New Workshop

[John Smith]

I'm beginning to plan redoing my basement. This includes a larger workshop for me (gloat!). This means I have to completely redo the walls, ceiling and floor. So, I'm looking for some insparations!

For the cieling I still would like access to the wires and pipes that run above, so a drop ceiling sounds like a good idea. The problem is that the standard cieling tiles would probably catch to much dust. Any solutions for that?

For the walls I'll probably go with drywall, unless someone has a better suggestion. I might paint it with a white venetian plaster, but I'm not sure how that'll look with dust on it.

The floor is currently concrete. Should I leave it like it is, or cover it with something?

I want to soundproof it a bit too so I can work on weekend mornings (my wife likes to sleep in). I imagine regular insulation works for that.

I'm still in the planning stage, so if anyone has anything they particularily like/dislike about thier workshop that I can incorporate/leave out, let me know.

John

[Gary]

John Did the same thing in my basement 12 years ago for my shop. Walled off about

750 square feet, hung drywall and a suspension ceiling with 2x4 ceiling tiles. Just did a standard "whitewash" paint over the drywall. The beauty of the suspended ceiling is the light fixtures you can hang in there. I have 15 - 4 tube flourescents so I don't have any shadows in my shop. Know it's a little overkill but I love a well lit shop (plus have 4 floor to ceiling windows overlooking my back yard for natural light). Face it, everything in a shop gathers dust - walls, tools, ceiling. But by "sealing" off your shop you can contain the flow of dust throughout the rest of the house. I periodically sweep off my walls and ceiling tiles while I have all my dust recirculation/filtration equipment on. Then come back the next day and vacuum floor and equipment where the dust has inevitably settled. I find the worst culprit for throwing fine dust on my walls and ceiling is my dust collection system. Have a cyclonic separator system I built and 4 in flex hose connecting to all my tools. Find I get "sprays" of very fine dust near joints that accumulate over time. Easy to clean up, but annoying nonetheless. Also built a dust recirculation/filtration system (good thread on this in past week) that I keep on for long periods of time to help filter dust out of the air before it has a chance to settle - catches some of it anyway as evidenced by the number of times I have to blow out the filters each year. For my floor, I've left it as bare concrete. Easy to sweep and keep clean. Doesn't bother me to have a hard floor surface but it is tough on dropped chisels. Would be interested in anyone else's comments on keeping the shop dust free.

Gary

incorporate/leave

[Doug Miller]

Leave it open. Then you will have access to the space between the joists for storing long skinny things like lumber and clamps. Light fixtures can go up between the joists, too, where they're less likely to get hit by boards.

Drywall over insulation. Plaster reflects sound, drywall absorbs it somewhat. Insulation will reduce sound transmission to the rest of the house.

Paint the walls white.

I'd leave it. My shop is in the basement too, and the previous owners painted the floor. I wish they hadn't, because it's a bit slick. A painted floor *is* easier to sweep clean, though. If you paint, mix some sand in to make a non-skid surface.

If you have enough overhead clearance, consider laying down furring strips and plywood. It's much more comfortable to stand on than concrete.

If you have a *lot* of overhead clearance, you could shim a plywood floor up high enough to run dust collection ductwork under the plywood. There are pluses and minuses to this, though. Plus: the ductwork is out of sight and out of your way. Minus: it's a lot harder to get to, if you need to remove a clog.

With a concrete floor, it's very important to have comfortable shoes and cushioned mats to stand on. Rockler and Woodcraft both sell good mats. They're kinda pricy, though, so wait for them to go on sale.

Sure does. There isn't much you can do, though, to suppress the sound of a router.

Weekend mornings can be used for tasks that don't make much noise, such as finishing, hand planing or scraping, and equipment maintenance.

Install twice as many electrical circuits, and twice as many receptacles, as you think you need.

Make sure that the lights are not on the same circuit as any of the receptacles.

A small sink would be a useful addition, if you have the room. So would a urinal, if you can figure out how to keep sawdust out of it.

-- Regards, Doug Miller (alphageek-at-milmac-dot-com)

[John Manders]

Ceiling sounds OK. I would consider particle board for the wall covering. You can mount storage shelves and cupboards directly onto it easier than drywall. Paint it white to reflect light. Floor is another matter. It also depends where you are. Concrete is very cold. As a minimum I would give it a couple of coats of floor paint. It stops the concrete dusting and makes it easier to clean. Even blood comes off. Choose a nice light colour to increase the general light levels. A nice touch is to lay some off cuts of carpet. It keeps the floor warmer and feels nicer somehow. Don't fasten them down though, then you can remove them for cleaning or when they are finished with. It's also a good idea to paint the inside of cupboards white to help lighting and cleaning. As for dust, well everyone knows that cooking and cleaning is womans work. Just don't let my wife know I said that.

John

incorporate/leave

[Rob V]

Use 1/2 ply for the walls instead of drywall - cost is about the same - and when you need to hang some cabinets from it - (or anything) you dont have to worry about trying to find a stud.

incorporate/leave

[Phisherman]

[Phisherman]

Good point. I put half round hardware cloth over my flourescent tubes to protect them from swinging 2x4's. I think I've hit them at least twice in 10 years.

[Chris Merrill]

The Borgs have them, too. ~$8 for 4 2x2' pads, IIRC.

[Creamy Goodness]

Restaurant supply stores sell rubber mats for kitchens that make awesome workshop mats. I beileve they come in 4'x4' sheets, and look like a giant honeycomb. Work great, are easy to move, and great on your feet and legs.

[Silvan]

You should try my shop. ~6' ceiling. I hit the lights with something at least once a day.

I haven't broken a tube yet though.

I probably shouldn't have said that.

[admin]

*NOT* very well. 'thermal' insulation and 'acoustic' insulation are radically different disciplines.

Practical acoustic insulation is diametrically opposed to your 'desire' to have ready access to the pipes/wiring/etc in the ceiling.