Garage Updates...Need Ideas

[Kyle Kaldor]

I'm getting ready to update my garage so that it is more "work" friendly. Currently my garage is sheetrocked and insulated on only the wall adjacent to the house. The rest is bare studs. The electrical supply is also sub-par (only 15 amp/110 total service). I have no heat. The concrete floor could use some work also as it is spalling quite badly. Unfortunately this is not a dedicated woodworking shop as I still let my wife park her vehicle in it and I store the lawnmower, bikes, yard tools, etc. in it as well. It is in need of a thorough cleaning and organizing effort to be able to fit all of this stuff along with any additional tools I might aqcuire later.

Here are my ideas/plans so far:

1. Bring in an extra 50 amps of power to a subpanel in the garage.
- 20 amp/220 for table saw/large power tools
- 15 amp/110 for extra outlets along walls
- 15 amp/110 for additional flourescant lights

2. Run gas line from house to radiant tube heater.
3. TV Cable run alongside the power cord.
4. Install insulation and sheetrock.
5. Put up hanging shelving around upper perimeter of garage. 10 foot ceilings will work nice for this
6. Install some upper cabinets/storage for tools below the hanging shelving.
7. Repair the floor and install Epoxy flooring.

Is there any important items I am missing that I will later regret?

[Larry Wadman]

I would put a 100 subpanel in the garage. Dust collection....

[Kyle Kaldor]

Larry,

I'm not an expert electrician, but I don't believe that I can get 100 amps because I only have a 100 amp main breaker in the house.

Speaking of dust collection... Has anyone ever put dust collection in an attic before? I suppose it would be difficult to empty out.

[glenn bradley]

I run off a 50 amp to my sub. This is probably bare minimum. I used existing 15amp service for some of the shop lights and ran this off the main panel. That way even if I blow the whole sub-panel, I am not in the dark. I did not bother to run any 15amp circuits on the sub, all are 20a and above.

BTW (and you'll hear this from more than just me) I ran more outlets than I could possibly . . . . ever . . . . use. I ran four more 3 months later and ran 2 more just last month. If you are not sure where you will run the ones you don't think you'll need; at least make the path easy and available from the panel to the overhead while you are dong the hard part now. Then when (not if) you add more later, it will be easier.

[Jim Finn]

While wiring your garage/workshop I would put all wiring outside the wall in electeical conduit ( EMT). Changes that will be needed later will be easy to make. I recommend a fourplex outlet box every 5 feet or so all around the shop part. This "outside the wall" wiring also makes the initial sheet rocking and insulating simpler.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Run the wires behind the sheathing where you can, so you don't have to work around conduit if you want to install cabinets. If you install quad boxes at 42 inches every four feet and duplexes at 18 inches every four feet along your perimeter walls you should have adequate/convenient power.

I read a post recently where one creeker ran 10/3 romex to all of his outlets so that if in the future he wants to upgrade 110v to 220 he is all set. There are also dual voltage duplexes that can be wired to deliver one 110 outlet and one 220 outlet. Run a search on Leviton dual voltage outlets. Look for model # 5842 (rated at 20 amps). Definitely think about where and how you would wire for a dust collector/separator and run a dedicated circuit for that.

Finally, consult or higher a qualified electrician; if you go to sell your house down the road and it fails inspection, what's the line from the old commericials? Pay me now or pay me later?

[Tom Vanzant]

An idiot drove his car thru my garage last December. No shop equipment was damaged, but I re-built the walls with 3/4" and 1/2" plywood instead of sheetrock. No need to stud-hunt when mounting racks and cabinets later. I also have outlets at 42" and 18" on different circuits. All wiring for outlets and lighting is behind the surface.

[Kyle Kaldor]

An idiot drove his car thru my garage last December. No shop equipment was damaged, but I re-built the walls with 3/4" and 1/2" plywood instead of sheetrock. No need to stud-hunt when mounting racks and cabinets later. I also have outlets at 42" and 18" on different circuits. All wiring for outlets and lighting is behind the surface.

Tom, I thought about using plywood as it does make it easier to mount racks and cabinets, but I'm not a big fan of OSB and other sheetrock is a little too spendy. I'd actually love to just use tongue and groove pine, but that's a lot more work and also more money. Sheetrock is cheap and it looks good if done right.

[Prashun Patel]

I'd just run 20 amp for everything except the lights. Gives you more options. Can you plan for dust collection outside - like in an attached shed? Will cut down on the noise. Can you vent it outside?

[Don Jarvie]

Forget the subpanel and use a full panel instead. I ran 6/3 from my main panel in my house to a full panel in the garage with a 50 amp breaker in each box. This will allow you to kill the power at each box if need be.

A full panel will give you plently of space to run all of the outlets so you can have more than one 220 lines. I got a GE box at Lowes that came with an assortment of breakers.

[Greg Woloshyn]

As for running Cable TV with your feeder line through the same conduit, or even along side it, does anyone think this would pose a problem with interference or something along those lines? I plan on doing this myself but the idea of running a cable tv line close to a feeder line or even inside the conduit together seems like it would pose a problem.

[Greg Portland]

That will be a problem with the coax, even if you get quadshield coax. I've had problems even on 15A lines, let alone 6 gauge+ wiring.

[Philip Rodriquez]

You can run a 100 amp sub off of your main 100 amp service... At least where I live... and it all passed! Originally, I was just going to go with a 50 amp sub, but my electrician corrected my thinking... and I am glad he did. The cost was minimal.

[Logan William]

Agree with those suggesting to put in the biggest panel/capacity possible. SquareD makes a 100 amp, 30 slot panel that would allow the breaker room for dedicated 240V breakers per machine and still lots of room for your 120V outlets.

Other things on your list I would highly recommend painting whatever you put on the walls a light color before hanging anything, or better yet buying something thats prepainted (T1-11 is a common choice). The painting took awhile on mine(OSB, 3 coats, no primer) but I'm very glad I did it, it doesn't take much to light it up, and I can't wait until I get all my lighting done so that its really bright.

[Chris Padilla]

How about air lines and a compressor? A pull down extension cord overhead could be nice.

Also, think about some kind of a hoist if it can be built in. It is SO handy having an overhead hoist to lift various things (like putting casters on a large piece of equipment).