Just Getting Started in New Garage -

[7racecar7]

Hello,

Im starting to setup my garage, just moved into the location and looking for advice on a few thing. Im starting to get my tools and storage together but wanted to ask about the walls, I have some photos to give you an idea what they look like. Question is, should I finish them? Plywood? other wood? Sheetrock. If so should I put more insulation in?

I just got the heater in the photo..works well but I also have an access hole in the roof from what looked to be a burner....I could setup in the future...

Then onto the work bench. I would like to build my own system but curious on the basics...type of wood, 2X4s? and plywood? how high of a bench, if I should put it along the back wall or a side wall.

Just looking for ideas and what worked and what didn't and what people wish they did differently or did great.




Thank you

 

[atvmech]

Nice dirt burner..brings back memories..

For the walls its your preference what to use, in your place there I would go with OSB...thats what is in my shop right now....in fact the keyboard im typing on right now is sitting on this OSB countertop cover at the parts store! HAHA!

Isulation, i would roll some batts myself.. but even more important than the walls, is the ceiling, thats alot of room up there for heat to hang out in before escaping

Workbench...I prefer metal 4" square legs and 2" square frame..with whatever top you want, last one i built had 2 layers of the thickest plywood I could find at HDepot, I like it solid! Thats if you want a WORK bench

In my new shop I will have a workbench and then a counter top...workbench for metal working and dirty nasty jobs and the counter top for rebuilding carburetors and electrical work...more precision jobs. and if I were you my bench would be on the wall behind the dirt burner and in front of the fiero...if there is room. If you did it on the other wall it would be too inconvenient i think.

 

[Red Green]

I assume your in Penn or farther northeast (358 sportsman Mod right?). I would recommend more insulation it will help reduce your heating and cooling bills. I used interior steel panels for my ceiling. If money was not an issue I would have used 3/8 plywood for the walls. I used wood paneling painted white that I removed from old mobile homes.

For the work bench I would recommend a steel bench that way you can do any welding or fabrication for the race car. As far as height I would recommend about 6" below your belly button.

 

[BurnoutX]

while i cannot comment on the insulation, i have a photo of the workbench i made for my garage, due to the space available, it was the only route i could go.

really old photo....

it was basically 2 4x4 were cut for all 4 legs. 4 2x4, one sheet of 1/4" ply, one sheet of MDF. total cost was about $50.

in retrospect, i probably would have not done the middle shelf...but for storage, its convenient to have it.

 

[sparky1562]

I used plywood on my walls. I can mount hangers, cabinets, etc anywhere I want. Mine was stick frame for the front and sides, back was slush filled concrete (retaining wall) so I used batt insulation in the walls. I used foam on the underside of the roof as I had some sissor trusses and could really insulate them another way (I don't yet have ceiling, but figured it could wait since I foamed it). Looks like you have some higher trusses that might be difficult to effectively insulated with batts or with blow in if you put a ceiling in.

Looks like you could add some batt on the walls, fur it out some and cove it with plywood or drywall.

I built the "Norm Abrams" work bench and really like it. Used 1/4" hardboard on the top that can be replaced after it wears.

I have a bullete heater like that as well for now, but want to but in a split system at some point.

 

[jjkrjh]

We framed in between my poles (16" on center, some less). I was able to use regular insulation. Alot would depend on if your sealed op at the floor. OSB is being put up on the walls now. I also plan on OSB on the ceiling. My trusses are 2' on center (OSB,shingle roof) Yours appear to be 3'-4' on center. You might try using metal siding on the ceiling.

 

[IHI]

I had a post in another thread, we just got done doing a pole building bay for a client just like yours...there are a few ways to do it, just depends on budget and ambetion.

Quick and easy way for the walls: install purlins across the face of the posts, just like they did on the outside to screw the steel too. Call and price out having an insulation company come in and insulate this for you, they will staple a cloth like material over the face of the walls and cover it from floor to ceiling, then they will blow in loose fiberglass, but it packs tight and makes a huge difference. I know most here will baulk at actually calling a professional to insulate this, but once you break it down sqft wise, YOU cannot do it for the price they will charge, in my area materials cost me more than just subbing it out-seriously.

BUT if you insist on doing it yourself, and you dont want to do it like the pro's, you can do what's called "bookshelving" where you will install 2x? (4's or 6's depending on post thickness left over) horizontally either 16" or 24" o.c. floor to ceiling. Then you can install regular roll insulation into these book shelf cavities.

REGARDLESS you'll have to install horizontal purlins, weather you face nail them to the face of the posts or build them so they come out flush with the post face is upto you, so furring material is a given. The insulation is where most of the cost is going to come into play. Wall covering, OSB is cheap and when painted white looks just fine, is durable, and nice to screw stuff to the walls. Downfall is if you ever want to run new circuits it's a PITA to work with, if you miss cut outlet boxes, out comes a new sheet.

This bay below, HO wanted to save as much space as possible, so we made the purlins flush with post face (he honestly wanted to save the 5" total) insulation crew stapled the cloth over the entire wall surface and blew in fiberglass. He's heating this thing right now with single digit to 20*F temps with just radiating heat through a walk in door from his other shop, and we're out there in T shirts.

these sidewalls are what we started with, this pic we were in the middle of doing the ceiling, installing purlins and hanging steel:

This is how we furred it out, had to cut 4" blocking that got nailed to each post for each purlin and then the actual purlins got inset between the posts themselves.

this is how it looked prior to furring:

This is after furring:

then final product

This guy uses this bay to work on his dump trucks, excavtors, end loaders, and he also paints big trucks for companies too in here, so he wanted soemthing quick, durable, and easy to clean/maintain...does'nt get any easier than steel, and cost wise once you figure in prep, installation, paint, etc...steel is pretty cost comparible.

Keeping the bench just below belly button level is a good comparison. I like to frame ours out of 2x6 or 2x8 lumber depending on intended usage 16" o.c., i will use 4x6 or 6x6 legs with the outside rim joist cut into the post/notched into the post. same with the ledger board along the wall, i will layout and notch out studs to inset bench ledger board so it has complete support for about anything you can set on it. Me personally, when budgets allow, i like to use 2 layers of 3/4" CDX plywood for the top, and then have some 10ga steel bend in a Z shape. I'll have a 6" backsplash then 90* bend to cover bench top, and then a 90* bend and a 2" return down towards floor. The steel holds up forever, easy to keep clean, does'nt get beat to chit, and makes for a nice welding table. You can weld a piece of angle iron on one end for a welder ground point, then you just set whatever piece your welding on the bench and it's ground through contact...very nice and frees up hands.

 

[7racecar7]

This site is great..!!!

Sounds Like OSB

Some Batts could work out, question is in one of my photos there is a shot of the wall with a silver backing, Is that some sort of insulation? I assume its the basic level if it is. Also if I were to use Batts what R rating would you suggest.

Agree the Ceiling takes up the most heat and it looks to be the biggest project to finish up...still not sure on that one...but the purlins and hanging steel sounds like a good option, I will have to do more research but your information is very helpful.

Also Norm Abram design...did you buy a book that had plans in it? or get them off the internet somewhere, Ive looked up some stuff seems like he does great work.

Yes 358 in NJ, just starting out with that too...

Finally when it comes time to but the wood products would home depot or lowes do just fine or should i seek out a lumber yard?

Thank you,


Erik

 

[sam 8]

I'll throw in my 2 cents worth.
I am finishing up a 24x30 addition to an exisiting 20x30 shop.
I pondered for awhile, and had the thing stuffed with as much insulation as we could fit in between the 2x6 studs, and the same for the scissor trusses.
It gets chilly here in the north foothills of the Sierras, and I have lots of metal in me which means the space is worthless without heat.
Then, I had a sheetrock guy do the whole thing in 5/8 firerock.
The difference between do-it-with-a-bunch of friends or having it done was really only a few hundred bucks, and they didi it quicker/faster/cleaner, and I didn't wind up in the hospital.
My family helped me paint the whole thing semi-gloss white.
It lights the place up well, another thing I like.
I thought about the need to hang stuff, I can paint a sheet of 3/4 plywood, span the studs, and put up whatever I want.
If heat is important to you, I'd take advantage of that exhaust stack hole and save yer $ to pick up a vented heater. They make the space a heck of a lot nicer. If I get an idea for a project at midnight, and want to paddle out there in my sweats and slippers to see if it will really work, there is nothing like knowing it is gonna be 60 in there when I go through the door.
On the lumber, do some telephone shopping, get some prices, and then go look at the quality of the material at a couple of places.
You'll be amazed at the differences.
As far as workbenches go, well, they seem to be almost as personal as taste in cars.
I can say this.
If you plan to weld, don't build one out of wood. LOL
If you think you'll need to move it, put it on wheels.
Don't write-off building a metal bench due to the cost of steel. Watch the local adds, yard sales, etc.
Look at the steel in some stuff for sale there.
I bought a, "Jettrax", a gismo for winching a PWC into the back of a pickup.
The guy had it for sale for $250 for almost a year, no takers.
It was loaded with 2x2 box steel in 6 ft. lengths, 1/8 by 1" angle, etc.
I paid $75 for it, cut it up and built the entire frame for my welding table out of it for about half the $ of going down to the steel supply store and buying new stock.
Then, I sold the little Warn winch on it to a buddy for his ATV for $25, and recouped some $.

 

[comp1892]

IHI,

Who would be a manufacturer or supplier of the steel material that you used for the interior finishing? I am having a pole barn put up now but will be finishing the interior myself. Considering using the steel for a ceiling with 9.5" of blown in or batt type insulation.

Chris

 

[Red Green]

Comp1892 the steel in the pics looks to be the same as the steel I bought at Menards.

 

[IHI]

Yes, we just get all our steel i use through maynerds, you can get it in ANY length you feel comfortable handling.

ALSO- you can try contacting some of the pole building erecters in your area via yellow pages, the sidewalls are steel from a pole building place, 16' length and are "blems" but we had a 4 of us looking over every panel and could'nt find why they were considered blems, but these blems are what most of the pole building companies use for their interior finishing as i was told. We save about $.80/LF compared to the menards steel.