I will be moving into a home with a three car garage attached garage. That third stall (17 X 10) would make snug shop and I am beginning to make plans. Since I live in Minnesota, many of the warm weather shop ideas won’t work for me. I’ll need heating and I’ll have to finish and insulate the weather-side walls (the house-side walls are already finished and insulated). The garage floor (concrete) has never been sealed or painted. So, I’ll do that right away.
One of my first steps will be to build a partition wall to divide that third stall from the other two stalls. One way to build that partition wall would be to simply put down a 2 x 4 and build the partition. However, if I do that, the sheet rock will come down quite close to the floor. Washing the floor in the garage side would result in damage to the sheet rock.
Does anybody have any suggestions for building that partition wall with some “splash space”?
Any ideas or links for third shop stall conversions?
Replies
third stall
your very lucky,if that was mine, I would take all three stalls. As for water, why not use exterior grade wood sheeting, it's more costly but you will not have a moisture problem. Before putting it up, I would also use a water seal on it, do both sides, at least 4' up. I used it in a flood prone basement with no trouble. Good luck on the new shop.
Wood Sheeting
Thanks for your kind reply. I had never thought of exterior grade wood sheeting. That is one thing I'll seriously consider.
I did what you are planning. I covered the exterior (garage side) of the wall with 'particle board'. I've never had a problem with "splash' but if it really is of concern, a coat of poly would certainly water[roof it enough.
I covered the shop-sode of the walls with Birch T-1 (I think that's what it is called.) which gives a nice warm, bright and wood-shop feel to the place.
With either sheet rock or the T-1, you have to look for studs to hang anything of weight.
Frosty
Voice of Experience
Thanks for your kind comments. I was hoping to hear from someone who had converted a garage stall into a shop.
Your advice is well taken and if you think of more please pass it on.
I stole some space in the garage for storage of sheet goods. I have to angle my car slightly as I enter the garage which is not a problem considering what I gain.
The front part of the support grid simply 'flops out' to allow me to choose the material I want. The high-tech restraint is clothes line. The 'floor' of the storage unit is covered with UHMW plastic so the sheets slide in and out easlily. Not really necessary.
By the way, behind the rack you can see the particle board exterior wall-covering I mentioned in my first post.
Frosty
Plywood Rack
Looks Great! Thanks for the pictures.
Install a PT baseboard.
The 2x4 on the floor should probably be a 2x6 so you can make the wall thicker for better insulation in your climate, actually a foot thick isn't too much.
In any case, the piece of 2x on the floor should be pressure treated. After the studs are in place, take a PT 2x8 or 2x10 and attach it to the studs as a large baseboard on the garage side of the wall. Put some blocking on the top inside edge of the baseboard in each bay to give some backing for the bottom edge of the sheetrock and then rock the wall starting from the top of the baseboard. It wouldn't hurt to use the green moisture resistant sheetrock for the wall also.
If you have the budget and the headroom, consider putting down an insulated wood floor in the shop bay, it will make it a much more comfortable space to work in.
John,
Thanks for your thoughts. The PT 2X6 idea sounds great for insulation. I had not thought about insulating the floor. I'll definitely look into it. The PT base gives me some ideas.
Frankly, I'm surprised you have the time to reply. I sincerely appreciate your kindness.
You're welcome
I'm assuming that hosing out the garage is the result of snow and slush being "tracked in" by the tire treads of the cars being parked?
If so, another option would be to epoxy L-shaped flashing to the floor and the wall on the garage side, thus providing a water-proof seal along the floor line. On the garage side, you might also consider using "greenboard" for the wall to prevent potential mold problems from over-spray. If you plan to attach 2x4s or 2x6s directly to the concrete floor with bolts and anchors, I'd also consider using treated lumber for the base, or a moisture barrier, so as to avoid problems of moisture absorption from the concrete.
Ralph,
Thanks for your thoughts. I generally have used a two-part epoxy type paint on my garage floors. Snow comes in on our cars during the winter and melts. We are not always as good as we should be about kicking off the snow from the wheel wells before pulling into the driveway and garage. I generally clean my garage floors just after winter, at least twice during the summer and once just before winter. I use a hose, a long-handled brush, a bucket of hot soapy water and a floor squeegie. That does result in some water sloshing around. But that method gets the floor really clean.
I'm thinking that I'll use 2 X 6's pressure treated for the partition wall and a 2 X 6 or 8 pressure treated for a base with a rabbet to accept green board sheetrock. I think if I paint the floor first, I can can screw the partition footer 2 X 6 to the floor with Tap Con type screws. I think I could use a bead of silicone caulk along the footer to prevent water from flowing into the shop under the footer.
I move into the new place in mid May so I have some time to mull everything over and get input from thoughtful and considerate people like you.
Only one third?
I realize that this dosen't not answer the question that you asked, but I also have a three car garage that I use as a shop. I was thinking about building a wall at first too. But, I decided not to eliminate the flexability of that space by installing a wall. I have my stationary tools arranged in a relitavely perminant position in the third bay of the garage. I have a varity of tools on carts, tables, and lumber racks that I can roll out into the other two bays of the garage. They roll up to power outlets and dust collector connections. It only takes a few minutes to roll everything into position and hook it up. When everything is in the expanded mode I have a nice spacious shop. When everything is rolled back into the areas between the stationary tools I still have a two car garage. This may not work for you, but I thought that I would mention a different solution.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Thanks for the thoughts.
I wonder whether your situation is the same as mine. I would like to have a year round shop. And I'm a bit of a sissy when it comes to working in a garage shop here in Minnesota.
In the home I just sold, I had a tuck-under 2 1/2 car car garage that was spacious. When I moved in there I bought my first piece of shop equipment - a table saw. I thought i might be able to work in the garage in winter. Well, that was a big WRONG. It was not at all enjoyable. I'm basically retired and I really want to enjoy my shop time -- not shiver it away.
The good news is that this looks to be the first March in recorded history without measurable snowfall in March.
I move into the new place in mid-May. I hope to get a blog going and write about my garage, shop and experience in learning woodworking.
A variation on GPSSam's arrangement you might consider is building two semi-stub walls, leaving a fairly large doorway, and then covering that with a barn-style door on rollers. With flexible felt-strip weatherstripping it would seal well enough to allow the normal shop space to be heated, but easily allow expanding the work area into an empty bay when desired. If the space is tall enough, a regular entry door could be installed in the barn-style sliding door. .
OBTW
If you have some pictures of your shop, i would appreciate the opportunity to look at them.
My shop is very small and it seems that sawdust gets into everyplace no matter what I do to prevent it. OK, sometimes I forget to turn on the dust collector..
My first thought was to use some galvanized 'U' channel at the floor. The big boxs sell it and not that expensive BUT NOT VERY HIGH. Try some 'fitted to the floor' treated lumber with a silicon bead run along the bottom of the wood to the floor and then the 'U' channel on top of the wood.
I would assume that your garage has no air intake from the garage into the heating equipment.. I sure hope SO! You must seal off everything or the lady of house... WILL get very upset... if her car is full of sawdust. Big trouble ahead!
I am always amazid at how much sawdust a table saw od router can make!
Thanks for your thoughts.
Point well taken. Dust is always a problem. And you are right, my wife just won't tolerate dust infiltration. I do have a Penn State vacuum device and I will find a way to use it in the shop. Ditto an overhead air filter unit. My wife pitched a fit when I used my then new saw to make up some milling machine way covers for work.
Splash space
You could use some concrete board on the lower 24 inches of the wall, its completetly waterproof. It's inexpensive and available at any of the home supply stores.
In lieu of 6 inch studs.
I would suggest 2x4's but add 2" of continuous rigid foam insulation. The net thickness will still be 5-1/2" but the continuous rigid insulation eliminates the studs that "conduct" heat right thought the traditional batt insulation approach.
I don't have the numbers in front of me but the actual assembly R-value of (r19) insulation in a wood stud wall is something like R12. 2" of rigid will match that. So if you use 3" of batt with 2" of rigid you will greatly increase the overall R-value.
Building codes are beginning to catch on to the continuous insulation approach. You could be a ground breaker.
Best to cover the rigid with drywall since it is more flamable (and code requires it be covered on the interior of a building)
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