A friend of ours just purchased a new premade shed at a large warehouse store and they are thinking of using it as a woodworking work area. Yes I asked the same question if you are able to do woodworking why didn’t you build the shed yourself. I never got an answer to that.
They are now considering putting in a Air Conditioner and doing some woodworking in the shed. You know how it works every guy who retires thinks they are going to do some woodworking.. really this shed is going to be his getaway place. I do like the AC but how is he going to get power out there. That is another huge consideration running power for tools and the AC and probably a fridge and a large screen television with Cable I would guess. Anyway he has a project to keep himself busy now so thats good.
The shed is made out of OSB so the finishes that you can give OSB are pretty limited since it is normally used as a Decking Material in home floors where carpet or other products will cover it or as a sheathing material on homes where siding will cover it on the outside and drywall on the inside.
Pegboard, Shelves And Storage For Your Workshop
Every workshop is going to need different types of storage for your tools and materials. Shelving made from plywood and 2x4s is an inexpensive and easy way to have a lot of storage for larger items. If you have tools you will either want to hang them on Pegboard with special hangers that can hold things like hammers, saws, screwdrivers and other items or you will want to have some type of drawer unit to keep dust out of them. An official tool chest is great but they can be expensive for a shed type workshop. Normally I don’t keep very many expensive tools in my shed but you can use alarm systems and cameras to keep things safe.
Whatever type of storage system you use you should make sure that you take time to layout both your work area and the storage. If you don’t define both areas then you can bet in a short time that your work areas will become storage and things will get piled on top of each other and nothing will ever get done.
Protecting Your Shed Floor From Water Damage
If you have an OSB Floor in your shed you should take precautions to protect it from the weather and from moisture that you might bring in while working. Moisture on OSB is just not fun it will warp and delaminate the material and you will end up having to replace the decking.
The first thing I would suggest is that you use a thick waterproof type paint. I like to use concrete floor paint because it is thick and it will last quite a while. Don’t expect it to last forever and it might be good to protect areas of your floor with other products.
Rubber matting is a good idea if you will be using your shed as a workshop as it will not only protect your decking but it will keep it waterproof to some extent.
Thick Plastic Sheeting is another option and you can use it under materials you might be storing such as mulch or concrete products.
Keeping some materials off the decking is a good idea and you should sticker or use a wood pallet to store materials off the floor.
Making Use Of Unclaimed Space In Your Shed Workshop
If you have good headroom you might want to store some longer items overhead in the roof rafters. You can place some light items like a ladder or extra gutter and downspouts or long moldings that would get damaged if stored on the floor.
Other areas might include hanging small tools on the door of the shed which is good because they can be reminders. Hang your safety glasses and other safety equipment or maybe some small hand tools for the garden on your shed door but be careful so they are well maintained and won’t fall off and become damaged.
Final Note
What you do with your shed is going to be related to how you use it. Our friend is expecting to put an AC in his shed and I wonder if that or maybe a large fan might be a better idea because it would not only keep the area cool but it would be great for venting fumes if you are painting, staining or using other products.
Dust is a big issue because a small amount of it will seem much larger in a small enclosed space. You should consider a sawdust collection situation if you have any type of sanding, lathes or other work going on where you know dust is a main concern.
You may also want to consider putting in a concrete paver patio for working on some things outside your shed.