Are you looking to work on your car from the comfort of your home? If so, read on to learn how to set up a car workshop.
Are you looking for ways to trim your budget and stop spending so much on car maintenance? If so, then you may want to consider taking on more repairs by yourself.
You can save a lot of money — we’re talking more than $1,000 per year — by doing your own car repairs, and many of them can be done quite easily if you have the right tools available.
Investing in a car workshop can help you save money and give you a chance to develop some new skills.
If you’ve been considering setting up a car workshop at your house, here are some tips that will help you get started.
Consider the Space
Start by taking a good look at your property and considering how much space you have/need.
If you’re hoping to convert a garage or shed into a workshop, take some measurements and consider whether these areas are big enough to accommodate your car and the storage you’ll need. Also be sure to check out Garage Doors in Sunshine Coast for options as well.
As a general rule, having about 13-15 feet of width for each car you plan to store in the garage is a good starting point.
If you’re building a garage or shed from the ground up, make sure it’s wide enough for you to do the kind of work you want to do in it.
Know Your Budget
As with any kind of home improvement project, it’s also important to know how much you can afford to spend on it.
Before you commit yourself to a particular project, sit down and do some math to figure out your budget. This will save you from being left with a half-finished workshop because you ran out of money.
Whatever your final number is for your workshop, make sure you have a decent amount of wiggle room, too. You never know when something is going to come up that you’ll need to pay for, but you ought to be prepared nonetheless.
Start with the Basics
Once you’ve made a plan for your garage or shed (whether you’re repurposing an old one or building a brand new one), it’s time to start thinking about design basics.
A car workshop needs to have plenty of storage space. This includes cabinets, cupboards, pegboards, and shelving to make it easy for you to see what’s available and grab it when you need it.
Consider the layout of your garage or shed and figure out where you have room to add in more storage. Don’t forget to think about other interior basics like electricity, plumbing, and ventilation, too.
Focus on Safety
Safety ought to a top priority when you’re putting together your own repair workshop.
When it comes to safety, an essential tool to have on hand is a good hydraulic car jack. This will help you boost your car up and make it much easier for you to work on it without worrying about it falling down.
It’s true that good, heavy-duty jacks are more expensive than other tools. However, the peace of mind that they’ll bring you when you’re working on your car is priceless. One thing you will want for sure is the best ratchet set possible.
Ensure Adequate Lighting
Make sure there’s plenty of light in your workshop, too. Poor lighting will make it very difficult for you to see what you’re doing and could lead to dangerous or expensive mistakes.
Don’t rely on just a headlamp to get you through your repair projects, either. It’s worth it to invest in good lighting early on.
Consider Your Comfort
It’s easy to get so caught up thinking about functionality and sticking to a budget that you forget to consider your comfort. Remember, though, you’re probably going to spend a lot of time in this workshop.
Wouldn’t it be better if you were comfortable, no matter what the weather is like outside?
Make sure your workshop has heat and air conditioning to keep you cool (and avoid potential car problems) all year long.
Put in a Sub-Panel
If you’re going to install heating and air conditioning in your workshop, be sure to put in a sub-panel, too.
A sub-panel will provide you with sufficient power so you don’t have to worry about outages when you’re in the middle of a project.
In the event that you do pop a breaker, a sub-panel also makes it so you can reset it there in your workshop instead of running back to the house.
Use Storage Trusses
If you’re like most people, your garage or shed is used to store more than just car repair tools.
If you don’t want holiday decorations, bikes, and other belongings cluttering up your garage, you may want to consider using storage trusses to free up some more space.
Consider upgrading to storage trusses. You can use these to store a lot of belongings that you don’t need on a daily basis, and they aren’t too expensive to add to your garage or shed.
When you do this, you’ll have more room for the repair tools you use on a regular basis. These reliable products ought to be front and center so you can make the car repair process as efficient as possible.
Use the Pool Noodle Trick
That’s right, the pool noodle trick. Foam pool noodles are for more than just floating around in the water.
They’re also an inexpensive tool that can help you protect car doors from annoying, unsightly dings and dents.
Place pool noodles over any sharp edges in your garage or shed. That way, if the car door does make contact with them, there won’t be any damage for you to repair.
Set Up Your Car Workshop Today
The idea of setting up a car workshop at your house might seem daunting at first. In reality, though, it’s pretty simple if you know where to start. Also be sure to consider using a car door protector to keep the dings away.
Keep these tips in mind and you’ll have a much easier, much less stressful time getting your car workshop up and running. You’ll be out there fixing up your car in no time at all!
Speaking of fixing up cars, do you need some advice on how to handle specific car problems?
If so, don’t forget to check out the Car Maintenance section of our website. You’ll find answers to all your most pressing maintenance and repair questions here.