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The craft and pottery space

Darren Wright

Darren Wright

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Springfield, Missouri
So it seems my wife doesn’t think I have enough to do. She’s wanting her own craft and pottery space. She’s easing into retirement over the next few years and wanting to start focusing on things she enjoys doing. Due to flooding concerns, we are kind of limited on areas we can build on our property, that make sense financially. We really don’t use our garage for our cars to park in, so it’s become the obvious place to consider as a space for her.
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We’re looking to convert the first bay into her space. The garage door will be removed and closed up. We’ll add a window there and another along the side wall. The current exterior door will be replaced with one with glass for additional natural light.
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I’m still planning out the layout. We’re undecided if we take some additional space from the second bay to build a separate kiln and drying room, or make the first bay work, with the kiln on a rolling cart and shelving. I’m planning to install concrete board on the walls and ceiling around the kiln. I updated the electrical service a few years ago, so we should be ok as far as that goes. Floors will be left as the current concrete for now, though it may need some self leveling mix added over it.
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We’re also undecided if we’ll access the rest of the garage through her space or just move the current door over on the end closest to my shop, which I’m leaning towards, we can always open a doorway later if need be.

Currently, We’re looking at about $3,200 to finish out the space, adding the wall, adding windows, new door, insulation, sink, and a mini split. If she decides to add flooring, we’ll be looking at another $400 or so

Current foot print will give her about 12’ 6” x 21’ 3”, 8’ ceilings
 
Thanks Dave! Yeah, I started a sketch-up of the space and want to print some scaled cut-outs of things like the kiln, pottery wheel, wedging table, work table(s), sink, and shelving. That way she can try to organize the space a bit before we commit to things. I'll add some tool carts to the list. I still need to figure out how to do some things in the on-line version I used to be able to do easily in the installed version.

I'd hate to lose the rear portion of the 2nd bay for a separate kiln and drying room, but I think 1) having the heat from the kiln somewhat contained in a vented room would make the studio space more enjoyable to use and not make the HVAC go nuts. 2) Not having to move the kiln and things stored around it to use it would be safer for her. I can completely wall up the room with concrete board for heat and fire resistance. 3) Happy wife, happy life. ;)
 
Well obviously option C as it give her more room allowing her to get a large slab roller and a pug mill. I have noticed that the kiln does not get run that often as there is a lot of work to get to that point, at least for non-production potters. So even if the kiln was in the same space she would not be inconvenienced that much. How many of us spend everyday in our shops? Just an observation with how my wife manages having the kiln in the same space. Now would she want the kiln someplace else? Sure but because that meant she had even more room for shelf and table space. They can't seem to get enough of either.
 
Bill Satko said:
Well obviously option C as it give her more room allowing her to get a large slab roller and a pug mill. I have noticed that the kiln does not get run that often as there is a lot of work to get to that point, at least for non-production potters. So even if the kiln was in the same space she would not be inconvenienced that much. How many of us spend everyday in our shops? Just an observation with how my wife manages having the kiln in the same space. Now would she want the kiln someplace else? Sure but because that meant she had even more room for shelf and table space. They can't seem to get enough of either.
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I was hoping you'd chime in. ;)

Repetitive theme, more shelf space, wife happy. :)
 
Picked up a mini split for $100 off, free shipping on a prime day special. I'll either be using it in her studio space or my office. Mine has still been freezing up, and been trying to find someone that will work on them. If I can't limp it along until fall, I'll probably need to replace it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DXQ71FKL
 
Might not look like it, but spent some considerable time today re-arranging things in the garage. I still have another good day of clearing out somethings from the other end to make additional room. For this bay I have the couple of shelves next to the entry door to remove. Many of the other items and such just need moved over to the next bay or the shop
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This week I'll pickup lumber for main wall between the bays and to close off the garage door opening to rough in the window. She may try just doing a kiln in the space rather than having the kiln/drying room, but I'll go ahead and frame the door for it, even if we wall it off for now. I can easily add it later, but that may mean I have to re-wire the kiln's electrical later too. We will see.

There are a couple of pieces of the original metal siding stored up in the trusses over the second bay. I'll pull those down tomorrow to see if there is enough to close up the garage door bay opening and around the window. I think there may be enough J molding to trim out the window too, which will be coming off from around the current door opening.

We've also got a couple of damaged garage door panels on the last bay, so should be able to swap those with a couple from the garage door I'm removing to repair them. The two remaining doors need to be greased and adjusted. They each have garage door openers installed, but they've been disconnected since before we came here.
 
Got the windows, a door, and some of the metal trim ordered to pickup next week, which had to be special ordered. I plan to go get lumber tomorrow to start with the separating wall, closing off the garage door opening, and framing for the exterior door on the opposite end. I can at least start on setting electrical boxes and running wire if I get those roughed in. She decided she didn't want the side window, but two front windows instead.
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She wants black windows, found Menards has them for about the same price as plain white ones. Some of the trim I ordered was a brick molding cover in black as well to make the doors match. I'll probably be replacing the corner and gable trims at some point with black as well.
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Picked up lumber this morning and got started building the partition wall between the studio and garage. After getting the layout lines chalked on the floor, I setup one of my self leveling lasers and marked out for the top plate and wall ends. Nothing on this wall is load bearing, so no header over the door. I will be adding a header over the new exterior on the other end.
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All went pretty well, but with her grandpa using sawmill rough cut green lumber to build the building, things aren't as flat as I'd like. There's about a 1 1/2" - 2" dip in the middle of the ceiling, then the floor raises up about 1 1/2" in the middle as well. You really don't notice it much, but may try to flatten the ceiling before installing insulation and sheeting, maybe using furring strips. We'll probably do some self leveling floor compound where we need to on the floors, and do a vinyl plank over them.

Putting concrete anchors in isn't easy either. Her grandpa mixed all the concrete on-site using creek rock and sand. I went through 3 bits for 6 fasteners. I probably tried 10 - 12 holes for them too. You quickly learn to try another spot when the masonry bit isn't sinking in, as you've hit a piece of granite in the concrete.

I've got to run to town and pickup the door I ordered and a few other supplies. I'll remove the garage door, hardware and opening trim to start closing it up and prepped for windows over the next couple of days.
 
Today I worked on getting the garage door down and the opening framed for the new windows. But first had to address the sagging opening
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Which was lacking a header.
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On the opposite side, the opening threshold wasn’t exactly flat, so I mixed up some self leveling mix and filled the voids.
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The header took a bit help from a bottle jack to get leveled.
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Got some house wrap on, then some purlins
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The windows should be in sometime this week, will install them and finish up trim. Will be working on electrical and lighting in the meantime.
 
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