Post Pics of your Garage/Work area
- Thread starter rx7mazda
- Start date
- :
- '13 CWP MS3 & '16 Mazda6 GT
Here's mine...I've been working on the house so much I havent been able to get my garage right...plus I need to buy a nice cabinet set up like protege5gurly...
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c148/MrNMrsRoyal/Our%20Home/PB230180_800x600.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c148/MrNMrsRoyal/Our%20Home/PB230179_800x600.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c148/MrNMrsRoyal/Our%20Home/PB230180_800x600.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c148/MrNMrsRoyal/Our%20Home/PB230179_800x600.jpg
A garage is a special place -- the inner sanctum of the motorhead, the car aficionado.
It is not a place to be taken lightly. Many of us seek homes solely on the basis of garage space. True story: When I went looking for my first house, I told the realtor the ideal place would be a three-car garage with a loft apartment; of course I ended up with something more conventional, a normal single family house with a two-car garage. But my heart was in the right place.
Of course, getting a garage is only the beginning. Once you've cinched the deal, you've got to make it ready - by which I mean logically arranged, free of clutter, safe, and pleasant to work in. Begin by thoroughly cleaning the place out (if it's an older home you've bought, this will be the biggest job). Remove all old boxes and whatever accumulated garbage has stacked up.
Use Clorox bleach mixed with warm water (half-half in a bucket) to scrub the concrete and get rid of dirt and oil/grease stains and to prepare the surface for a treat that you will agree is neat. By this I mean a coating of Thompsons' Garage Floor Paint/Sealer - available in shades of light and dark grey (light grey looks best in my opinion). This stuff is wonderful. First, it protects the underlying concrete, sealing out moisture that could, in time, lead to cracks. Second, it leaves a surface that resists stains (such as spilled oil) and makes clean-ups easy. Finally, it gives your garage a bright, "professional" appearance that will please you - and add value to your home in the event you ever move. The stuff comes in gallon cans just like regular paint and is applied with a roller brush. You'll need three or four cans (about $35-$40 bucks at Home Depot) to do an average two-car garage. Application is a snap - from start to finish about two hours.
Make sure the surface is totally dry and free of loose dirt. For best results, lay down a top coat, then, after that has had a chance to dry, use a small foam brush to get the corners and edging. When that's dry (let it sit overnight), follow up with a final top coat and allow to dry for 24 hours.
You now have the foundation for a truly impressive garage.
Abnormals, read on
Normal people (e.g., those who let others work on their cars) are pretty much done at this point. They can park the cars inside, close the door and get back to the TV. As for the rest of us - well, the journey has just begun.
I favor old kitchen cabinets and countertops as the easiest to get, least expensive and "homiest" basis for in-garage workshop storage. If you remodel your inside kitchen, save the old stuff and you'll have everything you need. That's one way. Another is to get these pieces from a neighbor who is remodeling; at a yard sale, etc. These cabinets can be mounted on one wall and are a great place to store tools. Countertops make for great workbenches. And best of all, most of this stuff is my favorite price - free!
You'll also want to improve the lighting in your garage. Usually, the contractor/builder leaves two sockets for 100-watt bulbs and that's it, baby.
But at Sears and similar stores you'll find easy-to-install workshop-type lights that will be just what the witch doctor ordered. There are "track" systems that allow you to move the light source around, and stationary fixtures with tubular phosphorescent bulbs that provide diffuse (e.g., non-glare) illumination that will give you enough light for all except close-up chores. For these, you can use smaller, portable shop-lights or even a flashlight.
For winter climes, a small space heater is highly recommended. These either work using electricity or propane. With propane (and kerosene) heaters, make sure you are extra careful and have adequate ventilation. The basic concept here is to maintain "liveable" temperatures in winter - about 50 degrees. Anything below that will require gloves and heavy clothes to keep you from being uncomfortable - and those items will make it hard to do any kind of work because they are bulky and limit movement (especially of your fingers).
Another nice thing to have in the garage is an old stereo or TV to keep you company. Most people still have non-digital, 70s-era receivers that are just the ticket for this kind of duty. A pair of cheap speakers, some wire, and you're in business.
But most important of all is a sink (or at least a water source of some type). You'll need this to wash up and clean off the worst part of the grunge you'll be covered in after spending a few hours underneath your four-wheeled friend. Nothing alienates a significant other more than tracking used motor oil onto the carpet - or leaving a thick film of slime in the kitchen or bathroom sink. Even if it's just a hose connected to an outside faucet, make use of it. The ideal thing is to have a plumber come out and install a utility sink in the garage itself. As a rule, this isn't very expensive (a few hundred bucks, on average) and that's mostly for the sink. There are usually water lines already in the walls, so it's just a matter of tapping into these. Get hot and cold water if possible, because the warm water will greatly ease cleaning up, especially as it gets colder. (You may have to turn off the garage water in winter to avoid freezing pipes, etc).
These are just the basics, naturally. But they'll give you some food for thought and hopefully get you pointed in the right direction towards the ultimate garage.
It is not a place to be taken lightly. Many of us seek homes solely on the basis of garage space. True story: When I went looking for my first house, I told the realtor the ideal place would be a three-car garage with a loft apartment; of course I ended up with something more conventional, a normal single family house with a two-car garage. But my heart was in the right place.
Of course, getting a garage is only the beginning. Once you've cinched the deal, you've got to make it ready - by which I mean logically arranged, free of clutter, safe, and pleasant to work in. Begin by thoroughly cleaning the place out (if it's an older home you've bought, this will be the biggest job). Remove all old boxes and whatever accumulated garbage has stacked up.
Use Clorox bleach mixed with warm water (half-half in a bucket) to scrub the concrete and get rid of dirt and oil/grease stains and to prepare the surface for a treat that you will agree is neat. By this I mean a coating of Thompsons' Garage Floor Paint/Sealer - available in shades of light and dark grey (light grey looks best in my opinion). This stuff is wonderful. First, it protects the underlying concrete, sealing out moisture that could, in time, lead to cracks. Second, it leaves a surface that resists stains (such as spilled oil) and makes clean-ups easy. Finally, it gives your garage a bright, "professional" appearance that will please you - and add value to your home in the event you ever move. The stuff comes in gallon cans just like regular paint and is applied with a roller brush. You'll need three or four cans (about $35-$40 bucks at Home Depot) to do an average two-car garage. Application is a snap - from start to finish about two hours.
Make sure the surface is totally dry and free of loose dirt. For best results, lay down a top coat, then, after that has had a chance to dry, use a small foam brush to get the corners and edging. When that's dry (let it sit overnight), follow up with a final top coat and allow to dry for 24 hours.
You now have the foundation for a truly impressive garage.
Abnormals, read on
Normal people (e.g., those who let others work on their cars) are pretty much done at this point. They can park the cars inside, close the door and get back to the TV. As for the rest of us - well, the journey has just begun.
I favor old kitchen cabinets and countertops as the easiest to get, least expensive and "homiest" basis for in-garage workshop storage. If you remodel your inside kitchen, save the old stuff and you'll have everything you need. That's one way. Another is to get these pieces from a neighbor who is remodeling; at a yard sale, etc. These cabinets can be mounted on one wall and are a great place to store tools. Countertops make for great workbenches. And best of all, most of this stuff is my favorite price - free!
You'll also want to improve the lighting in your garage. Usually, the contractor/builder leaves two sockets for 100-watt bulbs and that's it, baby.
But at Sears and similar stores you'll find easy-to-install workshop-type lights that will be just what the witch doctor ordered. There are "track" systems that allow you to move the light source around, and stationary fixtures with tubular phosphorescent bulbs that provide diffuse (e.g., non-glare) illumination that will give you enough light for all except close-up chores. For these, you can use smaller, portable shop-lights or even a flashlight.
For winter climes, a small space heater is highly recommended. These either work using electricity or propane. With propane (and kerosene) heaters, make sure you are extra careful and have adequate ventilation. The basic concept here is to maintain "liveable" temperatures in winter - about 50 degrees. Anything below that will require gloves and heavy clothes to keep you from being uncomfortable - and those items will make it hard to do any kind of work because they are bulky and limit movement (especially of your fingers).
Another nice thing to have in the garage is an old stereo or TV to keep you company. Most people still have non-digital, 70s-era receivers that are just the ticket for this kind of duty. A pair of cheap speakers, some wire, and you're in business.
But most important of all is a sink (or at least a water source of some type). You'll need this to wash up and clean off the worst part of the grunge you'll be covered in after spending a few hours underneath your four-wheeled friend. Nothing alienates a significant other more than tracking used motor oil onto the carpet - or leaving a thick film of slime in the kitchen or bathroom sink. Even if it's just a hose connected to an outside faucet, make use of it. The ideal thing is to have a plumber come out and install a utility sink in the garage itself. As a rule, this isn't very expensive (a few hundred bucks, on average) and that's mostly for the sink. There are usually water lines already in the walls, so it's just a matter of tapping into these. Get hot and cold water if possible, because the warm water will greatly ease cleaning up, especially as it gets colder. (You may have to turn off the garage water in winter to avoid freezing pipes, etc).
These are just the basics, naturally. But they'll give you some food for thought and hopefully get you pointed in the right direction towards the ultimate garage.
- :
- '13 CWP MS3 & '16 Mazda6 GT
hehe (2thumbs) hopefully there will be a red car in the mix too...but I'll take whjatever color I can get
Rickman said:
- :
- '13 CWP MS3 & '16 Mazda6 GT
(werd) I installed one w/ in a few weeks. My utility sink cost me less than $100 doing it myself
altspace said:
Last edited:
that's way to clean and organized to be a garage... I'm actually just jealous... I live in a condo, so no garage for me. And the parking spot I got is tiny, and my Ram is too big for it! lol I do all my work at my parent's garage, 20 miles away.Protege5Gurly said:The floor ....
The workspace ...
Attachments
Last edited:
- :
- MP5T / 944
Before the Walls were sealed and painted..
freekwonder
Contributor
- :
- Datsun 510/Nissan Frontier
here is my garage. I just started working on it and trying to get it organized and actual usable space. Still have a lot more work and plans for it, but its a slow process. Bunch of shelves and putting my air compressior in the basement made for helping out the garage.
those are some great looking garages and ideas.
i personally haven't seen it, but my hookup at one of the local audio shops has a buddy that bought a house here in town that is a car lover's dream. the house is small and nothing spectacular, but as it was previously owned by a mechanic, the garage is perfect. it has a lift, a pit, a wash bay, and a paint booth, and it's larger than the house (not sure how many bays, but i'm guessing 3-4). i'd love a garage like that!
i personally haven't seen it, but my hookup at one of the local audio shops has a buddy that bought a house here in town that is a car lover's dream. the house is small and nothing spectacular, but as it was previously owned by a mechanic, the garage is perfect. it has a lift, a pit, a wash bay, and a paint booth, and it's larger than the house (not sure how many bays, but i'm guessing 3-4). i'd love a garage like that!
-pixy- said:
you *****!!! how dare you do something like that!
I think I'm going to buy a propane heater for my garage today. It's cold out and I want to change my oil and gear lube.
I'll take some pics of my garage if I clean it up again today, including my large pile of turbo kit parts! w00t
here's my garage from when I first cleaned stuff up:
http://picasaweb.google.com/clauretano/LaborDay/photo#4971100447561744402
