My first and last garage -- making it a perfect workshop

[The One]

I have what I consider my first and final house so no skimping on the garage/workshop (or house and land for that matter). I want to enjoy everything my entire life. The garage and house are already built and has 2 garage doors, one on the north side the other on the west. It's perfect for 2 cars, my 2 ATVs, a few lawn tools, some small seasonal storage, and workshop. On a nice summer night pulling out the cars and ATVs and opening both doors allows for the perfect cross breeze during a weekend of wrenching.

My wife and I try to have minimal junk and the things we store are only spare parts for my Jeep (waiting to put some on), a few leftovers from building the house and garage (shingles, a few piecing of siding, etc), and a little seasonal decor. I hate when I'm constantly moving stuff to work on something else; if we're not going to use it it's sold/given to somebody who can use it!

Next summer my 3 big projects on the garage will be 1) Better/more lighting 2) Hardlines for air tools 3) Insulation and heating.

I want to do everything right and the best the first time. If I could buy 1 for double the cost new, it saves buying 2 later and I can enjoy the better quality the entire time!

I don't really have any before pictures, but up until recently the garage has been quite full. Now that's all changing!

If I can have a reason why I'm starting this build thread, it's to encourage you guys out there who might have garages you'd like to build into shops but may currently be filled up with junk you don't need or want. And to get lots of advice when I certainly am going to need it.

I have no clue what I'm doing and will learn along the way because that's the way I roll. If you're fine with a bit of chitchat, follow along as I try new things, discuss, and build my first and last garage.

 

[-Brent-]

Sweet! One house, one spouse, that's my motto. Look forward to you thread.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Brent that is a good motto.
The perfect garage, I have never heard of any who claims to have the perfect garage.
Please post pictures as you go. Thanks

 

[Bergy1975]

Keeping my eyes on this one. I will be doing something very similar soon to my 2 car attached.

Sent from my SM-G920R6 using Tapatalk

 

[shortykorte]

What state is this new garage in? Helps with recommendations.

 

[cheechi]

Next summer my 3 big projects on the garage will be 1) Better/more lighting 2) Hardlines for air tools 3) Insulation and heating.

Depending on the details involved, it may be easier, simpler, and more logical to do insulation (assuming walls and rafters) before air lines, if not before any kind of air handling. Photos will help to determine which will be best to do first, for example insulating a ceiling, changing/adding covering, and then adding lighting might be best or you might not be doing anything with the ceiling at all.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

...One house, one spouse, that's my motto...

Yeah, that was my motto too. Unfortunately, it doesnt matter what only one person in the marriage thinks.

 

[ssdave]

if more people tailored their expectations to what they have or can reasonably achieve, there would be a lot less malconents. You're really right about not collecting and storing more than you need and use. Congratulations and good luck finishing it out.

 

[RWorth]

I can see two immediate problems with your theory.
#1 Kids
#2 Your garage is not big enough.

 

[The One]

Sweet! One house, one spouse, that's my motto. Look forward to you thread.

Brent that is a good motto.
The perfect garage, I have never heard of any who claims to have the perfect garage.
Please post pictures as you go. Thanks

I guess it's not so much about being universally perfect, but more about constantly striving for the garage to be perfect for me and my uses.

What state is this new garage in? Helps with recommendations.

Any suggestions you have are super welcome! Northern WI. Soon it's going to be stinking cold up here and garage time will be minimal.

Depending on the details involved, it may be easier, simpler, and more logical to do insulation (assuming walls and rafters) before air lines, if not before any kind of air handling. Photos will help to determine which will be best to do first, for example insulating a ceiling, changing/adding covering, and then adding lighting might be best or you might not be doing anything with the ceiling at all.

You're right! I wasn't thinking when I wrote the ordered list.

I can see two immediate problems with your theory.
#1 Kids
#2 Your garage is not big enough.

Additions are always possible. I've thought about add a 5 foot wide channel onto the back of the garage already to store the toys in and to put a compressor in.

 

[sean Buick 76]

Hi there, sounds great! Please post up a bunch of photos we love pics around here!!

 

[Mustang1167]

I'd recommend making it BIG, BRIGHT and WARM. I've found that I'd rather be a jack of all trades, master of none. That means my shop is always changing for the skill I'm trying to learn and its always a mess.

 

[Homebody]

Almost 24 hours and no pics yet? I'm losing interest already....

 

[larry_g]

The OP reminds me of the old saying," You want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans." I can remember when I had life by the tail, and all the changes that happened through the years.

OP, Live the dream as you only go around once. Just don't cast your plans in stone as life has ways of nudging you in other directions and what was important, to me, is now just a memory. The good life is going with the changes and opportunities offered to you.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Redboy]

Laudable goals, but we need pictures, man! :-D

 

[The One]

Pictures!

Here you can see the overview of the garage. My spare wood on the left, always useful to have a few boards on hand. I've done more fine woodworking in the past than I have recently. Big storage shelves, some unfinshed projects boxed for waiting for next summer sitting upon it and other storage -- much cleaner than at the start of the summer. DS450 up on blocks for the winter. Jeep soft top hanging on hard top hoist. Bikes hanging on hoists. Outlander with plow and tracks, I'm wiring up lights right now so it's a bit torn apart. Wooden work bench behind it. Tool box. Metal work table. Shelves all the way on the right with junk and stuff listed on for sale on it (hoping to get rid of that shelving unit by the spring). The small grey wooden table in the middle is going too once I sort everything that's on top of it.

Here's my junk yard off to the side, I've got to bring a load to the dump before winter hits (don't worry, the oil isn't going). Lawn mower is a piece of junk that came with the house and can't start after 2 uses, I'm not sure it's even worth fixing so I'm looking at a 2 cycle lawn boy here soon before the end of the season.

This is my first year plowing here. I just called my regular guy to cancel! Wish me luck!

 

[The One]

Um, how do I scale pictures? Do I need to upload them smaller?

 

[The One]

I'd recommend making it BIG, BRIGHT and WARM. I've found that I'd rather be a jack of all trades, master of none. That means my shop is always changing for the skill I'm trying to learn and its always a mess.

I enjoy learning something new too. It never gets old! I've been wanting to learn how to weld recently -- maybe once I get a big welding project together I'll learn!

The OP reminds me of the old saying," You want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans." I can remember when I had life by the tail, and all the changes that happened through the years.

OP, Live the dream as you only go around once. Just don't cast your plans in stone as life has ways of nudging you in other directions and what was important, to me, is now just a memory. The good life is going with the changes and opportunities offered to you.

lg
no neat sig line

Thanks for the advice man. I always say let the cards fall as they may, but try and stack your hand when you can.

 

[rburke65]

Ya know what they say about plans.....life happens. But ya got to start somewhere. We need pictures. Good luck.

 

[jimgood]

Um, how do I scale pictures? Do I need to upload them smaller?

Edit: BTW, it looks like you "scaled" your pics just fine. They're just all different sizes.

If you have Windows, maybe my process will work for you.

1. I save my pictures from my camera to a folder on my computer.
2. I open each picture in MS Paint and ensure it is in the correct orientation. I have Windows 7 and that version of Paint doesn't automatically try to reorient my pictures. If they open in Paint upside down or sideways, they'll appear that way online too. So if they are, I use the Rotate tool (in the tool bar at the top) to rotate the image until it's correct. Then I save it.
3. Paint opens images in their true size. It's not like other ****** programs that try to do the thinking for you and alter the size to fit their ****** viewing area. If the picture is huge, it will be huge in Paint. I alter the size. No one likes to view a picture online that is larger than the screen. That's just ******* annoying; like you're trying to show off how big your monitor is. Resize it so it's reasonable. Use the Resize tool with the Percentage option so you don't screw up the aspect ratio. Just enter a value in the Horizontal field and it will automatically carry over into the Vertical. I typically use 25% but my camera creates huge images. Pic a value that works for you. SAVE IT!
4. Now upload it to an Album in your GJ profile. Attachments are fine but referencing a pic from your Album is cleaner. If you need instructions for that, I can provide that too.

 

[zmotorsports]

I like your theory as it resembles my own, both 27 years ago when my wife and I got married as well as now. Keep in mind though that life happens when you are busy making plans. However, having a plan is much better than winging it as far as I am concerned.

My wife and I bought our first home back in 1991 and built my then "dream shop" in 1995. I built it using the best materials and practices I knew with the intent that it would stand the test of time and we would be in our home for the remainder of our life. Now nearly 26 years later we are looking to move and build my new "dream shop". I am sure however, that our home will make a young family a great new to them home with a lot of upgrades and a kick *** shop in the backyard. but for us it is time to move on to the next chapter in our life.

We have never sacrificed quality for quantity and have always purchased quality in everything, from home, vehicles, toys, tools etc. We may not have a lot but what we have is quality so I applaud you for having that philosophy right from the start, stick to it because sometimes it is easy to slip and before you know it your buying **** from Harbor Freight on a daily basis and can't figure out why you are having to buy things more than once.

Enjoy your wife, home, garage/shop and toys now but don't necessarily think you will never move. I had this false sense of thinking as well but sometimes things happen around you that change your mind for you or force you to make alterations to your plans. Keep yourself in a good place financially so when/if life throws you a curve ball you at least have options.

Lastly, keep the pictures coming.

Mike.

 

[The One]

but don't necessarily think you will never move. I had this false sense of thinking as well but sometimes things happen around you that change your mind for you or force you to make alterations to your plans. Keep yourself in a good place financially so when/if life throws you a curve ball you at least have options.

Thanks for the encouragement Mike. Worst case that I could see is having and wanting to move for is if times change and condos get built up and we're no longer a homestead in the woods but rather become a stubborn old couple in a hold out.

I guess this is more about not wanting for something else or doing something poorly because "it'll only be a few years", and if we ever do, hopefully like you said, being in a good place financially to do that leap.

I need land, I need space.

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

I live by the motto-

"A garage is ALWAYS a work in progress"

 

[larry_g]

I need land, I need space.

Here again be careful what you ask for, you may get it! Land and space is expensive and keeping it up can consume you. I would suggest that at your age you set a 5 year plan with your wife. Make it real, not dreams and 'if we had the money'. Now balance that with your budget and set the priorities. Both of you have to be in on this so you can support each other.

Beyond the 5 years put together a wish list. Hang it on the fridge or bulletin board so it is active. Add to and cross off as needed. I had a Corvette on the list and my wife had a trip to Ireland. Now the trip to Ireland would never have crossed my mind but I was able to make it happen for us. So the list can be a form of communication. That list some years had shoes on it when money was tight. The vette happened also.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[kbs2244]

I like the make God laugh post.
Nothing is forever.
Keep everything flexible.

 

[bdbecker]

...I want to do everything right and the best the first time...

I would caution you to not be obsessed with trying to achieve perfection the first time around. It will not happen. I got caught up in this type of thinking and it stagnated all progress for the first few years I had my garage. Do the best you can with the resources you have available and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Remember, a solid gold toilet is still just a toilet.

 

[-Brent-]

I would caution you to not be obsessed with trying to achieve perfection the first time around. It will not happen. I got caught up in this type of thinking and it stagnated all progress for the first few years I had my garage. Do the best you can with the resources you have available and don't be afraid to make mistakes. Remember, a solid gold toilet is still just a toilet.

And... it's going to cost A LOT. Best advice mentioned so far is to have a plan.

 

[The One]

Because you guys seem to like pictures more than garages, I took pictures of my garage! Haha!


Here's just another angle of my garage. Wifey helped me take pictures of some of the stuff we don't need (solid wood door anyone?).
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Here's one of my last dumping grounds. I'm hoping to get a lot of this into organizers before winter. My hands are getting cold though so we'll see how far I get. I might just have to put it against the back wall for the winter. Then getting rid of this table as it's just too low. Very solid table though.
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I got a new "water spout" in since I cracked the hard gas spout.
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Spoiler Alert! I cleared a spot for the new mower! ...Coming soon...!
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Thanks for the life input guys, it's more than you typically get from a group of guys. It makes me wish we could wrench together. You'll be happy to know that the wife and I have a goals list and budgets set!

 

[zmotorsports]

Because you guys seem to like pictures OF garages, I took pictures of my garage! Haha!

There, fixed if for ya.

Mike.

 

[lakeroadster]

Um, how do I scale pictures? Do I need to upload them smaller?

The bigger the better... don't scale them down.

 

[The One]

The latest purchase - a 2-stroke Gold Series Lawn Boy! Running true with below the deck exhaust. Although late in the season, luckily I was able to get the grass cut before snow comes. Bagging the lawn took forever but hopefully will help the grass come back in stronger over the next year.
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Next year I will be building a sortimo style rack for the organizers.
View media item 64949
The summer toys all stored away for the winter.
View media item 64950

 

[cdestuck]

If you're in the need for a good workbench top, solid wood doors work great.

 

[cheechi]

ooh the gold series. Jealous. Lawn Boys remind me of being a kid.

 

[The One]

ooh the gold series. Jealous. Lawn Boys remind me of being a kid.

I'm keeping an eye out for Lawn Boy oil in the cans. It's supposed to smell better.

 

[The One]

I'm seriously looking into heating the garage now for a next summer project. It's going to be a multistep process.

At first glance I'm looking at running NG and a spare conduit from the house, rewiring the garage lights and adding more also wiring in a 3 way switch for the outdoor lights with the house, adding 220v lines above where I'd place a 2 post lift and a few on the walls for welding, wiring in future wiring for a 6 foot wide leanto off the back. Framing in a door to the lean to. We've been thinking about upgrading the windows in the house to reduce condensation buildup so we might take several of those out and frame them into the garage they'd also be large enough to run a window unit air conditioner several weeks of the year. Insulation will be blown in after electrical and framing. Heater will be mounted flush with the ceiling. Looking at using white sheet metal for the ceiling and walls. Need to figure out the best way to run a dehumidifier. Bendpak 2 post lift a year or two from now, one without ground strip would be installed in the left most parking space (over by the shelves), it would pay for itself after 100 oil changes or so (hard to do on the wifes car without a lift).

Well, that's just of dump of what I've been thinking about, I'd love to hear suggestions or things to consider if you guys have any.