Get to Work: 5 Amazing Garage Workshop Ideas

Out of the 82% of homes in the US that have a two car garage or larger, only 15% use that space to park their cars. In many cases, the garage becomes a storage area that’s too packed to fit anything else.

If you’re content parking your car (or at least one of them) outside, you may not be concerned about cleaning your garage out. However, a garage is the perfect place to create a workshop, so you can finally do all those projects you’ve been talking about.

With the right garage workshop ideas, you can create the ultimate workspace that you’ll never want to leave. Depending on the size of your garage, you may even have room left over to park your car!

Do you want to know more? Keep reading to discover the best ideas to transform your garage.

1. Think About Temperature

While the garage is the ideal location for a workshop for several reasons, it does come with one fatal flaw: Most garages don’t have any type of temperature control in place.

If you don’t figure out a way to keep your garage cool in the summer and warm in the winter, you’ll likely only end up using it for a few nice months in the spring and fall. Luckily, there are a few things you can do.

You can start by insulating your garage, which may include getting a new garage door. Not only will this help regulate the temperature throughout the year, but it’ll also drown out some of the noise, so your neighbors and family don’t complain.

However, in most areas, this insulation won’t be enough to keep the garage comfortable all year long. Consider getting a powerful window air conditioner to cool things down in the summer and installing a garage heating unit to keep yourself warm in the winter.

All this may seem a bit pricey at first, but you’ll end up getting a ton of use out of your garage, so it’ll all be worth it in the long run.

2. Give Yourself Room

You may be looking at the stacks of Christmas decorations, bikes, and other miscellaneous items right about now, wondering how you’ll ever find room for a workshop. But how much of that stuff do you really need?

Start by going through everything you’re storing and get rid of things you don’t use or need anymore. Then, think about alternative storage areas for the remaining items. Do you have a backyard shed, attic, or basement with room for these things?

Ideally, you’d be able to move everything out of the garage. However, this isn’t always possible. If you can’t find a new home for everything you’re currently storing in the garage, at least reorganize it so you have an area dedicated to your workspace and a different area dedicated to storage.

3. Add Good Lighting

The last thing you want to do is end up hurting yourself because you couldn’t see properly. Most garages don’t already have adequate lighting for a workshop, so you’ll need to add your own.

Stick with a high-intensity light, like LED, fluorescent, or halogen. You’ll want to make sure you put lighting above your workbench and around any large pieces of equipment. If you’ll be working on very detailed projects at your workbench, consider getting a flexible goose-neck light, so you can control exactly where the light goes.

4. Pick the Right Workbench

You may be tempted to go to your local hardware store and pick up the first workbench you see. But this could quickly lead to disaster. Start by identifying what exactly you’ll do on your workbench.

Will you be doing something delicate, like working on electronics? If so, you likely won’t need to pay extra for a workbench that can handle a ton of pressure. You might, however, want one that comes with various drawers to store all the small pieces you’ll need access to while working.

Or will you be doing something that requires a bit more elbow grease? If this is the case, you’ll likely want a workbench free of cabinets and sides, so you have plenty of room to work. Of course, you’ll also want one that’s sturdy enough to handle your projects without wobbling.

If you plan to do a lot of work on the floor, you may want to consider a workbench that folds down when not in use to maximize your space.

5. Ensure It Stays Clean

Chances are, you’re going to make a bit of a mess in your workshop. While you don’t have to keep the area immaculate, you do want to clean up any sawdust, store anything sharp away, and prevent stains to the best of your ability.

If you plan to do a lot of sawing and sanding, you’ll want a way to remove all the dust, so it doesn’t settle on your projects while paint or stain is drying. There are a few different options to choose from, so look for a dust collection system design that meets your needs.

You may also want to put an epoxy coating on your floor to prevent stains and make cleanup easier.

Lastly, make sure you set up some type of organization system, so you don’t leave sharp tools on the ground for you to trip over or step on. Consider hanging things on the wall or using garage storage shelves to make sure everything has a home.

Best Garage Workshop Ideas

Don’t just throw a workbench in the garage and call it a day. Instead, follow these garage workshop ideas to create the ultimate space to work on your projects.

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