighting for specific work areas.
More amps than you think you'll need!

 

[Aberdale]

Good comments so far. I have a garage for keeping cars and motorcycles, and a separate shop for working on projects.

Garage
The garage is attached, and is a deep 3 car that is 34'x34' and a stairway that leads to an upstairs bonus room. The walls are concrete block. When I moved in, I added internal stud walls with insulation and full drywall. I also finished the bonus room. I installed new windows and new garage doors. I also added a separate forced air furnace that heats the garage and the room upstairs. About the only thing than I still want to do in the garage is finish the floor, just not sure what route I want to take.

Workshop
The separate workshop was plenty big when I built it in 2008. 40'x60'. All my tools fit, the lift was planned in, and I had separate rooms for mechanical work and body work and paint. I overkilled the air line drops and regulators, which I'm glad I did. I planned for a lot of storage, and built a 20'x30' mezzanine just for stuff. I got a great deal on used storage cabinets which minimized the initial clutter. I did not include any windows. I did this on purpose for security and to keep solar gain out. I insulated the space and added forced air heat. It stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

What I hadn't anticipated was all of the stuff that I have acquired since I built it. I didn't plan on 2 extra drill presses, a Bridgeport mill, and a Monarch lathe. I didn't plan on an overhead crane system, but I now have one. I didn't consider that I might work on more than one project at a time, but I've found that has become the norm for me. I didn't realize I would do as much welding and grinding as I do, and underestimated how much dirt it creates. I didn't expect that I would accumulate and store as much hardware and service parts.

The bottom line is that I didn't consider how I might use the space in the future, and now it's barely big enough. It will help once I finish my current project, but it's probably not going to be finished for at least a year. In the meantime, I'm trying to do maintenance and repairs on the daily drivers as needed, and tripping over the long term project parts in the process.

Some of the basics that I would do if I could do it over again?
Plan and wire for more light. With 14' ceilings, doubling the number of fixtures would have been a good start. I have added some light, but it would have looked better if I had planned it from the start. It would also have been nice to have all light switches on one bank near the entry door. As it is now, I have to turn on half a dozen switches in separate locations all over the shop.

I would also have built a bathroom complete with shower so that I could clean up after a real dirty job. It would also be nice not to have to run to the house when nature calls.

I would have given more thought to dust collection and making it easier to clean the space. I spend at least as much time cleaning as I do working on projects, and there's still nooks and crannies that haven't been cleaned in years.

 

[coljar]

Very little. Bigger was not an option where I wanted it(it is 30x40)with back room off the back. I have a bathroom that I put a drain in if I wanted a shower later. Central heat and ac when my buddy slows down long enough to finish my ac. LM 8500's for the doors when I slow down long enough to install them. The two post hoist is always nice to keep me off the floor and much more. The dirtier work gets done in the old big garage next door. Every time I step in here is like an in house vacation.

 

[mike in tucson]

A couple that haven't been mentioned:
*method to better seal bottom of garage doors and sides/top of doors to help with temperature stability AND to keep dust out
*polished concrete floor instead of epoxy
*move bay for lift to opposite end of garage from man door to house
*better location for trash tubs
*more feed thrus for air dryer drain, etc
*feed thru for drip irrigation control to be inside
*more than one cable/composite feed
*more duplex boxes in ceiling
*led lighting instead of fluorescents (we have 32 fixtures each with 2 tubes)
*better hose-out capability
*screen doors on two man doors to outside
*don't use copper clad garage doors.....frying pans!
*one or two faucets in garage

 

[jetnow1]

I put a duplex outlet on each side of every 3rd stud, Gives me flexibility if I move things
around as there is always an outlet available. Put each side on a different 20 amp circuit.
Also put a 220 outlet on each wall. Have light switches for each bay as well as the upstairs
storage area by each man door, also a switch by the upstairs stairway door. The wall outlets are 4 feet off the floor. Put in more lights than you think you need, older eyes need all the help they can get. I used ceiling outlets and plug in led shop lights so if I
want to I can unplug some, or just turn them off. I also attached outlets to the center
of the garage on the lolly columns. Much easier to do while the walls are open.

 

[matt_i]

I didn't think I wanted a vehicle lift, however after the building was built I realized its utility for stacking storage (fit boat + vehicle in 1 bay) plus of course the occasional repair project. I had 10-1/2' ceilings originally but part of the building could have easily been scissor trusses to accomodate it easily.

 

[tre873]

I put a duplex outlet on each side of every 3rd stud, Gives me flexibility if I move things
around as there is always an outlet available. Put each side on a different 20 amp circuit.
Also put a 220 outlet on each wall. Have light switches for each bay as well as the upstairs
storage area by each man door, also a switch by the upstairs stairway door. The wall outlets are 4 feet off the floor. Put in more lights than you think you need, older eyes need all the help they can get. I used ceiling outlets and plug in led shop lights so if I
want to I can unplug some, or just turn them off. I also attached outlets to the center
of the garage on the lolly columns. Much easier to do while the walls are open.

I agree with the outlet on every 3rd stud. I'm expanding the woodworking room in my shop and that's exactly what I'm doing. I placed the receptacles at 54", they are always above the benches and you never have to bend down to plug anything in.

 

[coljar]

I am so glad I put the receptacles at 67" high around the main part of the shop. I did not want them hiding behind any equipment. They are spaced 3-4' apart. This arrangement has worked out great for me.

 

[ozyborn]

Raised it 2 feet. 7' ceilings are the pits

 

[unslow1]

Raised it 2 feet. 7' ceilings are the pits

I know what you mean. One of my cars is 7ft. It's never been inside my home garage.

 

[brownsugar]

I turned mine into a gym but didn't realise how much it would cost.

 

[dfiler2]

As mentioned by someone else, finish everything before you move in. As i was building I got on here and asked about wiring before the wall covering or using EMT. So glad I used EMT. I have made a few changes and additions and it has been easy to do and doesn't look like I forgot something.

 

[finn]

Put the plumbing in a corner and complete the bathroom before I moved in.

Finish the back wall (drywall and steel) before I put up the pallet racks.

Rotate the chimney pipe opening for the wood stove 90 degrees.

 

[Majordisorder]

I should have made the overhead lights switchable from the rear exit as well.

 

[rburke65]

I put my radiant floor heat manifold under the stairs to the attic thinking that it would be the ideal location for the boiler and related equipment, but I failed to consider that the boiler was at the opposite end from where the electrical panel, water source and the drain is located. I can't believe I didn't consider this.

 

[Falcon67]

And maybe a spec in the contract about level and square tolerances? Why do so many things have to always meet the 'good enough' standard that frequently is more like not good enough or barely manageable?

This was a verbal deal. I watched one of the helpers check the forms, but didn't think to go behind and check. Why, he just did. I don't know what he saw or read, but we ended up about 6" out of square. The forms were level, but the pour was down on one corner, I think that wasn't the contractor but one of the concrete guys that stepped on a form with a weak support. Didn't really figure this out until the walls were up and the rafters going up, so it was too late to really think about any corrective action.

It did complicate the build a little, but having owned many old houses where "level", "plumb" and "square" are text book constructs it wasn't a big deal. You can tell where the floor slopes but you would not know the building is a bit off square. It's a great shop to work in and would not trade for anything. Left room in the rear to kick a wall out later - and the dragster may force that issue. Inside depth is 23' 8", dragster is 23' 11" back tire to front tire. No, I didn't see that coming!

Let me add one other thing - think hard on electrical layout. I brought power to the closest wall to the house, making for a 125' or so power run from the meter tap to the shop panel. Bought 250' of 12-2, good to go. Well....60% of the circuits ended up on the far end of the building! I used over 800' of 12-2 plus long runs of 10-2 & 10-3. I should have seen that coming and used a smaller box at the infeed with a 20 space sub panel on the wall 28' down range. Would have saved a bunch of wire.