Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Building a 25 by 20 garage to work on trucks. I plan on beefing up for a engine puller up to 800 lbs. Any other suggestions?

Pat

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Build something tall enough to get a lift in there (12ft ceilings..). Skylights are awesome and not too expensive... Radiant floor heating.. or at least put in the pex tubing in the slab (can't do it later..) and you can do radiant heat later on..

I built my garage (24 by 20) 4 years ago and certainly don't regret it. I literally built it from the ground up... I have build pictures if you want to see them. Send me a pm and we'll exchange emails.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

No matter the size, it will never be big enough. Mine is 40x60 and i wish it was 60x80. I did the cathedral ceilings and i have 2 lifts in mine.

Radiant floor heat is awesome, but expensive, mine costs me a fortune every year, so i put in a hawt dog heater. Super efficient.

If you got room, 9ft doors, the 8's are just to close. IMHO.

Good luck.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

radiant heat is expensive? It costs me barely $20 a month to heat my garage.. and I'm in the great white north. It's more expensive to put it in, no question there.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Yup, cost me $900 a season to heat my 40x60. I did it 2 seasons, and it was the same each time, i burned 300 gallons propane. I installed it myself (did heating work for years) used Radiant tech for the design, had one of my heating guys build the manifold. did foam underlayment, foamed the outsides, seals, you name it we did it. I'm sitting on 20 ft of blasted ledge, we think that was some of the issue, the rock under the foam and sand was pulling the heat out of the floor.
I shut it down, filled it with anti freeze and put in a Hawt Dog 125k furnace. Heats the shop to 60 in 10 minutes. And i only use it when i'm out there, so i burned 60 gallons in the last 2 years.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

wow.. yeah, I'd say that's expensive. I insulated my floor as well everything thing else of course. I also put it in myself.. was about $3000 in parts (closed loop system)... but it seriously only costs me about $20 a month in the winter to heat, i keep it at 15degrees Celsius which is perfect for working. So i spend about $80-100 a season to heat... pluss the slab is warm if you're rolling around on a creeper..

Sorry to hijack your thred..

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Radient heat is nice, but forced air gives you good air circulation. Air circulation is handy when you live in rainy climes like I do. If you are out in your "driver" in the rain or you wash it and pull it into the garage, it's nice to have a forced air system to dry it out and help prevent rust. I suppose it depend where you live and what your requirements are.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

I plan to go with Propane for heating the garage and definitely not Radiant. The current design has the garage door at 16 foot wide 7 foot tall and the ceiling in the first floor 8 foot so I have a loft for storage second floor 8 foot to center. Town restiction is 15 to knee wall.

Pat

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

I don't regret putting two roll up doors in the front of mine. If you increased from 20' to 24' you could put two 9 foot doors. One of mine almost never gets opened but it's sure nice when a long term project needs to be rolled out and you just have to open a door. I also went extra and got 8' doors instead of 7' garage type.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

make sure you have enough lighting air- and poweroutlets and maibe a retractible hose and evac to put over the exaust when you work on a running engine with the doors closed to keep the heat in maibe put the compressor in a small outhouse with a big airtank so it doesnt make too mush noise and the moist has a chance to condens inside the storagetank

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

I've been working for an electrician for years and will power it right, add copper all around for compressor air tools. We did it in a buddys bisuness garage when he first opened yrs ago. I plan to elevate the tank so it doesn't take up floor space. I'll put in a vac system too.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

+10 on the compressor room. It's the first change I had to make. I built a little lean to on the side to isolate the compressor from the shop. HUGE difference. My only regret is not making it slightly bigger so I could have put the rotary phase converter out there. It's noisy too.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

have you considered an attic truss for the upper storage? That is what I used. Then you could raise the ceiling to at least 9'. 8' makes it hard to get a cab off and over an installed engine. If not you might use a vaulted truss to get ceiling space above, or even hand stack it. Have a couple of the trusses at each end (in 6') designed for lifting. Put in plenty of outlets, design the panel for a couple of 220 (compressor, welder). Same with air so you aren't running hose and extension cords all over the floor.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

I'd have to agree with Speedbumpauto in that I'd go 24 wide. 20 ft is ok to park two smaller cars in but when you start working in one it may be cramped. Unless of course that is what the lot size or budget allows and then you just work around it.

I'd also have a walk in door on the side so I didn't have to open the garage doors to get in and out along with the concept that you can better secure the overhead doors from the inside that way.

From working in my friends shop and having to listen to the air compressor hammer away all the time and having to listen to my small air compressor run I'd say either build a small building beside the garage for the air compressor or have it sealed off in a closet in the corner that is vented to the outside. That noise can be very tiring when you are spending a lot of time in the garage.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

all good stuff guys. I'll ask my builder about a section in the 25 foot wide to be able to remove a cab in. I'll also be building elevated closets for the tanks in each corner. keep the recommendations and ideas coming.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

if you have money to burn you could allso buy a screw compressor , there pretty quet

there build like one of those wippler superchargers ..... makes you think if its possible to build youre own using and old wippler or eaton as the compressor

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Possibly a pit?
A friend of mine has one in his garage. Sure is handy to pull the car over it, go down the steps and sit down to work under the car instead of lay on a creeper. Only draw back is the pit cover is there when you're not using it and you can't use a floor jack over it.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

a pit is somewat dangerous , you can drive the wheel of a car intoo it you can fall intoo it if it isnt covered up , poisonous / flamable gasses cant evacuate so they stay in the hole
besides that a lift you can raise and lower to the height you need/want to work at
a pit is cheap when its a dirt floor but build intoo a slab a pit is more expensive than you think

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

No pits, I am always bumping and tripping into stuff. My luck I'll fall into it. I am going to discuss the height in the first floor with the GC and maybe go higher sacrificing storage space height on the second level.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

I agree with all the posts. My compressor is in the basement and the piping runs through a crawl space under my dining area. You can't even hear it in the garage. Don't have a wife (anymore) to complain about the not-too-bad-house noise. I also recommend the side door to keep the heat in and lot's of lighting. I have 14 8' flouresents (24' x 48') and it's just barely enough, especially when painting. Limit windows on the north side and insulate the heck out of the attic. I sloped the front section (24' x 24') 2" to help drain any snow, ice out the door. 24' is not really wide enough but I deal with it. 5/8" sheetrock too. Good luck.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

scissors trusses so you can put a hoist in it and still have 8 or 9 foot side walls.
one 16 ft door minimum, lot nicer than one 8 footer.
i got lucky, this came with the property, i told my wife; love the barn, can make the house work :D

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/n...0815091916.jpg

of coarse i had to pour the floors and install the doors, but i made it work.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Have a 20 X 24 detached garage that we just turned into a shop. Wish it was bigger. I'm working on my c10 rebuild and trying to figure out where I'm going to put the bed! Space fills up really quick. Build as big as you can go! I guess if I had a bigger shop I'd still be complaining because I'd fill it up with more of these addicting trucks!

p.s. A lift would be very handy! Good luck!

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

1st post here for me but, anyway Im pretty much a certified, mentally deranged, garage freak so I couldn't help myself. So if your looking for suggestions, I might be able to help.

First of all, sounds like everyone has given some great pointers but, this is just like our trucks, and personal preference comes into play & unfortunately money is always the biggest factor. Here are some thoughts from my point of view...

Floor: if you can paint it w/ good product, then do it. Even good product isn't bulletproof from hot stuff or sometimes twisting psi of metal casters but, it sure is nice for clean up. Even if you dont paint it, vulkum the saw joints if you have them. Them saw joints are a pain if the butt for trapping water, debris and whatever. If you can, go w/ a floor drain. Especially great for winter/snow type conditions.

Walls: I would go w/ oriented strand board instead of drywall. Way more durable than drywall and can take the beating of a working garage and makes it easy to change things or move shelving, cabinets or hanging items w/o so much damage. Should cost less to have done this way too. Use semi-gloss/gloss paint in a bright white or light color. This makes a huge difference in perceived lighting inside. If you want another color, at least do the top half in a brighter white to reflect lighting.

Lighting: This is important - especially if your like me and your eyes are getting worse... Dont mess incandescent lighting. Go straight to fluorescent fixtures and more is better. A higher color temperature bulb will be best for working under, so as to see bodywork/paint work better. Makes a big difference. T-8 fixtures will cost more but they cost less to run and use less draw on the breaker.

Heating: This one is based on preference too. I went w/ forced air and now wish I had radiated heat from either the floor or the ceiling now. I get tired of the forced air unit turning on (noisy) and it blows dust around.

Its great to have your hard air lines "inside" the wall and coming out at designated locations for your air tools.

Dont forget to run cable, phone or whatever before closing up.

Go bigger now, if you can. -or have a viable alternative to expand later.

Probably a million other things too, that I cant think of right now.

Lots of other good ideas already mentioned too!

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Mine is 26 x 30 and I wish it were 52 x 60. So what eve size you want, double it. I have a used forced air electric furnace out of a house in my garage. Just a 90 degree bend on top and open. Heats the place up quick. You can usually pick one up in your local traders guide cheap when someone is upgrading or replacing there heat pump. Good luck! My next one will have a lift.
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Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Gotta say lift again! I just got one and man is it ever nice to have. Best money spent on a hobby like ours besides a truck without rust :lol:
Also never mentioned yet, a floor drain if allowed. I put one in mine with the heated slab also wicked and it's nice to wash the floor off and vehicles etc and it's good for having the odd wizz too..
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Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

I built my shop/garage last year, 24x30. Plan to add another 20x25 this year, you never have enough room. I had never built anything like this before but my dads old 20x20 garage was falling down already and I needed the space to house my projects. Wish he was alive today to see it, he would love how big it is. I chose to build it with a sloped roof high in the front ( 14ft. ) and lower in the back (12ft.) with 24 ft. 2.5x 8" purlins 3 ft. Apart for the roof. Covered in metal on the exterior and plywood inside.Makes a nice large shop area to work in. I then added a 8 x 20 office/ restroom on the side with a/c heat, double shop sink, mini fridge, 32" flat screen tv/ DVD combo,microwave, and 20" monitor security DVR/ 4 camera surveillance system, and a motion detection alarm system. Put a desk, office chair, and bookshelf with all my manuals and favorite car books. Have plenty of automotive related signs,posters,decals,and diecast all over the place. I also built a 20 x24 metal carport over the front of the building and office. Shop has 8 ft. Roller doors ( prefer 9 ft. But got these really cheap because there're bright yellow) 2 in the front and 1 in the rear. I installed 4 ceiling mounted radiant heaters in the shop this winter and My 80 gallon air compressor and small water heater are housed on the side behind the office. Have a gas grill to BBQ on nice days and just added full lighting under the carport to be able to work late if needed. I love this building but if I had to do it again I would have

Built it bigger
Built it higher slab and ceiling. Office has had water damage after a week long rain storm
Install lift ( plan to do this soon )
Larger doors
Install a shower
built a spray booth ( really want to learn more automotive paint and body)

You be surprised what you can do when you put your mind to it. It took me 3 months to remove the old garage, build a wood fence around the back and sides, then build the main shop and office. March 3rd made a full year since I started. All the money I spent over the years renting storage rooms and mini warehouse's was a waste. I built the whole thing with what it cost me to rent for two years. Build your dream shop and enjoy
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Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

There has been some great advice. I built a 20 x 25 shop at my old house and built a 36 x 40 at my current house. If you can afford it and there is enough room, go bigger now. Also, get the biggest door you can. I've used shops that had 2 - 8 or 9 foot doors instead of a 16 or 18 foot door. You'll be happier with a taller and wider door. Good luck.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

One more thing, Zammer mentioned a drain, "if allowed". Make sure you build to code. Some of the comments so far have code issues. For instance many cities/counties/towns/etc require fire rated finishes such as fire rated drywall (especially if the garage is attached to the house). Welding, grinding and cutting with a plasma cutter or Oxy-Acetylene are obvious fire hazards and in many locals can require special attention to codes. In many areas "pits" not not allowed. You could potentially build a fantastic garage with many code violations. If in the future your garage met with disaster such as fire, or other damage, the insurance company will do their best to get out of paying for rebuild/repair. They can used a code violation to get out of paying your claim. Check your local code requirements.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Awesome stuff, keep it coming. I am in the city and restircted to the 25 foot across because my yard is only 36 wide total. I need the 5 on each side due to regulations and ease of passage around the garage. The depth is 20 so as not to use the complete backyard. I am considering making the height on the first floor so I can put in a lift. What do I need for height for the smallest lift?

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Finally a thread I can give some real world advise on. I've built two garages/shops on my property (myself).

I built a 30 x 30 with 9' ceilings. Great for woodworking, but currently I have my truck in it in peices and it's way too small. Would NEVER build a garage this small again. I also built a 20 x 50 with 16' walls for my motorhome. Great for that, but not very good as a 'shop'. My neighbor has a 40 x 60 which seems like a great size. ?The rule here is build it as large as you can afford and fit on your property.

Make sure to stub in 220 power for compressors, welders, etc. Stub in a gas line, phone, computer line, everything you can think of even if you have zero plans of using any of that now. Guaranteed it will pay HUGE dividens down the road. Take it from someone who has been there before.

Consider putting flourscent lighting on the walls and ceilings. People think I'm crazy for having lights on the walls, but think about it; when your working on a fender for example and the light is shining on the top of the car, it makes alot of sense to have light coming from a wall vs. a ceiling. Last thing to consider, don't drywall. Sheet the walls with a nice plywood and paint them white, this way they reflect light, and you can nail anywhere and get holding power.

Good luck!!!

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

If you can have at least 12 ft ceilings for a lift you will be very happy. Get 3000 psi concrete also for a 4 post lift. If getting a 4 post get the taller model if possible giving you around 84" so you can easily walk under it. I got a pro park 8 plus for around 2800. Love that thing :metal:
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Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

You never can have enough garage space ! Same goes for shop space !

My house came with a 30' x 40' garage and 2 attached carports 1 on the end and the other on the back with a drive through. It has 8' high doors and a flat ceiling at 9'.

So I added two new buildings to it. One is in line and the other is out back. I enclosed the carports giving me a 6 car main parking garage. One of the former car ports triples as parking/car wash/pass through. The other former carport serves as a 1 car garage/ storage area and indoor entrance to the shop out back.

I was limited by setback reg's so I only make the shop 24' wide. I made it 34' long to line up with the carport.

The other building is 24 x 30 and serves as a parking garage for my trailer and 3 cars and is where the air compressor is. How did I get 3 cars and a trailer in there? The trailer is only 18' and next to it is a Bend Pac 4 post lift with one truck up and a car below and my van across the front.

The shop has a 12' top plate height and a cathedral ceiling along the sidewalls it has a 24" shelf for storage and at the front a 48" deck for more storage.

Its constructed with a 24" concrete stem wall and 2" x 6" x 10' framing. The floor is 4" thick at the far end and 6" thick in the middle for the Bend Pac 2 post lift. The lift is 12' 4" tall.

The walls and ceiling are packed with insulation and the shop stays comfortable most of the year without having to use the heat or a/c. When I do heat it set at 60* and 65* cooling. (Gas & Electric)

I installed outlets at 48" high every 4' . They are on 4 breakers, I also installed a 220v outlet on its own breaker. The lift has a breaker as does the HVAC unit. The lighting is 8' florescent all around. Theres even a 52"ceiling fan. Air is plumbed in from the other garage. Cable and stereo wiring also. Phone is wireless.
Of course all the garages have vacuum ports to the central system.

Like I said, You never can have enough space ! The place is now full and I'm having a garage sale .:waah:

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Before and 10 years later, shop front now.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Haven't seen this suggested yet, so I'll chime in. Pitch your roof steep and get as much loft/attic space as you can for storing parts, seldom used supplies, and stuff like ice chests that tend to accumulate in the shop. If you've got room, put in a real set of stairs so you'll actually use the storage space.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

garages are 4 walls and a couple of trusses, easiest building to build.
save yourself a pile of $$$$ and build it yourself. :D

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Amen, as an architect I have made a lot of money off of folks that did not want to spend a couple of hundred dollars for a quick Code consultation or contractors that "knew" the Code. If it is attached to the house you do need a fire wall and rated door between the house and garage/shop. It needs to extend from the footing thru the roof to the bottom of the deck in most jurisdictions. Ratings vary by jurisdiction, usually it is one hour assembly. In my area the Building Officials are customer friendly when it comes to residential construction and welcome consultations.

One other thing that caught my eye is that it sounds like it is going in front of your main living structure? If so check with your zoning department, many do not allow accessory structures or garages to be in front of the living area. When I built mine I needed to get a variance because my house sits so far back from the street. I was limited to not having it any farther towards the street than any existing home within two blocks of mine and had to get approval signatures of all the existing homeowners within two blocks.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

town counsils can be real spoilsports sumtimes
in the netherlands the rules and regs are allmost as bad as in germany , they have so mush rules that some of them contradict eachother
a friend of mine had a home that was on the monument list and it started to sag because the foundations where starting to rot
he got a bit fed up about trowing money and time away on drawings only to have them rejected by the citycounsel so he rebuild the front facia of his home in one weekend using old reclamed bricks exactly the way it was and when the aprover came to see wat was happening on monday he mentioned he didnt needed to redo the facia anymore because the cracks magicly disapeared

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

Pretty funny considering in the 40s some nut case was knocking down houses all over Europe bent on world domination and he never applied for any permits.

Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

My shop was built by me and my design but all electrical and plumbing are to code. Had pros handle that stuff. Also it's in the hood ,commercial property. All the neighbors were pleased to see me do something with my parents place. I even get people that stop by and want their cars repaired or painted. They look at me crazy when I tell them I built it for my personal use only.
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Re: Building a garage - any suggestions?
 

and it's good for having the odd wizz too..



Best advice ever!
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