Help with fixing up the new garage!

[5.0calypso93lx]

Finally moved out, and have my own garage to work out of. Now its time to fix it up, as it is pretty basic at its best. Its basically just wood framing and a concrete floor.

So what should be the first things I do? I'd like to do some drywall and insulation first. Then I'd like to add lighting and check all the wiring to make sure the wiring is ok for me to run more lights, and enough juice to run a small scale air compressor.

But I have no idea where to start, on selecting anything. I'll probably just go up to home depot for the insulation and dry wall, but as for wiring and lighting I have no idea where to begin.

Any help or tips about anything dealing w/ garages would be greatly appreciated.

[bobtsgt]

insulation and drywall would be a good idea. Especially in the winter. Make sure the garage door and all windows/doors are sealed well. Map out how you would like your electric like leaving 2 boxes near work areas. Does the garage have an open ceiling or is it closed off for storage? mabey you can get some pics up so we can get a visual.

[5.0calypso93lx]

insulation and drywall would be a good idea. Especially in the winter. Make sure the garage door and all windows/doors are sealed well. Map out how you would like your electric like leaving 2 boxes near work areas. Does the garage have an open ceiling or is it closed off for storage? mabey you can get some pics up so we can get a visual.

Yea, I thought about that, and I will get some pics up tonight, to show you guys what I'm working with. It is an open ceiling, but I plan on closing it up with some plywood so we can have some extra storage room. There aren't any windows, and its a single car garage with a craftsman garage door opener.

A welder could possibly be in my future as well.

[bobtsgt]

yeah if you insulate everything you will be nice and cozy during the winters. Plus the heater doesn't have to stay on for very long unlike mine :(

[5.0calypso93lx]

yeah if you insulate everything you will be nice and cozy during the winters. Plus the heater doesn't have to stay on for very long unlike mine :(

Haha, thats a whole 'nother topic. The garage is detached though, so I would need to get a seperate heater for the garage....

[95redstang]

Haha, thats a whole 'nother topic. The garage is detached though, so I would need to get a seperate heater for the garage....

Rick's(331twistedwedge) brother has one of those turbo heaters in his..It's ran on propane ..His garage gets pretty damn hot at times..We had it on this past Sunday while yanking my tranny out of Red Sled..You can also run the baseboard heaters..The wark damn good also...

[ADaughen]

Run your wire
Insulate
Drywall

It is a lot easier to do it right the first time. I have to tear down drywall on 3 sides and a ceiling in my 2-car garage because the previous owners didn't care to put up insulation and the crap they put in the attic they just rested on the drywall. They didn't put up any planks.


You have what, one 15amp fuse running from your main breaker out there? That is fine for lights and small tools. I would probably suggest a second line ran out to the garage for the A/C and welder.

[95turbocharged]

start with wiring make you put more than you think you need cause you allways end up needing more

[blueoval4ever]

start with wiring make you put more than you think you need cause you allways end up needing more
I was gonna say the same, alot easier to run wiring and extra outlets without the drywall up.

[Timido]

I am still finishing up a few pieces of my garage but I put 100 amp service out to the garage. Outlets every 6 feet 2 outlets in the ceiling for drop cords lights. 6- 8ft High output floresant bulbs From Home Depot. They are cold ballast and very bright. A Ceiling fan Helps with the heat too. I put up a 220 heater. I insulalated it and hung 7/16 OSB on it for panels. The osb is cheaper and you dont have to finish it if you dont want to. I might paint it in my garage. When you hang the drywall rent a drywall jack your back will thank you. I was putting up 4x8 sheets of osb 13ft in the air by myself with the drywall jack. A lot of the OSB I got for $ 3-$5 a sheet. Some I paid the going rate for $6.50

[Kevin Doe]

I am still finishing up a few pieces of my garage but I put 100 amp service out to the garage. Outlets every 6 feet 2 outlets in the ceiling for drop cords lights. 6- 8ft High output floresant bulbs From Home Depot. They are cold ballast and very bright. A Ceiling fan Helps with the heat too. I put up a 220 heater. I insulalated it and hung 7/16 OSB on it for panels. The osb is cheaper and you dont have to finish it if you dont want to. I might paint it in my garage. When you hang the drywall rent a drywall jack your back will thank you. I was putting up 4x8 sheets of osb 13ft in the air by myself with the drywall jack. A lot of the OSB I got for $ 3-$5 a sheet. Some I paid the going rate for $6.50

So basically you're copying my garage setup? Hahaha. I ran a 100A service to a subpannel in the garage too. 220V heater, 220 for welder, lots of 20A 120V outlets, 7 4' dual florescent strips on the wall, insulated garage door, epoxy coated floor. I often work in my garage barefoot in the winter with shorts and a t-shirt on. I can help you out with the wiring if you need it, I bought a 2005 NEC book, and read the entire thing just so I knew I was doing it by code. I got a permit and got it inspected as well.

[ewalt]

If you wanna use drywall, go over to lowes and look for the slightly damaged pieces. I mean, since it's a garage you may not care. They knock off a significant percentage, maybe 50? I forget but it's well worth it.

[wild87stang]

Let me know when you go to do the drywall and i might be able to get it for you at 1 to 2 bucks a sheet either at my work or dads!

[NXcoupe]

Sketch out the dimensions on paper, lay out how you are going to run the wiring, where you want outlets, heater, lights, etc. Are you going to have a workbench? You will want outlets there too. After you sketch it out, figure out how much wire and how many outlets you need for it. then run your wiring, do your insulation, hang your heater, and put up your drywall or other wall covering. As for your cieling, how far apart are your joices? That can be a pain if you want to hang drywall and insulate it. Where do you live? That would help volunteers to know how far of a drive it is to help you out.

[PaulFiveOh]

Hey man if this is something that interests you, I can get you a healthy line of credit setup at Lowes, were running 12 months same as cash on our consumer card (lower approval amount) or 6 months same as cash on our project card (high approval amount).

Also, I can refer you a quality General Contractor who is affordable if your interested for the parts you need help with.

Take some pictures of the place too and post up.

Good luck!

[PaulFiveOh]

If you wanna use drywall, go over to lowes and look for the slightly damaged pieces. I mean, since it's a garage you may not care. They knock off a significant percentage, maybe 50? I forget but it's well worth it.

Yea thats true for the most part.

[Pops Fun]

Hi
if it was me, after I finished the wiring, I would put drywall on the ceiling and plywood or something on the walls then I could hang stuff on it... as well as insulating of course.. and flooring center part of the overhead.
A pulldown ladder to the upstairs would help also.

The big problem I see is getting enough electric back there?? I trenched mine, put it in a pipe and also ran gas out there for a heater...
If you just have a 15amp, going out there say a 12/3 wire going back there, it would be good for lights and small tools but that is about all. Enjoy the garage.. Figure what you want and go from there, as far as the electric I would get a small breaker box and run everything from there, even if it is only a 15amp service coming in, then you will have things seperated in to different circuits, when/if you run more power back there.

Have fun, plan out what you want and ask for help :)

Pops

[ADaughen]

Pops, I guestimated he had a 15A, he hasn't checked it/replied yet.

[stangslut]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I'm not really sure where to start. I have a buddy who is an electrictian so when I get some time, I'm gonna try and have him come out and look at the place. I like rscoupe's idea about drawing up how I want everything.

As for the wiring and whats already there, I couldn't even begin to tell you.

I'll try and get some pics up ASAP.

5.0calypso under my g/f's joke of a sn, hahahahhaha.

[5.0calypso93lx]

As promised, here are a couple quick pics I just snapped of the garage:

http://files.tagworld.com/44fcf44436ad4636ab003bf67faaff8a.jpeg

http://files.tagworld.com/c91874690b134ca38cb342af1054148f.jpeg

http://files.tagworld.com/72f9ca7dcb5d4130bbecb4c048743c94.jpeg

http://files.tagworld.com/6f89c3d325f84a01af4978f800bc60fd.jpeg

This is a pic of the only wiring I see going into the garage:

http://files.tagworld.com/daacc058da5143a78fbefde6979f0ed6.jpeg

And here is a pic of the ceiling so you can see how far apart the joists are:

http://files.tagworld.com/6822ace4412c44c6a28876bb8c0e8801.jpeg

I live in a condo, so its a two car garage in one building, but we own half, and the neighbors own half. The problem is, is that the garage is open above the dividing wall, so if they wanted they could just come over into our side. So I plan on putting up something to close that off.

Just looking for some planning ideas mostly here, as I won't be able to start working on the garage for some time. I just want to get a heads up on what I'll be getting into, and how to go about it, so it will be done right the first time.

Thanks for your help guys!

[mustangboy]

With it being a condo you may want to consider resale value as well. I would not want to go sink a ton of money in a condo garage that you may not own more than a couple of years and probably won't increase the value much either. I would focus more on getting more lighting and a few more outlets. I don't think I would bother with insulation and drywall. I guess it boils down to your long term plans but if I had to guess this is a stepping stone to getting a house.

[5.0calypso93lx]

With it being a condo you may want to consider resale value as well. I would not want to go sink a ton of money in a condo garage that you may not own more than a couple of years and probably won't increase the value much either. I would focus more on getting more lighting and a few more outlets. I don't think I would bother with insulation and drywall. I guess it boils down to your long term plans but if I had to guess this is a stepping stone to getting a house.

I hear that, and was thinking that as well. But the minimum I would want to do is some more wiring, and extra lighting and outlets, as well as blocking the space between the two garages. Not that anyone would, but I've got quite a bit of money sitting in our garage right now, and wouldn't be happy if anything got jacked. I'll probably skip out on the drywall and insulation until I get a house.