A garage can be a haven, a place to go when you need to escape into the world of torque wrenches, turbochargers, and tuning. Set up your space correctly, and those hours will be a joy.

The key is to put some planning into making the space useful and logically laid out. For starters, what do you plan to do in your garage? That will determine your space needs and layout.

If you plan to do lots of different things in your space, consider setting up your garage to be

flexible by using rolling tool carts, benches, and stands. This is particularly useful for large garage floors with lots of vehicles inside. You can move your work area to the machine you are working on rather than having to move the car, truck or motorcycle into the shop.

If you do build fixed workspaces, this is the time to go back to the floor plan you drew up while designing the general structure. Make a list of all the equipment you want to incorporate into the garage, and then draw them into the floor plan for your garage. Be sure and leave space to move around in the garage, or assume that you are going to work in the space with one or more of your vehicles pulled out in front of the space.

A station for your grinder is always useful, and be sure and locate that far away from any flammable materials. You also may want to consider a small space for a drill press, and another for a vise and an air compressor.

Some of the things to consider adding to the drawing are a parts-cleaning station, and a place for sandblasting equipment is ideal for restorers. If you fancy yourself a home fabricator (and who doesn’t), consider setting aside some space for a welding station and/or a lathe.

Another useful addition is a rolling chair and a desk. This gives you a place to sit down and do fine work such as rebuilding carburetors. This is also a great place to put your laptop computer if you use that, or to sit and draw plans for your next hot rod or custom motorcycle.

Get measurements, draw carefully, and don’t be afraid to juggle things around a bit on paper. You’ll also naturally move the layout around as time passes and you work on it. As with the design of the structure, a well thought-out workspace plan will give you better odds at your garage meeting your work needs.

This content is an excerpt from Lee Klancher's How to Build Your Dream Garage