# House downsize, garage upsize!



## NosmoKing (20 Nov 2020)

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for welcoming me to the forum. 

As the title suggests, we're downsizing (binlids have finally scarpered - but they will be back from time to time, particularly when they want something...) but the house we're going for has a double garage - after years of struggling in a single garage workshop - all my stuff on wheels, having to move things around to use anything etc etc - I'm sure you know what I mean!

Anyway - blank canvas. Double garage with a roller door (not yet fitted). There's a pitched roof so I'll be adding a ladder / steps (fold away - like a loft ladder) for storage. 

Attached to the house so there's a personnel door but detached from any neighbours (no / few concerns with noise).

I'll be resin painting the floor before anything goes in and fitting dado trunking around the perimeter for sockets etc. New LED lighting to boot.

My major items of kit are:
1. Workbench - big solid heavy thing I've had for 30 years - from the joiners shop where I used to work when they decided they didn't need a joiners shop any more. 2m x 1m. Front drawers and under bench storage
2. Scheppach tablesaw with sliding table - on wheels
3. Scheppach planer thicknesser - on wheels
4. Makita sliding compound mitre saw
5. Scheppach dust collector with galvanised extraction pipe, a couple of Ts and a length of flex hose
6. Little used Woodrat (not easy to get to)
7. Floor mounted sander (belt / disk)
8. Solid Wadkin floor standing mortice machine (from a local college, 3 phase, bolted on a variable speed drive - fantastic!)
9. Row of wooden shelf units
10. I'll be adding a router table as well - when I get to build it
11. Sink with water heater and an electric hand drier

So the query is - any suggestions for the layout? I work with mostly small stuff - up to medium table size but the occasional 8x4 sheet that'll need ripping.
I can see the space filling rapidly...!

Thanks folks!


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## Doug B (20 Nov 2020)

Hi & welcome to the forum.
Personally & this is from my own experience of not doing it, whilst it’s empty I would put a floating wooden floor of some kind preferably with some insulation under it, I certainly wish I had. Concrete is so unforgiving & your feet will thank you if you do.


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## LeeElms (20 Nov 2020)

I was just going to say what DougB has said above. The insulation is very important assuming you plan to heat the workshop; a large proportion of the heat is otherwise used to raise the temperature of the concrete.


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## NickM (20 Nov 2020)

Wow, sounds exciting!

If I were in your position, I think I'd be tempted to go through a process of imagining one or two projects (pick something that's representative of the sort of thing you commonly do), and going through it step by step trying to imagine how you would want to move around your work shop. Start from coming home from the timber supplier - what do you do with the wood? How would you prepare the timber? Where do you go to sharpen tools? How do you turn the dust extraction on? etc.

I think if you do that in a lot of detail, you might start to get a good idea of what layout makes sense. You could even sketch out a layout on a piece of paper and work through the imaginary project with that in front of you tweaking it as you go along.


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## Lons (20 Nov 2020)

Nice to look forward to 
As said I'd look to plan the fixed benches cupboards etc. it's a long time ago so I did mine on a sheet of graph paper with to scale bits of card for those but that was 30+ years ago and it's changed numerous times since then, I'd use a CAD program now.
My advice though would be keep everything on wheels anyway so you can move if necessary you'll grow into the garage very quickly and it still won't be big enough, it never is.  And if you don't have a track saw you should seriously look at one as it will make your life a lot easier.

As an aside, I've been "preparing" my wife for years telling her that if or when we downsize I'll be looking for a VERY large workshop with some sort of accommodation the latter being definitely the secondary consideration.


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## Doug B (20 Nov 2020)

Lons said:


> As an aside, I've been "preparing" my wife for years telling her that if or when we downsize I'll be looking for a VERY large workshop with some sort of accommodation the latter being definitely the secondary consideration.


& hows that gone so far Bob


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## Lons (20 Nov 2020)

Doug B said:


> & hows that gone so far Bob


Pretty well, I talk to her when she's asleep.


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## Cabinetman (20 Nov 2020)

A really exiting time for you, there was another thread on here about how to insulate a roller door, and the answer was "well I wouldn’t start from here" suggest you go for a door made from horizontal panels which are easy to insulate, as others have said insulation is the key! Welcome by the way, Ian


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## Benchwayze (21 Nov 2020)

Welcome to the forum . Sounds like you're all set for an enjoyable time. I use an integral single garage that grew into a workshop. Biggest drawback of course is space. I also wish I had attended to the floor when I first moved in but I didn't. Consequently I have a concrete floor which has a slight drainage fall. I've lived with it no problem and to keep my tootsies warm I use the rubber interlocking mats I got from Axminster. Just along the four-foot wide, central ailse. I don't have room to move equipment about so mats are no problem in that respect. If I ever do have to move a machine I just lift the mats out of the way.

John


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## BruceK (21 Nov 2020)

If it's not too late why not install a steel beam with roller hoist so you can lift heavier pieces of work? It's a must in my next workshop; especially since I'm now a senior.


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## NosmoKing (24 Nov 2020)

Hey folks
Thanks for the replies - some great suggestions.
It's a big sq m area so I'm not that keen on fitting wooden flooring. I can see the benefit though. I have carpet offcuts down at the moment which work a treat so I might stick with this for now.

I'm keeping the P/T and the TS on wheels. Bandsaw and sander will be against the wall. Overhead 6" duct with flex connectors dropping down I think - 1 permanent to the bandsaw / sander, and one 'hanging' to use with the P/T or the TS when it's stage centre.

Mitre saw - I think this will be fixed on a wall opposite to the shelves, in a box type arrangement with a flex connection to the dust collector.

Shelves along one wall.

I'm going to have to do a scale drawing I think.

Thanks again everyone


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