Upstairs workshops?

[mark mcfarlane]

I have another thread about building a 12*23 shop. My wife said, why not just build over the 2.5 car garage. I guess that's not too different than the typical basement shop, with typical issues of moving stuff in and out.

Anyone else have a second story shop? Care to share issues, floor structural design, pics,...

I would have separate stairway in garage, and mini split to avoid sharing air with house. I am a little concerned on how I'd get a 5 function slider up the stairs,...

[cody michael]

I have thought about this if I ever built a polebarn, I would make an exterior door on second story and use either my tractor with a pallet or some type of winch to bring heavy tools to upper story, it works in my imagination....

[John A langley]

FWW has a shop tour of Paul Breskin second-story shop I think it's also featured in one of there books lots of great ideas

[John A langley]

It's also in Great workshops by fine wookworking

[mark mcfarlane]

Thanks John. I found Breskin's shop in my FWW archive, Issue 174, Winter 2004/2005. Nice chain hoist and trap door idea.

[Mike Cutler]

I don't have one, but I've seen them. You definitely need to have a way to get machines up and large projects out one done. A "hay door" on a gable end will do this.
I know of one small car storage facility built in the hay loft of large barn. If he can store cars up there long term, you can make a wood shop.

[Larry Frank]

We put an addition to our house above an existing garage. This was a large sewing room for the wife. I was amazed at what the contractor had to do for supports. It involved a number of columns and structural steel and an engineer along with architect. If I was going to put my shop equipment up there, it would involve more support and well supported flooring.

I am quite jealous of my wife's sewing room as it has nice windows and is sunny and bright. My shop is below and more like a nice dungeon. She even has heavy duty wiring for her "tools". I have told her we should swap area but that went nowhere.

[mark mcfarlane]

We put an addition to our house above an existing garage. This was a large sewing room for the wife. I was amazed at what the contractor had to do for supports. It involved a number of columns and structural steel and an engineer along with architect. If I was going to put my shop equipment up there, it would involve more support and well supported flooring....

Breskin's shop used 2*14's, 12" OC an 1.25 T&G plywood for the floor, and required some foundation work. FWIW, I'm hiring an architect for the house remodel (other stuff to do besides the shop). Cost will, of course, factor into the decision. In general its cheaper to build up than to lay new foundation, but possibly not in this case. I'm not going to build a garage-above that sags and looks like crap.

[Stuart Popwell]

This is an idea for servicing the second floor shop. They are not really cheap but i have seem them for $1500 or so . It is a single car lift for your garage. It is usually electricl and is in two different models. A four post or two post design.
The idea is to put this in your garage where you usually park a car. Build a section of the second floor( maybe 8 by 10 feet) to fit permanently on the the lift so that when fully raised it is level with the rest of the second floor. This all stays fully up until time to access the second level with wood, a new tool or a finished project. When lowered this section will sit one to two feet off the garage floor (easy to load from a pickup). Slide the equipment onto the lowered floor and raise.

These units are designed to be able to park a car under the raised section so you do not lose the use of the garage. The weight capacity is enough to cover the floor section and any tool you could think of so strength is no a problem. Up stairs you have use of the entire floor space until time to lower that section. Enjoy!

[mark mcfarlane]

This is an idea for servicing the second floor shop. They are not really cheap but i have seem them for $1500 or so . It is a single car lift for your garage. It is usually electricl and is in two different models. A four post or two post design.
The idea is to put this in your garage where you usually park a car. Build a section of the second floor( maybe 8 by 10 feet) to fit permanently on the the lift so that when fully raised it is level with the rest of the second floor. This all stays fully up until time to access the second level with wood, a new tool or a finished project. When lowered this section will sit one to two feet off the garage floor (easy to load from a pickup). Slide the equipment onto the lowered floor and raise.

These units are designed to be able to park a car under the raised section so you do not lose the use of the garage. The weight capacity is enough to cover the floor section and any tool you could think of so strength is no a problem. Up stairs you have use of the entire floor space until time to lower that section. Enjoy!

Interesting, creative idea, thanks Stuart.

[Joseph Montroy]

I have an upstairs 20'x35' shop. I have a 5' door on the gable side and inside stairs. While I have a backhoe...it's heavy and I always seem to want to move heavy things up into the shop when it's wet out. A strong moving dolly and a come-along got my 17" bs, sawstop, pm100 planer and 8" pm jointer up there with no problems. Don't fear the 2nd story...