Studio in the garage question

[A.Loomis]

Hi all,
I'm a newbie, just signed up yesterday. I've taken my first class and am ready to sell all my other crafty stuff to make room/$$$ to put in a workspot.

A fireman friend of the family strongly suggested I NOT work in my home, but put a space in my garage (after I move my son's go-kart out!!)

What do you folks think? My garage is unheated of course, and I want to know if I will still be able to do this in the winter (cold new england winter) without temperature issues.

Do any of you work in unheated garage studios?

TIA for all your ideas and suggestions,
I'm dying to put glass into flame,

Angela

[Julabula]

Hi, Angela. Mine is in the garage, and I know a lot of others are as well. You might want to check out the Studio section....everyone's got pics posted of their setups.

My garage gets really, really hot in the summer, and really freezing in the winter. I just use a space heater and dress warmly, plus the torch and kiln add to the heat...here's a pic of mine.

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=697&stc=1

[MikeAurelius]

A garage has it's own issues that you will have to deal with. As you've noted, no heat. Is it even insulated? If it isn't, personally, I would not recommend it without spending some money to insulate it first. If you don't insulate, all the heat you add to the garage just to keep yourself warm will go right through the walls and roof. You might as well be heating the neighborhood!

Additionally, you should remove all vehicles, all gasoline cans, any garden implements such as weed wackers/lawn mowers/snow blowers that contain gasoline. Gasoline is constantly giving off vapor - and the vapors in high enough concentration are much more explosive than propane.

You will have to be sure that you have enough electical power in the garage to handle the lighting, the ventilation fan, kiln, plus any heat system you choose to use.

The propane tank of course, must be kept outside, but I'm sure you've already read enough about that.

[Dale M.]

One thing you might consider is enclosing a small area of garage into its own small studio. This would allow main part of grarage to still store family car and lawn mowers and what nots.... A room maybe 8x8 should be good enough for studio. Using proper construction techniques (gypsum board on wall studs) and insulation and allowing fresh air inlet and exhaust outlets for hood will give a safe cozy place to make beads without evicting all the other family possessions... During upgrade of garage also consider electrical useage of your new studio and upgrade accordingly.

Dale

[A.Loomis]

Me again,
I'm definitely leaning toward enclosing a section of the garage. And we plan on buying a new bigger shed to put the go kart in (nothing else in the garage except toys, bikes, and old fashioned gardening stuff like rakes!)

This is going to be EXPENSIVE..... :-?

BUT, I appreciate all of your input..... and have been browsing the studio section. I REALLY wanted to put the studio in the spare bedroom. But a good family friend who is a fireman scared me out of that idea!

Keep the advice coming, I truly appreciate it!
Angela

[Cracked Baubble]

I'd consider buying a shed for your studio, screw the go cart! LOL

[Dale M.]

I'd consider buying a shed for your studio, screw the go cart! LOL

Capitol Idea...

Dale