Advice on getting "set up"?

[thatryan]

Hi all, noob here

I have a detached garage, about 20x20 feet. My car sleeps in there, the rest is taken up by housemates junk

I have organized it out of the way best I can for now, but am open to some better storage options. I would ideally like to do work on my car in there, mods and maintenance stuff.

Some things I could use advice on,

1. Lighting, only two of the light fixtures in there work so would probably replace them all.

2. Air compressor. I have only 110 outlets in the garage right now, not sure if 220/230/240 whatever can be added in easily yet. Am going to want a decent compressor to drive a snap on impact. 4 CFM @ 90 I believe?

3. Audio! Need some tunes. Was thinking of a Sirius subscription and audio box? I want something I can walk in and switch on, not have to plug my phone into. Do not need surround sound home theatre, just decent music

4. Heat/AC options? Get chilly when sun goes down, and hot hot in the summer time. Any cost effective ways to mitigate that?

Of note also, this is a rental house, so I wont be doing any 'overhauling' of the garage as much as I'd like to. So no pulling walls, adding insulation, doubt there is any there.. Adding the wiring for 220 is the most I would want to do, if feasible.

I am not rich ha, some of your garages here are just utterly amazing! One day maybe, but for now I am doing what I can with what I have, and looking for some helpful options.

Some pics attached below, thank you for your time!

Front Shot

Left Side

Center

Right Side

Pano shot

 

[laser3kw]

time, patients and be prepared to move / arrange things a few times. I have been in my garage two years and still am moving in!

 

[Cypherian]

1.Lighting, only two of the light fixtures in there work so would probably replace them all.
Ok let’s see , I would check on repairing the light fixtures instead of replacing them since they are not yours why put a lot of money into buying someone else new ones. Though if you were going to hang them the same way you could just take the new fixtures with you and put the originals back. Any chance on the rental property own either fixing / replacing / reimbursing you for repairs or replacement?

2. Air compressor. I have only 110 outlets in the garage right now, not sure if 220/230/240 whatever can be added in easily yet. Am going to want a decent compressor to drive a snap on impact. 4 CFM @ 90 I believe?
I found this one http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200589587_200589587
I do not know the quality of this one or your bank account size others here could probably recommend a quality one to fit your price point if you have one. But based on your current umm Housemates stuff you need floor space so vertical is the way to go.
3. Audio! Need some tunes. Was thinking of a Sirius subscription and audio box? I want something I can walk in and switch on, not have to plug my phone into. Do not need surround sound home theatre, just decent music
I use a pc loaded with music and internet access hooked to a boom box on a shelf between my own collection and what is freely available on line there is enough tunes. You can find a cheap or free pc or laptop to do this with just needs net and power .
4. Heat/AC options? Get chilly when sun goes down, and hot hot in the summer time. Any cost effective ways to mitigate that?
It looks like no windows but also no ceiling so heat is problematic unless you want to put thin inexpensive material up on the ceiling Styrofoam or heavy mil plastic though mind the heat from the lights and try to go for a light color you might be loosing light not being reflected from the ceiling or lack there of lol. The big door could be done with inexpensive foam board on the back side of it. Heating is on your local area pricing elec being meh for speed and heating a large space with portable electric heater. Propane / kerosene work but are costly and worry some in a small space and it depends on what you plan on doing in the garage. Ac depends on how much you’re going to be in there in the hot temps you could get some floor oscillating fans and a sliding screen http://www.homedepot.com/p/Snavely-...gclid=CNWLir7losQCFShn7AodhAkAoQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

You might want to look at building knock down shelves or to get the HOUSEMATEs stuff consolidated get rid of the boxes and go to bins so you can see what is in them and do not have a problem with the boxes deteriorating from moisture etc.

As for adding 220 I do not see washer and dryer in there so it would require some work and only if the rental place is amenable to allowing it. If so have it done professionally so there is no risk to you later own for doing unauthorized modifications.

JMHO Cypher

 

[Lassen Forge]

I was going to write a lengthy answer, but then, I saw this...

"Of note also, this is a rental house, so I wont be doing any 'overhauling' of the garage as much as I'd like to. So no pulling walls, adding insulation, doubt there is any there.. Adding the wiring for 220 is the most I would want to do, if feasible."

My recommendation is to bite the bullet and purchase your home, not rent it. You need to get permission from your LL ---IN WRITING-- before doing ANYTHING like AC/heat/220/lighting, otherwise they can dump a 3 day Pay or Quit on you and then sue you for everything you've done. EVEN IF you get the OK to do all tihs work IN WRITING from your landlord, (1) they can reneg on that and you're hammered, (2) When you leave they can (and likely will) require you to return the house to the condition as found - meaning replace the swapped lights, pull and backfill the 220, pull your AC/heat and patch ALL the holes to original condition... BTW, I hope you like that blue color, as painting is also verboten W/O either the LL doing the repaint or getting their (again, written) permission to repaint in a different color...

Last time we rented a house, (this was in Moraga, so it, too, was in the Bay Area) I built this AMAZING bench in the 2.5 car garage there. Got the LL's permission, that was cool... but... When we left the LL REQUIRED us to remove the bench, and put the garage back to as-found, and was talking legal action in additon to losing our deposit.

Trust me on this - even in the Bay Area - if you want a shop you can make your own, buy, don't rent, as it's always someone elses property, and you're always at their whim.

 

[lotsoftools]

I wouldn't even bother with the 220 for a compressor. Just get a cordless/corded impact and be done with it. If you NEED air to fill tires, get a small compressor or make a trip to the gas station. You're most likely not going to paint anything in there either. When you get your forever house, then you can go all out and upgrade wiring to run whatever you want.

 

[Ign]

I wouldn't even bother with the 220 for a compressor. Just get a cordless/corded impact and be done with it. If you NEED air to fill tires, get a small compressor or make a trip to the gas station. You're most likely not going to paint anything in there either. When you get your forever house, then you can go all out and upgrade wiring to run whatever you want.

This. This thread is a perfect example of where the new cordless impacts shine. When you move, it fits in the corner of your trunk. And yes, just get a small inflator for filling tires. Or a pancake compressor of you must blow things off w more pressure than a cordless blower.

 

[thatryan]

Thanks for all the infos!

Hadn't thought about cordless impacts as I knew I would want air for tires etc, but that does make sense.

Luckily our landlord is really cool, though we are probably going to move in a year or close to it, so I guess it makes sense then to "rough" it out as is and not worry about mods etc.

 

[laser3kw]

I have a HF $79.99 120v air compressor just for inflating tires. handy to have.

 

[404]

If there is a plug in the house for an electric dryer make up a cord from that to the compressor. Don't leave it plugged in when not using it.

Cue gnashing of teeth from the electricians

 

[jvitez]

+1. Don't waste any time or money on a rental.

 

[thatryan]

Ok so housemate's dad stopped by and dropped off some lights, he is an electrician and gets stuff all the time, so I got four of these four bulb deals for free

Found this air compressor which runs off standard outlet, looks decent?

http://www.aircompressorsdirect.com/Ingersoll-Rand-P1.5IU-A9-Air-Compressor/p8473.html

 

[Colin Len]

+1. Don't waste any time or money on a rental.

I find this true for the most part but many of us don't have the chance to buy a home but still want to enjoy wrenching or just general "garage life". A couple years ago I had all but given up on buying a home and had a big car project that I was going to tackle. I needed to get my rental garage in order so that the project was even possible. I tried to do everything for free or as cheap as possible, focused on function and ignored aesthetics. I didn't spend much but the money was well spent considering how many hours I then spent working in the garage. If you balance your money and effort on the rehab it can be done such that it's not wasteful and often lots of stuff can simply be transferred to your next garage when you move out.

With that said, here's how I'd tackle it:

1) Check out the lights and see what's wrong with them, they may be simple to fix. I'd focus on fixing the existing and at least keeping the ones that work and supplementing with something free/cheap you can find on craigslist or friends...etc

2) Not sure why 220v is needed. I've been using a 110v compressor for years and years with no problems. Yeah, it's not industrial strength but air tools for automotive work has not been a problem and I've even done a fair amount of painting with an HVLP gun. Yeah, it's stressing the compressor more than it should be, but it's what it takes to get the jobs done I need to do. I'll save a 220v setup for my "dream" garage when I can afford such things.

3) Not plugging the phone in is the issue. There are TONS of affordable audio setups that are perfect for a garage - specifically check out computer speakers. Craigslist is a great place to look as well, you could possibly find a very cheap surround sound setup. Or www.parts-express.com & www.monoprice.com are great places to find individual parts to build your own system. The problem is needing something with bluetooth capability. So far I haven't seen any bluetooth converters that are worth a damn which aren't fairly expensive.

4) You're probably mostly SOL on this. A fan or two in the summer can help a little and a small space heater in the garage. Neither will make a huge difference but they might "take the edge off". Remember, you're in an uninsulated space so you're fighting an uphill battle that may not be worth fighting - time to bundle up.


Overall if it were me I'd focus on (other than what's mentioned above):
- Get some good storage in there. Find cabinets for free/cheap on craigslist or build simple wood shelving units. Get as much up off the floor as possible. The existing storage actually looks OK so far - but is it ideal? You can remove some stuff or better yet just rearrange it. I took some existing storage in my rental garage and just moved it around to make it fit my needs better.
- Get organized. Your stuff, your roommate's stuff...everything. It'll make a world of difference.
- Err on the side of things you can bring with you when you move. Find an awesome metal storage cabinet on craigslist - perfect. Build a workbench you can unbolt and transfer to a new garage - perfect. Need more tool storage and think it's time for more tool boxes...etc

 

[Gotcha640]

Do you need an air compressor? One more big heavy thing to store, and move, and pay for. I've done engine swaps to diff rebuilds with hand tools, and a foot pump will get enough air in a tire to get to the gas station.

On the music, I got a jambox bluetooth speaker mostly for the garage, works really well and since it's connected to the phone, I don't have to worry about touching the phone with grubby fingers when my wife calls.

I'm also using halogen work lights with some creative hooks and screws in the ceiling. And they come down and move around for suspension and brake jobs.

As for the weather, I'm in Houston, and I wear sweats and coveralls (check the thrift store, or a uniform shop) in the winter. I replaced my cooling system (e39 540) in 37 degrees a few weeks ago. I also hang a sheet or tarp over the driveway if I need to be out there, keeps it cooler in the summer, warmer in the winter, and dry in the rain.

 

[GN4WHLN]

I have this one, runs on 110, http://www.harborfreight.com/29-gal-2-hp-150-psi-cast-iron-vertical-air-compressor-69865.html and has worked well for the past three years. It's also pretty quiet. In your shoes, I would buy some decent shelving to get things off the floor and organized. I would build (or buy) a good free-standing bench that would stand up to some work. I prefer having a receiver mount in it for tools as opposed to mounting a vise etc. on the work surface. You might buy a good electric space heater to keep yourself warm. I use a parabolic dish heater which I only need on the coldest nights, but it keeps things plenty warm.

 

[AL`]

For lighting you might consider the Lithonia Worklight Diamond Plate from Home Depot. It hangs by a chain from the ceiling and uses 4' T8 lights and just plugs in to an outlet or extension cord. I have two in my garage and it lights up my work area nicely. They won't require any modification to your rental unit and you can take them with you when you move.

For a compressor, you might consider the Ingersoll Rand Garage Mate at Northern Tool for $600. Or if you don't mind spending more consider the Quincy Model# Q12126VPQ vertical air compressor. It delivers more CFM than the Ingersoll Rand but it's a little more pricey at $750.

 

[Parrothead]

+1. Don't waste any time or money on a rental.

+2

I can't stress this enough, please don't. Save your coin and then buy your own house and have at it. This coming from a current landlord and former renter of a house.

I would recommend listening to Dave Ramsey, it just might change your outlook.

 

[kwb]

If you are in the bay area - renting makes a lot of sense. Costs are through the roof and buying is a $500-600K deal.

Do what you want with the rental knowing that you might lose some of it when you move.

 

[Firebird 1]

Good advice above, I have a Makita job site radio I got from home depot works great. It will also charge your drill batteries. For me more than enough radio for a workshop.

 

[bczygan]

First, get all that non garage related stuff the hell out of there.

Is it a garage or a storage shed?

Put things in the basement or attic or spare closets or rooms or even under beds.

Get a temporary plastic shed if necessary. Clear it out.

Then you can furnish the garage.

Can you attach things to the walls and ceiling, if you fix them when you leave?

If not, make wall panels that can be secured between the floor and ceiling. Hang wall cabinets from these.

Run 2x6's from wall to wall and fasten to these panels and use them to support lights.

You have made a room within a room. This can be partial or complete.

As stated above, get cabinets and chests and even file cabinets of all types.

Racedeck flooring that you can take with you.

Bill