Setting up new garage. Best things you've done

[Zevo]

I'm getting ready to move into my new house with my new much larger garage. I'm going from a 3 car to an attached 3 car with a separate 2.5 car that is at the end of my driveway. The garages are only about 15 feet from each other. My last garage was never big enough and always disorganized. I'm wanting to make this one nice and organized. I don't build cars or do much auto maintenance. It's more car storage and detailing of my cars. I'm thinking shelves and cabinets for junk. Let me know what kind of stuff you've purchased or done that you've really liked.

 

[rcktsled]

First things first: proper LED lighting.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Where are you located? Will you need heating and/or air conditioning? Will you have non-car stuff to deal with, like lawn mowers or yard tools, storage of Christmas ornaments, etc.?

 

[rockcrawler]

Mini-Split (ac/heat).

 

[ericm]

Don't put off things like paint, drywall, insulation, replacing the existing cabinets until "later". Once you have moved in and populated it with vehicles and stuff it will be a lot harder.

 

[Skellyii]

Paint
Extra outlets -on new circuits
LED Lighting
Mini-split
Floor coating
Sink
Good solid workbench
Overhead storage

 

[Fred w B 01]

Garden shed for garden tools

 

[u2slow]

Build shelving to the height and depth you need. Most consumer shelving doesn't go tall enough, or have a realistic load capacity.

Electrical panel on the wall surface is a huge benefit. That way circuits and lighting can be tailored to the space (and installed later) instead of compromising your layout to fit with where and how all the electrical was placed.

 

[drmarkr]

Do your floor coating asap. After you move a crapload of stuff in, it's pretty hard to talk yourself into moving it all out, just to do the coating.

 

[Zevo]

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm in Oklahoma so winters aren't too bad, but it's hot in the summer. The garage is insulated, so adding a mini split may be nice idea. It has pretty good Led shop lights, and there are wall plugs about every 6 to 8 feet. The walls are bright white which lightens the space up. I'm trying to decide the best way to use the attic storage in the detached garage. I'm thinking probably pull down stairs and maybe one of those attic lifts instead of adding stairs. I'm still not sure about that though.

 

[Zevo]

I'd like to do a floor coating, but every time I read about it, I start to worry about lifting etc. I love the look of bright white floors

 

[Rst277]

I'd like to do a floor coating, but every time I read about it, I start to worry about lifting etc. I love the look of bright white floors

Do the floor coating, paint, epoxy whatever or it's always dusty. Like others have said, once the shop is full of stuff, you'll never do it and regret it like me.

 

[no704]

If you’re running new outlets place >48” off the floor. Then you can lean sheet goods on the wall and still access the outlet.

 

[462867aa]

I'm in oklahoma too. Do that mini split!!!!

 

[Junkdrawer Dog]

Good lights. Good heat. Good refrigerator. All the rest is mere details.

 

[engineer2]

john sterling dual track shelving

 

[The Metric System]

First thing to do in a new garage is to place a few fire extinguishers.
The second thing is good lights.
The third thing is a work surface with a vise. It can be a Craigslist table with a Harbor Freight cheapie bolted to it, whatever.

Now you have a place to work and hold stuff, you can see what you're doing, and you're not going to burn the place down. At this point you're ready to move on to the rest of it.

 

[HotRod68Camaro]

If i had an attached AND detached garage, I would make the attached for parking and recreational stuff (bicycles etc) and the detached for work/fab/maintenance.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Insulation.... the more the better, it's an investment.

 

[dudley123]

LED Lighting, go overboard.. Better to have more light than not enough.. Floor coating? (once you move stuff in you're never going to do it) Mini split but that can be done post-move.

Before I moved anything into my new 2k sqft space, I did Paint, Lighting, Flooring and NewAge Pro Cabinets in that order before moving a single thing inside. I just know once you move stuff in, it ain't ever going to happen. Also plan for power/compressor/lift drops

 

[niget2002]

Extra lights and extra outlets.

 

[Skyman]

Epoxy/polyaspartic floor before you move ANYTHING in, without a doubt. I am so glad I did it.

 

[Zevo]

I’d like do a floor coating, but I’m worried about being done correctly. I’d rather have clean concrete than chipped coating. I don’t know who is good in OKC.

 

[Skyman]

I'm sure if you ask around, check references, etc, you can find a reputable contractor to do your floor. Consider asking local car dealers who has done theirs, and whether they'd recommend that contractor.

 

[Prospecter]

The best thing I did was stop over thinking, and just go for it. Once I started doing stuff, I learned what worked and what did not. If it did not work, I changed it. 25 years passed quickly, The world has changes. Our vehicles changed. Our projects changed. So naturally the shop changed, too. I am happier when I don't spend a ton of money, and feel better if I later change my mind, or upgrades. Lots of used tools, discounted cabinets, and so on.

Use screws. Stuff is easier to take apart and repurpose.

Personally, I like a shop I don't need to fuss over, or worry about spilling. I do like it at 60 in the winter, and 70 in the summer. And I like lots of light.

 

[BruceMc]

Two simple lighting additions have proved their worth - emergency lighting and a motion sensor floodlight. Being plunged into pitch black darkness in the shop during a power outage is no fun. Having a motion sensor light means not having to turn on a full bank of overhead lights when you run into the garage for a couple of seconds to grab something (think your typical outdoor floodlight). They also beat the heck out of the usual garage door opener light when parking at night.

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=emergency%20lights

 

[1/4atatime]

As everyone else has said lights lights and lights! I put up 96ft 1800w of LEDs not 1800w equivalent leds 1800w of 5000k LEDs and it's glorious! The other thing I did was the floor coating at first I was afraid I'd just be pouring money out. After having tons of mudd and **** tracked in during the rain the past few weeks I had the shop floor looking as clean as the day put it on in about 20 minutes. Another thing that's awesome if you just want to be over the top is a big TV (the one in the picture is 75in) and a sound system. A garage (especially an air-conditioned one) is actually an amazing place to host large gatherings for football games and summer movie nights.

 

[loganb]

To start with...make it 100% bigger then you think you need lol

Other then that...its all "infrastructure"....insulation, heating/cooling, electric, then wall and floor coverings that transform a space from ok to a joy to work in.

Good insulation and good air sealing is key for long term comfort, the mini split is a no brainer in my mind. The best thing ive done so far on my attached 3 car is the mini split.

Wall and floor coatings...paint it before it gets moved into. For floor...cover it with something...even just a clear coat to cut down on the dusting....my biggest regret is not getting floor coated before we moved in.

Then electric, lights etc. Put good lights on good dimmers and it'll be impossible to have too many fixtures.

 

[HotRod68Camaro]

Two simple lighting additions have proved their worth - emergency lighting and a motion sensor floodlight. Being plunged into pitch black darkness in the shop during a power outage is no fun.

https://www.lowes.com/search?searchTerm=emergency%20lights

That is a brilliant idea, wish I had thought of that during buildout.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Not really an orginisation thing, but a nice quiet compressor.

 

[johnre]

Since you said this would be about car storage and detailing, and you wanted to avoid disorganization:

1. Running cold and hot water.
2. Wall mounted garage vacuum with a hose length that can reach the far extremes of the garage - like this one.
3. Air compressor out of the way in a closet, and a permanent shop air distribution system with a rewindable hose reel.
4. Electric power cord rewindable reel.
5. A shallow benchtop that sits near the front end of the vehicles.
6. Lots of storage cabinets with doors that close. The mantra here should be "nothing sits on the floor permanently and nothing put away is seen".

 

[FC Matt]

Garage storage and work benches.

 

[ltusler]

Everything you can, put on wheels.

 

[BetterDays]

I’d like do a floor coating, but I’m worried about being done correctly. I’d rather have clean concrete than chipped coating. I don’t know who is good in OKC.

Why not RaceDeck or similar?