Tiny *** garage

[sfd524]

I have decided to convert our "family room" back into its intended use, a garage. The previous owners had converted the one car garage into living space. They had a contractor that does half *** work do it, so I had fixed it up when we first moved in. The house was only supposed to be temporary, five years max. Well, that was 6 years ago and it will be at least another 4 before we move to our property in western NY. That being said, I need a little shop to tinker in, to save what is left of my sanity. After talking with a realtor it was decided that reclaiming the garage would not only add to the value but would decrease the time on the market. So....

The garage is going to be 11' x 21', small. But it will be insulated and heated. For now there will be no OHD. It does have a 36" entry door. I have moved the plugs from 18" off the floor and relocated them so that the bottom of the box is 39" off the floor. I need to put two tool boxes in it 1- 44" & 1-28". My wife has suggested that I start to attempt cabinet making in there. I do have a compound miter and a table saw. Also want to put my small compressor in there.


Here are some pictures:

 

[55cadillacking]

Good for you. Personally, I have never liked the idea of converting a garage into living space. It was a very popular movement in the 80's here. I happen to agree completely with your agent. It will only improve your place in the eye of the buyer. Good choice, and good work!

I believe this is the first time I've ever seen a piano and a big tool box in the same room!

 

[sfd524]

Yeah. The piano has to be moved to another part of the house. I called the movers and left a message.

 

[metalhead212121]

I believe this is the first time I've ever seen a piano and a big tool box in the same room!

beat me to saying that!

 

[Jack Olsen]

It's nice to see a room where people tend to sit around staring at a rectangle with other people doing things on it restored to being a room where you can actually do things.

 

[Derrickwade]

Great idea on reclaiming the garage! Keep us updated. I love seeing other single car garages.

 

[bczygan]

Very cool! As a designer, I also love seeing things being what they should be architecturally. My garage is 9x19, so am interested in seeing how you do it in your small space. I will be starting a thread on mine soon too. It will be the "Great Little Garage"

 

[sfriesen]

Best idea for the place IMO. I am glad to see that your wife is on board with the idea of losing an inside space for a shop and even better to see that she is pushing you to pursue something out there.

 

[PCO6]

I think this qualifies for the "Show us your garage dog" thread. Good luck with your rebuild.

 

[kursplat]

garage restorations, gotta love em'

 

[Rothaus]

The dog looks sad, looks like you take away his home.

I think this qualifies for the "Show us your garage dog" thread. Good luck with your rebuild.

 

[sfd524]

Got some sheet rock done and primed. The piano movers are coming Tuesday mid day. I will post some more pictures after that.

I did spend over an hour at the local wood working tool dealer. Amazing what you can get, for a price (ouch)!


And yes, the dog was not exactly happy with me for tearing the only carpet on the first floor.

 

[FryZ]

Good idea on making it a garage again...I live in N. Syracuse and it seems every other house has had the garage converted to living space, or at least has the screened front door to make it into a 3 season room. Mine's 13x20, going to either add on 16x28 off the back or make a drive through w/ a 20x22 in the backyard...the wife is not liking the detached idea because she thinks it will eat up too much yard w/ the pool, shed, decks, etc. plus the d'way to the garage. I just tell her it's less grass for me to mow, lol.

Where in Clay are you?

 

[HSpencer]

I don't like garage conversions to living space as long as they look like garage conversions to living space. Usually the give away is the driveway still going up to where the original garage door was, and the tell tale walk door and one or two windows that scream "I used to be a garage". These are done all over the country, and usually to tract ranch style homes. Some of the worst case are the "Carport conversions to living space".
This is a poor man's home expansion, and I have certainly done it myself in the past. However, you can cut out the driveway and curve it around the house if there is room, and build a detached garage in the back. Then you can raise the floor in the once garage, so your window lines will coincide with the rest of the house. Still, it is hard to hide, and if someone is going to spend all those bucks, they might as well sell out and buy a more appropriate house for themselves.
I think your re-converting your garage is a very sensible thing to do. Get the house back to original and raise it's marketability and value. You are doing the right thing.

 

[marty_p]

I don't like garage conversions to living space as long as they look like garage conversions to living space.

I think your re-converting your garage is a very sensible thing to do. Get the house back to original and raise it's marketability and value. You are doing the right thing.

I can only agree 100%.

How will you work in your two boxes, and what are your other plans for the space?

Congrats on your sanity-saving start!

 

[sfd524]

A quick update:

Got home from work and put up one coat of semi-gloss antique white, not my favorite color, but I got the 5gal pail (unopened) for free. So that is what color I am going with. Having gotten tired of watching the paint dry I went to Home Depot and picked up some "all season" 4' T8 fixtures and a box of bulbs. The bulbs are 32w, 2750 lumens, and color output is 6500. They call them there "daylight" bulbs. I was going to put up three fixtures perpendicular to the long wall. After getting home and looking at the existing wiring I decide to use only two fixtures and install an outlet for a future opener (someday). I have attached a pic of the outlets, one is switched and the other hot all the time. Both are on same circuit for safety of anyone accessing the box later on. The light fixtures where then installed parallel to the long wall, yes any future OHD will block one of them. This was the easiest and most economical way to set up the lights. That and I am not decided on putting in an OHD yet, I may just utilize the space as a wood shop. Either way the light can be moved as needed. So with them hung and powered up I installed the bulbs, flipped the switch, and WOW . That is one well lit shop. I am very glad I did not install the third fixture.

My two fire doors came in Friday and I picked them up. Once the piano is moved I will be installing them. One goes into a half bath and the other will access the kitchen. I had originally planned on just closing in the bathroom door with sheetrock but thought it would be nice to access the half bath directly from the garage. If nothing else it made the wife happy to know I won't be tracking anything through the house .

It's been a long day so I am off to see the sandman! I will post more pictures as this progresses. Thank for all the interest.

 

[sfd524]

I can only agree 100%.

How will you work in your two boxes, and what are your other plans for the space?

Congrats on your sanity-saving start!

I am thinking that the two boxes will go in the back left corner along the long wall. As far as the rest, not sure yet. I am thinking I need to get some graph paper out and put a bit of thought into the layout of my little piece of sanity.

 

[sfd524]

Re: Tiny *** garage/woodshop

Well I have gotten a bit of work accomplished since the last update. The last of the outlets has been relocated higher on the walls, demolished the sheetrock around the windows on the front wall and ordered the new OHD. The OHD will take 3-4 weeks to come in as it is a special order being 8'x7'6". In the mean time I finished priming and painting 2/3 of the shop. Today I spent my time making framework for the work counter, locating the table and mitre saws, placed the compressor, and made a level base for the two tool boxes. The frame work will be topped with 3/4" melamine. The two saws and the future router table will all sit at the same height as the melamine to make for easier material handling.

 

[SpeedinLemon]

Hi Lee -- Looks like you're well on your way to creating a really nice work space. I like the "L" configuration on your miter / table saw setup. What size wood did you use for the frame and what are you planning to finish it out? Shelves underneath?

Nice work!

Chris

 

[sfd524]

Hi Lee -- Looks like you're well on your way to creating a really nice work space. I like the "L" configuration on your miter / table saw setup. What size wood did you use for the frame and what are you planning to finish it out? Shelves underneath?

Nice work!

Chris

The framework is 2x4's ripped in half, assembled with 3" screws. I wondered if it would be sturdy enough and after assembly I can say it certainly is. I am planning on putting shelving below and then facing it with doors to keep out airborne dust. The facing and doors will be my first project for the new shop. Thank you for the interest.

 

[HSpencer]

Great Progress, looking good. You are going to have the same problem I have:

Saw Dust Flyin' and Tool Boxes Open. I really love to woodwork but I hate the mess it makes in a nice clean garage. I finally put my woodwork tools on casters, and roll them outside. Routers are the worst!!!!

 

[sfd524]

Great Progress, looking good. You are going to have the same problem I have:

Saw Dust Flyin' and Tool Boxes Open. I really love to woodwork but I hate the mess it makes in a nice clean garage. I finally put my woodwork tools on casters, and roll them outside. Routers are the worst!!!!

Thank you sir. I hate the dust as well, it gets every where. I am planning on putting in a small dust collector. That or I may just use my shop vac as a collector and then put in an air cleaner, will have to see how the budget holds up.

I got a kick out of your avatar!

 

[sfd524]

Been over a month since I have posted any updates. Since the last pictures I put on a melamine top, built cabinet boxes for storage, faced the fronts with pine, and built the router "wing" of the bench. The router table was a change from the original plan. I was hoping to get a Kreg table, very nice but very expensive. So, I found this Bosch table at Lowes. It does a good job for 1/3 the money of the Kreg. The router "wing" still needs to be faced, that has to wait. In order to make the hook up to the dust collection system I can't finish off that part of the work station. Once I get the DC system parts to complete it I will get more supplies to finish off the router "wing". Also built a clamp rack. Hope you like the pictures, they are just cell phone quality, sorry.

 

[HSpencer]

I really like your thinking on your woodworking layout. It gets pretty hard to set up all those tools in a manner that they are all usable without some movement, but I think you have solved that in your design. The key you have done is to still be able to move them if necessary and you got that one nailed. Good job on design and build. I like the clamp rack as well. I almost bought one of those router tables off Amazon myself. Let me know how you like it.

 

[Thruxton]

It is definitely hard to combine woodworking and mechanical/metalwork in the same shop because of the dust problem. My compromise is to try to have 2 zones in the shop, a big-a$$ dust collector (relatively speaking) and a recirculating air filter (hung from the ceiling- pics of this stuff on my thread). I got the recirculating filter because my previous shop was even smaller and shared space with a NG furnace that used shop air for combustion. Not good. But that thing works great- when I have it on the shop air is cleaner than the house air (not saying much) so I highly recommend it. But all this is a compromise, not a solution, so I have to keep after everything to keep it clean. Same thing tho is true in a purely woodworking shop - let dust collect on your jointer /saw/drill press whatever table and you will have rust problems, just have to be attentive to cleanup.

Great Progress, looking good. You are going to have the same problem I have:

Saw Dust Flyin' and Tool Boxes Open. I really love to woodwork but I hate the mess it makes in a nice clean garage. I finally put my woodwork tools on casters, and roll them outside. Routers are the worst!!!!

Thank you sir. I hate the dust as well, it gets every where. I am planning on putting in a small dust collector. That or I may just use my shop vac as a collector and then put in an air cleaner, will have to see how the budget holds up.

I got a kick out of your avatar!

 

[SpeedinLemon]

Hi Lee -- Looks like great progress. You did a good job laying out your work station. It looks like it will be easy to clean with all the melamine surfaces. Nice work on the clamp rack too! Keep us updated on the DC project. I keep going back and forth on a DC system, or keeping stuff on wheels and moving outside for sanding and routing. With weather like we're having now, I definitely lean towards the DC! Keep up the good work and keep us posted.