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[Garage Josh]

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[Rex_A_Lott]

No matter what you do the space is small. I wouldnt go ripping anything out. Some white paint and some better lighting and you would have a space that is decent to work in, but its never going to be spacious.
I kind of like what they did, its not bad for what it is. Light paint, and light bulbs and you will like it a lot better.
Blown in insulation is a possibility.
Good Luck!

 

[Garage Josh]

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[nadogail]

A coat of Kilz 2 or Zissner 123 will do wonders. Shop lights hung from the overheads and plugged into outlets controlled by switches will give you the biggest bang for your buck.

Complete what they were doing to the attic floor.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Spend your money on what you need, the pretty garage you want can be financed from your business profits.

 

[Rex_A_Lott]

I understand about "one day", but there is a lot of usefulness there that a good coat of white paint would bring you. You can always tear it out down the road.
As for the lighting, there is a whole section of this forum dedicated to that, and much better advice than I can give you. Its all dictated by your desires and your pocketbook. I myself want to upgrade to LEDs but it may not be for you.
Good Luck!

 

[C. Charles Hahn]

Here's the single car garage I've been detailing out of for the past 12-13 years...

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=312252

Probably a lot more elaborate than you're looking for at this point but it might give you something to shoot for.

 

[Garage Josh]

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[bobcatdan]

Do what ever you need to make it nice inside. Big thing is with that small size is really plan on what you need in there and how it will fit. I have a 24x24 shop and even with as good of planning my brain is capable off, an extended cab short box 1/2 ton is the biggest thing that will fit with ease. Room on the side isn't bad, but getting around front and back is snug for my 36" waist. I don't know how big of vehicles you plan on working on, but if you put a bench and a tool.box on the back wall, you won't get a truck all the way in. If you put them on the side wall, it will be really tight getting around the side.

 

[CNGsaves]

QUESTION: Is only thing holding up attic ladder those "plumber's tape" straps ??

 

[bobcatdan]

Out of curiosity, I messured my "bay", click over 13' wide. You can see the stains on the floor to give a general idea how vehicles are parked. The right side where my tool box is, I have plenty have tons of room. The left side where the gray cabniet is a little snug, but I can still pretty comfortably pull wheels and do brake or suspension work. As you can see, I have a foot more width then you with my benches outside of that 13'. I think unless you work only on mini's, maybe think about a bigger garage then fixing that one up.

 

[jonjon1]

thats tight quarters, can you even open the doors on both sides of a car in there?

I would start by emptying it completely, I agree with the others why rip out the wood, fix any rooted parts and paint it white...

Next I would make it so when ou are working on a car all of your tools are outside or out of the way.

A friend of mine has a detailing shop on the side of his house, I did the sight work for him, its 28x24 has a center drain, and he can still only do 1 car at a time, he details for a few local used car dealerships, and he tried to do 2 cars at once but its just not possible for him. So with a garage half the size of his I am thinking its gonna be uncomfortable.

I say clean, paint, and get to work, I would grab a central vac unit and put it in the attic, run the hoses down the walls on each sides of the front wall, I would cut out in between a few of the wall studs and put shelves for your cleaners and supplies, hang any hand tools you need on the walls where you wont be knocking into them but they are easy to access. I would also put the compressor outside or upstairs and run the air lines down. Have that room just an empty floor space garage....

As for lighting, I am thinking cut into the wall stud bays and counter sink them all, you know where you want light so just put them where it will make sense, I would get something soft, its a small area, you are going to blind yourself if you dont go easy on the watts...


good luck...

 

[bobcatdan]

thats tight quarters, can you even open the doors on both sides of a car in there?

I would start by emptying it completely, I agree with the others why rip out the wood, fix any rooted parts and paint it white...

Next I would make it so when ou are working on a car all of your tools are outside or out of the way.

A friend of mine has a detailing shop on the side of his house, I did the sight work for him, its 28x24 has a center drain, and he can still only do 1 car at a time, he details for a few local used car dealerships, and he tried to do 2 cars at once but its just not possible for him. So with a garage half the size of his I am thinking its gonna be uncomfortable.

I say clean, paint, and get to work, I would grab a central vac unit and put it in the attic, run the hoses down the walls on each sides of the front wall, I would cut out in between a few of the wall studs and put shelves for your cleaners and supplies, hang any hand tools you need on the walls where you wont be knocking into them but they are easy to access. I would also put the compressor outside or upstairs and run the air lines down. Have that room just an empty floor space garage....

As for lighting, I am thinking cut into the wall stud bays and counter sink them all, you know where you want light so just put them where it will make sense, I would get something soft, its a small area, you are going to blind yourself if you dont go easy on the watts...


good luck...

I generally back in so that would put the driver door on the right side. All the room in the world to open the door and get out. Driving in and getting out on the left side is a little tight, basically like getting out of a car on a two post hoist.

 

[zkling]

What size space do you work in now? Can you imagine working in a 12' wide space? If you were just doing mechanical type work that would be one thing, but I don't think the width will be conducive to body work. Unless all you work on are small cars.

 

[matt_i]

I keep seeing "rotten"

That is something that needs to be addressed as to exactly why. Otherwise whatever nice you put up there could end up the exact same way.