Help with Garage layout ideas!!!!

[CornHusker4Life]

I am finally moving back to my home state of Nebraska and will be building a house with an attached garage. I have 3/4 acre of land so I am trying to do it right the first and only time. My plan is to have 35 wide by 40 foot deep attached garage. I will have a 4 foot set back on each end (Enough room to open doors and not hit walls). I will have three 7 foot wide by 9 foot tall garage doors (I have a lifted chevy truck). There will be 3 feet between the garage doors. My question is in what stall should I put an autolift? I am thinking the middle stall? This is not a commercial garage, just a garage I can mess around in. Any more suggestions? Please respond, I only want to do this once and not say S**T I forgot about that or I wish I would have done that. I will also be putting in a drain with hot water to wash the salt of the vehicles in the winter. Thanks!
Jarrod

[CornHusker4Life]

The architect is drawing the house and garage planshis thursday/friday so any help/ideas would be great.:hail:

[pokey64]

Is 7' wide enough on the OH doors? I drive a 2011 3/4 ton chevy and the extended mirrors make it a tight fit through my 9' wide doors. It's doable but you have to pay attention. I measured mirror to mirror and it's 99". Just something to consider.

For a 9' tall door and a lift you'll want a 12' ceiling so 9x9 doors may not look too bad...
http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad79/edspokey64/Garage/Garage.jpg

Good lighting is important. I like the skylight idea that Greg Weld did in his shed. Natural light plus ventilation. But if you’re attached to the house then your ceiling will have to be sheet rocked for a fire barrier which could make skylights a little tougher.

I like the lift in the middle bay since you can back out the cars beside it and have a bunch of room to work. But if you're parking your daily drivers there then you may be walking around your work zone every day.

If you haven't already, then check out garage journal.
http://garagejournal.com/forum/


Good luck! Garages/shops are almost as fun to day dream about as hot rods. :unibrow:

[chevmech1969]

the suggestions, i have are #1, use a cinder blocks up for about 2-3 ft. then put the building ontop of that, more money in materials. but i love the fact that i can just hose out the garage without worring about screwing up the drywall. pluss added headroom for the lifted truck. #2 i would consider putting in a 16ft door i dont know about you but my 38's have a hard time getting manouverd through a 7ft door but then again i dont have a straight shot into the door either. #3 put Radiant heating in the floor this was my biggest regreat when i poured the floor in my existing garage. i dont care what it would cost it is just a must do. especially how cold the concrete gets in the winter here i hate having to put a scrap peice of carpet down to not freeeze when im laying on my back, and yes a creeper helps but your legs still get cold.

[pokey64]

We put a "form-a-drain" type product down the center of our detached garage. I was not smart to put a drain under my work zone. I've dropped a few things down the grates and I always roll over it when on my creeper. If I did it again I'd put it up against the OH doors and slope the whole floor that direction.

http://i923.photobucket.com/albums/ad79/edspokey64/Garage/IMG_5368.jpg

[Northeast Rod Run]

I just think the 7' doors are going to be to narrow

[TheJDMan]

You need at least a 12 foot ceiling to give you enough headroom for a four post lift. I agree, you need a minimum of 9' wide doors.

[CornHusker4Life]

I am definately going with a 12 foot ceiling and 9x9 doors. Also going to put in heated floors. Thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming:thumbsup:

[65malibuSS]

Can I build a small loft in the garage and live in there ;)

Will work for shelter.

Ok just kidding Nebraska is too far away, that garage is gunna be awesome though.

[rwhite692]

Unless you really have your heart set on doing those three small doors for aesthetic reasons or something....My advice is, don't do it.

Go with a single 16' wide door, preferably with a 9 foot clearance.

Those small doors are going to greatly limit what you will be able to get into/out of the shop. Who knows what the future may bring.

Also you lose that whole available wall, to doors.

Have you considered building with Scissor trusses, so that you can achieve a high (vaulted) ceiling at the center (so that you can accommodate a lift)?

[jpdeuce]

I installed three 10x10 doors and love them. Most people never store anything against the walls with doors anyways. I could get a 24' enclosed trailer in my garage. Also, i installed scissor trusses with 12.5' walls. It's more than enough clearance for my two post lift but it's alot to heat.

[waynieZ]

One thing I'm sorry I did was use trusses, I should have had the roof stick built so I could have storage upstairs. I can store small stuff but it would have been better to have a full floor for more storage.

[strtcar]

jackshaft garage door opener, 220v outlet, plenty of lights, 12' ceilings, epoxy floor

[Rick Dorion]

Ditto on the trusses. Allowed my friend and I do do the roof quickly by ourselves but the room would be preferable. I have 10' ceiling which are barely adequate. My brother did 12' which is best. I have 100amp service which is fine. I have my 4-post in the side bay and haven't ever wanted it different.

[high impact]

Ditto on the larger garage doors. I'd place the lift in the end bay so it's out of the way but leave some room along the wall side. I have regretted not epoxy coating my floor before moving in the garage. Lot's of high output lighting. numerous 220 outlets and I'd pex air lines behind the walls and enclose the compressor. Don't forget the air conditioning!

[closs2sx]

i have a 14x26 bay with 10 ft walls and scissor trusses that give me just over 14 ft in the center which allows me to put my fullsize 2500hd on the rotary 4 post and lift to full height with plenty of clearance