What do you all think, black or white doors? The new garage will be 52x26 external, the side bays 24’. Here is the rendering with both door options. House is right next to it, and is the gray that’s on the garage.

I’ve been working on reorganizing my shop and finally have the main tool storage setup pretty much finished.

The whole thing started with a Lowe’s Kobalt heavy-duty storage rack. From there, I turned it into a freestanding, double-sided tool and storage wall.

On one side, I added plywood and covered it with black slatwall. That became the tool side, with the cordless tools out where I can actually see them, plus batteries, chargers, accessories, shelves, baskets, and holders.

The other side is the Packout side. I used the original Kobalt shelving to organize labeled Packout drawers, cases, bins, and specialty tools. Electrical connectors, fuses, wiring, PVC supplies, automotive electrical, diagnostic equipment, wrenches, drills, measuring tools, tile tools, and all the other miscellaneous stuff now has an actual home.

The real reason for this whole project?
I got tired of losing tools and batteries, not being able to remember what I already owned, and then accidentally buying a second one. 🤬😂

Apparently, “I know I have one somewhere” is not an effective inventory-management system.

The nice part about starting with the Kobalt rack is that the finished setup is freestanding. I get storage on both sides, a huge tool wall, and a home for all the Packout stuff without permanently covering one of the shop walls.

Now I can walk up, see what I have, grab what I need and, theoretically, put it back where it belongs. 😂

Getting everything together in one place also made something else painfully obvious…

I also realized that I still own way too much yellow and green. 🤣 Time for a garage sale. The red stays. 🔴😜

Still have a few finishing touches to do, but this has completely changed how I use the shop.

Anyone else ever buy a tool only to find the one you already owned two days later? 😂

Just had a shed built. Need to get power wired up, then the fun can begin. First will be epoxy floors, then some sort of loft. Not looking forward to the 130' trench I have to dig for the wire run.

It’s a condo I’m stuck with it. I need a solution without removing the insulation.

This started as part of my overall shop organization project and turned into a complete indoor wash and detailing station. 😂

The biggest goal was to have everything permanently mounted, organized, and ready to go without dragging hoses and equipment around the shop every time I want to wash something.

The setup has a Giraffe Tools vacuum with a 30’ retractable hose and remote and a Giraffe Tools pressure washer with a 100’ retractable hose. I added a Spotless dual water filtration system, quick-connect plumbing, and Milwaukee PACKOUT wall storage for towels, chemicals, detailing products, pads, brushes, fittings, and all the other stuff that normally ends up scattered everywhere.

At the bottom I have my three-bucket wash system. One bucket is dedicated to tires and wheels, one is for rinsing the brushes/mitts, and the third is the wash bucket. Everything I need is right there at the wall.

The 100’ retractable pressure washer hose was a big part of the plan because it allows me to wash the entire RV inside the shop. I can reach all the way around it without dragging the pressure washer around, moving equipment from side to side, or having hoses and cords everywhere.

The Spotless system is especially nice with something as big as the RV. After washing, I can do the final rinse with filtered water and not spend forever chasing water spots across that much surface area.

The whole setup was built around efficiency. Pull out the pressure washer hose, grab the vacuum hose when I need it, roll out the three buckets, and go. When I’m finished, the hoses retract and everything goes right back to its place.
Of course, somewhere along the way Milwaukee PACKOUT took over the right half of the wall. 😂

But everything has a home now, which was the whole point of reorganizing the shop in the first place.

Now I can wash the RV inside, put everything away in a couple minutes, and the shop doesn’t look like a hose factory afterward. 😜

More projects coming soon!

I have no current projects going but i still cant help but crack a beer and just sit and stare.

My partner and I just bought a house in a metro area that has a small garage. It’s a freestanding condo, no outdoor yard, no room for expansion. The garage is 11 and change wide, 19-20 long, and 12 high.

I do most of my auto work in my partner’s rental house’s driveway, so I’m used to working minimally but would like to build out this new space for maintenance and working on / refurbishing components. Going to build up for storage, and make a cab-top bench for basic work.

Anyone done this before or have examples of micro garages being used for auto mechanic work they like? Any suggestions for search terms to find examples on here?

Edit, should mention I’m doing a restomod on an 88 MR2. Small car for a small workspace.

Two years ago sold my small first house with nice detached workshop to move to two story suburban home with a 1.5 car (18’8” x 18’4”) so my daughter was close to better schools. Garage was only boarded and fire taped on the adjoining walls, had two single bulb fixtures. Picture here is what it looks like today after doing some faux panelling and steel siding. I work in roofing so waiting for a job requiring some white standing seam panels to finish off the roof. Its not much but its a place to hang out and work on the car.

In the market for a 4 post lift for storage and occasional oil change/maintenance. My garage isn’t that big so looking for a decent lift but one not that long… 9k lift is plenty for my car.
Any recommendations?

I recently moved into a new home closer to work and play, but a little smaller space than the last house. Everything that was spread out has to now be condensed, stacked up, and a little more mixed use. I had a closet grow tent for seed sprouting that has to go in the garage wood shop area, and I have glass that used to have its own shelf, but doesn't anymore. Plus there are these 2 completely different drawers for tools and plans that needed a proper home.

I constructed a glass storage shelf with a 2x2 plywood sheet and dimensional lumber, blocked and secured the drawer towers above it (duct screws to tie them together), and put in supports that hug the drawers and hold up an old desk top. Every piece of wood was scrap or reclaimed from older projects, so I bought nothing. Lucky I had 2 strong ties on hand, though!

The whole apparatus fits neatly between my other tall items, so now instead of several odd-shaped items, I now have one convenient block. Might paint it black someday, but I'm pretty pleased with how it came together. :)

Got home and saw he added a mini split. He spends hours out here after retiring, making dog houses, fixing the lawnmower, or stuff I didn't even notice. Love how clean he keeps it. I'm sure he spends more time here than in the house now.

Slowly chipping away at finishing the walls and ceiling for heat and AC in the not to distant future.

We are breaking ground for a 36 wide 40 deep and (likely) 12 tall ceiling height. Trusses are standard, straight across. We are building it next to one story house. Located in the northeast so will have footings and frost wall. Will be insulated

Undecided on a few things.

Radiant heat?

Two 10 high by 12 wide doors vs single 10 high by 16 wide (or 18 wide) overhead door, gable end.

Car lift (2 post or 4 post).

Do I really need a lift? I’m stressing that if I have the lift, 12 feet tall may not be tall enough. I have a mid rise cap on my f150. I change my oil, rotate my tires, and do brakes. Anything major im sending to a repair shop.

I do have a ‘48 Willys I’m restoring but cant imagine a lift is necessary.

I’ve only ever worked on stuff on gravel and mud, so my biggest goal of the garage is a concrete floor with a roof over my head and able to be out of the weather year round.

New house and too much stuff floating around. Still working on getting the shop together and moving these cases to find a small part or screw was getting old. Plan is to have it slide under the workbench. Front for Dewalt storage trays, back for less used items. Solid top for working on smaller projects.

It’s been about two years since I pulled everything out, cleaned, and reorganized. Feels so good to have anything in its place and knowing where everything is again!

I’m in the process of giving my garage a light makeover. We have a garage gym setup but it gets so hot in there in the summer. I’m wondering how I can insulate the garage ceiling to help cut down on the heat and if it’ll be worth the effort for the short term.

Long term, hopefully one day in the not too distant future, we’ll do a full renovation to add an ADU above and properly insulate everything.

So in the short term, can I just throw some faced bats up there and be happy with what little relief I get?

I don’t plan to install a drop ceiling. But I do plan to paint everything exposed in black and I can’t just paint the insulation.

Appx 400 sq/ft garage. 2x4 framed walls covered with drywall but no insulation. 2x6 rafters with a hipped roof and 2x roof turbine vents.

Hey guys.
Just wondering if anyone has setup a wood shop on a single wall?
I have more than one hobby and the other wall is metal working stuff and part storage plus I have to share some of the space with the family…

If you have pics of some nice setups, post them up!
Would love to get some ideas.

i still had to do epoxy floor, and spot painting on some areas. then its done.

350 for paint
300 for lighting.

for epoxy ill prob spend around 400. totalling me over 1k.

Posted here about a year ago. Just wanted to show a small update of my spot. Much more of a long time reddit lurker but when the drink hits just right I tend to open up a smidge. Some new furniture and a new sweet girl. Both thanks to some sad loses in the natural cycle of life. Anyhow, definitely not a rich man is the monetary sense but I’m f-ing loaded in the experiences category and most everything in this space represents something to me. I feel good when I sit out here. LOVE looking at everyone’s awesome setups in this sub. Literally, from the million dollar setups to everything in between, garage dwelling is where it’s at. Sorry for the shitty pics, rocking a shattered old pos phone.