The wife and I have put an offer on a new house. My current shop is in the garage and the new shop will be in the garage as well. We're located just north of Atlanta, GA. I have a budget of about $7000 to get things going and I plan to include electrical, install a mini-split and insulate.
The Situation
The new garage is 24x24 with 9' ceilings. There is easy access to the attic space above. The main breaker box is in the garage as well. It has 150a service. There is a single double garage door. Nothing is insulated, but the entire area is well shaded.
Insulation
I'm planning on spray cellulose into the attic space. I'm planning on installing a mini-split. Should I insulate the walls as well? I know I can blow in cellulose, but I'm worried about settling. Spray foam seems too expensive. Would it be worth tearing out the drywall and installing mineral wool or fiberglass? It would allow me to rough in the electrical and make it look nice, instead of using EMT.
Cooling
I looking at a Mr. Slim of between 9000-12000 btu with heat pump. The unit is around $1700. If I ran the electrical myself, and hung the wall unit, how much should I expect to pay for turn-up?
Electrical
I'm planning on hiring an electrician to install a sub-panel next to the main panel. Is 125a too much for a 150a main? The most I would be running at once is my Minimax FS30, a 3hp cyclone, and the AC. I could pull all of my electrical from the sub, myself. How much is typical for a very short run sub-panel?
Any advice is welcome. Thanks!
Patrick