Dream garage!??

[TJ-Bill]

We're heading in next week to renew our mortgage. The deal was when we looked for our next property was either we find a house with land and a barn or land and a garage and build whatever we didn't have.. That was 4 years ago.. she got her 7 year old 28'x36' cedar barn. I have a 16'x20' shed which is great but door will only fit a 4wheeler.

So next week we go to the bank. I have the spot cleared for the garage just need idea for a price.. For all you guys that built one and had a list of things you wished you did or didn't do .. let me here them!!

My plans rigth now are probably 28'x32-36' long. single 10x10' door in the front and a 7x8' door on the side leaqding to the fields. 10' 2x6' walls 24" on center and a full footing with 10" floor and footings for a 2 post car hoist (added later if $$). I want real power .. my buddy has an extra 3 phase welder I can use.. Of course I'll be putting in my old wood stove.. heated my 2400 sq/ft house I'm thinking 1000 ft. garage would be easy..

any idea.. I just want to do this once.. I thought about infloor heating but I'll see what the added cost is.. our house is baseboard elec.. so no wood boiler in my near future.

 

[STLfirewood]

Make sure you ceiling is high enough for a lift. Around here people build pole barns. Most who can afford it go with 16ft ceilings. That makes a big difference. You can put a loft for storage. I say build as big as you can afford. Add the extras later. You can always add extra stuff later but it's really hard to add sq footage.

Scott

 

[RacerX]

Where are you going to get 3 phase power?

 

[svon89]

When I built my garage, which is a 24x34 two story cape, a friend who was helping me with the concrete work said "Build it bigger than you think you will ever need. It will be filled up before you finish it". How right he was, but I couldn't make the garage bigger than the house due to zoning otherwise I would have.

I do not have a lift, it is primarily a wood working shop, and with 10' ceilings it can get tight quickly if I am working on the skidsteer with the bucket up. If you are planning a lift I agree 16' minimum.

Things that I did that I love.
Radiant heat in the slab. I love the ability to work warm.
If you put the tubing in now you can always add it later. Don't forget multiple zones of tubing so if you have an issue with one you can shut it down. Also a nice layout so that when you put in the lift you know where you can and can not drill.

10' door is nice too.
I added a phase converter, but can only run upto 5hp. I wouldn't think of a welder.

Things I would do different
12'-14' ceilings
2x6 16"OC with foam insulation
The full second floor collects a lot of stuff, I figured to use it for lumber storage, but ended up with a lot of household stuff there. I would have gone for a larger single level footprint.

Things I want but haven't gotten too yet.
More outside plugs
Interior and exterior air line connections. Right now I still run air hoses from the compressor.
Shelving
storage cabinets

 

[samuraijunkie]

i would deffently do a wood boiler and floor heat so everything melts off the vechiels from the ground up, I don't know about you but the snow never seems to melt fast enough on the frame rails and crossmembers after i'm done plowing. Or at least set you floor up for heated concrete and add the wood boiler or nat. gas propane whatever you have.

I agree the three phase power is a good thing but unless you have it running right by your house it will be more expensive to be hooked up by your power company.

 

[Circle B MN]

My barn is 32x40 with 16' side walls, and a 14' door. Build it as big as you can so you can pull whatever you want into it. I'd like a little bigger barn, but I could just stop dragging home junk. In one corner of my barn I built a 16x16 loft, and recently enclosed it to inclue rock, heat and A/C. Makes a nice office or man cave. The area underneath has benches and shelves for tools and such. I'll have to dig up some pics.

 

[NCPABill]

Garage plans

I have built many of what you are looking for. Quick thoughts (although I may come back with more) 10" of concrete is excessive. Thicken the floor where the lift will be, and, if sitework is right, 5" is plenty. Insulate under the floor with 2" rigid by 2' around the perimeter, 1" rigid the remainder (or more).

When customer come in, I tell them they probably aren't ready to discuss what they want yet. I recommend that you go home, park everything like you would want it in your shop (pretend with tape, boxes, etc for the things you don't yet have) and then measure the outside of your parked equipment. Often the size that would suit you the best isn't simply bigger, but different.

I would budget (NorthCentral PA) around $20.00 per square foot, plus sitework. More if you're not willing to do any work, maybe a shade less if you do everything. I would recommend contracting the sitework and concrete. Everything else is pretty straight-forward.

Best of luck,

Bill

 

[coyotencuttin]

had a friend tell me one time that figure how big you need and then triple the size. that would be a perfect size for future use. +1 on radiant in the floor. even if you don not use it now you can hook it up at a later time. hard to put it in later. don't skimp on the insulation under floor but don't go too thick unless you plan to drive heavy equipment on it. alot of wasted money on too thick concrete. good luck, harold

 

[TJ-Bill]

Geesh you guys are fast on your man caves..

A couple guys asked about the 3 phase. good question. I obivgously don't have it now but it's here on the lines. Will I need it probably not. Can I get it maybe,, better to haver it the option then ever need it!?

I'm only sitting on 10 acres of land and have 3 horses. I'd love to build more and bigger then I need but I don't plan on living here for ever. I want a good garage that will add value to the property not make someone .(well a normal man) go WTF this is huge and awsome. .. ** Edit .. I can see where alot of you guys are coming form. problem is that we`ll move again sometime soon.. This is just a landing pad to the next spot. not settled in yet

I really like the infloor guys.. but we`ll see house is elec. baseboards

 

[cassandrasdaddy]

i just priced out

a 24 x24 with a 24 x 14 open sided carport attached. 9 foot ceilings with a second floor. it came to about 6 k plus slab and garage door in materials.
thats built as a pole barn with t-111 siding and the second floor walls will only be about 5 foot at the eves. doing 2 x 6 rafters as opposed to trusses to keep the second floor open

 

[727sunset]

Mine is 28 x 38, 2x6 walls x 9' high insulated, infloor heat and 2 stories. Definitely put the heating coils in and insulate the floor as it'll benefit resale whether hooked up or not. Probably cost $1000 for the tubing on that square footage. My floor is similar in size to your plans and is heated via electric water heater. This past winter I installed a PE Spectrum and ran it slowly thru the day and never turned the electric heater on, just let the pump run. The wood stove provided more than sufficient heat...infact the infloor temp would always show an increase by the end of the day. Best thing you can do is ask questions first, then build.

 

[beerman6]

Mine is 50x80 with 14' walls.

When we poured the floor for the 31x50 shop area I poured the floor 4" except where the lift was going the manufacturer recommended 6"

10' is do-able with some lifts,but my posts are 11'9" (I think)

A friend of mine busted out the back window of his dads 57 Chevy when he put his garage door up and the car was up on his hoist(something to think about)

Think also about running pvc electrical conduit underground before pouring.

 

[avalancher]

Dont forget the pit! My last workshop had a pit, and it cost less than 400 bucks in concrete to build, it was 36 inches wide, 12 feet long, and six feet deep.Man, it was so nice to drive a vehicle over the pit to work on it,even for simple oil changes.
When not in use I had 3/4 inch plywood that dropped into a groove on the sides making it even with the rest of the floor.

My other thoughts, make room for a washroom with a toilet.Nothing sucks more than having to truck into the house to wash up or use the can.

Allocate plenty of cash for lighting.Some folks just hang a few four foot florescent lights and call it good,but nothing sucks more and is more dangerous than not enough lighting.Buddy of mine went the whole enchilada when he bought his shop package and went lighting similiar to what you see in school gymnasiums.Takes a few minutes for the lights to warm up but man can you see good in there.

 

[cre73]

All great ideas but I recomend going over to garagejournal.com. Prepare to spend the rest of the week drooling on your keyboard. They have a ton of information over there.

 

[jcappe]

One item I would do

Don't forget a floor drain! When we built our house in '07 I didn't put a floor drain in my garage. By far the dumbest thing I forgot to do.

 

[taylor6400]

Built 32x40 a couple years ago. Pole Barn style but then i ended up framing it in and insulating for heat. Should have just stick built and put in floor heat. What i do like:

12 ft side walls

8x10 door on one side and 14x8 on the long side for parking 2 vehicles in (which i dont do now because its full!)

Sink w/water heater and outside hydrant as well as hot/cold spicket on opposite wall

Heat in winter!

Steel siding and steel roof...no maint

White liner steel ceiling is great for lighting and easy to put up...fairly cost efficient.

Lighting-i have 6 8ft fixtures (they take 4 4ft bulbs per fixture) of the small flourescent tubes T-8 maybe they are called? GREAT LIGHT! Very important

i have my outlets off the ground at 4ft and TONS of them very convenient

4 double hung windows for light/air

floor drain


What i dont like:
Propane shop heater

Garage door tracts for my 8 ft door hanging down low

Should have multiple switches for lights (so i can turn only part on/off, an easy fix but im lazy)

Dont have second man door on gable end next to 2nd garage door

No Ceiling fans...they would be nice (again the lazy factor)

Should have burried a 2nd empty conduit with a pull rope when i ran water and electric from the house. I would like satellite/phone (security system) down there now and i have a 100 ft run from the house so i cant fish it, and the existing conduit is too full to suck a line.

These are just off the top of my head.

10" concrete is way overkill for a homeowner shop and that will be $$! I had $5 grand in concrete and pour labor for 4"

 

[Evanrude]

I have a 30x48x12 pole barn with a 10x11 overhead door. It's less than a year old. I dont have power yet but there are already a couple things I would wished I would've done.

-insulated floor and installed radiant heating
-14' ceiling
-12' wide door (instead of 10')
-floor drain
-couple windows up high in the walls for outside light and some ventilation (not hard to do later down the line, as I plan on this)


Other notes:

-make sure you have a good rat wall
-build as big as you can with your budget, even if its stretching it a bit
-if you have close access to water, at least put in a wash sink
-build it tall enough to have a loft for storage


****EDIT****

POUR YOUR CONCRETE WHEN YOU BUILD OR YOU'LL NEVER DO IT! I've seen many guys say 'I'll get the floor later', I almost made that mistake myself. Then they stuff it full and never drag it out to pour the floor.

 

[esshup]

If you think you'll put a lift in, and you have radiant heat in the floor, once the tubes are laid out put a tape measure over them and take lots of pics. If it was me, I'd budget for the lift now, and make sure the anchor bolts are in place for the lift when the floor is poured.

4"-5" floor is plenty, just have pads poured for the lift when the floor is poured.

Vapor barrier under the concrete is a must to stop moisture from wicking up from the ground - even if insulation is down there.

I made plans for a pole barn with a 12' high bay for the lift, 10' everywhere else to minimize heating costs. I second 12' wide doors.

You can't have enough lights, and zone them so you can only turn on what you need. Bathroom and sink is a must, as is enough power for a welder.

Windows that open (transom) style up high for security. Insulated garage doors as well. Steel service door with reinforced frame.

Floor drains for every bay.

 

[stint]

40X40X10 Pole Barn structure with concrete floor, used as airplane hangar

Full 40' slider doors with outriggers one end, 10' slider at other end, 2 entry doors on sides.

Trusses with ceiling Insulation, Woodstove

Suits us

About 14K

 

[Curlycherry1]

Never, never, ever pour a concrete slab floor in any cold enviroment without radiant tubing. Even if you don't hook it up, at least it is there. You can't go back. There is nothing better for warming a garage than infloor heat and it is far more efficient than forced air. Plus if you live in a humid enviroment you can always heat the slab up in the spring when we get those hot muggy days and the slab is still cold. Condensation on those concrete slabs can be unbelievable. I have personally seen 1/4" of water drops on floors in concrete floor shops. Also keep in mind that radiant floor heat can be run off of simple water heaters either gas or electric powered. A friend of mine has a 3 car+ garage running off a ~30 gallon hot water heater.

Ditto on the lights, you can never have enough. And don't skimp on power. Put in as much power at the panel as you can afford. It is cheap now, expensive later. 3-Phase power is usually reserved for commercial outfits and the power company will likely not let you have it. Believe me, I have tried. Phase converters can be gotten in sizes capable of driving up to 20Hp and above motors. Just remember that they need a lot of single phase amperage to drive them. So more power 100 amp minimum, 200 amp = better.

Rebar the concrete, not mesh, or if you use mess, add some rebar. My garage has 1/2" rebar set on 12" centers and the dirt settled away from the slab by almost a foot in some places. My 4" of concrete is suspended in thin air held there by the concrete and rebar. I have my garage loaded with 3 cars, tons of junk and ~1500 bd ft of lumber on pallet racking, the floor has not sunk. That shows the power of rebar.