Building An Enthusiasts Detailing Bay

[neogenix]

Hey Guys,

 

I'm in the throws of starting to work on buying a house. I won't be getting 30 garages, nor will I be parking my lambo gallardo spider in any of them... I will have 2, I'm focusing on getting a single long door over both so that I can pull a car into the garage in the middle, and I've started investigating sealing up the garage door so that I can run a small airconditioning unit for a few hundred square feet, and then sealing the floor to ensure that there's no major issues with spillage... Other than that, thinking about overhead florescent lighting, probably 4 - 6 overhead fixtures with varied bulbs (daylight, and soft white) to show different scratch types/etc, and then a few floor standing incandescent or LED standing lights for focused beams... Overhead retractable power cables/etc... So anything I'm missing? anything else I should add ?

 

Ideas?

[txredgt]

If you are going to build a garage, A drain with a slightly sloped floor would be good. I know if my parents build a new garage/shed at their house it will have enough of a slab to install a 4 post lift and be tall enough too. We have some that we could convert to that but if you're building one and its in the thoughts of doing it better off before than have to come back and do it a 2nd time.

[Chase@InsanePaint]

Agreed!! Even if you don't install the lift now, better to at least have the thoughts of it in mind, and plan for the future. Congrats on the house man!! You're going through a very exciting/frustrating time, lol. But it really is fun going through the process.

[neogenix]

Hey !

 

If you are going to build a garage, A drain with a slightly sloped floor would be good. I know if my parents build a new garage/shed at their house it will have enough of a slab to install a 4 post lift and be tall enough too. We have some that we could convert to that but if you're building one and its in the thoughts of doing it better off before than have to come back and do it a 2nd time.

 

Naah, sadly there'll be no building this time around, and in all honesty I'd like to give it a whirl at some point, and actually build a proper bay, but it's a ways out, and it'd probably be a 3 car garage with the 3rd being dedicated to that

 

Agreed!! Even if you don't install the lift now, better to at least have the thoughts of it in mind, and plan for the future. Congrats on the house man!! You're going through a very exciting/frustrating time, lol. But it really is fun going through the process.

 

thanks! I'm quite excited, i've almost bought a few times, but each and every time i end up moving countries, or cities, so... this time i'm buying and *then* moving

[MacCool]

Drain is crucial. If no drain, you'll have to buy a really big floor squeegee. Additionally, I highly recommend a professionally-applied epoxy finish. No staining from spilled chemicals, no salt etc etching, easy to sweep/blow, easy to wash off.

 

With concrete, even after sweeping there is still a lot of retained dust. I had a problem with the Airforce Blaster for drying the car. Aim toward the floor and it kicks up a cloud of dust. With an epoxy finish, sweeping or a quick hit with the Airforce (or even leaf blower) and the floor is dust-free.

[mc2hill]

With the lighting you are planning it looks like you have the electrical outlets sorted. The main problem in most garages I see is there is only an outlet near the entrance to the house and no others. We had 2 outlets added at the back (at the opening) of the garage, and I use them all the time now. I want to add 1 or 2 more on the ceiling so I can add as many lights as you are planning!

 

Something to think about on the 'entertainment' side - cable/power for a TV or computer, and speakers for a stereo. I don't have a TV in my garage, but while all the Christmas decorations were out of the attic, my son and I wired it for a stereo and speakers. I have a non-digital receiver and a couple of inexpensive Craigslist speakers out there now, and it makes the time more enjoyable. I also have a cheap MP-3 player attached, and on occasion will use the iPod touch to access Pandora and play it through the stereo. Now that my favorite radio station has been sold the iPod will be used more often (except when Car Talk is on NPR!).

[musclejunkie]

Plan on Hot and Cold Water for sure. Drain is not required but a sloping floor to the overhead door is a must as is an epoxy floor. If I were to build new, I would consider a rubber floor - I still might do my garage floor some day with rubber or other durable flooring. Cabinets, both lower and upper on the back wall would be nice with countertop and utility sink. For lighting, two banks of 4-tube flourescent set at 45 degrees (think paint spray booth lighting). If the garage is used to store mowers, trimmers, etc., peg-board one wall to hang things from. Insulate ceiling and walls and get an insulated garage door. You can heat the area with a salamander in the winter. A window would be nice too. Maybe some lace curtains?

[Chris@Adams]

What size garage are you hoping to buy?

[pjwoolw]

20 amp outlets are are a must. I have four separate 20 amp circuits in my garage. Separate 15 amp circuit for lighting.

[1FAST SS]

I agree with the electrical part. Too much is never enough. How many times have you needed an outlet and not one is near.

[DaytonaJae]

You have the rare opportunity that most of us don't have - that is to decide what you want in your garage before you build it. I am so jealous. I am going to live vicariously through you and this thread just so you know

 

I can't speak for anyone else, but here are a few things that I *wish* I had in my current garage:

 

A/C (or heat, depending on where you are). If not, at least some ventilation like an external fan cutout that goes outside. I'd go with a separate AC or heat unit for the garage and not use the house's existing unit.

 

More electrical outlets in the ceiling, and separate circuits for:

1. "general" garage lighting

2. "detailing-mode" lighting (large 4 bulb panels at 45 deg angles on each side and on each side of the garage walls)

3. "show mode" lighting (recessed spotlights to show off the car to friends/customers when they pick up the car, like that of a car show)

 

A high ceiling that can accommodate a lift (for future expansion)

 

A garage door opener that is side mounted to the garage door to give more ceiling height (since you are designing the garage from scratch you can accommodate the extra width around the door opening for this type of setup.

 

Space reserved for built-in shelving or cabinetry, recessed into a wall so that it looks nice.

 

Good luck with your build and post pics here please!

[Vincenzo]

I would get some legit speakers and put 1 in each corner of the garage. Then just hook them up to something that can play an ipod/mp3 player. Sounds like you got it covered otherwise.

[3PedalMINI]

Speakers would be BA...im in the industry, and still dont have speakers in my garage:rolleyes: just remember, if you do speakers in a garage make sure you fill all holes with fire block calk/foam. you can do in ceiling speakers you just have to make sure you put fire rated back boxes in:2thumbs:

 

if i had a chance to do my dream garage...

 

BA av system

Heated/Cooled

Lift

separate clean room Wash/detail bay with filters/negative air pressure to prevent any type of dust to get in the way of detailing:banana:

Tons of light, i cant stand working on my cars in a *dimly* lit garage:mad:

epoxy floor

spinning center to showcase my freshly detailed baby:jester:

[dipolley]

From an electrical standpoint, make sure the outlets are all GFCI. A scissor lift might be your best bet for lifting a vehicle. A unit that only lifts 3 to 4 feet would be what I want to do. they run about $2000. (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000N4Q070/ref=asc_df_B000N4Q0701611677?smid=AF8EGQ3KRZQB6&tag=nextagusmp0402699-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B000N4Q070)

 

Also an exhaust system near the floor. A squirrel cage fan with a flexible 3-inch tube for putting on the exhaust pipes. This will allow you get the fumes out of the garage when you are running the engine indoors, especially if you have to work on the car when it is cold out.

 

Otherwise, I think you have everything covered.