30-12-2011, 08:43 PM
A timber floor makes a huge difference to a cold garage, assuming it's able to deal with any heavy machinery you might have. A simple frame made from 2 by 4 timbers and cheap and cheerful chipboard will do - a plastic membrane on the floor first, then some insulation between the timbers. When I did that in my last garage, the frame sat directly on the floor - as opposed to being suspended from the sides - and I used odd bits of hardboard where necessary to shim the frame level. For almost no money, it was very effective. And when you come to do the proper conversion, you might well be able to leave it in place, or at least re-use the materials.
The other thing I did was to divide the workshop into two areas with a simple partition wall. The room on the side facing the up and over door was used for "mechanical" things, and the other space was warm and cosy for electronics and computing. Worked very well, and I miss that space greatly now... http://www.mhennessy.f9.co.uk/workshop/index.htm
On the subject of heating, have you tried an infra-red heater? We bought a cheap one a few years back, and find that it's quite effective - it's a bit of a trick because the radiation warms you rather than the air in the space. These things can be found for less than £20.
All the best,
Mark
The other thing I did was to divide the workshop into two areas with a simple partition wall. The room on the side facing the up and over door was used for "mechanical" things, and the other space was warm and cosy for electronics and computing. Worked very well, and I miss that space greatly now... http://www.mhennessy.f9.co.uk/workshop/index.htm
On the subject of heating, have you tried an infra-red heater? We bought a cheap one a few years back, and find that it's quite effective - it's a bit of a trick because the radiation warms you rather than the air in the space. These things can be found for less than £20.
All the best,
Mark
