28 replies to this topic

[RallyKeith]

So, I'm having a 2 car garage built, and while I'm on a tight budget that won't allow for me to do much more than build a stick framed garage with a concrete floor, I thought it might be fun to start a thread of the ultimate things to do when building a garage. I'll start the list and people can reply with other items.

- 10" thick floor for maximum weight capacity and electric lift installation
- 9000Lbs Electric Lift
- Electrical Outlets every 16" (Or whatever your stud spacing might be)
- Expoy Painted floor for easy spill Cleanup
- Central Floor drain for indoor car washing
- Compressed air hookups at multiple locations of each bay

I've got more items but don't have the time to post them right now so feel free to chime in!

Keith

[TheSubaruJunkie]

Invest some money on good lighting. You will be thanking yourself later.

[3eyedwagon]

That epoxy floor covering seems great, but, if you do any sort of metal fab; stay away from it. Or at least designate a clean part, and a work part of your shop. They epoxy takes a hard hit from sparks, and heat.

I'm working on a Scotchman 6514tm Ironworker right now. Saving my pennies, and nickels, and quarters, and $100s. It'll be one heck of an addition to my ultimate shop once I get it though.

Good luck with yours

[nipper]

A Wishlist item had been a undercar wlkthrough, but a more realistic on had been to have one bay have a rear garage door of some kind depedning upon how the structure is laid out on the property. Locally the garage cuts off access to the back yard, so I always thought having a rear garage door would be great.



nipper

[monstaru]

first off,i am a cement finisher by trade.

if you want to install a lift,you can do deepened areas for the posts to stand upon.those "pits" will need to be rebarred into the rest of the slab with a mounting plate at floor grade.
i would also suggest that you realize how high a lift is going to stand with a car on it.this adds to the height of the garage as well.which means more money.

if you went into a full 10 inch slab, you would also need to do a double mat of rebar for proper weight dispersion.otherwise the rebar is basically a moot point.

the last shop we did with considerations for a lift was done as i described above.the pits he dug were about 24" deep, rebar was installed and tied to the plates.the plates had large studs on the underside to attach the rebar to.the plates also had bolts welded through drilled holes from the underside.

this guy had already ordered his lift and knew the mounting dimensions. hope any of this helps.if you have any specific questions, feel free to pm me. cheers, brian

[3eyedwagon]

^ It also matters if it's a drive on stlye lift.

The frame grabber lifts need to be anchored, but, alot of drive ons can be free floating. Alot now even have wheel attachments to move them around, yet another bonus. I prefer a free floater as it can, with proper attachments, do both styles of lifting. A frame grabber style can't act like a drive on.

[markjw]

Engine exhaust port and hose so you can run your car inside.

Cinder block structure Outside and up against the bldg. for the
air compressor. Less noise inside.

One bay with tall roll up doors on both ends so you can pull in and pull out with your boat. You'll never have to back out.

[nipper]

Heat would be nice.

I had a freind that had a wood burning stove in his garage.


nipper

[markjw]

Heat would be nice.

I had a freind that had a wood burning stove in his garage.


nipper

Yeah. A wood burning stove raised up about 4 feet off the deck so you dont have to break your back to load it up.

Weld on some angle or pipe. Whatever it takes.

[milkman111083]

stay away from the epoxy floors, they are not near as durable as they claim to be; dirt gets ground into them pretty easily. we had them installed where i work and we have to spend 5 hours a week minimum buffing and polishing them to keep them looking good. Just sealing the cement is a great cost effective alternative.

[RAYJAY]

That epoxy floor covering seems great, but, if you do any sort of metal fab; stay away from it. Or at least designate a clean part, and a work part of your shop. They epoxy takes a hard hit from sparks, and heat.

I'm working on a Scotchman 6514tm Ironworker right now. Saving my pennies, and nickels, and quarters, and $100s. It'll be one heck of an addition to my ultimate shop once I get it though.

Good luck with yours

he right about the epoxy and yes it will chip and peel, I use a beir solid floor stain

easy to clean and yes it will wear off but its super easy to recoat every couple of years

tried to post the pictures here but there uber large

here ias a link to my write up on the beir stain

http://www.garagejou...&highlight=beir



link to all my garage pictures


http://www.speedfrea...E FLOOR REDONE/

Edited by RAYJAY, 06 September 2009 - 01:26 AM.

[cmiller]

Air conditioning and a urinal also a plus:banana:

[RAYJAY]

Air conditioning and a urinal also a plus:banana:

have the AC and use a tree .....

[TomRhere]

No need for outlets every stud cavity, that's going way overboard. A twin duplex set of outlets every 8' along the walls will be plenty of them. Depending on what amp service you run, and size of breaker panel, you can split them up on a few different circuits, and be good to go.

I would place outlets for things like welders, plasma cutters and other 220V Single phase items along each wall. These can be wired into a couple seperate breakers, as you won't be using everything at once.

Lots of good lighting, wired into a couple seperately switched and breakered circuits. I have 6-4 place-4' tube flourecent fixtures in the same size garage. Not enough...
Have one or two lighting fixtures on a seperate switch so you don't have alot of lights burning just to do a quick "run in and grab" something out of the garage at night. That'll save on your electric bill.

When you run the piping for the air, do a complete loop around the garage, and place the drops 8 to 10 foot apart along the non door areas. Run that loop about two foot down from the top of the side walls, higher where it crosses the door of course..

Have the Tee's in the main line pointing up to feed the drops. This will help with condensation issues in the main line getting into the drops. Try to slope the main line back towards the compressor also to help condesate drainage. A good filtering system is called for in the main line also, especially if you plan on doing any painting.

Better check local codes on the floor drain. They don't allow them around here in private garages. Possible contamination from oil, antifreeze, fuel is why. Doesn't matter if you have a sepitic tank, or are on the sewer system, it's a no-no....

[Indrid cold]

In-floor heating.... ahhhhhhhhh.... nothing beats it on a cold day, but yes... $$$$$$$$

If your house all ready has a boiler/Hydronic heating system this is very doable... but back too the $$$$$$.

congrats on a pending bigger/garage...

[nkx]

a big workbench with a nice butcher-block top and lots of shelving on the walls to organize your spare parts. dont forget the tire rack! heres the rack i just built:

[bheinen74]

nice tire rack. I think you have one more set than me as spares...maybe not...I got stacks and stacks of them....
full set 4 spares for honda
4originals from Brat
4snows for brat
4snows for svx
3 extras for svx
one or 2 for my legacy
and then some donuts
i need your rack plans.

[backinbrat]

yes, i like this! lol

yeah, gotta have the lifts, big chunky monkey workbench with a henchy vice on it, for all that pursuading you might need to do! a selection of large hammers, arc and mig welding, gas axe, some big spanners and you should be able to take on most things (this is what happans when your trained, and then work as a agricultural mechanic!) if in doubt, bloody well hit it harder! hahahha!

[crazyman03]

he right about the epoxy and yes it will chip and peel, I use a beir solid floor stain

easy to clean and yes it will wear off but its super easy to recoat every couple of years

tried to post the pictures here but there uber large

here ias a link to my write up on the beir stain

http://www.garagejou...&highlight=beir



link to all my garage pictures


http://www.speedfrea...E FLOOR REDONE/

i must say.. i love your garage! i imagine it didn't take a week to put together, but if i had something like that i would be smiling the whole time i was in it. ... nice!

-Justin

[RallyKeith]

Despite having started this thread back in september, I haven't actually had the garage built yet. Wanted to save a little more, get rid of some cars, and wait for a tax return. Now that the tax return is here, the cars are gone, and all the snow is melted from my yard it's time to begin. I'll be contacting builders later this week. Current plan is for a 26' wide by 24' deep with 10-12 attic trusses and a single 20' garage door centered. I'm going to take some of the advice given here and not epoxy coat, rather seal it. Should be fun. I hope to be done by the end of april, but we'll see.

Keith

[RAYJAY]

i must say.. i love your garage! i imagine it didn't take a week to put together, but if i had something like that i would be smiling the whole time i was in it. ... nice!

-Justin

thank you


there old pictures i have done a lot since then, and this year installing a coal stove to heat the place a little cheaper

Jeff

[frankspinz]

Reviving an old post ! I couldn't help adding this cool one:

[tallwelder81]

shipping containers are a very very RIDICULOUSLY strong core to start a nice garage.

pain in the rump roast to break into for thieves and meth-heads.

my garage is a 24x8 9'6" tall.

the typical standard container is rated for 426,000 lbs.
no thats not a typo. four hundred, twenty six thousand pounds.
each one holds about 65-70 tons, and only weighs 5,100lbs.
much less than youd expect, net weight.

there are pics of mine on here somewhere, i think the threa dis called Belated build pics.

this HERE isnt mine, but a cool example of what can be done for cheap.

[upDUHcreek]

Wow, and I thought some of you guys were mechanics. You forgot the most important equipment for any home shop, a refrigerator to keep your beverages nice and cold. It's also nice to have something to do for fun, I like darts because the dart board doesn't take up a bunch of room like a pool table.

[tallwelder81]

something to do for fun? you work on your car. thats fun.

but hey, if you have the budget of an arab sheik, get an adjoining harem, with hot steam bath and a bowling alley.