Woodworking is a great hobby that can also be a means to earn extra money. However, it also produces a lot of mess and requires a bigger space. If you want to have a woodworking shop right at home, here’s how to convert your garage into one:
Make necessary repairs
First, address the repairs that you need to make before converting your garage so that you don’t have to worry about them later on. If the garage door is faulty, ask a garage door repair service to fix it. If the floor has cracks, remedy them with a sealant (or call a concrete repair service if they are too big or deep). Do a thorough inspection to find any possible areas for repair, especially in the insulation and walls.
Clean out the garage
Here comes the hard part. Remove all the unnecessary items from your garage. If you don’t have extra storage space inside the house, pile all non-workshop related stuff in one area or store it in a shed. This is also a great time to declutter and dispose of things that you no longer need so that you can make room for your woodworking tools and equipment.
Then, give your garage a good cleaning. Wipe down surfaces, mop the floors, take down cobwebs, and remove dust from all your tools and equipment.
Create a layout
Figure out a layout that works best for the amount of space that you have. If you have no other place to park, designate an area to put the car where it won’t get in the way of your work. Maximize the available space that you have, but don’t overcrowd it. Not sure how to create a layout? Make use of online sources or hire someone to make one for you.
A crucial part of planning the layout is also figuring out where to place essential systems, such as electrical outlets, lighting, dust collection systems, and ventilation. In general, you should have plenty of electrical outlets and lights in the main working area. For dust collection, the system should be placed right at the source of the dust. Lastly, you would want the ventilation system to work together with your dust collection systems, such as an air conditioner and exhaust.
Shop for tools, equipment, and furniture
The first piece of furniture that you would want to invest in is your workbench. Since you will be spending a lot of time working on it, it’s better to get a high-quality workbench that is just the right size and height for you. Better yet, have one customized or build your own. Next, shop for the right storage to keep your tools and equipment safe and organized.
As for equipment, it’s better to get smaller power tools that won’t make much noise as larger ones do. If you have to work with large tools, you might want to soundproof your garage to avoid disturbing the neighbors.
After these basic steps, you can customize your woodshop to make it serve you better. You can add pegboards, Bluetooth speakers, a vacuum cleaner, and other things that will make your work easier and more fun. But as always, don’t forget about safety. Make sure your air quality is up to par, and don’t leave objects lying around on the floor.
