Home lab in a garage - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: matthuszagh
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 12:12:45 am
content: I'll potentially be moving into a new home soon and may be banished to the garage for home lab use. Here's a video of the space (not including here due to size):https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WCGA1Dx4X1zgyARuE5AldPi1jyWCT9C3/view?usp=sharing. I'd probably get half of this space. It's in the east bay (northern California) so it's fairly temperate in the winter (typically not below 40F), but can get hot in the summers. Would this be suitable for a lab? What would I need to consider in terms of temperature/insulation, leaks and moisture, pests, dust, etc? Would I need to do any work insulating and sealing the space before use? Other thoughts? I've never been a home owner before (this would be my first home), so things that might be obvious to others are still helpful. I am willing to put in some work to fix it up and improve it if that's feasible. Other thoughts or things to consider?

author: kite31
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 12:35:20 am
content: Looks like you have a good working space in prospect.5°C strikes me as cold. Insulation is a wonderful thing but retrofitting it may not be easy. Where do those windows face? Whatever else, think about installing an exhaust fan, then personal warming and cooling. Humidity should not be too much of an issue if you have ventilation and deal with any actual or potential water leaks. If you live near salt water, rust exists.Other than dealing with cold draughts, ventilation is more important than sealing. Pests and dust are not a lot worse than the rest of the house assuming you do no other dust-generating work there, and clean occasionally.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 12:42:31 am
content: That's a great space for a lab. Obviously you don't want any leaks, and if you open the garage door much you may want to have a dust cover (or covers), but that depends on what's outside. Just make sure you have good bench space, two or three layers of shelves above the bench for test gear, plenty of power outlets, good lighting, and some way to organize your parts and tools. Many people want an exhaust system for solder / flux fumes, but I've never bothered with that in my 50+ years of home-labs, and so far it hasn't caused me any (cough) harm.The type of tasks you are planning may require more specialized preparation, but I've done plenty of good work under much worse conditions. Most of these were in northern California, without air conditioning. Now I'm in Friday Harbor WA and I do sometimes turn on a heater in the garage lab.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 12:46:15 am
content: I'd be tempted to build a room within the room.that way you've a smaller area to worry about dust and bug free along with maintaining a comfortable temperature.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 12:50:10 am
content: Running a good-sized HEPA filter will keep the dust at bay.In that area, you shouldn't need to worry too much about humidity for the most part.The only issue is if you wish to conduct long-term metrology work, where stable temperature and humidity are crucial.I am considering splitting my lab between my office and my garage. I am a hobbyist machinist as well, and the two hobbies cross paths often.

author: calzap
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 05:22:31 am
content: I live not that far from you (west of Davis). A radiant electric heater and a portable evaporative cooler should keep you reasonably comfortable. themadhippy’s suggestion of a room in a room is a good one. Better climate and dust control and protection from meddlesome kids. The room walls can be flimsy like the plastic sheets and removable frames contractors use or substantial with wood framing and drywall. The latter could lessen the likelihood of theft and allow for an AC or heat pump, but would need a building permit to be legal. If you are going to get a permit, call it a walk-in closet. If the AHJ thinks it's for human habitation (or worse, a lab), it will be more problematic and expensive. Mike

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 06:25:43 am
content: Room within a room. Especially if attic space is adjacent, (leading to high sun overload, next to roof). Anywhere East Bay is often hot, once you've gone inland (Orinda, Walnut Creek).Climate change made the East Bay have continuous, crappy foggy days, wimpy rain sprinkles, and lack of clear blue skies. All of that roughly after 2008 or so. What to do about that, I guess a heater, for the mild cold, dreary, fogged in (melancholy even !).Crime and burglary rates might need attention, according to highly local conditions. Room within a room, having a small air cond. unit, and AVOID the thing with having open garage door !

author: 5U4GB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 06:37:18 am
content: What's the location like for rising damp through the concrete? You may need to seal it, and then I'd cover it with garage carpet tiles which will make the work area a lot more comfortable than bare concrete. And as several others have pointed out, room-within-a-room, you don't want a draft of cold damp, or very hot, air coming in every time you open the garage door.If those walls are concrete blocks then run battens down the walls and put polystyrene panels between them for insulation (keep cold out in winter, keep heat from radiating in in summer), then fasten 12mm or more OSB panels over them (not plaster/sheetrock/whatever) because you can screw anything you need directly into them.Also... the kids, do they really need their own bedroom when there's a large garage to put bunk beds or a hammock up in? That'd give you a room of your own :-).

author: tatel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 10:15:20 am
content: Quote from: 5U4GB on September 15, 2025, 06:37:18 am+1IMHO top prority is to have isolation, if correctly done, that would greatly reduce your need/consumption for heating/cooling. The more isolation, the better. That will help quite a lot in your electricty bill. Having a room in a room will also greatly help in that -only half of garage surface will need to be heated/cooled. You can use the space for isolation between concrete and OSB to run any conducts for electricity/AC as you could ever need. There are fireproofed wood panels and fireproof isolation stuff if you are so inclined.Here in Spain we also have big differences between summer and winter. You can go to any old house in the mediterranean coast, made from brick, mortar and stone, without any isolation, and, if roofs are high enough, it's not terrible in summer (but still hot). However, in winter you can feel your balls shrink to marble-sized little things. To get these houses warm in winter is neither easy nor cheap. The same about cooling in summer.That is now considered the worst practice ever, and new homes spend a good chunk of the budget in things you can not see; i.e: isolation, first and foremost, and, if budget is big enough, underfloor heating/cooling, preferably using solar panels.A friend of mine insisted in having half a meter (about 20 inch) isolation between the exterior and interior walls in his new home. While you need to be rich to afford building a house like that, and other, mason friends that build it, were in shock and awe about it, truth is, now he does need very little heating/cooling, and he says that isolation will pay for itself in like 12 years IIRC.Of course, how far you can go will depend on your budget, but the principle remains the same: isolation first, Only after that I would consider having any heating/cooling.

author: MathWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 01:51:21 pm
content: Quote from: themadhippy on September 15, 2025, 12:46:15 amI don't have the space to get into that yet LOL, but I really need to buy or make a big styrofoam cooler to place shielded boxes inside. And I suppose regulate the temp in the cooler sometimes too. And mod or make a new higher resolution thermostat for my room.I have a big cookie tin can, and some nice drill bits. I should mount some coax connectors, and rubber grommets for cables.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 03:33:20 pm
content: Go ahead and make all the improvements you like, but remember what Bill and Dave (Hewlett Packard) did in their rented garage. It's in your vicinity and you can visit it today:

author: calzap
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 15, 2025, 03:49:57 pm
content: Generally, the East Bay climate is pretty mild. Won’t get much below freezing in winter unless a home is high in the Coastal Range (little of the E Bay housing is that high). Summer is different. In daytime, can be 38C in the far East Bay when the Oakland bayfront is 12C. Most nights the temperatures will be similar. It’s all about ocean and delta breezes. If you’re going to build a wall, sure, insulate it, but standard 2x4 framing with insulation will be satisfactory for a room in a garage.I live only 40 miles from the East Bay (in the western edge of the Central Valley). We can have visitors in the summer when the daytime temp is 38C, and they want to visit San Franciso. They’re told to take a heavy jacket and look at us like we’re crazy … but they don’t regret it.“The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” -- supposedly said, but not written on paper, by Mark Twain. In his riverboat days, Mark (Sam actually) would have experienced very cold winters.Mike

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2025, 05:14:20 am
content: Actually, trivia-wise no offense meant, the most exact quote I've heard:"Worst winter I ever spent, was summer in San Francisco!"(Just that it's a favorite, contradictory sounding declaration)!

author: jwet
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 16, 2025, 03:17:44 pm
content: I had a garage lab/office in San Diego for many years. San Diego's climate is a bit more benign (perfect you might say). This was just a cheap way to stay in my house for a bit longer as these kids kept showing up in my late 20's. I built the room in a room by just framing up two walls, putting down industrial carpet, panelling the walls and running some electrical- very inexpensive but very functional. I didn't pull a permit or anything and had a handyman type carpenter do the work in a couple of days. It had a door that I cold lock that kept dust down and the kids out. In a 2 car garage, I left a 6 foot aisle in the width direction (my furnace and hot water heater were there) and about 8 feet in the length direction that left some use for bikes and storage, etc. The opposite side of the new new walls were all shelves- my wife like this a lot. I punched a hole high up on an outside wall and put in a window A/C. My house wasn't air conditioned (few were back then) but this room had no real ventilation, this was a good move. I also had a little electric heater that I used ocassianally. California has pretty low humidity except in the winter where there will be dew on everything in the morning. This is the biggest reason for the room in room, you won't have big swings in temp/humidity- first order. I sold the house in the mid 90's and the room has survived two new owners, once as a home office and now as a playroom. It was a good move and saved me from having to go buy a new house in one of the peaks for the real estate market.A few things that I learned-- Garage floors are NOT level by design to keep fumes out of the house, this is of little consequence except when building.- If you have the garage door open much, seal the new walls a bit. You might use Tyvek house wrap and caulk. I didn't do this and the place was very dusty.- I didn't insulate, it would have been worth doing this for the few dollars it would have cost. It would have made things quieter if nothing else.- My garage floor had been sealed before. This was probably fortunate though I didn't think of it at build time.Good luck,John

author: 5U4GB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2025, 01:34:04 am
content: Quote from: jwet on September 16, 2025, 03:17:44 pmJust be careful with your wording if you're in New Zealand, where you definitely only use silicone sealant and not caulk:(The caulk bit is towards the end).

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 17, 2025, 02:00:41 am
content: Quote from: 5U4GB on September 17, 2025, 01:34:04 amIf you can get things all sealed up you can celebrate with some of these: (caulk wouldn't be optional at that point)

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2025, 03:41:18 am
content: This is garage and there always be dust, including dust emitted from bare concrete floor. I would put as much efforts as possible to isolate from dust penetration. Heat/conditioning is a lesser issue, you can always do that. I'd pick a space as far away from the garage door as possible and build a room with a door. Maybe i'd also seal the entire garage floor either with a sealant or put some type of flooring. I hate dust on my electronics.

author: Marco
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 17, 2025, 01:39:49 pm
content: Quote from: calzap on September 15, 2025, 05:22:31 amWhy not a cheap through wall airconditioner/heatpump in between those garage doors? Or if you want to be real cheap, bodge it with a window AC.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 17, 2025, 03:13:44 pm
content: Quote from: Marco on September 17, 2025, 01:39:49 pmIf you're handy enough, I saw mini-split systems onsale at Home Despot the other day. Quiet and handle both heating and cooling. I have the bodge through the wall unit right now in my garage with a separate NAT-Gas heater. I am seriously considering going the split mini route.

author: Marco
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2025, 08:01:54 am
content: Do they still sell minisplits with prefilled hoses? Otherwise you need vacuum equipment. Also you need to take a F gas course not to break the law, but AFAIK you can take that online in the US for 50 bucks or so (about 100x cheaper than the EU).There are windows ACs which can do heating BTW. The dedicated through wall heatpumps are all cooling and heating now I think.

author: Cyclotron
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 18, 2025, 10:40:57 am
content: Quote from: Marco on September 18, 2025, 08:01:54 amInteresting question. I've not seen any mini-slit systems for sale that were't pre-charged. All systems that I know of are. My 4 ton heat pump system from Trane was pre-charged.Indeed, I installed a window unit for my mother-in-law that was a heat pump.

author: Marco
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 18, 2025, 01:25:45 pm
content: Precharged main unit doesn't mean the lines are quick connect and charged/vacuum. It's all banned here now for DIY, quick connect, butane, propane, everything. As for quick connect, the HVAC guys are not a fan of the excess coiled line, but they obviously wouldn't be.

author: JustMeHere
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2025, 01:12:16 am
content: Get a dehumidifier and don't over think it.

author: Simmed
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2025, 01:19:39 am
content: Quote from: JustMeHere on September 19, 2025, 01:12:16 amadditional tipand a good coat of paintops no, not 1 coatprobably 3 to 7 coats depending on what you are using as paintit is for water barrier purposes

author: 5U4GB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2025, 05:44:56 am
content: Or just Tyvek sleeving which is what's typically used in construction, painting will be a lot of work and will suffer from cracking as the concrete expands and contracts. So for the concrete-block walls (if that's what they are) Tyvek sleeving (usually called building paper here even though it isn't) held in place by wood battens with insulation in between, then OSB over the top that you can screw stuff into.

author: fourfathom
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 19, 2025, 06:35:27 am
content: Remember, this garage is in the Northern California East Bay, near Oakland, Berkeley, etc. It's not a severe climate area. I like the idea of putting up plywood sheathing for easy hanging of shelves and other items, and you might as well put up tyvec, battens, insulation, wiring, etc, when doing this, but unless you are setting up a semiconductor fab line even bare concrete block walls and an unfinished concrete floor will be quite usable.