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How big is your workshop?
We’re looking into moving into a bigger workshop. At the moment we have about 85 square meters divided into different rooms and it’s just too small for us. We are thinking of moving into a workshop of about 130-150 square meters. Our thought on the layout were that it should all be open space, so that we can have both the mounting area and printing area together. What do you all reckon? How much do you have and what has worked best for you in the long run?
//Simon -
10 Replies
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I think combination of bigger and smaller places is the best. My opinion is that printers should not be in the same place because of dust & dirt. Also mounting should not be in the same place where you cut thick materials as aluminum and different plastic plates for the same reasons.
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Hi Simon,
We’ve got 150sqm divided up into MD’s and general admin offices, toilets, kitchen and small store area, then our new production and warehousing bit (finished in October) adds another 190sqm which is divided roughly 60/40, production and warehouse.
If I had my way though we’d have that warehouse bit too so we can bring cars straight through the roller and have loads of room, at the moment we can just to say get a mini clubman in before its against the first row of shelves ….. might just lose a set of shelves when nobody is looking 👿
I agree with Milos on keeping certain processes seperate its really important. However we divided ours up with 2.7m shelving bays (backed with board) so that we can easily move them if we need to move stuff around. Oh and get the biggest tables you can get, we just built two 10′ x 5′ ones, we’ve had a few wobbly ones over the years but these are rock solid.
Andy
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We have an industrial unit which is 170 m2 (1840 sq. ft). It has a small office at the main door entrance where we deal with walk in customer enquiries without having to subject them to the full horror of our work space. The rest is all open plan (apart from a small toilet block).
When we first moved in last year I had originally intended putting up a dividing wall to seperate the roller shutter/vehicle bay from the rest of the unit (I may still do). But at the moment I am quite happy to keep it all open plan. When working on vehicles we can drive them right inside and up to the big workbench which means we’re not constantly walking backwards and forwards when fitting stuff. The downside to having a large open plan space is it’s a big area to heat and when we’re working on designs and not moving about as much it can get pretty cold after a while. So perhaps a smaller workshop area would be more comfortable with a separate cutting bay/vehicle bay area for doing more energetic work which doesn’t need to be heated as much.
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Have approx 2000sq/ft. 60ft across being divided into 3 20ft bays/offices. the far end is the front office/ main entrance which houses computers , cutters vinyl etc and customer entrance.
Behind that is the room which contains the two embroidery machines, heatpress racking for garments and bench. Lucky for me theses were the office for the pack house so all fully insulated with full width windows down the side overlooking fields to the main road 300yds away.Through the sliding door into a full length fitting production bay with full height roller shutter. With board storage and a 12′ x 5’6" heavy bench with storage on wheels so it can go anywhere, and wash out bay for screen printing.
Then the last bay has dark room and carousel with an area hidden behind big doors for my race cars.
The beauty is I am based on a farm with just a storage building next to me. Loads of parking out the front, (had 3 40ft trailers out the front in the summer) and fields all around, but mins away from industrial estates and the town.
The only thing I have found through experience is the work in the space and adapt to you and your style of work.
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we have a shop which is 35′ long and 10 wide
it’s great for getting business because we are on the corner of the busiest junction into our town and we have 2no. 8’x6′ windows and a 10’x6′ window to advertise on but crap for doing work in. if its wet or very cold we can’t do vans cos we have to fit them outside
would like to get a small unit near by as well as the shop but can’t find one -
just moving to my new premises this month, i have built 3 offices from i have started and never built big enough. Luckily i was based on my fathers farm so had plenty of room for expansion.
I’ve eventually found a new place for myself. It has 1500 sq/ft of office, 4800sq/ft of workshop on an 1/2 acre. surely i have enough room this time. I Hope 😮 -
My office and cutting area is 200 square foot. My fitting area and workshop downstairs is 750 square foot. The set up isnt ideal as the workshop is across the yard form the office so it means carrying graphics about 70 meters to be fitted.
We have only been going since April, the space was fine before but we are outgrowing it quickly.
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My production/office area is 45 sqm, and my fitting area is a bit bigger than a single garage. Too small really, but it is all my local council will allow under our home business laws.
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Our t shirt print shop with computer room is app. 75 m2 and printer + application place is app. 45 m2. Cars and vans we are mounting at neighbors under the passage to their yard.
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We are currently in a 5,500sq foot premises, but the vehicle bay isnt big enough, so we are moving into a new premises, that ive purchased from the failed LSUK business.
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