Wall divider or no 20x40 shop

[Kilroy]

Hi,
My new shop started as a 20x20 that someone added another 20x20 to the back of... From the outside, it looks like a 20x40 shop, but inside, there's a wall in the middle that no longer bears load but divides the shop in half...

Obviously, my first thought was to immediately rip it out and never look back, but then I realized it was there for a reason. I think the previous owner used it as a way to hide projects from nosy neighbors. He was a classic car nut too, and I think he worked on them in the back half and had his workshop (wood, tools etc) in the front.

My wife thinks I should just widen the door enough to get projects back and forth but leave the divider so I can use the space on either side of the doors.

I'm still on the rip it out side of things, but I wanted to ask if there was something I was missing. Any value to a divider like that I missed?

Thanks,
Phil

 

[Hot Rod Grampa]

If you do woodworking on one side, the wall should help keep everything else clean. Or at least cleaner than if the wall was gone. It would also help if you do grinding or welding, keep the sparks out of the sawdust. Lastly, it allows use of heat or A/C in half the space if so desired.

 

[Kaizen]

Depends on what you will be doing or need space for. I am setting my 30x36 up with 3 areas 12 feet wide; wood work, welding/auto restoration, and a lift. Only things I can’t move in the middle of the garage is the lift. Everything else can move so say I have a large cabinet project I can absorb space from the middle or vice versa. Everything not against a wall is on wheels or can be moved with pallet jack.


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[larry_g]

I split my shop (link below) because I wanted a clean and dirty side. I also only heat the clean side which is the machine shop. It is my work style and works for me. You have to figure out what works for you. I would suggest that you leave the wall until you NEED to remove it to do your work.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[nine4gmc]

I split mine like Larry_g did. One side clean and one side dirty work.

 

[bdbecker]

Since this space is relatively new to you, I'd live with it awhile to see if you end up liking having a divided space. As I dream about what my perfect shop will look like someday, I keep coming back to an idea similar to what Kaizen mentioned. No real loss if you decide you still don't like it in a year or two and rip it out.

 

[cdestuck]

I know in my shop, wall space is always welcome. I'd lean to opening up the door opening and having wall space for cabinets, shelving, etc.

 

[YukonXL04]

I'm still planning mine, but in my 24x56 area, 24x26 will be daily driver parking, 24x30 will be my workshop of all varieties. I want them separate so all my mess stays off my nice clean vehicles.

 

[Kilroy]

Good advice guys... Thanks.
To add a little detail, when they built the addition on the back, they left the rafter area above the dividing wall open... So it may not be terribly good at dust control unless I seal it up somehow... But it may be worth it.
I'm not planning on heat or AC in there. It's SoCal, and I'm used to working in Austin in an unconditioned shop... There's a nice breeze through there with both doors open.

There's a 16' garage door on either end of the shop and alley access to the back, but not a good way to get big pieces from the front to the back without going around the block and coming up the alley, so I think at best, I need to add like a 10-12' opening in the middle, but I could add a rollup for sealing purposes.

This is going to be pure workshop... Daily drivers will be parked in there over my dead body... I have a really long driveway that I'm going to put a gate across and a cover over for parking.

 

[bad_idea]

I think that wall moved back 5' or so would be nice, with a bit of finesse you could likely reuse the existing materials. Then definitely close in the upper section for dust control. Gives you a big bay in the front 20' wide x 25' deep to accommodate most vehicles. Then a workshop or storage room in the back half. I have a 30x40 I plan to build a 15x20 'Fab Shop' in. I'll do the welding and grinding work in that shop area to keep the grinding dust off of everything else. I plan to install ventilation in the 'Fab Shop' to **** air out, further keeping the grinding dust from spreading into the rest of the shop.

One more vote for work in it as is and see how you use the space. I like to make subtle changes slowly over time to my shop space. Too much at once and you find yourself wasting time/money changing it again.

 

[YukonXL04]

Good advice guys... Thanks.
To add a little detail, when they built the addition on the back, they left the rafter area above the dividing wall open... So it may not be terribly good at dust control unless I seal it up somehow... But it may be worth it.
I'm not planning on heat or AC in there. It's SoCal, and I'm used to working in Austin in an unconditioned shop... There's a nice breeze through there with both doors open.

There's a 16' garage door on either end of the shop and alley access to the back, but not a good way to get big pieces from the front to the back without going around the block and coming up the alley, so I think at best, I need to add like a 10-12' opening in the middle, but I could add a rollup for sealing purposes.

This is going to be pure workshop... Daily drivers will be parked in there over my dead body... I have a really long driveway that I'm going to put a gate across and a cover over for parking.

Yea I plan on a 10' doorway in between on mine. But it really just depends on the work you plan on doing. If your doing metal fab only, and have 20x40 worth of tools then I would say open it up. But if your doing metal and wood, I would try to keep them separate. Definitely add a large doorway in between though.

 

[bad_idea]

https://www.rollupdoorsdirect.com/rollupdoor650.php

Check out these doors for separating the two halves.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

Pictures, man.

 

[Kilroy]

I think that wall moved back 5' or so would be nice, with a bit of finesse you could likely reuse the existing materials. Then definitely close in the upper section for dust control. Gives you a big bay in the front 20' wide x 25' deep to accommodate most vehicles. Then a workshop or storage room in the back half. I have a 30x40 I plan to build a 15x20 'Fab Shop' in. I'll do the welding and grinding work in that shop area to keep the grinding dust off of everything else. I plan to install ventilation in the 'Fab Shop' to **** air out, further keeping the grinding dust from spreading into the rest of the shop.

One more vote for work in it as is and see how you use the space. I like to make subtle changes slowly over time to my shop space. Too much at once and you find yourself wasting time/money changing it again.

Good idea. Hadn't thought about moving the wall back or forward a bit. it would be easy to do.
I need to have a tiny office in there too somewhere so moving the wall would help that too.

I do mostly hot rod stuff, with a little fine woodworking and electronics in there too. I figure I could do the soldering in the office, and have an area for the wood working and the main shop area for the hot rods.

I have a 20' enclosed trailer I use for storing wood pieces etc, so I don't need to figure that into the main shop space for now.

The wood shop could be just a mobile table saw with a router table built on, and small workbench for sanders etc...

The thing about living with it is the more I live with it, the more stuff is going to migrate in there and I'll have to move it out to do the floor etc. I think I'm going to have to strike a balance between living with it until it's perfect and defining the space and molding my work style to it.

Yea I plan on a 10' doorway in between on mine. But it really just depends on the work you plan on doing. If your doing metal fab only, and have 20x40 worth of tools then I would say open it up. But if your doing metal and wood, I would try to keep them separate. Definitely add a large doorway in between though.

Yep, I don't have either 20x40 feet of tools or projects right now, so having a divider to keep things separate does make some sense.

I was thinking about a 10' door too, but it looks like the sweet spot for price is 9'... That would be wide enough by a foot to drive an f350 dually through if I'm doing my math right, so I think that would be good enough.

https://www.rollupdoorsdirect.com/rollupdoor650.php

Check out these doors for separating the two halves.

Yeah, I was looking at those... For the price, they'd be hard to beat.

Pictures, man.

LOL No... I'm still trying to clear boxes out of there from the move...

Although I might be able to take a few or find some from when we bought it.

 

[mmb617]

I originally built a 24x36 garage then later added a 24x16 bay with a higher ceiling for a lift on to one end. There is a wall with a man door between the two areas which could be taken out, but I've found it useful to be able to keep the two areas separate at times. I also think losing the wall space would cancel out any gain from opening up the area.

 

[Kilroy]

Pictures, man.

What the hell.. “Forgive our mess! Under Construction.”
First is alley side, second is street side.

 

[QwikKotaTx]

Thanks. I have often considered a dividing wall in my garage to protect my truck from arcs and sparks but it's just too small to make work.

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[Kevkx125]

Here is how I divided my 30x40 shop

 

[DuluthMachineWorks]

If you’re looking to protect from grinding and welding sparks, how about a translucent welding curtain? You could mount it to a curtain rod so you can push it out of the way when you’re not doing hot work and don’t need the divider.

 

[Kilroy]

Yeah, I wanted a transparent door anyway... I hadn't even thought of using a transparent welding blanket. That's a cool and economical idea, especially in a space like mine that likely will never have AC...

After all this talk, I'm thinking about moving the wall forward 4' and having a 20x16 woodshop and a 20x24 hot rod shop in the back... With a 9' door in the middle.

I'm trying to talk the wife into letting me pop the wall out on the house side of the shop and adding my office there, but so far she hates the idea.