Magdaddy

what size is this garage gonna be...that will help to determine what is needed. If anything of reasonable size, I reccomend a dedicated electrical sub panel. A simple 12 circuit panel is plenty good enough. If you don't go the T5HO route with lights, make sure you get HO-High Output of some variety. They always fire in the cold, and have a higher output.

Invest in lights that have a quality reflector also, you want downlighting...not up.

Make sure you install a hi-lift overhead door too. Mygaragedoor.com has conversion kits that are very cheap.

So, in no specific order...
lift-mid rise, two/four post
nice stereo
nice flat screen
heat/AC depending on your location-I went with a natural gas space heater.
ceiling fan(s)
rolling tool cabinet
large flat top parts table
metal shelving
fridge
rolling work stool

NC TRACKRAT

Purchase a large, rated "Flammables" cabinet for paint and volatile cleaning supplies, then select the best place to put it. Buy bigger than you think you'll need 'cause it fills up fast. Then invest in some 10 lb. HALON (or similar) fire extinguishers and pick strategic locations for them. If you have inside and/or outside water spigots, be sure to get your plumber to install ball-lever shut-off valves inside and upstream from them. And be sure that garage door is the sandwich-insulated variety. Whether it's hot or cold, you'll be glad you did.

Jeff96-993

I've got my plans, which have many of the things listed already... the one thing different in my plan is a full bathroom with a shower and a urinal.

A desk with a good office chair is also needed.

JDHertz11

I'm currently remodeling my garage. Oversize two car semi detached with a separate bathroom and stand up shower. I'm going with white painted walls and polished concrete floors this time. Debating whether to a/c or not because there is no insulation and plenty of ways air can get out.

I'm excited to see where this thread goes.

WBYonder

I added a 16'X48' garage with 13.5 foot ceilings. Some things that worked very well:

-solar tubes in the ceiling (3 X 18") and high windows (non opening, 2'X5') let in a lot of natural light, if I'm running in to pick something up i typically don't need to turn lights on. If it's bright and sunny out, I don't need the lights.

-T5 lights are great, have them on 2 circuits so if I'm working at one end I can turn half of them on.

- I did an electrical subpanel for the garage (did all electrical myself) and put in 50A circuit for welder, 30A/220 for heater, 30A/120 for shore power, tons of outlets. Extra outlets of all persuasions are always good and are easier to not use than to need and have to put in later. I put a couple on the ceiling and have a reel with an extension cord. So handy, I put one in the existing garage (the low bay, as opposed to the high bay we built).

-I put a jack-shaft opener in. Quiet and works great with no overhead parts. Again, after putting it in the high bay, I put one in the low bay.

-Eastern Washington is desert, with hot summers, so I had the contractor put an opening in that fit a swamp (evaporative) cooler that I set on a timer in the summer. With 100+ degree days here, the garage typically does not get above 80F. If you have low humidity, I recommend this set-up.

-Flat screen TV, surround sound. Enough said.

-A well-placed wall vacuum is very handy.

-Don't have a lift in my garage (yet). But want one.

-If your garage has a bottle of good bourbon, it has a fully stocked bar. 4 beers on tap doesn't hurt either!

Cemoto

When it comes to hooking up airlines this .pdf file gives the best advice.

It demonstrates how to set it up to help eliminate moisture from the lines.

I've used these diagrams in my garage (with black pipe as they suggest), and it really helps remove moisture.

http://www.tptools.com/StaticText/ai...ng-diagram.pdf

Good stuff!

Regards,

Mike J

You will need to work in the shop at bit before you really figure it out.

My garage has evolved over the years - its 55' x 26', with 14' ceilings over the lift with 6 4' square skylights, 100 AMP subpanel, tool crib with steel locking doors. However, I LOVE plain concrete floors, non of that fancy epoxy stuff - I have way too many hot parts, oil, solvents, welding and cutting sparks, dropped heavy objects that to go with standard concrete. Been pounding on the floors for 20 years now - they are dirty but holding out fine.

I 100% agree with the shaft drive for the doors - I have 2 16' x 9' doors, and the track would run fully over the lift, so one is shaft drive, the other track. You can get them cheap now.

Make sure lots of your stuff is on wheels - that way you can reconfigure the shop as needed. i can switch over to woodworking mode in a few minutes, pull out the full sized Unisaw and I am cutting.

You will figure out all the racking and cabinets as things go. If you are going to do the lift, do that first, since all the rest of the stuff will revolve around the piece of equipment.

Cheers,

Mike

solomonschris

Emergency eye wash station, vice, bench grinder, flip top metal trash can for oily rags, window placement for good natural lighting, air conditioner. I'm envious cuz I can't build a garage or enlarge the tiny one I have.....Chris

crw

Thanks for the advice - alot of useful suggestions I can use.

H.H.Chinn

I've designed many garages for institutions, commercial, as well as private attached and detached garages and these are important things to consider. Get as much information for any of the equipment that you will have in the shop and layout the space so there is enough safety clearance from side to side, front and back so that you have adequate room for you to operate that piece of equipment safely as well as room for any of your buddies. There's nothing worse than working in a garage that is so tight that people need to move to get to things if you can help it.
Sealed concrete floors can be quite beautiful when done properly, a process also known as "retroplating" where the concrete is ground, polished, and sealed. Epoxy floors are also good and durable but be sure to get an "industrial" grade floor coating suitable for aviation use. These products will if applied properly will not break down and get sucked into the engines. At a minimum slope the floor toward the door, to either a round or trench drain depending on how wet the cars will be if it be from the weather or a wash bay.

Fire suppression, first off make sure that you have high capacity Halon extinguishers and more importantly clear exits for all occupants to leave the confined space should the Halon need to be released.

Panic power switches and alarm panel next to the exit door so you can control shop use if you have kids.

I'm an advocate of the use of natural daylight in skylights over bench areas as well as clerestory windows, long bands of windows located a few inches above upper cabinet height.

With proper planning you will have a safe and comfortable space to maintain your car.

serval

As luck would have it. I am planning a new garage as well, but since it is a new house at the planning stage, I have a lot of flexibility. One thing I second from one of the suggestions above is to go with an in-floor scissor lift. This way, unles the car is on the lift, you can use the space without having to work around the posts. If you would like I will send you may floor-plan when complete.

Anton

keithgreer

Ocean view is nice