Rlaf75
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2015
- Posts
- 1,495
- Reaction score
- 1,515
- Location
- East Hartford CT
- Ram Year
- 2011
- Engine
- Hemi 5.7
Heat and cooling and plumbing for a wash sink and more importantly a lift so I can do my own work
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I am a builder so it’s not terribly difficult for us to build.So, we are rebuilding our house and I'm re-doing / expanding my garage. Right now it is a basic 20x20 two car. I'll be adding 10" to the front of the two car and adding a 3rd stall that will be ~ 12x45. Will be completely open inside, no poles so if I need a large workspace for a project I will have the space. Ceiling height will be 12'+.
Planning on the obvious, tool area with a work bench, sink area, air lines along the wall, lift at the front of the middle stall and floor coating.
What do you wish you would have built into your garage that you didn't and is now too much of a hassle to have done?
Thanks!
Re: 10x space - I saw that repeatedly recommended when I asked the OP's question on the farming forum I'm on before I started designing my shop. The company I bought my materials from made the same suggestion on their web site as well. It's easier and usually cheaper to build bigger up front than to add on later.10x the space.
wash rack
my old Bridgeport mill back
radiant heat
yearround water
There is more, but it’s still early and I’ve only started my coffee.
Well if it was me I would move the living quarters into the garage, open up the house for all my toys. And the swordfish I have mounted gathering dust would finally have a decent home.So, we are rebuilding our house and I'm re-doing / expanding my garage. Right now it is a basic 20x20 two car. I'll be adding 10" to the front of the two car and adding a 3rd stall that will be ~ 12x45. Will be completely open inside, no poles so if I need a large workspace for a project I will have the space. Ceiling height will be 12'+.
Planning on the obvious, tool area with a work bench, sink area, air lines along the wall, lift at the front of the middle stall and floor coating.
What do you wish you would have built into your garage that you didn't and is now too much of a hassle to have done?
Thanks!
Not sure the wife would OK moving into the house, but the garage is going to be pretty big for being in a neighborhood and only having a 1/3rd of an acre to work with.Well if it was me I would move the living quarters into the garage, open up the house for all my toys. And the swordfish I have mounted gathering dust would finally have a decent home.
Like he said but LOTS of outlets.I built my garage back in '84 to work in as a contractor, cabinet maker, DIY mechanic working on 4X4's and motorcycles.
Even in SoCal it gets cold in the winter.
I wish I'd put hydro type heat in the floor.
Today it's done everywhere with the new products.
If AC is a stretch, consider those giant ceiling fans for air circulation.
A buddy of mine has a 6' one and it moves a lot of air.
Fans are cheaper than running AC units.
Anything to move air around the shop.
A concrete pad in front of doors so you can work outside when it's nice or doing welding and not smoke up the shop.
Covered is even better.
220 outlets next to door openings to run welders outside.
110 volt same place.
Loft type storage if you have height, even a 4' space is useful.
Shelving above your rolling tool chests.
Sink, toilet and a shower if you want.
Most importantly DON'T FORGET the TUNES STATION !!!
Also wireless and TV systems.
And of course the refrigerator!
If your starting from scratch go for the gusto!
Looking good!Re: 10x space - I saw that repeatedly recommended when I asked the OP's question on the farming forum I'm on before I started designing my shop. The company I bought my materials from made the same suggestion on their web site as well. It's easier and usually cheaper to build bigger up front than to add on later.
I had an 80x50 machine shed at our old farm in IL with a heated 18x25 shop (plus a second 40x55 unheated machine shed, corn crib, 1914 wooden hay barn and 24x60 open shed). It was really hard to downsize into a two-car garage and 10x16 storage shed while building the shop at our new place! I kept most of my tools in the 25' enclosed trailer I bought for our move until the shop was lockable.
The wash rack is a good idea, to which I'd add a spray booth for painting (if I had the room). I had my floor poured to 5" thickness in case I ever decide to add a lift. My roll-up doors are 10' tall (one 10' wide and one 16' wide). I'll add a side opener to the large door once I have things tucked away and can park the truck inside.
View attachment 475204
Not a factor for the OP, but for those considering a post-frame (pole) structure, I was able to knock several thousand off my materials price by changing from a 30x50 to a 30x48. Keeping the dimensions to multiples of 3' allowed me to reduce the number of (doubled) trusses and posts as I went from five 10' bays to four 12' bays.
It was a last-minute decision, but I'm super-happy I decided to pour a 10' pad across the end of the building instead of just doing a small pad under the little porch roof. That gave me extra space for working on stuff in good weather or just hanging out with the neighbors.
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definitely the fridge.I built my garage back in '84 to work in as a contractor, cabinet maker, DIY mechanic working on 4X4's and motorcycles.
Even in SoCal it gets cold in the winter.
I wish I'd put hydro type heat in the floor.
Today it's done everywhere with the new products.
If AC is a stretch, consider those giant ceiling fans for air circulation.
A buddy of mine has a 6' one and it moves a lot of air.
Fans are cheaper than running AC units.
Anything to move air around the shop.
A concrete pad in front of doors so you can work outside when it's nice or doing welding and not smoke up the shop.
Covered is even better.
220 outlets next to door openings to run welders outside.
110 volt same place.
Loft type storage if you have height, even a 4' space is useful.
Shelving above your rolling tool chests.
Sink, toilet and a shower if you want.
Most importantly DON'T FORGET the TUNES STATION !!!
Also wireless and TV systems.
And of course the refrigerator!
If your starting from scratch go for the gusto!