new garage - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

mobetta · #1 04-07-2008, 08:11 PM

well- the wife has given me permission to begin the design phase of a new 2-ish car garage/woodshop/car repair shop.

I have some ideas, but wouldn't mind hearing from anyone on their advice/do's/donts.

nine foot walls. on an 8" course of block.

I just removed 12 24' spreadweb truss's and sheathing from another garage today, so I am looking at 24x??

24x26- the larger footprint design leaves much to be desired in the overall layout of our lot and also the approach for parking.

24x22 would fit the lot the best.

currently my space is 15x19. so 24xanything is going to be a vast improvement.

MTI · #2 04-07-2008, 08:31 PM

Make sure you have enough electrical capacity. You can never have enough.

Consider the acoustics and noise abatement of having an air compressor.

Shop lighting. Consider getting a professional design/layout.

G-Benz · #3 04-07-2008, 09:40 PM

Any chance you might consider putting in a lift?

Chad300tdt · #4 04-07-2008, 09:55 PM

If you plan to work on cars and do woodworking in the same space, get a good dust collection system. I still use my shop vac attached to whatever tool I'm using at the time, and it isn't good enough. I want to get a Cyclone dust collector and run the tubing to all the tool locations with 2 hose fittings so I can vacuum the floors too.

If I was in your position with the ability to design from scratch, I would consider incorporating a solar chimney and maybe an outdoor wood stove that can burn scrap wood and sawdust.

Also a french drain would be useful

and as G-Benz mentioned ... who wouldn't want a lift?

catmandoo62 · #5 04-07-2008, 10:21 PM

a buddy of mine just put in a heated floor,that thing rocks.the one thing i don't like about working under cars in the winter is the floor is cold no matter how hot you have it inside.

t walgamuth · #6 04-07-2008, 11:34 PM

I would consider 24 x 24 the minimum for a two car.

I have tubes in the floor of mine for a heated slab. I put it in ten years ago and have not provided heat as yet.

The toilet for when the Mrs. kicks me out of the house is not finished yet either.

Tom W

TimFreeh · #7 04-08-2008, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catmandoo62

a buddy of mine just put in a heated floor,that thing rocks.the one thing i don't like about working under cars in the winter is the floor is cold no matter how hot you have it inside.

A good lift nicely solves that problem. I built my dream garage a couple of years ago and I'd say the nicest things are

1) The lift - it changes everything
2) A good heating system - nothing saps my enthusiasm like having to work in a cold garage
3) Lighting - you can't have too much
4) good solid workbench space - again you can't have too much

My garage does not have any windows and occasionally I wish I had put at least one window somewhere.

Kuan · #8 04-08-2008, 08:34 AM

Put some attic space up there, and a toilet.

mobetta · #9 04-08-2008, 09:03 AM

I have 60 amp 220 buried to the existing garage. prolly wont change it. plenty enough for me. if I wanted more It would have to be a seperate drop, meter, etc, and could be done later.

I would love a lift.
did you have to pour any footers into your slab? or thicker slab? the concrete work will be done by myself and a couple of friends that do flat work, so I will only be paying for mud.
of course, if I get a lift, it would prolly be used, and so I cant really plan ahead on laying out footers. can i? I have seen them on CL for like $1500 and up.
9' studs+plates on 8" block will net me almost a 10' wall- is that enough?

2 car- I doubt I will ever have 2 in there. but it would be nice to have 1 bay almost always open, and still be able to tackle projects in the garage.

I would love a small lean to outside w/ dust and a larger air compressor- but the wife needs convincing.......

I am not going to trench 8' deep for a toilet. maybe something for the guys could be worked out, but the women would have to walk the 60 ft to the house. I personally dont drink beer anymore, so pissing in the yard is not such a frequent thing.

I am going to be dealing w/ the city of minneapolis, so I need to be up to snuff on everything. I am not even allowed to wire it myself

no wood burner allowed. in or out of the garage.

I reckon I'll be getting 6 or 8 8' commercial fluorescent fixtures.

one thing I want is to scrap all the left over kitchen cabinets that I am currently using- I would rather design and build my own stuff to fit what I need.

I do have a nice 4x6' bit of 1/4" steel plate that I will be making into a welding/workbench table on casters.

and I need to design one wall as a station for the miter saws.- maybe put a dust collector under that. I think a friend has one left over- the type which sits atop a 55g barrel. use the hardware and design a cabinet that it sits on instead of a huge barrel.

well- thanks for the ideas, and keep them coming.......

kknudson · #10 04-08-2008, 09:07 AM

I'll second the heated floor.
I have a nice third car garage with a furnace, but the floor is COLD.

It's a little more up front, but you'll be happier later on.

Only negative is it takes time to warm up, I can raise the room temp in an hour, you'll need over nite.
BUT the floor will be nice and warm, and it's not just for when you are laying under the car, your feet will appreciate it.

Consider width, I have almost 2 car in square feet, but a one car door. Nice and wide allows the doors to open and still walk around it without hitting the workbenches.

Lighting, yes more is better. I have 6 4light flourescents, makes working a dream.

A floor drain would be nice too, if possible. Allows you to wash in the garage.

Plumb for air lines too, I have the compresser in the main garage, plumbed into the workshop, makes it a lot quieter.

Same for shop vac if you plan on woodworking too.

mobetta · #11 04-08-2008, 09:11 AM

I want a heated slab- I need to verify w/ the city on that one. I am thinking of putting in the pex and then maybe adding a solar roof collector later, or maybe using an electric water heater and circulation pump. I am not sure what the city will allow.

t walgamuth · #12 04-08-2008, 09:20 AM

The city won't care about it.

I imbedded polyethelene pipe. The pipe must be attached to the steel mesh or it will float out. No joints in the slab, about 16" apart in the area desired to be warm. I will attach it to a gas fired hwh eventually with a small circulation pump. A simple thermostat attached to the pump will complete the installation. Simply treat the water lines as you would potable water since (in my case) it will be anyway.

I also put 3/4" styrofoam under the slab.

Tom W

Graplr · #13 04-08-2008, 09:29 AM

I had always thought that if I ever built a stand alone garage on my property I would always add a loft above it. It does not cost that much more. Radiant heating. It is in my house and I love it.

We built a two car with a closed in shop in back and a seperate outside entrace to a loft upstairs on my dad's property in WI a couple years back. It is heated with electric space heaters... I tried to tell my dad...but, nevermind. He really only uses the heat in the shop. He had a wood stove in there for awhile, but took it out.

If you need any help, let me know. Seriously... I'm only about 15 minutes away from you.

Chad300tdt · #14 04-08-2008, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobetta

I am not going to trench 8' deep for a toilet. maybe something for the guys could be worked out, but the women would have to walk the 60 ft to the house. I personally dont drink beer anymore, so pissing in the yard is not such a frequent thing.

Do you mean an 8' long trench to bring sewer to the garage, or digging down for the trap under the toilet? If you already have sewer in the garage area, you could use a basement upflush toilet. If you don't have sewer out there you could use an electric incinerator toilet.

I've seen lifts that look like an alignment rack that you drive up on and then use a floor jack to lift it, then lock the legs open to hold the car up. Some of them can be folded to an upright position when not in use so you have the floor space.

SwampYankee · #15 04-08-2008, 11:00 AM

I've got nothing to add other than I'm envious and am making notes for the day I can finally afford to replace my "2 car" from the early 1900's. Large enough for 2 Model T's next to each other doesn't make for an impressive modern garage. There are some great ideas here.

I'd really like to wire and plumb it for any possible future need, including urinal and sink, and have a ceiling tall enough for a 4-post lift. I'd love a 2-poster but I don't think I'd be able to get away with the roof height required for one in the historic district (mainly restricted by the fact that my house is cape/bungalow style rather than the bigger colonials and Victorians with huge barns and carriage houses, the commission is picky with "scale"). I can get away with a little deeper than usual, sort of larger attached shed fashion, as long as the sightlines are broken up.

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