Redoing my garage. Any ideas?

[Shin_Kudou]

I'm cleaning out my trashed garage so I can make it into a proper automotive workspace. I'm putting in tool chests, building workbenches, etc, that I know I'll do.

But, I want a garage that's more than just functional. I want to make it a cool place to hang out and work, or just to talk cars, whatever. So, for those of you who know more about this kind of thing than I do, I'd like some suggestions.

First of all, it's an average garage, I guess a two car, with one door, and a door in from the house.

1. Floor. the old one is trashed. It seems to have been surfaced several times, and has worn down to old layers in certain places. It's also discolored and stained. So, it seems like I have too options. Either put down a new floor surface using that special thick paint that is used for garage floors, or put down linoleum. Which would be cooler? And what brands are good?

2. The walls. There are a lot of options here. The old plaster walls are trashed. So, I have to put something over them. So, there are a few ideas. Drywall is possible, but boring. I'd been thinking of putting corrugated material up to look like track garage. I could possibly do wood panelling to make it look like an alpine garage. or something totally different?

3. Signs. Where can I get them? If you've played Auto Modellista, there are these longer banner style signs with company logos. I'd like to put some of those up. Regular signs and posters are cool too. However, I don't want vintage style ones, I want it to be like a modern racing garage.

4. lighting. The room is currently lit by the crappy light on the door motor. So it needs something better. What works well? Flourescent? Something else?

And finally, give me any other ideas for anything you think will be cool. Remember, I want this garage to be a cool place to hang out when there's not a car in it.

[panda_3ight_6]

I was blessed by god with the worlds greatest garage... my old man did body work for a living, untill i was born, when he switched to making signs. He still did body work on the side untill about three years ago. Trust me he hates it with a passion but hey it left me with all the tools and a 4 car garage to mess with. Most of his tools are old and crappy. But I asked for a tool kit for christmas.

Anywayz my reccomendions.

Use normal paint on the ground, that sealer crap is way overrated.

The walls... just inslutate them and cover the inslutation... dont matter what you use... its a shop not a TV set.

I have no comment on signs or memorbila. (no my stuff)

Lighting... Get secured Flourescent tube lights on the ceiling. and 4 or 5 flood lamps to get under the car.

I reccomend building a small room just for the Compressor because people complain alot about them, also you might want to have the air plumbing custom done, I wish i had those air lines that come from the ceiling.

Also Having a electrican run real lines for the Welder is a very good idea. and on a simalr note, a Oxy-Ace Torch, but have the torch plumbed into the wall, and in the same room as the compressor have the two tanks with a emergancy shut off vavle.

Thats all i got... oh three things i hate...

Peg board... noone that uses tools uses peg board.

No Clutter, this anit a TV show... there's going to be real clutter and theres no avioding it

and most of all... DEWALT TOOLS!!!!...

I dont mean to offend any Dewalt, Peg board, or Clutter Free people... i just cant stand that stuff...

[Shin_Kudou]

You gotta realize, I'm probably not gonna be doing welding in this garage. This is just a place for the team and I can work on our cars to a limited extent. if tI have to do stuff like welding, or, for example, anything needing a real lift, I know someone who has a real shop that I can come and use if I need to.

The same goes for an elaborate air system. I'm not gonna be doing enough stuff with air tools to need any more than a cheap portable compressor.

As for the walls, they are insulated OK, they just are in bad asthetic shape, and have had a couple holes knocked in'em. What I really could use is a new garage door, but that's out of my budget.

But, plus, I want the walls to be cool looking, because I want the place to have a secondary purpose as a hangout place for the team guys.

[prodigy]

First of all, it sounds like you have a dream garage compared to mine. TV, old couch, and fridge; maybe even a microwave. Why not just patch the holes with more plaster, then do a mural on the walls or just a cool design. Don't paint the floor, it isn't worth it. Just do a bunch of burnouts to give it the drift look. I am thinking about having my dad help me build some wooden tool chests and countertops covered with stainless steel for my garage.

[prodigy]

The problem with my garage is heating. Michigan is so cold and the propane heater that we have doesn't last long and sucks at heating.

[Shin_Kudou]

Well, remember, like I said, this place is more than a garage to me. My room has space for my computer, bed, and clothes, and not much else. It's not a very nice place to be.

My mom has her studio downstairs, my dad has his model train room, and now I'm gonna have my garage. So i'm probably gonna spend quite a bit of time in there. Plus, it's where I'm gonna hand with my friends and my team, and it's sort of going to be the official team garage, so I want it to look presentable. That's why I want it to be a nice place. And right now, the floor is a chipped, cracked, stained, hideous pink. Looking at it makes you want to puke. Plus, the way the foor is, if a screw or something fell on it, you'd be crawling on your knees for an hour looking for it.

As for the walls, the holes are too big just to be patched. I mean, some of them are two feet long.

As for tool storage and workbenches, I'm just gonna get a cheap tool chest from Sears, and my dad and I are going to build our own workbenches, and put on a steel surface.

The only thing I'm really missing is a compressor and air tools, as well as a couple higher level automotive tools. My dad thinks the idea of having an air tool setup in a home garage is rediculous. And th eidea of a welding setup is ever crazier in his mind.

[prodigy]

Tell you dad he is crazy. Because I have an air tool setup in my garage and am probably going to get a welder with in the next year or two. I only have a car and a half garage. Go with paint on the garage floor, I think light gray so if you drop anything you can see it that way. Umm, how to patch the plaster is kind of hard to describe in type, but I will try. Cut the holes into a rectangle shape and make sure they are pretty much an even rectangle. Then get some dry wall and measure and cut it two inches bigger on each side of the piece you cut. Draw out the original measure square on the piece of dry wall and cut through only the back paper of it, then you strip off the gipson (white crap inbetween the paper) and leave the two inches of excess paper. Take the piece you made and fit it into the whole. Then you take your mud and mud around the over hang. This makes a great patch. You should get some awesome neon light and a booming stereo, and make into a awesome after touge run club. Just kidding on that one.

[prodigy]

This should clear up the whole hole patching process for you. This should save you a lot of money. This will save you money. Why don't you just put drawers on you work benches so they function as a tool chest anywas, that would save you money?

[Chas]

Hmm, how about a lift? Get an air compressor in there.

I know just the guy for banners.

Here are his logos. 12x36

www.jdmbanners.com

sells them for 15 a piece.

http://www.stores.ebay.com/id=26237423&ssPageName=L2

[Shin_Kudou]

I don't think I can patch my walls with drywall. These walls are ultra-thin, flimsy, stucco. And they have that stupid speckled, or whatever it's called, surface, which means that patching it would be a nightmare. And after that,, it'd still look like crap.

Seriously, though, what do I really need an air tool setup for? I mean, I don't need a sander, 'cause I won't be doing any painting myself. An impact wrench? What does it do that hand tool's can't with a bit more effort? Same with an air socket wrench. And things like air drills? Is there really going to be anything where my electric ones are so inadequate?

I mean, I would love to have an air tool setup. But I can't come up with a convincing argument to get him to get one, and neither can I convince him to let me buy one.

[mranlet]

How high is the ceiling - any attic?
If it's a tall ceiling or an attic (whose floor you would consider tearing out) it is awesome if you put in a lift and then have a loft-type elevated space from which you could get in and out of the car or just hang out and shoot the breeze.

For Floor, bare cement is alright, but a rubberized roll-on coating will be a lot friendlier to your feet, for finding fallen parts, and adds a lot to the ambiance of the room if you're gonna be hanging out in there. If you don't get a lift, you ought to incorporate a way to put tire ramps down without having them move around under the wheels.

For lighting definately go flourescent! Anything else will make the garage a bit toasty once enough lights are up for decent illumination.

The walls could most likely be patched with joint compound. If it were me, I'd mural the logos of my favorite automakers and parts companies and car-related stuff, but what you do is up to you.

You'd be surprised at how helpful pneumatic tools are - good luck getting off a crank bolt with a breaker bar. And why not do some painting yourself?

Do you have any pics of your garage? That may help us come up with some better ideas.

-MR

[ACDTrueno]

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! SPOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why didn't you show me your garage on the weekend when we were there eh? and i think we should put lifts in your garage. lol. Then we can work on the cars and it'd be alot cheaper than taking it to a shop. And actually this probly would be a sort of after touge run hangout for the team. its like 2-3 blocks from the road. so i mean its a good sort of hangout place. o ya and one more thing. YAY FOR SPOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shin_Kudou]

Originally posted by ACDTrueno
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! SPOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why didn't you show me your garage on the weekend when we were there eh? and i think we should put lifts in your garage. lol. Then we can work on the cars and it'd be alot cheaper than taking it to a shop. And actually this probly would be a sort of after touge run hangout for the team. its like 2-3 blocks from the road. so i mean its a good sort of hangout place. o ya and one more thing. YAY FOR SPOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lifts, 'eh? You gonna pay for them?

But, besides, it's only an average height garage. It's got one door, almost as wide as it is, and is about 18x24. It has a crawlspace above it, but nothing big enough to be called an attic, I've never been up there, but I'd estimate about 2-3 feet at the highest point, and it slopes toward the front.

And, yes, having this place be an after touge hangout and team shop is part of the plan.

[prodigy]

I say rip down the old walls and put up dry wall if you want it to look really nice. There are also somethings that you can't take off without pnuematic tools because you can put enough pressure on the bolt fast enough. That is why they are called impact guns because they don't just spin they instantly torque the bolt stop and then retorque it over and over again until it comes loose or breaks off. You don't need a huge set up but they are extremely nice to have.

[Shin_Kudou]

Oh, I just realized another thing that makes a lift impossible. The garage door opener hangs way down in the middle of the room. I should probably put a new one in, but I don't have the money...... Mybe I'll just take it down and open the door manually.

Oh, as for pictures, I have two problems. One, no camera (the AC adpter got "cleaned up" and I haven't seen it since) , and two, it's full of junk.