My Tiny Garage

[DrJaymez]

Well, I'm trying to do the best I can with my 15' x 22' garage.

I'm an around the house project guy and I like to work on my own bikes (pedal variety). I do a lot of hobby computer work too.

North Wall:

South Wall:

Issues:
1. Storage - This is a small house, without a full basement. So there is a decent hunk of garage space taken up by 2x4s and bins with household stuff, and there isn't much I can do about it.

2. Electricity - There is none. There is an outlet on the W side, behind some bins, likely on the same bank as my dining room. This feeds the opener via extension cord. The single overhead light bulb is fed via a switch from behind the door. Same circuit as the dining room I think.

3. The south wall has a cinder block lip about 3.5 in square down at the floor that pushes everything on that wall further out into the garage.

iPad sketch of South Wall:

Current Plans:
1. Installing adjustable floor to ceiling shelves for garage related stuff on the South wall.
2. Installing a generator plug there (where the generator will roll under these shelves). An electrician is going to do that for me with a transfer switch at the panel.
3. Get rid of the tall bookcase and the blue dresser
4. Tall cabinet becomes temporary workbench
5. Get tool box. I'm excited about this. I've always used a combo 5 gallon bucket organizer and plastic portable toolbox. I've only really got room for a 30 inch.
6. Outlets. Where? How Many? Electrician to install? Seems these, at minimum
7. Lights. Where? How Many? I'm thinking 2 4ft 2 bulb T8 fixtures for the ceiling. Under cabinet fluorescents under the built in shelf over the workbench area.
8. 2 shelves on the north wall. One up high ~7.5 feet. One at ~6ft. Tall one runs whole length of wall to pegboard. Shorter one only runs between the two banks of pegboard.
9. Over door storage. Shelf over the door. Additional storage between the door supports and the ceiling?

Any and all input is appreciated. I will try to update with pics as I go.

 

[Boilerdogg]

I would definately add circuits, if your panel has the space. As an alternative, you may be able to do an on-the-wall extension off the existing outlet. Depending on what else shares the circuit that the outlet is on. In any case, consult a licensed electrition.

As for the 3.5" lip along the wall, you can shorten the back legs of the bench to fit close to the wall.

You can put the ladders & long stock on hooks / hanging shelves above the o/h door:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61616

Can some of that household stuff go into a yard shed or off-site rented storage?

Looking forward to seeing this progress. Good luck & work safe!

 

[Boilerdogg]

Well, I replied to this a few days ago and when I hit "Post quick reply", a message popped up saying a mod would have to approve it first; I guess it got deleted as it never showed up. I had included a link to another thread on here about storage above an overhead door--maybe the link triggered the message?
Anywho, you can find it by doing a search.

As for the electrical I would get advice from the (presumably) licensed electrician when they do the generator plug. My thinking is you will need to run some new circuits for outlets and lights.

Your space is limited but your plan looks do-able! Can some of the household stuff go in a yard shed or off-site rented storage?

 

[HOTFR8]

Took some time to find it and approve it. Must have been the link you added that needed the post to be approved.

 

[DrJaymez]

Thanks for the thoughts.

For the little ridge my present thought was to build a small platform for the toolbox so that it can be all the way back against the wall (once I acquire said toolbox). For my cabinet, I might be able to cut out the back edge to fit over the lip.

Long term, my plan is to replace the cabinets with a pair of 36" tall 30" wide cabinets with space in between them for a stool to have a 7 foot bench. When I build the top for THAT I can just have it overhang to the back wall. Alternatively, I could build a base for the cabinets so that they could sit against the back wall. This would get me 3.5" of floor space back in the garage, which frankly, I could use.

Then, with the approximately 4 feet to the right, I can build a workbench on heavy castors that overhangs back to the wall and has a working surface even with the top of my bench. I can use that to set a portable table saw or whatever on. The space under could be additional storage.

The electrical is it's own issue, and I have a thread going over in that subforum trying to sort it out. http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=177765

The household stuff is stuck for now. I plan to go through it and get rid of some of it to reclaim some of that space, but those shelves are sorely needed in this small house with lack of usable storage.

I'm thinking about how to construct my over-garage-door storage. I think I would like half to be for scrap lumber, which is a PITA to store, and half for other stuff. Like extra chairs.

 

[John in OH]

I'm not clear as to whether or not you want to be able to park a car in the garage so perhaps you can clarify that.

Outlets - get the electrician to install them when he does the generator plug. Get lots of plugs!! Maybe concentrate several additional plugs in the area of your bench. Add an outlet on the ceiling for the door opener.

Lights - Install two of the 8' long, 4 bulb T8 light fixtures (4 bulbs per fixture in a 2x2 pattern). These fixtures are only about $50 each. Get the electrician to install them with his other work.

Somewhere here on GJ there are several examples of guys that used floor to ceiling pallet racks (heavy duty steel shelving) for their storage. You could cover an entire wall with this type of shelving. They left one section open and installed their bench under the shelving with their tool box/es below the bench. Light installed on underside of pallet rack shelf above bench. Installed pegboard on wall behind bench. Made for a nice looking and very compact job. Sorry I don't have the link handy.

 

[DrJaymez]

I'm not clear as to whether or not you want to be able to park a car in the garage so perhaps you can clarify that.

I need to get a car in there when I'm not working on a project.

Completely agree about the outlets and # of plugs. I think I can put one outlet of 4 plugs them where I plan on having the opening for my stool. Another a little further down that wall where I will have my rollaway bench.

Then on the other wall, the generator plug, a 240 outlet, and another 4plug 120V outlet on it's own 20A circuit.

Lights - Install two of the 8' long, 4 bulb T8 light fixtures (4 bulbs per fixture in a 2x2 pattern).

I have no idea what to do with lights. What you suggest is twice the light I was thinking about, and I will have task lighting on my workbench (fluorescent under the shelves over the bench). But I'm also not sure where to put the fixtures given the storage I am planning on putting over the garage door. Meaning, I don't want to put a fixture somewhere where it's light will never make it to the lower portion of the garage. Plus I have bikes and whatnot hanging from elsewhere in the ceiling.

That shelving setup sounds pretty slick. I think my bin storing wall shelving is pretty set at this point unless I enclose with cabinets at some point.

 

[John in OH]

Lights - Install two of the 8' long, 4 bulb T8 light fixtures (4 bulbs per fixture in a 2x2 pattern). These fixtures are only about $50 each. Get the electrician to install them with his other work.

Somewhere here on GJ there are several examples of guys that used floor to ceiling pallet racks (heavy duty steel shelving) for their storage. You could cover an entire wall with this type of shelving. They left one section open and installed their bench under the shelving with their tool box/es below the bench. Light installed on underside of pallet rack shelf above bench. Installed pegboard on wall behind bench. Made for a nice looking and very compact job. Sorry I don't have the link handy.

This is the link to one of the pallet rack workbenches that I was referring to above, see post #122.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50406&highlight=pallet+rack+workbench&page=7
Pretty simple to build, compact, and depending on the shelf spacing you could create a ton of storage. If you think the standard pallet racks would be too deep and take up too much of your 15' garage width you could always custom build the shelves, but you can see the general idea.

I don't think you would have too much light with a pair of 8' ceiling fixtures. I hate working in the dark or in dim light and if you are already thinking of a pair of 4' fixtures, then it's only a few bucks more to go to 8' fixtures. If the open overhead door covers part of the lights, so what? On dark, rainy, or cold days you'll have the O/H door closed and then you'll have plenty of light for your bike work.

I used the 8' fixtures in my new shop. See Posting #91 at this thread for pics: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=98038&page=5
I'm happy with the lights but I may actually add a couple more especially over my "teardown/assembly" area and woodworking area.