Here's a few photos of mine. They're a bit out of date - now I have a high-top bar table with a couple of stools, an old recliner and a rolly-table, so it's a bit more crowded in there but also more functional. This has evolved over a lot of years as it was a total dump when I bought the house 16+ years ago. Key is to take your time, figure out how you're going to use the space and organize it accordingly and pick things up along the way.
i brought my little house to get the big garage it had with it. one side holds two cars, the other up to a large motorhome with a small shop area taking up the rest of that side. unfinished loft over it. but funding's too low to really do what i want.
When I moved into the house I currently live in, I used my attached two car garage as my man cave / motorcycle garage. There were several aspects about the garage I liked and several I didn't like. So I decided to build me a detached garage for just my motorcycles and as a man cave.
I built (or had built) a 16X24 garage on a concrete slab. I also had a 4 foot by 16 foot loft built into it for storage. Once it was completed, I wired, insulated, and finished the inside (I did all of that myself). Under the loft I made that my work area and finished the walls from top to bottom with pegboard. I also used pegboard on each side of the garage door. Everywhere else I used faux brick panneling to give it a very unique look.
When I wired the shop, I was very liberal with electrical outlets and put them at just the right height for a work shop I put them up and down both sides of the shop about every 4 or 5 feet. Although the would have probably fit (amp wise) on one circuit, I used several circuits so if I used high amp power tools it would trip the breaker. I also wired a 220 circuit seperately for a 220 MIG welder. I used another 220 circuit for the AC/Heater.
As far as cooling and heating, I didn't want to put an actual ceiling in so I knew I needed a larger that normal AC/Heater to cover the Cubic Footage of my shop. Therefore I went to Home Depot and ordered the largest Window AC made that also had heat and installed it at the rear of my shop blowing long ways. It does it job superbly.
As far as lighting, I used the dual bulb shop lights hanging from the rafters. I used four in my shop basically every 4 feet. One under the loft where my work area is and the other three spread out equally over that remaining 12 feet. It does a great job lighting the garage. I also have one smaller light above the loft.
As far as tool storage, I purchased four wall mounted cabinets and mounted two on each side of the AC on the very back wall. I think they are made by gladiator and I bought them from Home Depot also. For a workbench I really didn't want to have anything fixed so I bought a rolling tool box about 4 foot wide with a wood work top. I like it because I can wheel it around to the side of the bike I am working on and have a bench and the tool right there with me. The four wall cabinets are really great. Most of the big stuff and power tools are hanging on the peg board walls.
I can also tell you some of the miscellaneous cool things I did to my shop. I have two motorcycles, one I ride more than the other. So to keep things organized and to keep one out of the way I bought a motorcycle dolly from Discountramps.com and it makes a big difference being able to move my Deuce around and maybe roll it in a corner or up against a wall out of the way. Here is a pic of my wife rolling around my Deuce on the dolly.
When it comes to aesthetics, as I was saying earlier I finished the side walls with a wood panneling that looks just like a brick wall. It is really unique, looks good, and looks surprisingly real. I have even had people in my shop think the brick wall were real.
After putting up the walls I covered it with music and sports memorabilia, and other things. Besides the memorabilia I hung important and sentimental things on the wall such as things I have saved from my past. Between the Army, being a police officer, a professional fire fighter, and a gigging musician there is always something on my wall that makes a very good conversation piece when me and my friends hang out there. I also have a free standing MMA punching bag for working out.
To top it off I have ATT U-Verse internet and TV out there with a 42 inch TV mounted to one of the walls. The TV is mounted on a bracket that pulls out from the wall and can be maneuvered so I can watch TV from anywhere from the shop. I I also have Apple TV connected. One of the best things I added out there is a Vizio sound bar that has Bluetooth capability. I can stream music from my phone to the sound bar and it has a wireless subwoofer. For the size and the space it consumes the sound is amazing.
Don't forget that I have a small refrigerator in there that has a freezer just for beer. Sometimes it has water and Gatoraide in it but the beer definitely has priority.
Now about the floor. I have had man caves with wood floors, concrete floors, and even race deck style snap together plastic tile. As far as looks the checker board race deck style floor was hard to beat. It looked awesome. The only thing is I could use a motorcycle jack or motorcycle table lift on it. The jack wouldn't roll around with the weight of a motorcycle on it and the table lift left indentions on the floor. I miss the checkerboard floor, but having a jack and being able to roll it around is essential to me.
Here are some various pics of the MC Shop / Man Cave:
This is a pic of the unfinished walls. You can see by the blue boxes that I put more than enough outlets. I wanted it where I would never have to search or reach for an outlet regardless of where I was working in the shop.
These two are of the back wall after finishing the walls, hanging the lights, installing the wall cabinets, and installing the AC. You can notice the AC is mounted high so the air will blow over my head and not directly in my face will I am sitting at my bench.
These are picks of the right side wall where my TV is. I wish I had a pic of the TV pulled out but I don't. You can see my dad's amp and my favorite strat hanging on the wall in case I get the urge to jam a little. You may also notice my Class A police uniform on the left.
This is the awesome thing about the Deuce and the dolly, I can roll it around with very little effort all over the Cave. You'll notice in different pictures that it is all over the place, anytime its in the way I just roll it to the other side of the Cave.
As I said earlier, I also put pegboard on the little bit of walls located on each side of the garage door. I usually use this space to hang things I use outside of the shop so I can just reach in and grab them like shoop broom and tie down straps. You can also see I keep my punching bag in that corner.
This is a pic of the left wall where I keep my Street Glide parked most of the time.
Just a couple of good pics of the left wall will some memorabilia on it.
Another pic of the back wall. You can see that work bench/tool chest that I was talking about earlier. Under the AC and between the wall cabinets is where it ordinarily is unless I have it pulled out for work reasons. This pic was taken when I first moved in so it is cluttered and junky, its not like that now.
This is a pic of the Street Glide up on the MC jack. I usually pull the Street Glide straight into the garage, jack it up a inch or two and clean off the wheels. Afterwards I spin it around on the jack and set it down in the corner out of the way like you see in the other pictures. I would be able to do that with a race deck type of floor. A plain old concrete floor like this is best for that.
That's about it. I hope I was too thorough and I hope I don't sound like I am using this as an excuse to show off my shop. This is just a topic that really is interesting to me and I wanted to give you some good insight. If you have any questions let me know.
Oh yeah, you might see a small safe in the corner as well. I got a small fire proof safe and bolted it to the floor. I keep all of my important things associated with my hobbies in there. It just makes me feel better.
I spend a lot of time in my shop, I refuse to call it a man cave. I also have a replica gas station, we call it the Station, and have family Barbecues there.
Seriously impressive stuff guys. Machiavelli, I would post pics of that garage once a month unsolicited if it were mine, you should show that off! Also, one of my biggest pet peeves is mudding new drywall so your use of those panels and not doing in the ceiling is really cool to me.
The shed is happening in the next month or so to get the mower, wheelbarrel, etc. out, then work can begin!
Seriously impressive stuff guys. Machiavelli, I would post pics of that garage once a month unsolicited if it were mine, you should show that off! Also, one of my biggest pet peeves is mudding new drywall so your use of those panels and not doing in the ceiling is really cool to me.
The shed is happening in the next month or so to get the mower, wheelbarrel, etc. out, then work can begin!
Thanks dude. Anyway I can help just let me know.
And post some before and after pics. Garage / Man Caves are really one of my interest so I would love to see what you do with your space.
Mine isn't really decked out yet. It's full of toys but not really organized. It's 30'x40' with AC and Heat and a half bathroom. I still need to do some work to the roof before I epoxy the floor and put in drywall. Anyway, here it is:
07-09-2015, 12:59 PM
