Hello SMC, long time reader, first time member, first time posting. I’m in the planning stage of a new workshop and am looking for advice and recommendations from this community.

My future shop is a two car detached garage a little more than 100ft from my home. See pictures below. What you see is all there is to the structure: two overhead doors, three windows, block walls, a partial drywall ceiling, and a roof. No insulation, and the electric you see was disconnected from the main house long before I purchased the property. The dimensions are about 20’ by 22’, making 440sqft and about 8ft to the ceiling.

My goal is a shop that I can work in year round and enough flexibility that it can change easily as my needs change. What would you do with this space? Please tell me where I’m on the right track, where I’ve gone wrong, and what I’m forgetting. Here’s what I’m thinking:

Walls:

  • moisture barrier (some kind of paint on product?) over the blocks.
  • Rigid foam insulation 1 - 2”?
  • Stud walls containing the electrical and fiberglass batts
  • Some kind of plywood or osb covering
  • White paint
  • DC closet


Electrical:

  • 100 amp sub panel
  • Dedicated Circuits for each of the major machines
  • 120v and 240v receptacles placed readily around the perimeter, wired for flexibility later
  • Some kind of column to deliver power to wherever the table saw ends up
  • Lots of overhead LED lighting


Ceiling

  • remove the current incomplete drywall ceiling to expose the rafters. This is to make insulation, electrical, and dust collector ducting easier. Also, maybe some storage in the front part of the building.
  • Insulate some how


HVAC

  • I’m located in upstate NY, so winters can get cold and summers can get hot and humid
  • Electric ceiling mount heater
  • maybe a small wood stove if that chimney can be used.
  • Window AC unit
  • Mini split sometime in the future


Windows and doors

  • the windows are these weird single pane tilt-in things and should probably be replaced. As they are they will not allow for a window ac unit, and are probably not energy efficient.
  • Replace one of the overhead doors with a man door and a large window. Similar Insulation treatment as the other walls.
  • Seal up the other door so that it’s not drafty. Eventually replace with something more insulated


Floor

  • Not entirely sure what to do here; I’m hesitant to add anything that will effectively make my ceilings lower.
  • I put some concrete sealer down a couple years ago
  • Put some anti fatigue mats down in the places I will stand the most


Well, thank you for reading this far. I think that this is serving as a way for me to organize my thoughts as much as it is a solicitation for advice. This is a big project and It’s a little overwhelming.

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