Garage essentials & layout

[LeeThr]

Mods: feel free to move if this isn't quite the right section.

I've finally made a start on the mess my garage is, gibing it a good clear out. What i want to do is turn it into a useable workshop for working on the cars.

Any advice on what essentials I need to make it useful, and i mean down to the small items such as blue roll on a holder etc. Also on layouts as well when in home from work ill try and make some diagrams with measurements of the floor plan as well.

And of course without saying i will be on ebay looking for various auto memrobeilia to line the walls with.

Thanks for any input (:

[LeeThr]

Just a couple of before pictures of how it looks at present, slowly filling bin bags etc. Going to be a few skip runs this week.
Untitled by LeeThr, on Flickr
by LeeThr, on Flickr
by LeeThr, on Flickr

Will try and get a basic floor plan up as well.

[LeeThr]

DocJock said:

Don't know your house layout, nut the best thing I did in my revamp was to with a big utility sink.

There is a fairly deep wash basin in there just hidden in the pictures.

[LeeThr]

Thanks for the suggestions so far guys. The plan is to get it properly organized. So things like those little holders will be bought & mounted on the wall.

What I dont know what to do with is the floor. It needs a good clean for a start after it getting flooded and left with sandy mud ever since. But Do I just paint it or what. Has to be a cheap solution though. I would like something thats a bit warmer and slightly more comfy to lie on whilst under the cars though.

Also does anybody have any suggestions on what I can use in terms of draft exclusion around the up & over door? In the winter months when the wind comes the wrong way it's impossible to get the place warm. But it needs to be something that can be added & removed easily as obviously that is the vehicle access door.

Some pictures of where im up to so far with the clear out....
Untitled by LeeThr, on Flickr
by LeeThr, on Flickr
by LeeThr, on Flickr

Will be an interesting day on wednesday doing all the skip runs.

[LeeThr]

felixgogo said:

Seriously consider closed storage - the space looks cleaner, and items don't get a layer of dust on them.

Can the dustbins live outside? that'll get a fair bit of space back.

Also, can any garden related items go in the shed? In an ideal world, the garage will only have car related things in it.

The washer - can that go in the kitchen?

The dustbins do normally live outside, I'd just brought them inside over the weekend due to the weather warnings to stop them going for a walk and doing any damage if the weather did turn.

Unfortunately we have no shed so the garden items will have to remain in there but will be sorting them out & removing/condensing them to as small a space as possible.

We have a washer in the house that is just the old one that's plumed in still as that was the original location for it until we moved here & had it in the house. I think it is just fit for the bin though as it does leak like mad every time it's used.

[LeeThr]

Small update on this... clearing out has slowed down due to not having the time with other things. But ended up on a slight spending spree in halfords the other day and ended up with this lot....
WP_20140905_01_56_06_Raw by LeeThr, on Flickr

Really impressed with the quality of the floor tiles on offer for 6 for £10 at the moment,considering getting some more to do the whole floor.

[LeeThr]

Managed to get a couple of hours in here tonight. Not made much in the way of progress, but the rear wall/corner has started taking shape, with working out a layout & storage locations for everything. Even got a compressor under the back bench as well now. Been slowly reducing my life span blowing all the dust around with the air gun now. Plenty of coughing fits. I really should invest a mask for elf nd safety reasons haha.

Untitled by LeeThr, on Flickr
by LeeThr, on Flickr
by LeeThr, on Flickr

I have 3 more sets of the floor mats at a mates just waiting to be picked up. The tape measure just shows how far back they will come, but going by that I think I may need a 4th pack on top as well. But really impressed with the quality of them for the price.

[LeeThr]

Thought I should give this an update given the progress thats been made in the last week or so, the place really is looking different now, still plenty to do, but starting to take shape and a lot less cluttered as well. Anyway I'll let the pictures do the talking....
WP_20141223_19_34_50_Raw by LeeThr, on Flickr

WP_20141223_19_34_27_Raw by LeeThr, on Flickr

WP_20141223_20_21_24_Raw by LeeThr, on Flickr

WP_20141223_19_34_37_Raw by LeeThr, on Flickr

WP_20141223_19_35_30_Raw by LeeThr, on Flickr

It's really amazed me just how much brighter it is in there now just from a lighter color on the walls. I almost want to go break something on the car on purpose now just to have an excuse to fix it in there haha.