shop/garage talk

[hps4evr]

so we got this garage being built. should be done in a month or so. weather permitting.
we plan on insulating an wiring it. it will have 220.
what is everyone running for interior garage/shop heaters?
whatsa good insulation?
whats a good lighting set-up?
wheres a good place to shop for this stuff?
air compressor and welder are allready planned for.

[WhiteOut]

Home Depot has a contractors card that gets you 6% back on purchaces.  They will have or can order basically everything you need.

[calltrex]

I use a 220 Electric heater.  5000watts  used it for 4 years now in my double garage.  mounted it up in corner.  Contractors use these

i have a big flouresent above my bench and 8 lights through entire garage

[dac]

I use a 220 Electric heater.  5000watts 

I use one of these also.  Was easier for me to do than run gas as nice as gas would be, I only put 1 220V plug so if I were to use a welder I'd have to unplug the heater.  It keeps the chill off the garage and the door from freezing to the floor as our pad has a bit of a slope to it.

As for lights I have 2 incandescents above the bench and 2 further back, seems to give more than enough light (garage is only 22x24).  I picked up most of my stuff from home depot, panel was used from work though.

I did the generic R12 in the walls and R20 in the ceiling, it also helps that our door is insulated too.

If you're building it yourself it may be an idea to put an electric attic vent fan in, keeps it from getting so hot in the summer, also did it because we opted for the storage trusses, so it's not unbearable in the summer if I have to go up there for something.

Don't forget the plug by the man door for the beer fridge 

[Rookie]

Regular florescent (T-12) lights won't light below 0* C and starting in 2010 they will no longer be making bulbs for them

Electronic ballast florescent (T-8) you can get ballasts that will light to -18*

When you figure out how many circuits you need buy a panel that is double that size (might cost ya extra but you'll be thankful later)

Run # 6 wire to a 60 amp breaker (anything smaller is like trying to put out a house fire by pissing on it) if need be you can upgrade to a 70 amp breaker down the road

Run phone ,cable and Internet to it aswell

Build it with 2x6 on 24" centers (less studs same structural support)  shouldn't be much diff in price but then you can insulate R20 in the walls

Put R40 in the ceiling and get proper vapor barrier and seal all the joints (makes a huge difference)

If you can put gas in electric heat works but its kinda like the fire comment above

Steve

[4PLAYZJ]

Starting my shop build in a month or so as well,  I pick up a 138,000 btu high effiency forced air furnace(used it in my double garage for the last two years, pretty good on gas) Best insulation by far is spray in foam.  Cannot be done yourself, can be a little pricey but your building will have zero drafts & a way higher R value.  Best lighting setup it the free kind because electricity is not cheap, use sunlight where you can.  My last garage that I built I picked up two picture windows from the Re-store,  these windows let in so much light sometime during the day I didnt even need to turn the lights on.   When I build this garage I am planning on large windows, skylights & flouresent as well.  As for a good place to buy stuff you can get good used building materials fromt the Re-store & Tims recyclables.  Most window manufacturing companies have a defect area that you can buy from, most defect windows have nothing wrong with them except for small sealant smears in between the panes(would not even notice unless you looked for it.  The place that I am getting my kit from for both my garage & kitchen addition is star building products, Go in & talk to John Callister, Dom can let you know just how good john is to deal with(not to mention much cheaper)  Setup your 110 plugs like a kitchen, use 14/3 wiring & cut the bridge on all your plugs.

If you have any questions that I could help you with send me a PM, This is not my first rodeo

[i_go_commando]

i have a wood fireplace in my garage. i like it a lot

[morerpmfred]

See rookie comments, 6 inch wall and get the white insulation r22 instead of r20. Companies that have blow in attic insulation usually have a minimum charge so upgrade blow in in your house as well. Can not afford to buy materials from home despot as drywall and insulation can be delivered on site exactly where you want it piled for about 20% less when ordered from a drywall supplier such as Tag Davidson. Everything at home despot is pickup at store or has a huge delivery fee and material is delivered to the road. Spray foam is nice but costs huge $ .
If it is well insulated an electric construction heater will keep it warm down to at least 30 below in the winter.If you go 2x4 walls then you end up with studs on 16 inch centers and  r12 insulation and an electric heater will not keep up on cold days.

[sn4cktime]

If you've got some money to blow get a car lift.  Can find ones for a few thousand (it'll be the shipping that'll kill ya).

Make sure you build the header of the door high enough to compensate for a lift and tires.  I use my buddy's garage once in a while and have to air my tires down to about 4 PSI to squeeze it in.  And there's only one spot I can drive it in - way to the left.

I realize it's also ridiculously expensive, but in floor heating, warm concrete is always nice.  If you've already poured the pad though....

Lots of plugins, and lots of lights.  I agree with the phone/cable line for internet.  Can have an old beater shop laptop to look up info.  Instead of getting all cleaned up, going inside the house, printing something....blah blah

Water line - you could have a shop sink.  Could always get a solvent bath too.  Get a fire cabinet inside for chemicals, paints, etc.  Bench vise, anvil.  Lots of counter space, I hate working on something and have to lay out all the parts on the floor, someone always ends up scattering them.

That's all I can think of.

[calltrex]

I dont like windows.  Easy to break into your garage. People can see what u got in there.

May garage is attached and when i built it i didnt want any windows and i didnt want any garage side door. Much safer..  You will have to break into my house or bust the big garage door to get in..

[dac]

I've got an 18*8 foot door.  High enough so I can have things on the roof of our wj and still go in and out.  Wide enough so it's easy to turn in.  I've got a row of windows in the top section of the door, high enough it's be obvious if someone was snooping.

At any rate the natural light is pretty nice.

[ndub]

What stage are you at in the build?  Finally at the end of building my garage. Couple things to keep in mind.

-storage trusses - I have more than half our basement in the attic now and picked up a electric ceiling hoist from p.auto for putting up the rims/tires

-go for the 8 foot door instead of the standard 7 since you never know what you might drive home next.  I have a buddy that installs doors and openers, that might be able to save you some money if you haven't bought the door yet.

-I went for the gas line, but it has been very time consuming and can't say I would dig 72ft from the house again.  Would probably tough it out with an electric heater and only run it when hanging out inside.

-I'm doing 5 fluorescent lights....including 1 over the bench, definitely overkill.

-Chose to do OSB walls for durability, but wondering what it will look like painted.  Anybody do this?

Enjoy

[4PLAYZJ]

I dont like windows.  Easy to break into your garage. People can see what u got in there.

May garage is attached and when i built it i didnt want any windows and i didnt want any garage side door. Much safer..  You will have to break into my house or bust the big garage door to get in..

I personally wont live in fear just because there are a few low lifes running around, besides that is what alarms & insurance are for.

[hps4evr]

thanks for all the info.
i guess i didnt specify but the wide range of info is good. this is a garage being built by Toy Box Garages at our residance.
not my house so the final build was not my decision.
24x24 garage, 9' ceiling, 16x8 door, dual 3' man doors. upper storage area/loft. 220 volt. 1 window into back yard.
i will have a vehicle hoist in my own garage... when i buy a house and build a garage that is, lol! but again, not my house so...
i was very curious about the insulation and lighting. that OSB stuff may be a good route for the walls. and we figure 3 220 volt plugs will do for a heater, welder, and compressor. a bunch more 110 plugs and a lot of lighting. should be a nice space to builb some junk

[Bnine]

Skylights.

Cheap, and better light then artificials. In the end, they save you money by not having to turn any lights on in the day.

Ask Ron about them.

Floor coating is crucial. Keep the dust down, and easy clean up. The two part epoxy used in commecial shops is the best. You want it applied by an outside contractor. Its a bit toxic for DIY.