Want your ideas: what am I overlooking?

[Patrick in DC]

Hi all,

I now have a rental house with a single car detached garage. I want to make cost effective and non-permanent modifications to it so that I can enjoy it a little more while I live here. I've already done the following:
- shop vac / general cleaning of garage
- installed an automatic carriage door opener (fun, and while not very portable, makes the garage useful for parking in on a daily basis)
- put the craftsman toolbox on the workbench, and the craftsman cabinet on the wall
- miscellaneous other organizing

Next:
- need some sort of workbench mat / covering because the particle board is shot, and wood fibers get stuck in anything that touches the work bench top itself. Not sure what I'll find for this - I've read everything from yoga mats to stainless steel covering.
- there isn't any lighting over the workbench currently. I bought a plug in (gasp?) fluorescent task light to hang up over the left side of the bench with 2 T8 4' bulbs. Figure I can put another one over the toolbox if I like the performance of the one I bought.
- should I spray paint the cabinets and the right side front-facing portion under the toolbox? I know it looks crappy right now...
- what else?? This is where I'm looking for ideas from you guys. It's a rental so I'm obviously not going to tackle insulation / electrical / drywall / custom flooring etc just trying to do the best I can so I have a place to hang out, tinker with stuff, detail the car, etc while I rent this house (21 more mos on my lease)

Thanks in advance!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[METALMOVER]

I wonder what if you just painted the top and workbench with a good epoxy?If the boards to far gone, put a board right over the top of it and paint it, cheap fix, also your landlord can take a tax deduction on insulation, you might ask him if he has some and you install it.He might also have the board and paint. If my renter wants to improve something I never have a problem getting him the supplies. Good luck METALMOVER

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

For the workbench surface pick up a thin sheet of melamine hardboard. Wash the cabinets (ammonia in water or a household spray cleaner like 409, simple green). If they still need painting I'd use a brush.
I don't see any outlets. I'd see about installing some, or maybe mount an outlet strip.
What types of things do you plan on doing in the garage?

 

[jrevans]

I wonder what if you just painted the top and workbench with a good epoxy?If the boards to far gone, put a board right over the top of it and paint it, cheap fix, also your landlord can take a tax deduction on insulation, you might ask him if he has some and you install it.He might also have the board and paint. If my renter wants to improve something I never have a problem getting him the supplies. Good luck METALMOVER

THIS^^^^

From the photos, this could be a great space for a few dollars in paint, maybe a sheet of plywood on the bench, an outlet strip or two, and a few hours of your time. Talk to your landlord with some ideas, and see what he will be willing to do. you won't know unless you ask-Any improvement benefits him in the long run.

 

[Patrick in DC]

For the workbench surface pick up a thin sheet of melamine hardboard. Wash the cabinets (ammonia in water or a household spray cleaner like 409, simple green). If they still need painting I'd use a brush.
I don't see any outlets. I'd see about installing some, or maybe mount an outlet strip.
What types of things do you plan on doing in the garage?

Thanks for the suggestion! There are 2 outlets... one behind the toolbox (neon clock is plugged in currently), and one to the left of the shop vac (it's brown, hard to see)

I plan mostly on detailing the car and taking on generally small-scale projects such as refinishing the tops of some antique bedside tables, nothing too specific and nothing too crazy. Thanks for the reply and your thoughts!

I wonder what if you just painted the top and workbench with a good epoxy?If the boards to far gone, put a board right over the top of it and paint it, cheap fix, also your landlord can take a tax deduction on insulation, you might ask him if he has some and you install it.He might also have the board and paint. If my renter wants to improve something I never have a problem getting him the supplies. Good luck METALMOVER

I think the board over the board idea is the direction I'm leaning. It doesn't need to be too thick or fancy, just not warped and paintable.

Good idea on asking him about insulation - my brother is a landlord in FL and agrees with you. He'll give them a break on rent 1:1 with their improvement and likes to know about preventative maintenance/needs before they're an emergency.

THIS^^^^

From the photos, this could be a great space for a few dollars in paint, maybe a sheet of plywood on the bench, an outlet strip or two, and a few hours of your time. Talk to your landlord with some ideas, and see what he will be willing to do. you won't know unless you ask-Any improvement benefits him in the long run.

Thanks!

 

[pd1266]

Biggest thing I see missing is tunes .

 

[Richard Cranium]

Be careful about putting cabinet up, some states, if you install some thing it is now part of the house and can't be taken with you when you move....
I see the lids from the nut and bolt storage hanging there.