Garage Renovation for Workshop

[Denis Rezendes]

Some quick background. I built furniture when I was in high school and had a workshop at my parents house but haven't had workshop access since I started college, about 12 years ago. My wife and I bought a house a little over two years ago and we've done some pretty substantial renovations, doing a lot of the work ourselves with the help of family members who are in the trades. At this point I know enough to know what terms to plug into Google and have a decent network when that doesn't work.

One of the big selling points for me was the detached 2 car garage, which I always planned to turn into a workshop. That has been my project this summer, as the garage needed substantial renovations as well. It's starting to come together so I thought I would share my progress right before I get to the really fun part (adding tools). Secondarily, I'm getting to the point where non woodworkers are starting to say things like "why would you bother with that in a garage," so I'm hoping a group of like minded individuals will share my enthusiasm a little more.

I don't really have a good before picture, but the two big problems were that someone forgot to pull a rogue Norway maple out 50-60 years ago and over time the landscape has been regraded leaving most of the wooden garage walls underground. We got the tree removed, although I did have to dig out a lot of the remaining stump by hand, and put the garage up on blocks. We backfilled with crushed stone and put a perimeter drain in the areas that are below grade which runs to the drywell I installed last year. One of the few occasions where I've adequately planned ahead in this renovation process.

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Due to the walls being below grade, the back of the garage was rotted out with the back right corner being about 2 inches lower than the front and the back left corner was about 5 inches lower. I raised those back corners to get me within a 1/2" of level all the way around and built up the sill to get an extra 3" all the way around so I had enough headroom for a full 7' garage door. We also used some push braces to try to get everything as close to plumb as possible before putting the new sheathing on.

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Once it was sheathed I got quotes for siding and didn't like any of the numbers I got back so I gave it my best shot. I have the trim coil for the fascia trim but I haven't gotten around to renting an aluminum break yet.

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Moving on to the inside. I managed to get my hands on a 25 ft aluminum I-beam (the actual span is only 18 feet) to hang ceiling joists on for the garage door tracks and drywall. I also followed the lead of a few members on this forum to install a dimple membrane over the concrete floor and add an osb subfloor.

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I'm currently scouring Facebook marketplace for a deal on flooring (as well as any tools I can find - I've found a bandsaw and a drill press so far) to put over the subfloor, although even if I find something I don't plan on installing flooring until the garage is insulated, drywalled and the mini split is up and running. Right now there's just one outlet but I should have a sub-panel in some time next week. There was an existing conduit running from the house to the garage so we're going to utilize that to put in a 60 amp sub. Then the plan is to run a track along the sill for outlets, like you would have in a lab, so that outlets can be rearranged at any point in the future as the shop layout changes.

If anyone finds this interesting I'm happy to keep updating. I've gotten a lot of great ideas (such as the dimple membrane) from this forum and I'm sure I will get a lot more now that I'm getting close to the actual "workshop" part of this renovation.

[Sam Force]

Looks like the beginning of a fine workshop to me, please continue with the pictures and the progress

[Zachary Hoyt]

It looks like you've made a lot of progress, good for you. It should be a handy space when you're ready to start using it.

If I read your post correctly and you have a 3/4" conduit to the garage that is not big enough for wires that will carry 60 amps. Probably not physically big enough and certainly would not pass inspection. If I misunderstood then disregard that concern.

[Denis Rezendes]

Hey Zachary, you are correct. I must have remembered it incorrectly, I updated the post. I didn't have a tape measure on me but I took a quick look and it's definitely larger than 3/4". I'm not doing the electrical myself so I'm fuzzy on the details there.

[Jim Becker]

That's coming along really nicely!! It's very nice when you can get a property that has an outbuilding that can be used for a shop and can enjoy the process of creating it. I'm glad you could get things updated to deal with the grade, etc., too.

Since you're shooting for conditioned space with the mini split and you have that wonderful open ceiling, if you can swing the cost, go for closed cell spray foam insulation. Keeping the space open will make a "yuge" positive impact on how big it feels and will make utilizing vertical material storage at the gable end(s) practical.

As to your electrical feed, your electrician will check any existing conduit and determine if it's code-usable for the intended level of service to the building. If it needs replaced, I'm sure they will be "happy to help". ;)

[Bill Dufour]

location? Climate? Insulate the roof while it is open from the floor. Polyiso insualtion has doubled in the last three years. the foil really helps reduce solar gain in my climate. Roof deck bottom 135, bottom of insulation 110 or less in mid afternoon summer day.
Bill D.

[Denis Rezendes]

Jim and Bill, really like the closed cell spray foam idea. I have some leftover from our bathroom renovation so I have some experience with it. I'll have to get a quote though, it might not be cheaper to DIY at ~1200 board ft. The location is Boston area. Cost is definitely a consideration but spending a little extra to make it a nicer space for years or decades of use is worth it in my opinion.

The roof space is deceptively small, so there's not as much room for storage as it looks like but I agree that keeping that space open will leave the whole space with a much nicer feel. I had originally planned limited storage, beach items and other small things, but once I got the beam in place, added the joists, and replaced the rafter ties that had been removed/hacked up there really wasn't a lot of room left over.

[Jim Becker]

While the cost to do my 24x36x10 shop with spray foam was not insubstantial, it was worth every penny to me. It's not just about thermal qualities...it's also about air and moisture sealing as well as the structural benefits. Get local quotes and look for the "smaller operator". That's what produced the best price for my shop...not quite half what one larger insulation firm wanted. And the installer was highly skilled and got the work done quickly.

[Denis Rezendes]

Appreciate the advice Jim. I'm planning to get a few quotes from local contractors. If the price is too high for me to stomach, I'll probably do 2" of spray foam using a DIY kit and fill the rest of the bay with rockwool or fiberglass. I've done that before successfully and it saves some money for tools if filling the whole bay with foam is prohibitively expensive.

[Kris Cook]

Looking good. Nice to have shop space particularly separate from the house. Nice work so far.

FWIW I used pre-made steel fascia on my shop building and it goes up pretty easily.

[Jim Becker]

"Flash and batt" with rockwool is a very good method for your walls for sure. It's a bit harder up top so if you need to spend some money, that's where I'd have the pro do the underside of the roof and then either have them do the flash coat on the walls for you or do that DIY. Closed cell spray foam is unfortunately expensive "up front" although over time, it can result in a more comfortable space as well as more efficient heating/cooling.

[Bill Dufour]

Contact your utility companies and see if they offer heating, insulation, ac, and lighting free planing services and/or discounted rates or rebates,
BilL D

[Bill Dufour]

https://www.mass.gov/guides/massachusetts-energy-rebates-incentives

Does it have an old heater/ac/ fridge? maybe get money to turn it in for scrap.
Bill D

[Denis Rezendes]

There was nothing in the garage before and everything in the house is new at this point. I did the Mass Save program two years ago and it was great at the time. I have had trouble finding a straight answer on whether I can use the state or federal incentives for a garage but it's worth it to try to figure that out as the incentives are much higher now.

[David Stone (CT)]

The shop space is looking fantastic, having good insulation with proper heat and AC, to boot, will be wonderful, and I'm amazed by the amount of work you've done yourself in such a short period of time .... Finding a property where a home shop is even feasible is no small thing in the Boston area (where I live as well), given the housing stock and property values, and banishing stuff that, for most people, lives in the garage to the basement, somewhere else in the house or offsite storage is a price to be paid. Enjoy.

[Jack Frederick]

“For a garage”? Don’t designate it as such. You are improving the interior of your home. Yes, it has a big door, but you are building this out as an extension of the home. Also, having experience with this in the Boston area, once you condition it and turn it into a shop you won’t want cars in and out of it. They make too much of a mess. Project cars aside, of course.

[David William]

It's impressive how you've tackled the renovation of your garage to create a workshop space. The dedication and planning you've put into this project are evident, and it's clear that you're passionate about woodworking. Having a dedicated workshop can be a game-changer, and you'll soon be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor as you bring in your tools and start creating. It's great to see your progress and enthusiasm for your woodworking journey!

[Alan Lightstone]

Having lived North of Boston, I would do spray foam if it was me. I didn't do that in my garage when I lived there, but I didn't use that as a workshop. Can you say frozen pipes??

[Denis Rezendes]

Hoping to post an update soon but I ended up going with spray foam on the roof. The extra ceiling space will make it feel a lot more open and I avoided needing to add a vent to the roof. No water out to the garage fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you look at it).

We replaced all the plumbing in our house when we bought it and made sure all the water pipes were inside the envelope. This past winter was especially cold, lots of burst pipes among friends and family, and we didn't have any issues.

[Jim Becker]

I have zero regrets for doing the spray foam and keeping the "up there" space open in my own new shop, Denis. There are so many advantages, both visually as well as practically, and for the latter, it includes ease of putting certain kinds of infrastructure up above the bottom of truss/ceiling level.

[Denis Rezendes]

Agreed, it will be nice to run the ducts for dust collection above what would have been the ceiling level.

[Denis Rezendes]

The tagline for my home renovations has been "I thought I'd be done by now" and the workshop has been no exception. I did some traveling in November and wasn't able to finish the walls before then so I had to wait until I had a heat source before continuing. That's all been rectified now and I'm cruising again so here's a quick update and I should have more soon.

I took Jim and Bill's advice and went with closed cell spray foam for the roof. Vaulted ceiling and exposed beams are all the rage right now.

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I had an AD741 delivered somewhere along the way ... it was a giant pain to work around. I also managed to find some used red oak engineered hardwood on Facebook marketplace within my self imposed $1 a square foot budget. I had to level portions of the floor for the floating installation and I wish I had spent more time leveling the OSB from below. I probably could have gotten away with self leveler but I used something that's approved for use over OSB and that stuff is not cheap.

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I still have to scribe the last pieces of flooring once it finally stops raining outside. I don't want to get the floor too dirty just yet... The electrical is getting there as well. In the picture below you can see the lab trough which will hold all the wires and allow me to move outlets as needed while I figure out the layout.

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This weekend I'm planning on finishing up the flooring, triming out the windows and doors, and laying out the lights. I went with the Barrina strip lights so I can spread them around the shop and hopefully get sufficient lighting.

I'm also going to run down to my parents house and grab my old Oneida V-3000. I've been going deep down the dust collection rabbit hole over the past week. If I can overcome my crippling indecision for various duct layouts then I should have an update on that shortly.

[Ron Selzer]

"I went with the Barrina strip lights so I can spread them around the shop and hopefully get sufficient lighting.

I have the 4' Barrina strip lights. As my eyes get used to(older) the amount of light. I just buy another pack and scatter them around.
Sure beats fluorescent and 300 watt incadensant lamps.
Ron

[Jim Becker]

I did the 8' Barrina lighting...14 of them. :) Only about $280 which was eye opening, too.

[Denis Rezendes]

It's finally starting to look like a workshop. I finished the flooring, installed the lights, and added baseboards and window trim. The Barrina lights are really bright. I went with the 5k lights and the lighting is great but I might opt for something a little softer at some point and supplement with the 5k in areas where I need the extra light. I'm not in a rush to do that though and plan to work in the shop for a bit before making any lighting changes.

Once I had the room for it I went out and picked up a SawStop PCS with the industrial mobile base. I bought the router table extension on sale from Harvey and that should arrive on Friday.

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I went down to my parents and picked up the old Oneida. Unfortunately, Oneida doesn't make a wall mount for the older steel models and didn't have any solutions to help me out. We ended up building a strut rack to hold it in place which I honestly think was a better solution. It's rock solid and with the rubber washers there's no vibration at all. I'm watching Facebook marketplace for a 55 gallon steel drum close to me with a clamping lid to replace the carboard drum but it will work for now. I also have most of the components to make a filter gauge and bin sensor. I just need to pick up an LED light for the bin sensor. Hopefully I'll get to that this weekend.

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I'm also hoping to get started on the ducting this weekend. I tried pricing out the clamp together duct but couldn't make the numbers work. I have a good source for 6" spiral locally so I'll only have to order the fittings which ends up being roughly 1/4 of the cost of the quotes I got for the clamp together. I'm planning on buying the fittings from Air Handling Systems in CT. If anyone has any experience with them I'd love to hear them.

[Daniel O'Neill]

Denis,
I'm enjoying your build a lot! I have been slow poking my build out for my shed and am happy to see others making nice progress :). I stop by now and again when the WW bug has bit me but I can't really do anything about it. I bought ceiling insulation in December and finally got 1/4 of it finished last night. Enjoy your shop it's looking great so far!

[Ron Selzer]

Looking good, nice and roomy. The Barrina lights are a shock when first installed, once you spend some time in there they are just right and other places are dark. Plummer remove a 4' fluorescent light above drill presses when doing bathroom remodel. I bought another 6 pack of Barrina's, just need to take time to hang two above the drill presses to see again.
You will really like that industrial mobile base, especially if you move the saw very much. I use mine all the time as I have too many tools in too small of a space.
Ron

[Jim Becker]

I personally like my shop space very bright and at 4100-5000K color temp when working, but some folks do prefer it more muted or at a lower color temp. It's kinda subjective. But yes, the Barrina lights are excellent, especially for the money and ease of install.

In the one photo, you seem to have the cyclone near the mini split air handler. Hopefully that will change, both for keeping the dust further away from the inside unit as well as insuring you can easily get up there to service it regularly. (filter cleaning) I say that because in my "infinite wisdom" I have my vertical lumber rack on the same wall as the air handler and that means a little more precarious operation when I clean the filters which in my case is nearly 10' up in the air.

The quick connect stuff is indeed more expensive, but I don't regret it one bit. But it can be mixed with less expensive spiral. I found that Blastgate Company had the best cost for the quick connect at the time and Dan was a pleasure to deal with.

[George Yetka]

It's finally starting to look like a workshop. I finished the flooring, installed the lights, and added baseboards and window trim. The Barrina lights are really bright. I went with the 5k lights and the lighting is great but I might opt for something a little softer at some point and supplement with the 5k in areas where I need the extra light. I'm not in a rush to do that though and plan to work in the shop for a bit before making any lighting changes.

Once I had the room for it I went out and picked up a SawStop PCS with the industrial mobile base. I bought the router table extension on sale from Harvey and that should arrive on Friday.

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I went down to my parents and picked up the old Oneida. Unfortunately, Oneida doesn't make a wall mount for the older steel models and didn't have any solutions to help me out. We ended up building a strut rack to hold it in place which I honestly think was a better solution. It's rock solid and with the rubber washers there's no vibration at all. I'm watching Facebook marketplace for a 55 gallon steel drum close to me with a clamping lid to replace the carboard drum but it will work for now. I also have most of the components to make a filter gauge and bin sensor. I just need to pick up an LED light for the bin sensor. Hopefully I'll get to that this weekend.

515479

I'm also hoping to get started on the ducting this weekend. I tried pricing out the clamp together duct but couldn't make the numbers work. I have a good source for 6" spiral locally so I'll only have to order the fittings which ends up being roughly 1/4 of the cost of the quotes I got for the clamp together. I'm planning on buying the fittings from Air Handling Systems in CT. If anyone has any experience with them I'd love to hear them.

I built a bin sensor for mine hooked to an led strobe. It worked for 2 loads and stopped. Im not sure why but it was nice while it lasted.I have a 3' clear section above my 40 gallon bucket so I can see the dust.

[Denis Rezendes]

In the one photo, you seem to have the cyclone near the mini split air handler.
...
The quick connect stuff is indeed more expensive, but I don't regret it one bit. But it can be mixed with less expensive spiral. I found that Blastgate Company had the best cost for the quick connect at the time and Dan was a pleasure to deal with.

In the first picture the cyclone was still in its stand, we moved it into the corner when we hung it up on the wall. It's probably 8 feet away from the split so hopefully that's enough room to keep the dust away.

I priced out blastgate along with a few local companies. They definitely had the best prices but the spiral piping I got was virtually free and it's tough to beat that.

[Bill Dufour]

I always wondered if a cyclone mount could be a simple stand with a empty tire on top. Just set the cyclone into a correct diameter tire for easy vibration reduction flex mount.
Bill D

[Denis Rezendes]

I made some good progress on the duct work this week. I did end up ordering all of the fittings from Air Handling Systems in CT. They were great. I called too late in the day for them to get the order out the same day, but they got it out the following day and I received the shipment the day after that. I need a little more straight pipe, which I should have in hand next week. For now, all of the blast gates are in so I can still use the system but I will have to run a longer flex pipe from the bandsaw drop over to the tablesaw while I wait for the extra duct.

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I also put up some french cleat boards. The first board is behind where the workbench will live and will hold mostly hand tools. It's been fun making the holders for each tool. I still have a box of tools to go through and I'll chip away at that as time permits.

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The other board is going to be for clamps and other general shop equipment. I plan on replacing the Woodriver parallel clamps at some point but it's not a priority. I bought those years ago when my budget was a little tighter and I always find myself reaching for the Bessey's first because they are much nicer to use. I also ordered to few Dubuque clamps for a test run and was really happy with them so I have another shipment of those on the way to aid in my workbench build.

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I took a trip down to the local lumberyard for workbench materials last weekend. I would have preferred doug fir but they didn't have any in stock and I didn't want to spend hours combing through the pile at Home Depot so I ended up with spruce. The spruce is from a German company, rettenmeier, and the guy at the lumberyard spoke highly of it. It was very clear for construction grade and I measured 9-12% mc consistently from the middle of the boards, all 16ft 2x12s. Not what I planned on initially but it will do the job and seems like high quality lumber for the price.

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The shop needs a thorough cleaning tonight and then hopefully I'll start milling and gluing up parts for the workbench tomorrow. I have some house work to do over the next week so I'll be able to stay busy while waiting for glue to dry.