Garage Advice

[BaileyNo5]

I'm planning a 3-bay garage that I'm hoping to get enclosed before next winter.  I say 3-bay instead of 3-car, because one bay will be my woodworking shop.  It will also have unfinished space above that one day will be finished off as a small apartment.

It will be detached from the main house and dimensions will be 40' x 26'.  It will have a 10' concrete apron off one end, and the apartment will have a deck above. 

I would really like to get your comments on incorporating a woodshop into the garage space.  Some questions:

1) Should I close off the woodshop from the car bays?
2) I want a flat floor in the woodshop, and a sloping floor with drain in the car bays.  Can the concrete guys do that?
3) Should I put down a wood-on-slab floor in the shop? 
4) Should I have a roll-up door instead of usual garage door? (if my wife will let me.....she might not like the look)

Any other thoughts that would help turn this into a nice shop space?  Appreciate your input.

[srv52761]

Not sure where you live, but regardless, 

1. Insulate… under the slab. My previous life I was an energy manager for a school district.
Since 2009 all our school construction projects have started with high compression closed cell XPS.
Maybe consider in-slab heating?

2.  Insulate … above the slab.  You said you wanted a “flat” workshop.  You may have meant “level” instead of flat.
Personally I think flat is more important than level, but..
In any case don’t try pouring differing planes of concrete.  If you are lucky it will last a long time and should your needs ever change, you’re screwed. 
If you are ok with “flat”, after your slab has cured just throw down a layer of that high compression XPS (Owens Foamular), cover with a 3/4” layer of Advantech osb, and call it good (if you are into “old ‘arn “, maybe go with 1” or 1 1/2” Advantech).
My previous shop was concrete slab, currently osb; what a difference on my legs.  I will never do concrete  again.
If you are going for “level”, probably shimmed 2x4 sleepers with Foamular between, then the Advantech.

3. Insulate… walls and ceiling.

4. Consider a floor drain and plumbing.  

5. Future seems to be electric cars.  Consider
200 amps for your service; 100A for your garage, 100 amps for the work shop; then put your apt. power on whichever one you think will have the least draw, or just run all from one panel.

Would certainly close off the shop area by some method, but would hate to give up the possibility of expanding the shop on an “as needed” basis.

[BaileyNo5]

Thanks srv52761

All sounds like great advice. I'm in a northern location, so insulation all around is a given. Thanks for the specifics on building a wood-on-slab floor. Electric panels will take into account future auto plug-ins. In-slab heat I will look at, but it might break the budget. We'll see.

[fredhargis]

Personally I wouldn't close the shop bay off from the garage. The downsides is that the cars may (will) get a coat of dust on them from time to time, and any noisy tools might be louder since there's more room for the noise to bounce around in. But if it's detached, who cares (except for the poor soul upstairs). The big advantage is that if you need more room, you back a car out. Forced air heating would be easier to manage and keep the cars warm as well. There's probably a long list of other pros/cons I can't remember or never encountered but others will chime in. Lastly, on the OH door.....I've had them on all my shops and hate them. But they're inexpensive (relatively) and is probably what someone who doesn't want a shop would want in the building.

[BaileyNo5]

Hey Fred

Thanks for the input. If I do close off the shop, I'll have a 6' door opening with industrial plastic sheeting. I can easily pull out a car and wheel equipment into the extra bay. Or I can pull equipment outside in spring/summer/fall. I don't plan on doing large projects, hate plywood and don't plan on handling a lot of sheet goods. And in my current 2-bay garage, my wife is always complaining about the dust on her car. She has specifically said - multiple times - she wants some kind of dust barrier.

For heat, I think the options are gas-fired forced air, mini-split, in-slab, woodstove. Forced air may be the most economical, and able to handle the dust.

[goaliedad]

I would put Pex in the slab- even if you don’t use it now. At least you have the option and Pex is not real pricey

Put in the wall Xander put in asetof French door, or double doors.

[BaileyNo5]

I would put Pex in the slab- even if you don’t use it now. At least you have the option and Pex is not real pricey

Put in the wall Xander put in asetof French door, or double doors.

goaliedad, that is something worth considering. I currently have slab heat in my garage (didn't tell my wife I was doing it when the house was built, I had some 'splaining to do when she found out) and I really like it. I'll do some more investigating. I took a quick look at Radiantec kits, didn't look to bad price-wise.

I think the spellchecker got hold of your door comment, not sure what you mean?

[JosephP]

I'd match all the doors.  How often do you think you'll open the garage door in the shop?

I'd probably do overhead door because that will look better from the outside...unless that isn't a factor.

A jackshaft opener will take up less ceiling space.  You can even have higher (10'?) ceilings with standard 7' tall door if you do that.

Might insulate behind the door if you don't think you will use that door often.

Maybe a cheap/non-permanent wall between the shop and garage?  Will cut down on temperature and moisture changes in the shop.

[toolmiser]

If you don't get all three as overhead doors, I would install a header for the third anyway. That case you could add the last door without much structural work.

[BaileyNo5]

I'd match all the doors.  How often do you think you'll open the garage door in the shop?

I'd probably do overhead door because that will look better from the outside...unless that isn't a factor.

A jackshaft opener will take up less ceiling space.  You can even have higher (10'?) ceilings with standard 7' tall door if you do that.

Might insulate behind the door if you don't think you will use that door often.

Maybe a cheap/non-permanent wall between the shop and garage?  Will cut down on temperature and moisture changes in the shop.

Have to admit matching doors is the best option - and won't cause a fuss with the spouse.  I had thought about one of those jackshaft openers, much more compact.  Good idea. 

I had thought about industrial plastic sheeting as a dust barrier, which could easily be removed.  What kind of temporary wall were you thinking?