Biggest Shop/Garage Regret?
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SweetD
Well-known member
If I only knew then what I know now (thanks to GJ)...
- Would have coated the floor right away. Still have bare concrete and it's not pretty 7 years in...
- Would have done a better job with the electrical layout overall. It's OK, but I wish I had roughed in for a 220v circuit, and more than one circuit in the garage. I have since installed a second circuit for my benchtop, but wish I did it during the build.
- Wish I planned my overall layout in better detail. It's OK, but could be better if I had pre-planned it more.
- Wish I had spent the extra $ at the time for a steel spanning beam rather than having to have a post in the middle of my garage.
- Wish I planned the lighting out better, I have two sets of 4' fluorescents, could use another two sets.
- Wish I took the electrician's advice and put the low voltage garage door opener wiring in the ceiling instead of running it on the ceiling - would look so much cleaner! (this one KILLS me!)
- Things I did right: "person door", laundry sink (invaluable), two garage doors instead of one large one, windows are good too, natural gas heater, well insulated, pretty good use of custom built shelving space,, although I would like to put some cabinet doors in...
All that said, I am super thankful I have a garage, especially this winter! (24 x 24 x 8 space)
Dave
- Would have coated the floor right away. Still have bare concrete and it's not pretty 7 years in...
- Would have done a better job with the electrical layout overall. It's OK, but I wish I had roughed in for a 220v circuit, and more than one circuit in the garage. I have since installed a second circuit for my benchtop, but wish I did it during the build.
- Wish I planned my overall layout in better detail. It's OK, but could be better if I had pre-planned it more.
- Wish I had spent the extra $ at the time for a steel spanning beam rather than having to have a post in the middle of my garage.
- Wish I planned the lighting out better, I have two sets of 4' fluorescents, could use another two sets.
- Wish I took the electrician's advice and put the low voltage garage door opener wiring in the ceiling instead of running it on the ceiling - would look so much cleaner! (this one KILLS me!)
- Things I did right: "person door", laundry sink (invaluable), two garage doors instead of one large one, windows are good too, natural gas heater, well insulated, pretty good use of custom built shelving space,, although I would like to put some cabinet doors in...
All that said, I am super thankful I have a garage, especially this winter! (24 x 24 x 8 space)
Dave
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harleybuilder
Well-known member
My 3 biggest regrets on my 30'x40' shop
1- wrong location, it blocks the view of one of our ponds in the front pasture.
2- 12' door instead of a 14'.
3- my concrete floor turned out like s#&t. The cement valve stuck at the plant and they didn't know it, within 15 minutes of starting the pour you could literally step on it and not sink 2 inches. The concrete guy spent almost 5 hours non stop with the trowel machine trying to make it the best he could. He was willing to bust it all out and redo it but I was mad about it and said forget it. The concrete plant did give me my money back on the concrete.
1- wrong location, it blocks the view of one of our ponds in the front pasture.
2- 12' door instead of a 14'.
3- my concrete floor turned out like s#&t. The cement valve stuck at the plant and they didn't know it, within 15 minutes of starting the pour you could literally step on it and not sink 2 inches. The concrete guy spent almost 5 hours non stop with the trowel machine trying to make it the best he could. He was willing to bust it all out and redo it but I was mad about it and said forget it. The concrete plant did give me my money back on the concrete.
SweetD your garage is identical to mine, except I have a boiler and oil tank in mine tanking up some space, and I have shelves all the way around.
I find the post in the middle of my garage very annoying, if it wasnt there I could park a car in there sideways and have tons of room all around. Too bad that post supports my house.
I find the post in the middle of my garage very annoying, if it wasnt there I could park a car in there sideways and have tons of room all around. Too bad that post supports my house.
My Old Tools
Well-known member
Should've gone bigger. That's why half my stuff is still in my old shop. Next shop will be two connected shops, one for wood and one for metal.
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Sine Swept
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2014
- Messages
- 440
I have an 18 x 30 ft shop. Only gripe is that water drains towards the back wall and there is no drain anywhere.
On the positive, I like the double wide door, the Olson gas heater in the back corner, the 8 foot light fixtures and ample electrical outlets including a few in the roof. I do lots of car audio and it allows full access to a vehicle and I can make it comfortable inside when currently it is -20 celcius.
On the positive, I like the double wide door, the Olson gas heater in the back corner, the 8 foot light fixtures and ample electrical outlets including a few in the roof. I do lots of car audio and it allows full access to a vehicle and I can make it comfortable inside when currently it is -20 celcius.
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
I really goofed.... I built in Minnesota instead of near Seattle, Washington... One of my Sons lives out there; so that has been my working vacation and get-a-way destination for the last five years... I would sure like to trade climates..
Tyrol67
Active member
Not building the garage sooner...making the lift bay only 12' wide , 14' would have been nice...thinking I'd never pull a Crew Cab Superduty into the lift bay.
Things I don't regret 1.) in floor radiant heat, 2.) HD loft with permanent stairs 3.) 100A & electrical outlets everywhere 4.)central vac, 5.) making the 'shop' bay door smaller so I can never put a car in it, 6.) getting a Crew Cab Superduty.
Things I don't regret 1.) in floor radiant heat, 2.) HD loft with permanent stairs 3.) 100A & electrical outlets everywhere 4.)central vac, 5.) making the 'shop' bay door smaller so I can never put a car in it, 6.) getting a Crew Cab Superduty.
andrewthesith
Member
not focusing on garage clean up and organization from the very beginning. now i am playing catch-up.
MagnumForce
Well-known member
Buying an HF 5 drawer cart and then the side cab instead of waiting and getting a 44".
It looks awesome, works awesome if I don't move it but I move the thing clear across a plant a quarter of a mile from one end to the other with expansion joints every 20 feet and every time that thing hits a joint it puts it out of square more and more with the weight of the side cab.
It looks awesome, works awesome if I don't move it but I move the thing clear across a plant a quarter of a mile from one end to the other with expansion joints every 20 feet and every time that thing hits a joint it puts it out of square more and more with the weight of the side cab.
justanengineer
Well-known member
I occasionally regret buying so much of a house project as it definitely has taken its toll on my garage projects the past 3 years. OTOH I should be able to make some decent cash when I sell this place, hopefully enough to cover a larger house and garage.
foghorn1966
Well-known member
x3 or 4 on not putting the radiant heat tubes in the floor slab when I built my garage. Have forced air heat, but in floor would be so much nicer in the winter.
There's things that really bug me but I can't ***** about as the only available space was 8' x 80' breezeway between 2 buildings. That limited the size and layout. I kept the ceiling height up to the maximum, restricted by the 2 buildings along the sides. This gave me valuable storage in an attic at one section that has 7' ht at one end and 4' at the low end but that end is open to the ground level so I have 11" height there and can hoist heavy **** up to the storage. As you can imagine this isn't the best work area but it's the best I could do with the space.
My regret is that this breezeway was an asphalt driveway originally and slopes about 6" over the first 25'. I had all the equipment on wheels with leveller bolts but it all wants to lean on an angle and the asphalt gives way under the weight and vibrations. Wouldn't you know that sloped section is where all my messy tools are, grinders, dp, lathe etc. I just built a wood riser to keep the dp, lathe and 20T press level along one wall and need to do the opposite side next where the tool boxes are next. I'll need to take the 5" wheels off my roller cabs to compensate for the 6" riser at one end but I don't anticipate having to move them once they're set up.
I wish I'd poured concrete to make 3 level platforms over the 80' length with sloped walks connecting them that I could roll stuff through from one section to the next. Next time I'm starting with a level playing field.
My regret is that this breezeway was an asphalt driveway originally and slopes about 6" over the first 25'. I had all the equipment on wheels with leveller bolts but it all wants to lean on an angle and the asphalt gives way under the weight and vibrations. Wouldn't you know that sloped section is where all my messy tools are, grinders, dp, lathe etc. I just built a wood riser to keep the dp, lathe and 20T press level along one wall and need to do the opposite side next where the tool boxes are next. I'll need to take the 5" wheels off my roller cabs to compensate for the 6" riser at one end but I don't anticipate having to move them once they're set up.
I wish I'd poured concrete to make 3 level platforms over the 80' length with sloped walks connecting them that I could roll stuff through from one section to the next. Next time I'm starting with a level playing field.