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A car garage is nothing more than a parking space if you don’t have a good workshop designed. You may think your garage is too small for a workshop, but even a small car garage can take advantage of a well-designed workshop space. Designing a home mechanic garage setup for your home garage is not that difficult at all.
There are lots of good car garage design ideas online you can use to create the perfect home workshop. The first decision you have to make is what you want to do with your garage. How you decide to design your garage depends on the types of car workshop ideas you have and what kind of projects you have in mind.
Full-Service Workshop or Basic Repairs
DIYers that need a garage for a full restoration will have different space requirements and will need different tools than owners who are only doing basic repairs and maintenance.
Vehicle Restoration
A full vehicle restoration will require that the garage owner have the right tools for the job. DIYers looking to design a workshop space for full vehicle restoration will need to take into account space for tools like a hydraulic lift, an air compressor, and plenty of counter space for disassembling and cleaning parts. Designing a layout for a workshop used to restore cars will mean that the owner needs to decide where and how many electrical outlets will be available. Designers will need to factor in the use of tools like an engine hoist and stand, transmission lifts, and fluid drain buckets.
A hydraulic lift can make car repairs much easier for the DIYer. Many jobsyou would often take a car to a mechanic, like a tuneup, for example, can be done at home when you have a lift. Lift prices range from the low $2,000 on up. A lift can make a small garage even more useful because a car can often be lifted out of the way for storage or additional parking.
Many other workshop tools, like presses, polishing equipment, and sand-blasting cabinets, can offer DIYers more professional-quality repairs without the need to pay a mechanic.
Casual Repair
Do you need home mechanic garage layout ideas for changing out oil but have no intention of ever removing and replacing an engine? Plan on taking out your engine once in a while but only have a small space? You can design your garage workshop space to take advantage of the room you have without sacrificing usability.
Small car garage design ideas might include the use of a service pit instead of a hoist. A service pit can sometimes be dug for less than the cost of a hoist. A service pit should be designed to be comfortable to work in. Too shallow and the DIYer will hurt their neck and back, while too deep and it will mean unnecessary difficulty reaching components.
Space-saving workbench ideas can give you plenty of room to work without sacrificing the size of your small workshop. You should make sure that when you design your workshop space, you consider the types of tools you plan to use. For example, if you plan on using a floor jack, make sure you leave enough room on the sides of your car to operate the handle.
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The Perfect Workbench
Perhaps no design element of your garage workspace is as important as your workbench. A good workbench will give you the space you need to work on car projects without getting cluttered. It should also have a strong and durable surface that you can hammer and drill on without causing lots of damage.
Some of the key tools you might want to consider making space for on your workbench are a good vice and a sturdy metal plate. Even DIYers that do not plan on making major car repairs will find these tools very handy for simple repairs. The surface of your workbench should be a material that is easy to clean and is durable. Hardwood and metal are popular choices.
Your workbench should be located close to electrical outlets and should be easily accessible, no matter which car you are working on that day. Make sure that you have plenty of space to move around. Nothing is worse than finding you can’t get into a comfortable position to work on a part because your workbench is in the wrong spot.
Owners with small garages that do not have space for a fixed workbench might consider a folding bench. Some designs can be folded against the wall, while others are foldable and portable. These types of workbenches are very useful for small spaces and for when owners are working on cars in multiple places.
Design Around Your Workspace
Once you know where your workbench is going to be located, you can make decisions on where to put your toolbox. Garage owners that plan on doing major car repairs should consider the size of the toolbox they will need. Often, more complicated projects will require a broad range of tools, all of which will take up space.
Toolboxes can be very expensive. A professional mechanic might spend more than $7,000 on his toolbox, and that isn’t counting the tools inside! Look for used toolboxes for sale online, or keep an eye out for sales. A small, good-quality toolbox is often better than a large, cheap toolbox.
Owners of small car garages can design their workspace to include shelves and pegboards for hanging tools. A neat small workshop idea is to lay out the pegboard and hangs your tools, then draw around them with a felt tip marker so you can quickly tell where a tool belongs. This is a cheap option when buying a professional toolbox is out of the question.
Stackable storage bins for small parts like nuts and bolts are inexpensive and can be one of the handiest items in your workshop when you need a small part quickly.
Car Garage Design Ideas
The best home car shop ideas will allow you to maximize the space you have to work with. At best, a DIYer should take into account how often they plan on spending in their workshop. Some owners may only intend to spend a few hours a month, only to realize they spend much more time in their workshop. It is a good idea to have hot-and-cold water, electricity, a small refrigerator, and internet access in your workshop if you think you will spend more than a little time in your space.
Most automotive enthusiasts that work on cars in their own garage workshop will save tons of money on repair bills at the local shop. A workshop can be a big expense initially, but having your own tools to do the job right the first time will save you time and money in the future. Few places are as special to the automotive enthusiast as the workshop they design for themselves.
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