Wall off the third car garage...need ideas

[junebug327]

I have a three car garage, the third car stall is a dedicated workshop. I am considering walling the space off, but would also like to be able to partiallly or completely open occasionally if needed for flexibility. Primary reason for walling off is dust containment and heating and cooling the shop. I have thought of a few ideas, pocket doors, barn doors, detachable walls...any other thoughts.

 

[Matt M PA]

We spec'd a job for a client that used Goff's Curtain Walls. They're a vinyl, blue from the floor to about waist high...then clear. They use them in body shops, etc...but I'm not sure how effective they'd be holding heat in. They just roll like hospital curtains on track.

 

[junebug327]

I have looked at a few of those, but i think you are right and might lack on the insulation value. May be worth a shot. I am also looking at a vinyl accordian option hybrid with a partial fixed wall. Being kinda cheap, i would rather build something and make it work, rather than buy anything. thanks for the post

 

[bczygan]

If I was doing it for myself I would go at it like this.
First make a list of needs and desires:

Insulation
Dust control
Movable
Able to open entire space
Store-able
Lightweight

Based on the above I would design a system of panels that were insulated and had the ability to be rolled around, attached together and sealed to the ceiling, floor and walls.
If I didn't mind them being soft sided I might use big sheets of foam with either thin coverings on the surfaces like vinyl, or no covering at all.
If I wanted surfaces that would take abuse I would consider SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels) that are foam cores with OSB surfaces.
Thicker panels would provide more insulation value and have the added value of wider and more stable panels. Placing them in a slightly zig zag pattern will also make them more stable.
Either way I would glue on wood base plates and top plates with openings in them for semi recessed rollers on the bottom and guide rollers or rails on the top.
If the panels were light I would think about suspending them from above.
If heavier I would think about rolling them on the floor and securing them to the ceiling with some kind of spring mechanism. This might be the best solution as they could be moved around and reconfigured at will.
The sealing gaskets at the ceiling would be the most important for limiting heat loss, but gaskets or flaps hanging down at the floor would also be needed for dust control.
Connecting panel to panel could be done with some kind of vertical flexible spline and bungee cords on each side to hold them together. This would also allow them to be placed in a zig zag pattern. An alternative could be a triangular brace that would provide lateral support at the floor.
An insulated HM man door could be installed in one panel for access through the wall.
For storage, all the panels could be disconnected and rolled to a storage location. An outrigger like the triangular brace described above could have a roller on the bottom of it to allow panels to be moved more easily.

 

[djjsr]

I needed an opening big enough to drive a car through. I built these very light doors out of 1 1/2" foamboard with a wood frame and 1/4" plywood skins. Each door is 3' x 8'. Side doors are hinged and the center door is located on steel pins and lifts out.

(my camera makes them look crooked)

View media item 5473

 

[junebug327]

Nice work djjsr! I think something like what you have is what i need. Did you do 2x4 for the door frames? Also how did you do your stell pin system. I was thinking, i could mount them in the concrete and some sort of bolt system to the header.

 

[djjsr]

The framework doesn't have to be that heavy because the plywood glued to the foamboard makes a very rigid structure. On the side doors I used 2x2 only on the hinge edges, the other 3 edges are 1x2. I put a block cut from a 2x6 in the area where the door knobs are.

The center panel doesn't have hinges so it is framed with 1x2 only. I put a couple of 1/4" diameter pins in the top that locate in holes in the upper frame. The bottom sits on a 1/2" thick oak sill on the floor and is held in place with latches.

If you're interested, I'll take a couple more pictures.

 

[larry_g]

If you look at post 29 in my build thread below you will see my solution to your problem. The false wall just covers a opening in the wall that requires the removal of screws to open up. I don't see it being used to often as I'm not trading equipment as often as I used to.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[dittle fart around]

If you don't mind the idea of doors stacking up on one end of the garage, consider 3 light weight panels on 3 tracks. As you pull them closed a lip would catch the next door. Another way to go with one overhead track is hinge panels like an accordion door. We had these for conference rooms at work. Close them, little conference, open them big conference.

 

[kbs2244]

The most flexible ones I have seen were fabric.
The problem I saw was about sparks and possible fire.

One was just an old carpet.
Kind of like a heavy duty shower curtain.
A bit stiff though.

The one I liked was made of those heavy moving company padded quilts.
Thick enough to insulate but flexible enough to fold up against the wall.

 

[Conn'swhiterose]

If you don't mind the idea of doors stacking up on one end of the garage, consider 3 light weight panels on 3 tracks. As you pull them closed a lip would catch the next door. Another way to go with one overhead track is hinge panels like an accordion door. We had these for conference rooms at work. Close them, little conference, open them big conference.

Exactly what I was thinking! Large aircraft hangar doors work in this fashion only motorized and stack together neatly on one end when fully open...

 

[sledzz]

I had the same delima, didnt want to heat the whole shop so I ended up putting up a regular insulated wall wth doors similar to djjsr's. Heat loss made my decision because I spend most of my time out there in the Fall/winter and spring time and I could not come up with a good plan that wasn't bulky, insulated etc.
I heat it everyonce in a while by opening the doors and blowing heated air in with my big fan.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

For years I used to wall off the back third of my shop using about 10 of the pink foam insulation boards. There were tall enough (8', I think) that i simply used drywall screws to attach them at the top to a header. Being tongue and groove, i could then interlock the next panel, screw it into place, and so on. I had a special panel that i had hinged to serve as an entry door.

I'd put these panels up around Thanksgiving and take them down in April so i could heat only that area where I had my workshop. I should probably have been more concerned about fire danger, but i wasn't working with open flames near them.

Now i heat the shop so seldom i question the need for much insulating value. I think if you only want to contain heat for short working periods, a decent curtain will do the job.

 

[78Bird]

Moving blankets made into a curtain would be easy, cheap and would remove the easiest.

insulate fairly well too. Just design it to really stop air movement and it'll really slow heat movement.

 

[Gary S]

I plan to split my garage in half in the future with a wall, and I plan to put in a 18x9 insulated garage door to do it. That way I can open up with the push of a button when needed. By using an 18 foot door, I still have enough room beside it for a man door so I don't have to open the big door to go in and out.

 

[MorganKelsey]

If I was doing it for myself I would go at it like this.
First make a list of needs and desires:

Insulation
Dust control
Movable
Able to open entire space
Store-able
Lightweight

Based on the above I would design a system of panels that were insulated and had the ability to be rolled around, attached together and sealed to the ceiling, floor and walls.
If I didn't mind them being soft sided I might use big sheets of foam with either thin coverings on the surfaces like vinyl, or no covering at all.
If I wanted surfaces that would take abuse I would consider SIPS (Structural Insulated Panels) that are foam cores with OSB surfaces.
Thicker panels would provide more insulation value and have the added value of wider and more stable panels. Placing them in a slightly zig zag pattern will also make them more stable.
Either way I would glue on wood base plates and top plates with openings in them for semi recessed rollers on the bottom and guide rollers or rails on the top.
If the panels were light I would think about suspending them from above.
If heavier I would think about rolling them on the floor and securing them to the ceiling with some kind of spring mechanism. This might be the best solution as they could be moved around and reconfigured at will.
The sealing gaskets at the ceiling would be the most important for limiting heat loss, but gaskets or flaps hanging down at the floor would also be needed for dust control.
Connecting panel to panel could be done with some kind of vertical flexible spline and bungee cords on each side to hold them together. This would also allow them to be placed in a zig zag pattern. An alternative could be a triangular brace that would provide lateral support at the floor.
An insulated HM man door could be installed in one panel for access through the wall.
For storage, all the panels could be disconnected and rolled to a storage location. An outrigger like the triangular brace described above could have a roller on the bottom of it to allow panels to be moved more easily.

My next project now is to extend my garage for it to have a more comfortable and spacious place to do any kinds of car servicing. Your ideas and tips are very well appreciated!

 

[Brad54]

You say you want the wall to open for flexibility... what kind of flexibility are you needing? How often are you going to need it. I mean REALLY need it? Once a month? 6 times a year? Twice a year? Once every couple of years?

This is the first question you need to ask yourself. I find that a lot of times we do things because we think we might need it, some day, maybe. And then we end up hamstringing ourself for the other 99-percent of the time.

A wall is a very useful tool--it holds shelves, pegboard, televisions, cabinets, etc., and it gives you a place to put work counters, tool cabinets, and stack equipment out of the way until you move it out into the main work area.

I find a big problem in my shop is not having enough wall space.

You could then put a single man-door in it, or even a double door, to move sheet goods, equipment, etc. We put a double-door in our walk-out basement, and it's an absolute life-saver. We use this door every month to load and unload all our equipment for our swap meet--tables, pop-up tents, boxes of supplies and parts to sell, PA equipment... I can't imagine doing that with a single man-door.

If it were me, I'd do a double door... I would NEVER do more than that, and I definitely wouldn't do the whole wall.

Look at Family Handyman, American Woodworker and other magazines you find at Home Depot--one of them puts out an annual "SHOPS" magazine, and they show guys doing great things in small spaces.

-Brad

 

[Brad54]

You say you want the wall to open for flexibility... what kind of flexibility are you needing? How often are you going to need it. I mean REALLY need it? Once a month? 6 times a year? Twice a year? Once every couple of years?

This is the first question you need to ask yourself. I find that a lot of times we do things because we think we might need it, some day, maybe. And then we end up hamstringing ourself for the other 99-percent of the time.

A wall is a very useful tool--it holds shelves, pegboard, televisions, cabinets, etc., and it gives you a place to put work counters, tool cabinets, and stack equipment out of the way until you move it out into the main work area.

I find a big problem in my shop is not having enough wall space.

You could then put a single man-door in it, or even a double door, to move sheet goods, equipment, etc. We put a double-door in our walk-out basement, and it's an absolute life-saver.

If it were me, I'd do a double door... I would NEVER do more than that, and I definitely wouldn't do the whole wall.

Look at Family Handyman, American Woodworker and other magazines you find at Home Depot--one of them puts out an annual "SHOPS" magazine, and they show guys doing great things in small spaces.

-Brad