suggestions for setting up garage?

C

CanadianGuy

Well-known member
Hi Guys,
I've searched threads pertaining to this subject and was hoping this one could get a bit more specific to my situation,

My scenario as follows;

I recently purchased a small house to which a 9ft table will be placed in the garage. I'm not in a position to post pics at the moment as I do not move in until month end, its a standard two car garage around 15 x 18 feet, I've conceded to park outside permanently. I would like to get a jump on this project to ensure I get my playing area up and running asap.

Toronto area, extreme climates winter and summer. I'm accepting any and all negatives related to placing a table in the garage, my goal is to simply have a place to practice and then work to reduce the negatives to the best of my ability/budget

I see three components to this, Flooring, Insulation, Heat/AC

FLOORING, Plan A, I'm thinking an area rug, 16 x 12, synthetic, with a rug mat designed to grip concrete. I was also thinking a waterhog carpet mat would be even better but the standard sizes do not hit 16 x 12, nor do I wish to place two smaller ones side by side, they have a couple options for custom sizing that would cost me three times the price of Plan A

INSULATION, very lost here, I may or may not need to replace the garage door to one with a higher insulation rate, the DIY option kits for insulating garage doors seem as if they could be problematic over time, not sure about walls, ceiling, no idea on spray foam insulation vs fiberglass benefits,

HEAT/AC, originally was thinking a mini split unit, wondering now if proper insulation would allow me to play in the summer without AC and just go with a space heater for the winter


Appreciate all feedback
 
CanadianGuy said:
Hi Guys,
I've searched threads pertaining to this subject and was hoping this one could get a bit more specific to my situation,

My scenario as follows;

I recently purchased a small house to which a 9ft table will be placed in the garage. I'm not in a position to post pics at the moment as I do not move in until month end, its a standard two car garage around 15 x 18 feet, I've conceded to park outside permanently. I would like to get a jump on this project to ensure I get my playing area up and running asap.

Toronto area, extreme climates winter and summer. I'm accepting any and all negatives related to placing a table in the garage, my goal is to simply have a place to practice and then work to reduce the negatives to the best of my ability/budget

I see three components to this, Flooring, Insulation, Heat/AC

FLOORING, Plan A, I'm thinking an area rug, 16 x 12, synthetic, with a rug mat designed to grip concrete. I was also thinking a waterhog carpet mat would be even better but the standard sizes do not hit 16 x 12, nor do I wish to place two smaller ones side by side, they have a couple options for custom sizing that would cost me three times the price of Plan A

INSULATION, very lost here, I may or may not need to replace the garage door to one with a higher insulation rate, the DIY option kits for insulating garage doors seem as if they could be problematic over time, not sure about walls, ceiling, no idea on spray foam insulation vs fiberglass benefits,

HEAT/AC, originally was thinking a mini split unit, wondering now if proper insulation would allow me to play in the summer without AC and just go with a space heater for the winter


Appreciate all feedback
Click to expand...
18 feet length certainly limits you ideally to no bigger than an oversized 8 foot table. If you plan on setting up a 9-foot table, if centered end to end, you’ll have 58”of clearance on each end when you really need about 63” (to allow for a 4-5 inch backstroke. You’ll need a 52 inch cue for those situations when the cue ball ends up close to the end rails.
 
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I'm up the road to you... If you can squeeze it in. I'd suggest an insulated false wall covering the garage door. Unless of course you want/need to open it up.

I'm assuming that the garage is attached to your home...? Is there living space above it...? If so, it will be fully insulated already. Otherwise, you're looking at full blown interior finishing, (insulation batts / vapour barrier / drywall, etc)
 
it' probably closer to 20 x 20, I'll need to do a proper measure once there but it will house a 9 footer no issues with possibly a short cue required on some shots, I was thinking I could leave some space around the perimeter of the rug bare concrete (was advised that could be beneficial in the event of potential future water leaks)
 
I like the false wall idea, I'm unsure at this time if I can keep the door shut permanently.

Is that a better insulation option over a new door?
 
CanadianGuy said:
I like the false wall idea, I'm unsure at this time if I can keep the door shut permanently.

Is that a better insulation option over a new door?
Click to expand...
Most definitely if you don't need to open it for whatever. No matter the quality of the door, it will be the weak point in controlling the climate of that space. A false wall would be much cheaper, better insulated, and reap the benefit of not needing to dispose of the old door ;)
 
CanadianGuy said:
I like the false wall idea, I'm unsure at this time if I can keep the door shut permanently.

Is that a better insulation option over a new door?
Click to expand...
I’m going to be converting my garage to a pool room in the near future as well. Here are some of the ideas I’m kicking around, maybe they’ll be helpful. My garage is a bit bigger than yours however. It measures about 28x16.5.
  • I’m planning on sealing my floor with epoxy to help it look a bit better and help prevent moisture. Then I’m going to get commercial carpet tiles to lay on top for the area my table will take up.
  • Since my garage is longer than I need for my table, I’m planning on separating the space between the door and where I need for my table with a heavy curtain (like a stage curtain or something similar). I’ll have about 6 feet to store normal garage stuff like garbage cans without being visible to the pool side. I’m hoping this helps regulate the temperature as well. My door is slightly insulated but I’ll have to see how well it works in this configuration. I contemplated building a temporary wall instead of the curtain but want to at least try this option first.
  • I’m going to get a mini split to heat/cool the space. I’ve been looking at some Mitsubishi ones online that seem to be rated pretty highly in regards to efficiency.
 
Closed cell spray foam is unbeatable as far as insulating properties, gaining the highest R values per inch. And is really what you want in cold climates. You can insulate the existing door or do the false wall. Sealing and insulating will be your biggest issues. If you heat and cool with your home central unit, make sure you have a return register as well, otherwise you'll never achieve a climate controlled room. If you go mini-split, install per instructions, most have their own means of air circulation. Definitely some sort of rug under the table.
 
The_JV said:
Most definitely if you don't need to open it for whatever. No matter the quality of the door, it will be the weak point in controlling the climate of that space. A false wall would be much cheaper, better insulated, and reap the benefit of not needing to dispose of the old door ;)
Click to expand...
this..................
 
My pool room is in my house, but my garage is my gym. A few points:

  • As others have mentioned, make sure your dimensions are correct for a table. A 9' table has a 50x100" playing area, add 58" all around for a cue, another 6" for a backswing, and the minimum dimensions you'd want are 178x228" which is 14'10" x 19'. Also, ensure it's clear space--if your water heater is in there, or you think you might want to store anything, etc, take all that into consideration.
  • You absolutely need insulation all around, especially the ceiling. Otherwise any heating/cooling you do will be lost.
  • You will want insulation for the door, whether it is an insulated door itself, or insulation + installed drywall (better). Insulated or not, the garage door will be your primary source of heat loss (winter)/heat gain (summer)
  • A professionally installed mini-split is for sure the best way to keep the area temperature controlled. But it's also the most expensive. How hot/humid does it really get in the summer? If the garage is fully insulated then a 1.5kw space heater or two should be sufficient for the winter. A dehumidifier + a fan might be adequate for the summer, but I don't know Toronto weather. However, if it isn't sufficient then you've spent this money on space heaters/dehumidifier/fans and now still will shell out for the mini-split. So take care with your decision here.
FYI I live in the Nashville area and the space heater + dehumidifer + fan is how I go about things...but sometimes I wish I had just gone the mini-split route. I still may. But I'm guessing our summers are a lot worse; although I'm sure the winters are much better.

Best of luck!
 
As someone who once had a table in an unfinished space in the Northeast - here are some experienced tips: I would suggest a very high quality indoor/outdoor carpet for the flooring ( maybe a vapor barrier against the concrete garage floor and a pad under the carpet for comfort while standing for many hours of play.) - I would also suggest ALL the insulation surrounding that garage perimeter as possible- never too much in a climate that you will be housing that table - You will absolutely require heat/air conditioning split as table cushions in Northern climates will not respond well to any extremes of cold or heat/humidity- maintaining about 70 degrees year round would be ideal for the table. Also, if no windows- maximize the lighting that you can install above that table.
 
CanadianGuy said:
Scrunge thanks, I've been advised that the higher end Mitsu units are best in class
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I have been looking to upgrade my homes climate control and once again Mits is at the upper end of equipment. Price matched at that level unfortunately...lol
 
I have mine in the garage and I live in west Texas, so heat is crazy hot in summer and now the winters seem to be crazy cold! The mini-split is the way to go, mine is a Pioneer and it is super efficient to operate year round. I bought the insulation sheets to go in the door and that works great! The ceiling, which is the floor to the upstairs TV room is spray foamed. I think if you hire someone to spray foam all around in between the studs, and finish out with drywall, and do the insulation sheets for the big door you will be good to go...and of course have that mini-split installed. You don't need to have the room perfect at 72 degrees year round, but take my word for it, you want to avoid the huge swings in temp and humidity and the mini-split will do it for ya.
 
I lived in Philly and had a hobby metalworking shop in a tiny 1 car garage built in the 1930’s. It was a standalone structure made of brick. I put thick fiberglass insulation in between the ceiling joists, and added wood studs to the walls and added fiberglass insulation. Put drywall on both the walls and ceiling. Ran a higher current circuit from the main house. Added 220v outlets for my mill, lathe, and one near the ceiling for a 2000 watt 220v heater. It was the biggest electrical heater I could find at the time. (This was 20 years ago). It might have been 1500 or 3000 watts I forget now but I recall it was the highest wattage space heater I could find. I did nothing to the garage door.

It was freezing inside! I’d have to run the heater on full blast for an hour before even thinking of going to work in the shop. I even needed a magnetic engine block heater to put on my lathe headstock because the oil had thickened due to the cold and the spindle would not spin.

With you being in Canada, your winters will be way colder than Philadelphia winters. In my experience, there is no way any electrical space heater will keep you comfortable enough to want to play, even if you had 3 or 4 of them. Also in my experience, you must 100% do something with the doors to insulate that wall.
 
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