First: Clean

To begin with, you are going to need to get everything cleaned up.  Take everything that you have in there out, and this means everything.  Now that you have nothing left in there, you can easily clean everything up.  After it is all cleaned, you will work out a way to arrange everything before you put it all back in.  When doing this you should consider where things should be located to make working more efficient for you.

Advice: While you are going through this process, it would be a great time to get rid of anything that is no longer useful to you.  This will allow you more space and easier organization.

Second: Ceiling

This is an important step because of the fact that it will make your workshop a more homey and comfortable place for you to be working.  Take all the measurements that you are going to need to put a ceiling in, and then cut all of the pieces for it out of OSB.  Make sure that you mark on the OSB where the joists are going to be so that you have an idea of where to put the nails to hold it in place.  After this is all done, you are going to want to nail up battens so that you don’t have a lot of draftiness.  This will also improve the way that the area looks.

Third: Paint

When considering options for paint, you should go with something that is light in color.  This will help the area to appear cleaner at all times, and it will also leave you in need of less lighting because the lighter color will reflect light into more areas of the space.  If you are looking to get this over with quickly, then a sprayer that is powered by air will be your best bet.  Make sure that you have all the proper safety equipment when you are using a sprayer in an enclosed area for a large amount of painting.

Fourth: Lights

When trying to find the right lights for a workshop area, the best option is usually fluorescents.  This is because they generate a good amount of light without burning through a lot of energy, and they also burn cooler so that it is less of a fire hazard.  If you are just using light fixtures that are made to be plugged into an outlet, you can do the lighting arrangements yourself.  However, if you are planning to have your lights permanently wired in, then you should call upon the services of an electrician.  Any work lighting should be halogen or fluorescent.  This is because the incandescents can spark if they are broken, and even if they are not they will create heat.

Fifth: Workbench

When you are ready to install your workbench, you are going to want to make sure that you have planned for one that is large enough for you to do all the projects you will need to on it.  If you are wanting to be safe and cut down on the messes that can come from electrical cords, then it may be a good idea for you to put in a power strip that runs the entire length of your workbench.  To help with back and joint health issues, you should try to get a rubber mat to put in front of the workbench to stand on.

Sixth: Organization

When you are looking into a system for your organization, there are two things that you are going to want to think about.  The first is how much stuff you are needing to organize.  Make sure that what you are getting is large enough for everything that you have, and also what you may be accumulating in the future.  The second would be what kind of work is done in the area.  This is because the type of work will also determine some of the storage needs, as well as where the storages are located.

Seventh: Safety

Make sure that you are storing any chemicals that you might have in the proper container with all of the safety information still in tact on the container.  Also make sure that your storage for these is not anywhere near a heat source, and that it can be locked if necessary.  Make sure that you are using proper disposal tools, and that if there is anything that is going to be covered with oil or gasoline when it is finished being use, be sure to dispose of these things in the proper type of container that is for only that purpose.  Make sure that you have fire extinguishers available to you in any area that you may be working.  The ones that have an “ABC” rating are approved for use on all types of fires, so these would be the best to get.