Advice please

[filsgreen]

Hi everyone.

It's been fifteen months now without a workshop and I'm finally back in the land of the living. We're moving to a house that has a garage, which I intend to use as a workshop. What I need advice on is whether to block in the garage doorway to make additional wall space. The garage is 15ft x 9ft and has shelves along both sides of the walls.

I know many forumites use their garage and I would welcome their comments. It has a door at the back and also a window to let the light in, but does anyone open the big main door for ventilation during the summer?

Thanks

Phil

 

[eggflan]

This really is a personal thing as to blocking up the door , im sure a lot of users do open the garage door if its hot or dusty, but if you live on a busy road you need to be carefull that the local scumbags dont see your tools etc or they may be paying you a visit during the night :shock:

I have had 2 break inns in the last 2 years both times they knew what they wanted ( motorbikes ) and while they were in there the second time they also took most of my tools and anything else they could throw in there van :twisted: :twisted: . Because of this i fitted a state of the art alarm and made the small door lock up like fort knox , i then welded the big door shut so that the little £$%*s couldnt get in again , the door could be usable again just by grinding off the weld so if i sell the house in the future then it could be used as a garage again , this is much cheaper than blocking it up and you could just build a false wall behind to use for storage etc .

Im sure someone will come on and say that you need a door at either end incase of fire etc but lets face it most workshops only have one entry exit point ..

Hope this helps , i bet you cant wait to get stuck into some work again :wink: .


Mic..

 

[WellsWood]

but does anyone open the big main door for ventilation during the summer?

Thanks

Phil

Oh yes indeedy! Mine has a fairly low ceiling which is uninsulated (felted flat roof) and the through draught afforded by opening all the doors is pretty essential in the hottest times. Unfortunately it's something of a double edged sword though, since during the winter I often wish for something that kept the draughts out a little more effectively.
And then of course there is the infeed/outfeed area for the TS and P/T both provided by opening the main door, something I would find very difficult (if not just impossible) to do without.
And don't even get me started on what to do with the bike if I couldn't squeeze it into the end of the W/S :roll:

There's a lot more to it than ventilation, security for example may play a part in deciding, and to this end what your garage opens onto will influence the process. I'm fortunate in that my "big" door exposes my stuff to only a very small number of passers by, but if your's opens onto the street for example then your privacy will suffer depending on what type of door you have and how far you open it. Up-and-over doors like mine are great in this respect because if only part opened they allow a lot of ventilation while keeping out prying eyes.

All in all I think I'd keep my big door no matter what, for the simple reason that bricking it up really burns your bridges, and personally I like to keep my options open.

 

[jim_hanna]

I've got much the same configuration ( 8 x 17 garage, main garage door, side door, window). I thought about blocking up the garage door to cut down draughts and give a bit more wall space, decided against it when I tried to take a small bedside unit out of the side door.

 

[big soft moose]

if you do block it up i'd replace it with a wall and wider than average normal door as getting sheet material, large logs, heavy machinery, or large furniture in and out through your alternative access may not be easy/possible

also if your garage is integeral to the house dont forget that swimbo may be less than happy about you bringing any of the above through the lounge/kitchen or whatever.

 

[George_N]

I'd keep the big door operational for the reasons given above, though you might think about some additional security (a couple of internal bolts with padlocks maybe). I certainly need to open mine for infeed space on the tablesaw, plus light and fresh air when the weather permits.

 

[Shultzy]

I'd keep the door, insulate it and cover with ply or mdf. Seal the edges from draughts with reinforced rubber strip.

 

[filsgreen]

Thanks for your replies guys, it looks like I'll keep the door after all.

Phil

 

[skipdiver]

I converted a mates garage to a games room and did as shultzy suggests above.Then made a bar to go in front of it.If he decides to sell up the garage can be quickly converted back to original use.