Life is all about finding the perfect balance. Between work and play, between leisure and vocation. It’s tricky though, especially when it comes to balance in relationships, and between work and your downtime.
Some people enjoy games, or reading, or exercising during their leisure time. But what if you’re more practical, and like to tinker, create and build in your spare time?
If so, you’re in luck, because in this useful blog, we’re going to share five tips for setting up a home workshop in your garage.
Invest in the Right Tools
A workshop is nothing without the right set of tools. You’ll need a basic collection of tools, including a circular saw, to set up your garage workshop.
Here is a simple list to get you started:
- Circular saw
- Hand saw
- Jigsaw
- Drill
- Impact Driver
- Screwdrivers
- Wrenches/shifters
- Planer
- Nails
- Hammer
- Measuring tape
- Spirit level
- Stud finder
These are the basics, and for more specialized jobs you’ll want to invest in special tools. For now, this is enough to get you started.
Insulate the Space
A garage is usually meant to store cars, tools, and other odds and ends. They’re not spaces designed to work in for long periods.
As such, you’re going to want to invest in some insulation for the walls, and possibly the garage door – it depends if you want to be able to open the garage or not.
If you’re going for a full conversion, you could even replace the poorly insulated roller door with a stud wall and door – which is easier to insulate.
Lighting Matters
If you’re using your garage as a workshop, you’ll want to invest in additional lighting. Garages are typically lit with a fluorescent tube or two, which provides inadequate lighting for working with tools, wood, and other items.
You should look to install some additional lighting in the ceiling, if possible. If not, some lamps or work lights might have to do the trick instead.
Now that your lighting is sorted, let’s move on to the next tip.
Heating and Cooling
The next step is to ensure that the space is at a comfortable temperature to work in without getting too hot or too cold.
By now you’ve insulated the space, so now it’s time to invest in heating and cooling.
A radiant heater is a good idea for the cooler months, and for summer you could invest in either a couple of larger fans or a portable air conditioner. It depends on how cool you like to be during the warmer seasons.
Some people might be satisfied with the insulation alone – it’s up to personal preference.
Music Matters – or Background Noise
Finally, the last tip is more up to personal preference, but most people like to work with some background noise.
For some, this is their favorite Spotify playlist, for others – it’s talkback radio or news radio. For others still, it might be a favorite podcast or an audiobook.
Whatever your preference, why not invest in a portable Bluetooth sound system, so you can work with some background noise. This tends to make the days fly by.
A Crafty Conclusion
In this article, we’ve shared five tips for setting up a home workshop in your garage.
To begin with, invest in a decent tool assortment. Next, insulate the garage to keep it comfortable. Ensure the space is lit adequately, and get some heating and cooling systems set up. Finally, buy a Bluetooth speaker to give you some background noise, whether that’s streamed music or the radio.
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