For Starters: How To Properly Set Up Your Welding Garage At Home

Carrying out a welding task effectively goes beyond proper handling and usage of the welding tools; it starts with the setting of your garage. Whether you are considering about starting a welding business at home, or you just need to carry out some welding task, setting up the welding garage should be your first concern. Without a properly set workshop, your work may not be perfect. But besides work, there are also safety concerns to consider when setting up a workshop. The following are tips on how you can prepare a safe welding environment in your garage.  

Set Up A Proper Ventilation System

Your garage should have a functional ventilation system that allows for an escape of welding fumes and entry of fresh air. The room should have enough windows to allow for free flow of air. If it lacks enough windows, ensure that the doors are always open during operation. In addition, run a box fan near the windows and doors; the fan will help in sucking the fumes out as well as blowing fresh air in. Welding fumes are a mixture of fluorides, metallic oxides, and silicates.  In the long run, these chemical compounds may lead to adverse health effects such as lung infection; worse than that, they can cause death through pneumonia. And according to research, most welders report short term effects of the fumes; cases regarding flu symptoms, metal fume fever, coughing, and throat soreness are not new in welders who breathe in the fumes.  

Divide The Garage For Wood And Metal Projects

One thing you do not want to do is to mix up wood projects with metal projects. This is because the accumulated sawdust from the wood work only requires a single spark to set everything in the garage ablaze. It can even be worse if the garage is attached to the main house. Hence, it is better to divide the garage into two sections; one for metal work and the other for wood. And due to the possibility of a fire, hang your fire extinguisher somewhere near the work area and not in some corner that will take you plenty of time to get to.

To protect yourself against fire incidents, preventing a fire from occurring may not be enough; always wear the right attire to protect yourself against any potential fire incident once you are in the workshop. For instance, you can invest in a welding jacket, welding gloves and apron. Most welding attires are made of fire-proof materials. 

Share