She Shed!
Howdy y'all ☺
Another post I read today reminded me that I haven't asked some questions I need to ask! LOL! My DH, DD, and I are measuring the pros and cons of possibly moving into his mother's house in the spring, which has sat empty since she went into a nursing home a few years ago. Really the biggest con to the whole idea is that it has such tiny bedrooms. They are so small in fact that not one of them is really big enough to use as a sewing room! 😕
But here is the biggest pro. When my DFIL was still alive, he had a one-car garage built in the back yard to use as a storage building. This building is plenty big enough to use as a sewing room, and in fact will be bigger than any sewing room I've ever had! There is also a one-car garage connected to the house, so we won't need to use the separate one to park a vehicle in.
So here are my questions:
1) I plan to put in Pergo flooring. It already has a concrete floor, so is there anything I need to know as far as padding underneath the flooring to make it more comfortable to stand on?
2) There are wall studs and rafters up, but no drywall or ceiling in it. You can see all the way up to the point of the roof, which is VERY high! Should I just put in a partial ceiling, leaving an opening to easily get to the part of the rafters that have plywood over them to use as storage, or should I put in a complete ceiling with "attic access"? I would think a complete ceiling would give better insulation, but I honestly don't know which is the best way to go.
3) There is no electricity in the garage right now, so that will have to be connected from the house. So since its not going to have a separate electric bill from the house, will it still be possible to set it up with its own breaker box, so I don't have to run back in the house in all types of weather to reset a breaker if one blows?
4) One problem with the garage is that it is built partway up a slight hill in the back yard. At times when it rains really, really hard, water will leak into the back of it! I'm thinking about digging a trench around the back and down the sides and lining it with rock to direct excess water away from the back of the building. Will this work, or do I need to do something different?
5) The garage currently has no windows in it. It will definitely need windows, if for no other reason than that I will need a window AC in it during warm weather. How many windows should I put in? I'm thinking maybe one on each wall, but I don't want to go overboard or put in too few. And after living in a trailer for 21 years, I DEFINITELY want windowsills so I can put a few potted plants in there, just so long as they're not over fabric or machines! Is there a particular type of window that is better to use?
6) What type of heating system should I put in for the winter months? Would a portable heater like you can buy off the shelf at Wal-Mart do the trick, or should I go with something built in?
7) I'm pretty sure this garage will be big enough that in addition to having plenty of room for sewing, I should be able to set aside a space for working on the machines I've acquired that need cleaning and some repairs. If I have the room to do this, should I partition off that section to keep dirt/rust/grunge from floating over to my fabric, sewing surfaces, and clean machines that I use?
8) I believe this is my last question, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. LOL! Like any other garage, it has a roll-up door on it. My biggest concern about this is that it takes up about 2/3 of the wall space on that side, whereas a regular door to one side would only take up maybe 10% of it. But I also wonder about how well I would be able to insulate the door that's on it now. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?
Just so y'all know, other than framing and installing the windows (which I have no idea how to do) and having an expert run the electricity, I plan to do all of the work myself. I will be hanging the drywall, painting, and laying the flooring myself! If we make the move and no longer have to pay rent, I will have approximately $700/month to get this done with. Hopefully it won't take too awfully long to get it done!! Thanks in advance for any ideas and advice! 😃
Donna