If it weren't for the humble garage workshop, the world would be a poorer place. Walt Disney's animation empire got off the ground with movies made in his uncle's garage during the 1920s. Steve Jobs launched the personal computer revolution from his parents' garage in 1976. Reader's Digest, Hewlett Packard, Buddy Holly, Amazon.com-all got their start in the humble garage. Garages are the kind of place in which ideas can germinate.
But when it comes to working with wood in the garage, success depends on how well you deal with the three biggest hassles facing Canadian garage workshoppers everywhere: the dampness, the cold and the multiple demands on the space of a typical garage.
However dry a garage seems, it's not dry enough for furniture-grade wood year-round. While it's OK to build projects in the garage during any season, you can't rely on the stability of solid wood that's been stored there for more than a few days in damp conditions.
The equilibrium moisture content of lumber stored in a sheltered, unheated space here in Canada ranges from 10 to 14 per cent. And compared with the seven to nine per cent required for trouble-free furniture, that's way too wet. Sheet materials such as plywood are stable enough that garage storage won't cause problems, but not so solid boards. Ignore this and you're in for wicked shrinkage in your prized projects.
One option is to keep your main stash of planks in the garage, then bring project parts indoors after each work session. Place these in stickered piles in the warmest parts of your home during the heating season and the moisture content of 3/4" stock will drop three or four percentage points in just a few weeks.
Garages are almost never built to be heated, and that leads to a decision: either make woodworking a seasonal venture or rig up some heating so you can work in the winter. Keep in mind that the biggest factor affecting economical heating isn't the cost of the energy supply, but the efficiency of your insulation.
With so many garage designs around, the challenge of insulating varies a lot. In all cases, the greatest gain comes from installing a ceiling in a garage that doesn't already have one. Sheets of 1/2" plywood on top of ceiling joists do an excellent job because they separate the leaky areas where roof framing meets the walls, while also providing a surface to support insulation. Putting the ply on top of ceiling joists means insulating the space is easier and you retain visible access to the joists for hanging hooks and tool storage.
1 Comment
this may be great for a wood garage, how do you add a ceiling when you have a metal garage with no joist--the garage is 30x60