How to build a man cave
Thinking of converting your garage into a hangout zone but don’t want to give up your workshop or storage? Why not have the best of both worlds! By building
a simple partition wall, you can break up your garage into two separate spaces – a handy workshop when there’s jobs to get done and a comfy man cave when it's time to relax.
BUILD YOUR OWN MAN CAVE
Gather your supplies
- Wall plates, studs, noggings and blocking 70 x 45mm H2 treated pine
- 820mm cavity door unit to suit 70mm wall frame
- Ceiling battens 70 x 35mm H2 treated pine
- Wall and ceiling lining 2400 x 1200 x 12mm CD plywood
- Architrave 64 x 19mm dressed pine
- Skirting and cornice
- 42 x 19mm dressed pine
- 820mm internal door
You’ll also need
Sugar soap; stiff broom; pressure washer; degreaser; chalkline; power saw; nail gun and nails; drill; 10mm masonry drill bit; 100 x 10mm masonry screws; ratchet; spirit level; hitch brackets; nails and screws, various sizes; handsaw; acrylic undercoat; painting equipment; construction adhesive; Dulux Wash & Wear low sheen interior paint in Raku; Berger Jet Dry paving paint in Regal Fortress; Dunlop Damp-Proof waterproof membrane; carpet underlay; carpet; carpet cover strip; Dulux Aquanamel semi gloss in Raku; pendant and LED downlights
FOR YOU TO NOTE
When using power tools, wear all safety gear required and refer to your product instructions.
Here’s how
STEP 1
Clear out garage. Using a sugar soap solution, scrub floor with a stiff broom. Rinse with pressure washer. Remove oil stains using a degreaser. Leave to dry.
STEP 2
Mark out position of wall frames on floor using a chalkline.
STEP 3
Referring to wall frame diagram (opposite), construct stud frame walls to create the man cave. Include an opening for cavity sliding door in 1 wall. (For complete step-by-step instructions on building a stud partition wall, check out the project sheet, opposite).
STEP 4
Lift wall frames into position to meet line chalked on floor in Step 2. At each end of walls, on either side of door, and every 900mm between these points, drill holes and attach frame to floor using 10mm masonry screws, tightening with ratchet.
STEP 5
Make walls plumb. Nail frames together and through end studs into existing wall frames.
STEP 6
Secure top of wall by attaching a wall hitch bracket to top plate and into ceiling joists. Where wall is parallel to ceiling joists, cut blocking to fit between ceiling joists and nail hitch bracket into them.
STEP 7
Use handsaw to cut out bottom plate in door opening. Install cavity sliding door unit in opening following manufacturer’s instructions.
STEP 8
In man cave, nail ceiling battens to ceiling joists. Place a batten adjacent to walls and space others between these every 600mm. Ensure batten and end of a full plywood sheet coincide to provide a fixing point for sheet.
STEP 9
Have a licensed electrician run cables for power points and lighting, as required.
STEP 10
Undercoat 1 face of ceiling lining sheets and let dry. Spread construction adhesive along ceiling battens for 1 sheet and hold sheet up. Nail to hold, then screw sheet to battens. Repeat to line entire ceiling, cutting sheets as required. Apply 2 coats of interior paint to ceilings, allowing to dry after each coat.
STEP 11
Cut wall sheets to suit height of new and existing walls. On existing walls, nail blocking between wall plates and noggings to provide a fixing point for sheet edges. Spread construction adhesive along studs and press sheet vertically onto wall. Nail into wall studs, plates and blocking. Cut sheets to fit into corners and around doors and windows. When fixing linings to cavity door unit, screw into rails on unit so nails don’t protrude into cavity.
STEP 12
Apply 2 coats paving paint to workshop area of garage. Allow to dry after each coat.
STEP 13
To prevent the concrete slab in the man cave getting damp, apply 2 coats of waterproof membrane using a brush and roller.
STEP 14
Fit carpet underlay to man cave floor. Follow with carpet, cutting to fit tight to edges of room. At door, cut carpet so edge will sit under door. Fix carpet cover strip over cut edge.
STEP 15
Cut architraves to fit around door openings and any windows. Use short nails over cavity door unit so they don’t protrude into the cavity.
STEP 16
Cut and fit skirting around junction of all walls and floor. In man cave, press skirting hard into carpet before nailing to hold it in position. Use short nails along cavity sliding door unit so they don’t protrude into the door cavity.
STEP 17
Cut and fit cornice to fit around junction of wall and ceiling in man cave. For a matching finish in workshop, nail cornice around top of walls there too.
STEP 18
Undercoat, then apply 2 coats of water-based enamel to door. Allow to dry after each coat. Fit supplied fixing clips to top of door and hang in cavity sliding door unit. Cut and fit supplied pelmet to top of door frame to hide top of door and sliding track.
STEP 19
Have an electrician install power points and lighting as required.
