Help on finishing my garage

Submitted by Pippo-Hippo t3_10e0qu5 in DIY

I've just bought a house for the first time, originally a city-dweller. The place has an unfinished 2 car garage that I'd really like to use as a general shop, given that I can park in the driveway. The garage is currently just bare studs and some skeletal electrical. My thinking is to do some basic insulation and drywall. I know it won't be perfect, but I like the idea of doing it myself, and don't mind learning on the fly, even if it costs me lots of time and results in a mediocre job.

The big question I'm uncertain of is electrical. I don't know the first thing about it so will try to describe as best I can! The garage is detached from the house. It has 3 outlets on the walls and 2 on the ceiling (clearly originally for a garage door opener). It has its own electrical panel from the house (which is in the basement). The breakers correspond with the existing outlets. The wiring runs alongside the studs and ceiling joists, stapled in securely.

My desires / questions are as follows.1) I'd like to add some more outlets - is this something I can do on my own? 2) In terms of insulating, is it as simple as just cutting the insulation around any wiring and fitting around it? 3) Do I need to have an electrician come by and walk me through the situation? Do they need to do the work? Is there anything I can do my own? Any basic resources for understanding this stuff?

Cheers.

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Commercial-Service77 t1_j4ocq1t wrote

Hire an electrician to install a dedicated sub-panel in the garage. With that installed, you can isolate the power and install 240 volt and 120 volt outlets by yourself. If you’re unsure, you can pay the electrician to inspect and do final hookup after you’ve installed boxes and wiring. Invest in a diy book on house wiring available from Lowes / Home Depot, (thumb through it to make sure it’s something you’ll be comfortable learning and doing.

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BooyaHBooya t1_j4ogyx3 wrote

If you don't know already how to wire, I would hire an electrician to make sure it is done well without risking you making a costly mistake. Then do the rest yourself such as batt insulation, drywall, etc. as those are easy for beginners.

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OutinDaBarn t1_j4oh8bu wrote

It's all fairly simple to do. What's the amperage of the panel in the garage? Should be a switch at the top that says 60 or maybe 100 amps (might be at the bottom). How many open spots in the panel. What tools do you want to run in the shop. Black and Decker sells a good book on electrical wiring. That's what I started with. I just wired my entire shop myself, meter base, panel, 5 ton AC, lights, welder outlets, everything.

Insulation comes down to how much do you need and buying the right width to fit between your studs. I prefer kraft faced using a staple hammer.

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Pippo-Hippo OP t1_j5bns27 wrote

I haven't moved in fully yet, but will check when I go back next!

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big_galoot8759 t1_j4ojmua wrote

If I may, I’m in a similar boat to OP and was just wondering if anyone had a ballpark estimate of what this project would cost, as I’m budgeting for a similar project. Thanks in advance!

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skydiver1958 t1_j4rba6x wrote

Ballpark would be hard without knowing what size etc.

But with a little research on prices you can get a good idea. Just measure the square footage you need for drywall and insulation. Add some footage for DW waste. There you go you have that cost.

Now figure out what you will need for electrical and where. Get a quote from electrician. Now you have that cost. Add in drywall mud and paint cost. Cost for lights you will be using etc. etc.

Just try and figure out all the stuff you will need and with a little time on a HD site you will have all your DIY costs.

Your electrical is the wild card. You can diy some of the electrical(drilling holes and pulling wires etc.) to save costs but you should have an electrician do all hookups. They are also great at pointing out things you may have not thought of. Most in the trade will work with you that way.

But remember it is ballpark. There will always be extras that you never thought of or say a structural issue you didn't know about.

You shouldn't have a problem getting a ball park. Just leave room for any unforeseens. One would be you find out mudding drywall isn't your thing so now you have to hire out.

Finishing a garage is pretty straight forward so your ball park should be close

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Pippo-Hippo OP t1_j5bnq3c wrote

Cheers to all. Sounds like I should have an electrician come by at least the first time and then take some time to learn basic electrical. The BD book seems like a good place to start. Thanks a bunch.

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