How to fix up your garage for working on cars
A new home is a big step, particularly if it includes a garage. If you’ve never enjoyed the luxury of a dedicated space for cars and projects, welcome to the next level.
But not every garage comes ready to work in. Most lack the necessary features and accessories to be a suitable workshop. The good news is, you can transform your garage into a useful workspace and make it your own in the process. Here’s how to do it.
Organize Your Space
One condition above all others renders the majority of garages unusable. Clutter. Clutter has no place in your workspace, and you should terminate it with extreme prejudice. All it takes are a few handy organization tips. With your tools no longer strewn about piles of junk, you’ll find things quicker, keep jobs cleaner and have more space to work in.
Seal Your Floors
There are a few different methods you can use to treat the floors in your garage. You’ll want to pick one and get it done with first thing because you can’t have much in the garage while you’re sealing it. You can give the floor some color depending on the technique you choose, and you’ll never have to worry about oil spills again.
Ventilate it
When you’re working with chemicals and high temperatures, two things that can come into play in automotive projects, you need ventilation. The best ventilation for the average garage is a quality electric garage door. If you need extra airflow, you can always install fans or air movers.
Have the Right Tools
The toolset your car came with in the trunk isn’t going to cut it unless you want to spend a lot of time getting nothing done. Instead, shell out a few bucks for a high-quality set of tools. A good floor jack, a thorough socket set, channel locks, multi-meter, fluids and a service manual are just the start.
If you want to step your game up and show your friends you take wrenching seriously, consider installing an upgraded air system. You can drive all sorts of pneumatic tools with a quality compressor, and they will pay for themselves by making your work easier.
Let There Be Light!
Working on cars often requires peering into small spaces, looking up from under your car or working into the wee hours of the night. Only one thing makes all these maladies go away. Light! Have a drop-light, flashlight and several floodlights available. Pick the LED kind that doesn’t get hot, and you won’t ever have to suffer burns at 1 a.m. when all you want is to hear your engine turn over.
Make It Cool
Garages are inherently cool if you use them to do actual work. You can tap into that coolness and add essential hang-out features to make your space both practical and entertaining. This mostly involves a stereo, some shop stools and a mini-fridge. For extra points, you can go full Tim “the Tool Man” Taylor and install a bathroom, but that’s not cheap.