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 The entire garage took on...  The entire garage took on a recycling center atmosphere. First, I got rid of what wasnt needed and organized what I wanted to keep. Labeled boxes work well to keep things in order. |
 Use those rafters. Theres...  Use those rafters. Theres a lot of usable space that can be converted for light-duty use. Attics are another area that are almost never used to their capacity. |
 Once the garage was gutted,...  Once the garage was gutted, I worked on the concrete slab. Using U Coat Its epoxy flooring treatment, I cleaned the concrete floor of old paint, oil spills, and so on. |
 For the larger cracks, I used...  For the larger cracks, I used Durhams Water Putty, which sets up in less than 20 minutes and doesnt shrink over time. Its also sandable. |
 I spent more than 8 hours...  I spent more than 8 hours prepping the garage for the first coating. Be sure to make plans for leaving your lawnmower, engine stand, workbench, tools, or whatever else you have outside of the garage while you work through the steps. |
 Once the concrete was cleaned...  Once the concrete was cleaned and free of oil, stains, and so on, I began applying the U Coat It products. The entire flooring procedure took me several days, with just enough time to allow each application to cure. |
 The bond coat and finish coat...  The bond coat and finish coat of U Coat It epoxy are each mixed with an activator. U Coat It is a concrete floor coating that wont peel and blister off the cement floor surface or pull up under car tires. It can be swept, water-rinsed, and squeegeed effortlessly, and most importantly, it was a coating I could easily apply myself from start to finish. |
 The epoxy is rolled onto the...  The epoxy is rolled onto the floor just like you paint wallsusing a roller with an extension. The first coat is applied lightly to a wet/damp floor. After the finish coat is applied, youll need to wait a day before walking on it. Dont plan on driving your car into the garage for at least 10 days. Some brands of new tires are treated with a chemical agent that can stain your newly resurfaced floor, so be sure to place cardboard down until youre certain they are clean. Note how the vinyl paint chips hide imperfections in the concrete slab. The urethane-based clear is applied in the last stage, and it seals the concrete floor, allowing you to simply wet mop any spillseven oil. |
 The Workstore 2000 is modular...  The Workstore 2000 is modular enough to make endless configurations. All the necessary hardware is included with the cabinets from Garage Outfitters. I ordered the cabinets individually so I could customize the unit. My assembly included two wall cabinets, one wall-shelf unit, one tall locker cabinet, four base cabinets, magnetic kick panels, and peg wall paneling. I also ordered an optional workbench because of its tabletop space. Complete assemblies like the one seen here retail for approximately $3,800, plus shipping charges. Garage Outfitters sells the Workstore 2000 in individual cabinets or as an entire assembly. |
 The most difficult task is...  The most difficult task is leveling the cabinets. It can be slow going until you get the hang of it. As a testament to their superb quality, Pinder cabinets are the choice of many major corporations, including divisions of Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor Sales, and Jaguar, according to Garage Outfitters. |
 The cabinet feet are adjustablejust...  The cabinet feet are adjustablejust use common handtools for different height settings. Pinder manufactures an array of cabinet sizes, shapes, and colors (certain colors must be specially ordered) to fit most needs. Notice the high-gloss appearance of the new floor. |
 As promised, the cabinets...  As promised, the cabinets inter-locked flawlessly. There was no drilling, welding, or any such nonsense; they just bolted together. I havent seen many cabinets this easy to install or this well-made. |
 Once the bottom row of cabinets...  Once the bottom row of cabinets was assembled, I began the final phase of attaching the top cabinets and shelf. A polished oak workspace top can be ordered. However, if you want to save some money, you can cut a 3/4-inch sheet of plywood to the proper length and then stain and/or coat it with clear urethane. |
 A thin bar is installed between...  A thin bar is installed between each cabinet to retain approximately 1/8-inch clearance between them. The entire Workstore 2000 finish is stove-enamel painted. |
 The top cabinets attached...  The top cabinets attached to assembly uprights with ease. |
 You can use the cabinets...  You can use the cabinets pegboard to hang all sorts of stuff, including frequently used tools. Garage Outfitters offers its own pegboard bins, tool clips, and hangers specifically for it. The pegboard is not standard size and store-bought tool hangers will not fit it. |
 The cabinet drawers fully...  The cabinet drawers fully extend for maximum accessibility. |
 With the exception of the...  With the exception of the solid wood countertop, the cabinets were completely assembled in about 6 hours. |
 The final assembly of the...  The final assembly of the Workstore 2000 workbench took about 10 minutes, and offered another flat surface for small projects. |
 Paints and other hazardous...  Paints and other hazardous supplies can be safely locked away in these metal cabinets. |
 There are bins and baskets...  There are bins and baskets that fit within the drawers just for bolts, nails, and other hardwarea real convenience. |
 The rafters now store all...  The rafters now store all the small boxes, which can be accessed from a drop-down attic-style ladder. I had enough headroom (about 6 feet) above my rafters to stand up, so it made perfect sense to use it. |
 Fluorescent is the way to...  Fluorescent is the way to go if youre a hobbyist working late into the night. Fluorescent lighting is easier on the eyes than incandescent light and is more economical to use. The new garage has separate lighting panels for each workstation. |
 No garage is complete without...  No garage is complete without an abundance of power outlets. Be sure to have a certified electrician determine whether you need to upgrade your system. |
 The Shop Vac Bull Dog is so...  The Shop Vac Bull Dog is so compact that you can fit it just about anywhere, and since its wall-mounted, you save the floor space for your car. It can also be lifted off the wall when youre cleaning areas that the hose cant reach. At $69.99, this is a must-have item for any enthusiast. |
Comedian George Carlin once mused, Sometimes we have so much stuff, we need to get more stuff just to store our stuff. After years of being a pack rat, Ive amassed a mountain of junk, and now I need some place to store the stuff. I called Doug Lucas II of Garage Outfitters in Waterford Works, New Jersey. Lucas has been outfitting garages for the past six years. The guy has tackled everything from single-car units to custom 10-car garages. With his help, Ive transformed my disheveled garage into a functional and aesthetically pleasing workplace in just weeks. Thats right, I now have the ideal car-guy garage.
The skys the limit when it comes to building the ultimate garage. You can customize it for as little as $1,000 or you can easily spend $10,000 to $20,000 for tools, cabinets, flooring, lighting, and other equipment. It depends on what you want and how much of the work you can do yourself.
I set aside $5,500 for my upgrade, not including labor. The money would buy new cabinets, a flooring treatment, electrical work, and general building materials. Renovations can be rewarding, but dont overspend, especially when buying trendy garage accessories, and you can cut costs dramatically by tackling a lot of the labor on your own.
All well-outfitted garages are built to suit the lifestyle of the homeowner and their expensive toys. I remodeled my garage to house two cars, handle casual automotive use, and give my wife a workstation for her business and hobbies.
The Plan
Before you design a purpose-built garage space, set a goal. Set a completion date and budget you can live with. Write down your top 10 reasons for renovating the garage space. These notes will set your priorities. A detailed plan will give you a clear picture of what to purchase, order, or build before you begin to remodel.
I wanted more workspace free of clutter, a his and hers workstation with ample lighting, and lots of power receptacles. Once you have the plan on paper, determine the total square footage of your garage floor. In my case, the garage floor had approximately 720 square-feet of usable floor space. Knowing the exact space youre working in will help when ordering material.
Where to Begin
I began by temporarily relocating all the stuff in the garage and yanking out the old, tired cabinets. At this point, I got a better picture of what I was up against. Then I went to work reinforcing the rafters so they could hold a load of small boxes for holiday decorations and other things I hardly use. Typically, homeowners place a sheet of thin plywood on top of the rafters and thats it. But I wanted to cover most of the cross-joists (rafters) using ¾-inch construction-grade plywood, so I contacted a general contractor in my area for advice.
A contractor can determine how much your garage rafters can support and the best ways to distribute that weight. Luckily, the rafter system in my garage was constructed to hold more weight than I was planning on, so I went to work on a sub-floor of sorts, complete with wooden fold-down stairs to get to the storage.
Utilizing these spaces will keep boxes off of the garage floor. Check your particular building codes and/or with a contractor before you start building anything too elaborate. Also, never cut a support rafter.
I spent $300 for the materials and two weekends of my time, but I added nearly 500 square-feet of light-duty storage to the garage.
The Garage Floor
Lucas knew I wanted to get away from the stained bare concrete floor. Lucas introduced me to U Coat It America out of Royal Oak, Michigan, which specializes in garage floor treatments for commercial and residential use. U Coat It promised a concrete floor treatment that is slip-resistant and repels oil and harsh chemicals that leak and spill in your garage. The cost to treat a standard two-car garage is approximately $500, plus shipping and handling. This provides an aesthetically pleasing effect, plus its permanent.
The kit included 2 gallons each of professional-quality epoxy coating and activator, an ultra chemical-resistant high-gloss clear topcoat, and a decorative enhancement option composed of multi-colored vinyl chips that create a beautiful Terrazzo look to hide imperfections in concrete floor surfaces. The water-based epoxy comes in a variety of colors, and U Coat It supplies all the application equipment needed, including the mixing buckets, rollers, drop cloths, and safety goggles, except for an extension handle for the paint rollers. Theres also a step-by-step video included in each kit that details the application method from start to finish.
With two coats applied, I allowed the surface to cure for 48 hours before I placed a single item on the floor, and then waited another week before I pushed my 500-pound Craftsman toolbox across the floor; even then, I placed cardboard underneath its rollers.
The floor now sweeps up easily, all type of spills simply wipe away with a damp cloth and all the nasty stains and cracks have virtually disappeared.
The Cabinets
Lucas and I had talked more about cabinetry than any other aspect of the project, since cabinets govern the overall look and feel of a garage. I decided on cabinets from the English company Pinder, a premier cabinetmaker for the past 40 years.
Garage Outfitters is the U.S. distributor of Pinder products, and Lucas guaranteed they would be right for the job.
Although shipping took longer than expected, it was worth the wait. Pinders Workstore 2000 cabinets are designed specifically for residential garages and are constructed to withstand the rigors of heavy use.
The Workstore 2000 cabinets are unique because theyre made from 1½mm steel and feature 100-pound drawer capacity. The Workstore 2000 is also equipped with adjustable feet and magnetic kick plates, and it can be in place in a few hours. The Workstore 2000 arrived nearly assembled; all I had to do was attach the feet and bolt them together to make one big system.
Another bonus is that the Workstore 2000 cabinetry is lockable. Youll never have a problem keeping kids out of your hazardous chemicals or expensive tools again. The Workstore 2000 is also very versatile because the cabinets are modular in design and have endless configuration possibilities. I created a Workstore 2000 that measured approximately 10 feet wide by 7 feet tall when completely installed.
What surprised me most was the capacity of the cabinets. The dimension for the completed assembly seen here is as follows: The tall locker cabinet measures 24x18x78 inches, the wall shelf unit is 48x12x24 inches, the base cabinet without drawers is 24x18x37 inches, the five drawer cabinet is 24x18x37 inches, and the workbench measured 48x18x37 inches. Thats a lot of usable storage space, and the drawers fully extend thanks to a well-engineered metal-slider system.
The Garage Walls
You dont know how valuable wall space is until you need it. When it came time to cover the interior framing, I used 8-foot sheets of ¼-inch white pegboard for one wall and ½-inch drywall for the remaining walls.
This combination is ideal to hang tools, gardening equipment, brooms, or brushes on pegboard, while still allowing solid walls for the cabinetry. For heating and cooling conservation, consider insulating the walls beforehand. This set me back about $200 for materials and took approximately 8 hours of labor.
The Electrical
Theres no sense in going through all this effort if youre not going to upgrade your electrical system, especially in an older home. In this case, there was one dedicated 20-amp circuit to feed both lighting and convenience outlets, with no receptacles on one side of the garage.
Because I use a lot of small power tools, I had the existing electrical system changed to double-duplex receptacles at both sides of the garage for convenience. They were surface-mounted in steel boxes with industrial cover plates for added durability.
Rob Barchilon of Anchor Electric used MC cable to hide the wiring. MC cable is an aluminum shielding for a to code installation. This is a very typical upgrade, says Barchilon, and can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000, depending on the lights, switching and special requests.
Because I had separate workspaces across from one another, I asked Barchilon for additional overhead lights, and he pointed out several alternatives that would serve the purpose. I used large fluorescent wrap-around fixtures on both sides of the garage, which give off more lumens for the cost and less heat than incandescent lighting.
The Accessories
When it came to accessorizing, the first thing I got was a good fire extinguisher. There are several classes of fire extinguisher to combat different types of fires, so be sure to ask for recommendations on which type to purchase. I purchased a Kidde brand ABC-class dry-chemical extinguisher and wall-mounted it so it would be easily accessible in an emergency. I recommend you purchase an extinguisher that can be recharged every year, rather than the cheaper ones that are simply discharged after so many months of non-use. I want to know my extinguisher is charged and ready to go, if I need it.
Another accessory no garage stud should be without is a good wet/dry vacuum. For this garage, I used the new 3hp Bull Dog from Shop Vac, which is intended for garage use. Its compact and mounts on the wall, which frees up valuable floor space. The Bull Dog comes with an 18-foot vacuum hose, two extension wands, a 12-inch deluxe floor nozzle with brush, a squeegee, a crevice tool, an upholstery tool, and a wall-mount accessory holder.
The Bottom Line
No matter how you do it, get organized. Whether you have $500 or $15,000 to spend, you cant find a better investment for peace of mind than remodeling a tired, old garageespecially if youre a car nut that likes to collect stuff.