Garage Planning Questions

[Cncguy1]

Just make sure its aesthetically pleasing. I'm so tired of generic steel buildings.

 

[69Bee]

A 5" pad with an additional 8" for a total of 13" for the lift.

 

[747mopar]

6" is not enough for a two-post. For a 2-post you want it large and thick. And under that you want a very well packed base.

I disagree, most lifts call for a minimum 4" (really sketchy IMO) slab, I poured mine 6" with a lot of rebar and have a 2 post anchored down to it and have had no issues even with a Mega cab Dodge Diesel. Rebar is key, a slab can crack but if it's properly reinforced it isn't going anywhere. Having the base packed is definitely important though.

I work in a mill where I mount extremely violent equipment to concrete, epoxy along with grout is the key! Concrete is almost never perfect leaving things rocking on high spots, drill your anchor holes 1/8" oversized and epoxy anchor the studs in (I used grade 8 all thread) then grout the floor before installing the lift so it's 100% in contact them bolt it down.

 

[gkent]

24 x 36 (not deep enough !!). Fully insulated. Has a small bathroom with the compressor in there to keep the noise down in the shop. 10' ceilings. Painted white with plenty of lighting. Air outlets every 6'. Power outlets every 6'. The right bay is used exclusively as a welding/fab shop. Has a 5-1/2' high by 8' wide attic the length of the shop. Heated with a natural gas overhead furnace. Installed a/c last year and that makes working in there so much more enjoyable in this hot weather.

 

[747mopar]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I would've thought 8' would be enough room to work on the cars. Depending on the job that's being done, if I am not using the lift, wouldn't having the car near the door and having around 7' in front be enough? Now side to side could be something. But I want the 4 cars side by side so I don't think I can really go wider and still have the length.

Also in regards to the pads. If I go with a 4 post, I imagine I won't need them. But even with a 6" pad, the two post needs the extra thickness?

7' is peanuts. I'd suggest laying out your ideas with stakes and a string, park your cars within it and try it out.

 

[747mopar]

24 x 36 (not deep enough !!). Fully insulated. Has a small bathroom with the compressor in there to keep the noise down in the shop. 10' ceilings. Painted white with plenty of lighting. Air outlets every 6'. Power outlets every 6'. The right bay is used exclusively as a welding/fab shop. Has a 5-1/2' high by 8' wide attic the length of the shop. Heated with a natural gas overhead furnace. Installed a/c last year and that makes working in there so much more enjoyable in this hot weather.

View attachment 1132255

Couldn't agree more, I sealed mine tight and insulated it really well to the point that a 220V window A/C keeps it really cold. It's extremely inviting when it's nasty out. I personally find a stick framed garage easier to insulate and finish, 16" centered studs, R19 walls, R30 ceiling finished in drywall/plywood.

 

[493 Mike]

Is your lot topography such that you could lower the floor to gain head room and more attic/storage space?
Mike

 

[Kern Dog]

Hello All,


Does anyone have any thoughts on my plan? Any input is welcomed!

A six inch slab will raise concrete costs by 1/3. It would be better to figure where you want to have the car lift and have thicker concrete there.
My shop is 1608 sq ft. Your idea of 25 feet deep seems great but come time to do an engine swap, you'll have the *** end of the car outside the building. Shelves and cabinets eat up floor space. Many people will tell you to go as BIG as you can afford. My shop is great but I'm going bigger at my next place.

 

[ckessel]

Mine is 1125 sq ft. Go tall on the doors. One of mine is 8, the other is 10. 12 and 16 wide. The tall section is 18" at the peak as my lift is on that side. Have plenty of electric capability. Shelving. Most of my equipment is on wheels which makes it easy to move when needed. Keep your overhead clear if you can with cut and stack for the roof structure as opposed to trusses. Are you going to put your air plumbing behind the drywall? For sure make it as easy as possible to get vehicles in and out without having to do multi point turns. The short side of my unit doubles as deck space for the topside. Get a lift to handle your truck. Mine is a Bendpak HD9XL four post. 9klbs capacity, can get my dually on it providing I take the outer tires off. I personally prefer 4 post. I feel safer and they are more conducive for working on uni body cars when doing structure work. I also have the rolling jack unit for lifting the vehicle up when needed. Another thing I did was find some rectangle tube that I notched to fit between the ramps. With these I can lift up, put one in place with wood blocks on top, set the unit down on the blocks then move the jack to another area for lifting.

 

[cosgig]

You won’t get a lift into a garage that is only 16’ tall at the peak. I have a 28x36 attached and 3 cars in it is too tight to work on anything. I also have a 30x40 pole barn, which is a typical size, and 3 cars in there is tight as well, but there is room to work in there. A lift requires 12’ sidewalls, that only leaves 4’ of pitch, over a span of 25’, if that’s the way the gable runs. That’s about a 4/12 pitch, which is acceptable, but rather shallow, and maybe not within your architecture.

 

[Bighouse]

I disagree

you can get the height needed by using either scissor trusses:

or by using Collar Ties on your ceiling rafters:

Using these options let’s the roof of the vehicle your lifting be up closer to the peak of the building.

So a 16’ peak for arguments sake could be 8’ walls and another 8’ to the peak. You need 12 feet for a lift. That puts your collar ties or bottom of a scissor truss 4’ down from the peak. Your not going to have an attic, but you’ll have a lift and no one will know it from the outside. This works if your garage doors are NOT on the gable end.

 

[patrick66]

On my first house in the city, I built a 24'x20' two-car, limited by underground utility placement and sewer for the house. Once I got the two cars in and all my stuff, it was terribly cramped and limited. With eight-foot walls, a lift was an impossibility. The wiring was the best part, as my Dad and I wired the garage, after the City approved the basic install from a state-licensed electrician. Lots of light, outlets (both 220 and 110), and a single window, a walk-in door and a double-wide garage door.

My current shop is on the footprint of my old house that got destroyed in a 2003 tornado, which was 64' x38', with twelve-foot doors and fourteen-foot walls. I installed a full bath where the old bathroom was. I utilitized the original concrete slab, which saved me $30K in 2003. It has a lot of room, especially with only four old cars in there, and a tractor and ZTR. It has been quite cramped in there, in the past, though. I've planned for a lift, but still haven't got around to getting one.

 

[ckessel]

Floor space dwindles quickly once the unit gets occupied with equipment, shelves, stuff, cars. Plan wisely. Use as much of your vertical space as possible along the walls. Try to be mindful of the width of your shelves as they will take away car space. My unit looked huge until it got occupied with all my stuff. Have to be creative to get it put away and be able to get your rides in.

 

[cosgig]

View attachment 1132406 View attachment 1132408 View attachment 1132409 I disagree

you can get the height needed by using either scissor trusses:
View attachment 1132406

or by using Collar Ties on your ceiling rafters:
View attachment 1132408

View attachment 1132409

Using these options let’s the roof of the vehicle your lifting be up closer to the peak of the building.

So a 16’ peak for arguments sake could be 8’ walls and another 8’ to the peak. You need 12 feet for a lift. That puts your collar ties or bottom of a scissor truss 4’ down from the peak. Your not going to have an attic, but you’ll have a lift and no one will know it from the outside. This works if your garage doors are NOT on the gable end.

my post also eludes to the architecture of the building, and how it relates to his current architecture. A 25x 40’ garage is disproportionate in terms of length vs width, and a long building with high sidewalls and a shallow pitch just doesn’t look right. Same with a long, skinny building with a steep roof. I try to match what’s on site if at all possible.

here’s a pic of my garage, attached to the house. Steep pitches and dormers on both buildings.

 

[Pa's Sat]

In floor heating is most comfortable heating to work in. It keeps your feet warm. take pictures of it while laying it out to know where the water is running.

 

[patrick66]

If I ever build a new shop, ever, it will absolutely have floor heating. I'd much rather work in a cool shop in the Winter with a warm floor, than an unheated shop.

 

[patrick66]

Just make sure its aesthetically pleasing. I'm so tired of generic steel buildings.

Add some wainscoating like I did (the brick matches my house) and a carport/patio doesn't hurt, either.

 

[DeltaV]

My last property had a 30' x 30' detached garage. My next garage/shop will be 40' deep and at least 60' long.

 

[INTMD8]

6" is not enough for a two-post. For a 2-post you want it large and thick. And under that you want a very well packed base.

6" is plenty.

4" probably fine for most

 

[YY1]

A pool and jacuzzi are always nice.