When you are filled with the desire to fix and make things for your house, you need a comfortable place to work and to store the tools properly.
To give the most convenience, efficiency and pleasure to the handyman and handywoman, a proper workbench and tool storage is needed. Give as much space to it as possible. You may have a small spare room which is not being used; or a small section or a corner which can be walled or screened off, perhaps in the attic or basement or garage; or even a large unused closet. The amount of space you allot to a workshop need not be too large-but it must be comfortable, well ventilated, and of course with sufficient light to enable you to work properly.
Electric lighting in the workshop
Before you make and install any of the fixtures, give thought to the room (or corner of room) which is to be devoted to your workshop. Is it light? If it, isn’t near a window, or if you are going to do your “puttering” at night, then you must be sure to install a good electric light over your workbench (and a bright ceiling or wall light, too, if possible) so that you will avoid eyestrain. For very close work you might want a light near the surface of the workbench-you can have a droplight fixture, suspended by a cord from a ceiling or wall fixture, and raise or lower the light as is needed.
If there is no overhead fixture or socket, but if there is a wall plug on the baseboard near your workbench, plug in a lamp (either table or floor lamp) which has a “goose neck” top-the flexible metal arrangement which enables the light to be raised and lowered over your work.
Water supply in workshops
It’s surprising how much need you’ll find for a convenient water faucet-for keeping your work clean, for washing hands and tools, and for cleaning bench and the entire area of your work. If the workshop is located in a basement or garage, you might bring the water in by means of a garden hose. However, this is dependent on where you situate your shop-and is just a reminder that a supply of running water will be found convenient.
How to install a workshop floor
You might do some heavy hammering or other type of shop work which will be a strain on the floor. If your wood floor is too weak for such strain, it may be a good idea for you to lay an extra floor on top of the existing one, for strength. However, in a well built house this shouldn’t be a problem, as the floor is usually strong enough. But, to make it easy to keep clean, cover the floor with linoleum, as it can be cleaned with a damp cloth after each one of your chores with the tools.
If your workshop is in a basement or garage which has a cement or concrete floor, then your only problem might be dampness underfoot. If that is so, lay a wood flooring over the cement floor, and if you prefer you can also add linoleum over that.