Need some help designing my new home

[flyinb501]

Hey Guys,

I've been lurking for a while, but this is my first post. Great site here! My wife, and I are in the beginning process of designing our first home together. A nice garage is my number one priority. I'm leaning towards something with 5 stalls right now. I've attached a picture of a floor plan with a 3 car garage that I've modified to 5 stalls by extending the 2 stall portion all the way to the back of the house. I don't see a need for more than 3 garage doors, and I'm trying to design a plan that will be the most economical and energy efficient considering we live in MN.

Two ideas that have been floating around in my head in order to help keep the garage warm in the winter.

1. In floor radiant heat. I know this can be quite expensive.

2. I was also thinking of excavating under the garage for more living space and using spancrete for the garage floor. I figure this way the garage floor would stay warm, and it would get some heat from the house. This would eliminate the need for in floor heat in the garage, and we would get extra square footage in the house..

Also, I'd like the possibility to add a lift in the future. Does anyone know if this is possible with Spancrete?

Finally, I'm trying to figure out how to leave room for a lift height wise without doing 16 ft ceiling for the entire garage (We are considering putting living space above the garage).

I'd love to hear some input on these ideas, and this type of garage design, and floor plan.

Thanks in advance!

 

[nolimits76]

I like the idea of using a tandem garage vs having 5 doors. Being realistic, tandem loads don't work for everyone. Not sure your situation, so it may be fine. Just think about moving cars around and daily access.

One thing that immediately jumped out at me is that for you to truly stretch the full width of both bays, you will need to re-design the house floor plan or widen the 1-car garage so that the left wall of your 2 car garage projects evenly to the backside wall of your living space. Attached is a drawing how it would currently project meaning you'd only have about 1.5 car bays wide in tandem and not a full 2 car width.

If heating the garage space is your primary concern, I'd prefer a mechanical unit that allows you to control over all room temp vs radiant flooring. Excavating under the garage and converting to living space is probably the least economical way to go about it. Now if you need/want the extra living space that is a separate consideration. Just saying throw in a mechanical unit and be done with it if you want simple and inexpensive.

In regards to lift heights...if leave the area under the garage unexcavated, can you move the finished floor elevation of the garage down a few feet? Let's say elevation at the road is 100'. Garage floor elevation (as designed) is 110', meaning it sits 10' above grade of the road. Could you make the garage elevation 108' or 106' and gain a few feet that way?

If that is not feasible, then how about just raising the ceiling in the tandem portion of the garage? If you do the right side of the tandem it appears it would fit under Bedroom 4. That may mean Bedroom 4 sits higher than the other 3 bedrooms, but you could start the steps around where the current entry door is shown. All this assuming you have enough roof elevation/pitch. Not sure your wall sections or if this is true 2 story. Might change your roof line a little bit, but seems like a solution without disrupting the whole house.

 

[nolimits76]

Also, it looks like your current garage dimensions are minimal....20' x 21.5' for the 2 car and 9.5' x 20' (or thereabouts) for the single bay.

Stretching the single bay a few feet wider as noted above is something you will like and need if you truly park in there...think 12' minimum width....8' door + 2' on each side. Those are INSIDE dimensions...make sure the architect draws appropriately!

Also, as shown, you will want the 2 car portion bigger. That is about the size of 2 car bay now, and while it fits our 2 cars, it's a tight squeeze. I'd want 22' width minimum on the 2 car bay....18' door + 2' each side. Also, if you ever plan to park a full size pickup in your garage, you will want it minimum 24' depth. Again....all INSIDE dimensions.

This brings up another question....when you stretch the 2 car to a tandem, how deep is the mudroom + walk-in closet + pantry? Keep in mind, you want a minimum 21' deep here as well (again, prefer 24' but that is luxury).

Lastly...consider adding at least 1 8' door to the backside of the tandem portion.

 

[bczygan]

NOTHING can be done until we know all about your lot, it's views, vegetation, neighboring lots and structures. zoning and your plans for the future.

Also, why are you building rather than buying one of the great deals out there.

 

[flyinb501]

I like the idea of using a tandem garage vs having 5 doors. Being realistic, tandem loads don't work for everyone. Not sure your situation, so it may be fine. Just think about moving cars around and daily access.

One thing that immediately jumped out at me is that for you to truly stretch the full width of both bays, you will need to re-design the house floor plan or widen the 1-car garage so that the left wall of your 2 car garage projects evenly to the backside wall of your living space. Attached is a drawing how it would currently project meaning you'd only have about 1.5 car bays wide in tandem and not a full 2 car width.

Yep, I see what you're saying and I agree. This may not have been the best example to use, but I was just trying to get the idea across. We haven't settled on a floor plan yet, but this type of garage design is what I'm leaning towards. We will probably find something close to what we want on the internet, and then have our own architect tweak them to make them perfect for us.

NOTHING can be done until we know all about your lot, it's views, vegetation, neighboring lots and structures. zoning and your plans for the future.

Also, why are you building rather than buying one of the great deals out there.

We have not purchased a lot yet. Still looking. Right now though, the front runner is a 3 acre lot on the outskirts of town in a real nice develpement. There are strict covenants though, but it sounds like they will approve this type of plan. We would be allowed to do an outbuilding as well as long as it matches the house nicely. I would rather have everything attached to the house though. My last home had a detached garage, and I always had some tools in the garage, and some in the basement. I was always going back and forth.

The reason we are building is because we have not been impressed with anything we've seen for comparable costs, and anything over a 3 car garage is rare. I co-own a small construction company, and we build 2 - 3 spec homes a year. My business partner is the GC. I handle all the accounting, and boring stuff. I'm still learning the ins and outs of building. With that said, I am in a good position to build my own home, and have the resources to do it cheaper than most people.

Thanks for the replies so far!

 

[flyinb501]

In regards to lift heights...if leave the area under the garage unexcavated, can you move the finished floor elevation of the garage down a few feet? Let's say elevation at the road is 100'. Garage floor elevation (as designed) is 110', meaning it sits 10' above grade of the road. Could you make the garage elevation 108' or 106' and gain a few feet that way?

If that is not feasible, then how about just raising the ceiling in the tandem portion of the garage? If you do the right side of the tandem it appears it would fit under Bedroom 4. That may mean Bedroom 4 sits higher than the other 3 bedrooms, but you could start the steps around where the current entry door is shown. All this assuming you have enough roof elevation/pitch. Not sure your wall sections or if this is true 2 story. Might change your roof line a little bit, but seems like a solution without disrupting the whole house.

I'm thinking we would just have to raise the ceiling height on the end bay. I wonder how this would look though... And also I'm afraid all the heat would just go right up to that highest point.

Also, it looks like your current garage dimensions are minimal....20' x 21.5' for the 2 car and 9.5' x 20' (or thereabouts) for the single bay.

Stretching the single bay a few feet wider as noted above is something you will like and need if you truly park in there...think 12' minimum width....8' door + 2' on each side. Those are INSIDE dimensions...make sure the architect draws appropriately!

Also, as shown, you will want the 2 car portion bigger. That is about the size of 2 car bay now, and while it fits our 2 cars, it's a tight squeeze. I'd want 22' width minimum on the 2 car bay....18' door + 2' each side. Also, if you ever plan to park a full size pickup in your garage, you will want it minimum 24' depth. Again....all INSIDE dimensions.

This brings up another question....when you stretch the 2 car to a tandem, how deep is the mudroom + walk-in closet + pantry? Keep in mind, you want a minimum 21' deep here as well (again, prefer 24' but that is luxury).

Lastly...consider adding at least 1 8' door to the backside of the tandem portion.

All good points. The drawing is missing a lot of dimensions so I'm not sure what the overall length of the tandem bays would be. Of course we can design the house to make it as long or wide as we want. What do you think the ideal dimensions would be? Right now we have a car, midsize SUV, and a full size 4 door truck. The rear two bays will be my workshop, and for my dirt bikes. I won't want any cars parked in this area.

 

[bczygan]

Yep, I see what you're saying and I agree. This may not have been the best example to use, but I was just trying to get the idea across. We haven't settled on a floor plan yet, but this type of garage design is what I'm leaning towards. We will probably find something close to what we want on the internet, and then have our own architect tweak them to make them perfect for us.



We have not purchased a lot yet. Still looking. Right now though, the front runner is a 3 acre lot on the outskirts of town in a real nice develpement. There are strict covenants though, but it sounds like they will approve this type of plan. We would be allowed to do an outbuilding as well as long as it matches the house nicely. I would rather have everything attached to the house though. My last home had a detached garage, and I always had some tools in the garage, and some in the basement. I was always going back and forth.

The reason we are building is because we have not been impressed with anything we've seen for comparable costs, and anything over a 3 car garage is rare. I co-own a small construction company, and we build 2 - 3 spec homes a year. My business partner is the GC. I handle all the accounting, and boring stuff. I'm still learning the ins and outs of building. With that said, I am in a good position to build my own home, and have the resources to do it cheaper than most people.

Thanks for the replies so far!

Ahhh,
Then you know as well as anyone that plopping any plan down on a lot is like buying clothes by catalog.
Find your lot first, looking with your needs in mind, and then custom design your structure to fit your needs and the lot. It will be like having a custom tailored suit of clothes. So much better!

And you are in a position to do this, better than most people.

 

[nolimits76]

The reason we are building is because we have not been impressed with anything we've seen for comparable costs, and anything over a 3 car garage is rare. I co-own a small construction company, and we build 2 - 3 spec homes a year. My business partner is the GC. I handle all the accounting, and boring stuff. I'm still learning the ins and outs of building. With that said, I am in a good position to build my own home, and have the resources to do it cheaper than most people.

Good answer. While pre-existing can offer a lot of bang for the buck, it just isn't the answer for every person every single time. I have bought 2 pre-existing and built 2 myself. Each have their own pros and cons. Finding a 5 car attached garage pre-existing isn't going to be easy, especially sitting on acreage.

As I'm sure your partner will attest, an important part to building is leaving yourself a contingency fund for the things you will encounter that you didn't expect or foresee. This can be natural items (encounter rock while digging basement) or could be you want nicer trim, etc than you originally planned. The point is you will have some changes, and you want a little wiggle room to make those changes.

If you have $100k total to spend....I would suggest you budget $90k and put $10k in a savings account for changes. Basically set aside 10% of your budget amount for changes. As your dollar volume grows, you will need to properly adjust the percentage, but for MOST people that is a good rule of thumb.

I'm thinking we would just have to raise the ceiling height on the end bay. I wonder how this would look though... And also I'm afraid all the heat would just go right up to that highest point.

Probably raising the ceiling would be easier. Keep in mind, roof elevation & pitch will play a key role in this. My last is what we refer to as a 1.5 story, meaning the exterior walls were 10' tall and then I had a steep roof. Inside the house, most my living space was downstairs (by design) and I had a big game room (800+ sf) upstairs. Here, ground conditions aren't ideal for basements or I would have gone down instead of up.

My point being the roof pitch and elevation allowed the space upstairs without having a traditional 2 story look from the outside.

All good points. The drawing is missing a lot of dimensions so I'm not sure what the overall length of the tandem bays would be. Of course we can design the house to make it as long or wide as we want. What do you think the ideal dimensions would be? Right now we have a car, midsize SUV, and a full size 4 door truck. The rear two bays will be my workshop, and for my dirt bikes. I won't want any cars parked in this area.

Do a Google and determine the dimensions of your BIGGEST vehicle. For instance a Chevy crew cab (short bed) is 230" or 19.167' long. That means a 20' garage would TECHNICALLY house the truck, but you could never walk around it once parked. I actually had an extended cab truck in a builder spec garage and I literally had like 1" of clearance between the front & rear bumpers. It was stupid close.

I don't mind making the back bumper close to the door. But I'd want at least 2' clearance on the front. Keep in mind a lot of people put benches at the front of their garages, I'd want bench width (24-30" is common) + the 2'. So probably 4' minimum + vehicle length (rounded up to next foot). For the sides, you want vehicle width + 2' each side. In the middle section that is shared, I would want 3' there.

As a point of reference, my last house I built I did an oversized 2 car garage of 25' x 25'. It easily fit my crew cab truck (Nissan Titan), Jeep Wrangler, Nissan Xterra and Chevy Malibu. Not all at once, but different vehicles I owned while there. The width was more than sufficient as I parked my zero turn mower and other lawn equipment to the side. The length was great also. I had a 4' wide curb at the front about 6" high where my bench sat.

 

[flyinb501]

Ahhh,
Then you know as well as anyone that plopping any plan down on a lot is like buying clothes by catalog.
Find your lot first, looking with your needs in mind, and then custom design your structure to fit your needs and the lot. It will be like having a custom tailored suit of clothes. So much better!

And you are in a position to do this, better than most people.

Well, really the point of my thread was just to see what you guys think of this type of 5 car garage design. This is the direction I'm leaning regardless of what lot we end up with. Also, I would really like to get input on the use of spancrete, type of heat to use, and how to best leave room for a lift down the road.

Good answer. While pre-existing can offer a lot of bang for the buck, it just isn't the answer for every person every single time. I have bought 2 pre-existing and built 2 myself. Each have their own pros and cons. Finding a 5 car attached garage pre-existing isn't going to be easy, especially sitting on acreage.

As I'm sure your partner will attest, an important part to building is leaving yourself a contingency fund for the things you will encounter that you didn't expect or foresee. This can be natural items (encounter rock while digging basement) or could be you want nicer trim, etc than you originally planned. The point is you will have some changes, and you want a little wiggle room to make those changes.

If you have $100k total to spend....I would suggest you budget $90k and put $10k in a savings account for changes. Basically set aside 10% of your budget amount for changes. As your dollar volume grows, you will need to properly adjust the percentage, but for MOST people that is a good rule of thumb.



Probably raising the ceiling would be easier. Keep in mind, roof elevation & pitch will play a key role in this. My last is what we refer to as a 1.5 story, meaning the exterior walls were 10' tall and then I had a steep roof. Inside the house, most my living space was downstairs (by design) and I had a big game room (800+ sf) upstairs. Here, ground conditions aren't ideal for basements or I would have gone down instead of up.

My point being the roof pitch and elevation allowed the space upstairs without having a traditional 2 story look from the outside.




Do a Google and determine the dimensions of your BIGGEST vehicle. For instance a Chevy crew cab (short bed) is 230" or 19.167' long. That means a 20' garage would TECHNICALLY house the truck, but you could never walk around it once parked. I actually had an extended cab truck in a builder spec garage and I literally had like 1" of clearance between the front & rear bumpers. It was stupid close.

I don't mind making the back bumper close to the door. But I'd want at least 2' clearance on the front. Keep in mind a lot of people put benches at the front of their garages, I'd want bench width (24-30" is common) + the 2'. So probably 4' minimum + vehicle length (rounded up to next foot). For the sides, you want vehicle width + 2' each side. In the middle section that is shared, I would want 3' there.

As a point of reference, my last house I built I did an oversized 2 car garage of 25' x 25'. It easily fit my crew cab truck (Nissan Titan), Jeep Wrangler, Nissan Xterra and Chevy Malibu. Not all at once, but different vehicles I owned while there. The width was more than sufficient as I parked my zero turn mower and other lawn equipment to the side. The length was great also. I had a 4' wide curb at the front about 6" high where my bench sat.

You are absolutely correct about leaving money for contingency. The short time I've been doing this I have learned that budgets can get blown easily and quickly.

I agree, raising the ceiling on the bay where the lift would go in the future would probably be easiest. I am afraid that I would lose a lot of my heat to that area though. Or do you think I'm being overly concerned about this?

Good points about the inner garage dimensions. My truck is a Ram crew cab, and I believe is about 20 ft long. I do plan on the rear wall of the tandem section to be lined with a workbench and utility sink.

 

[nolimits76]

I agree, raising the ceiling on the bay where the lift would go in the future would probably be easiest. I am afraid that I would lose a lot of my heat to that area though. Or do you think I'm being overly concerned about this?

Personally I think you are too concerned over the heat loss. Of course I live in a warmer climate than you. Here, having an a/c in the garage is a dream come true. Nonetheless, you won't be able to stop all your heat loss and it comes down to either you want a lift or you don't. To get the lift you need the added ceiling clearance. What you lose in heating efficiency, you can easily make up with a heating unit. Remember, it's a garage...you are just wanting to take the bite off, it doesn't have to be a comfy 72 or whatever your ideal temp is for inside living.

If you think about it....same ceiling principles applies to inside living. Most efficient design of heating/cooling is 8' ceiling line (minimum these days). However, most people will do vaults, 9' or 10' ceilings, boxed ceilings, etc because taller ceiling heights typically open up a space and make people feel more comfortable.

So I'd make your ceilings the height you want/need for the garage and move on if it were me. Here, it is common to finish out the garage areas when building new. I've seen enough pictures of others builds to realize that isn't common everywhere. My point being, I would put my effort and money into making sure the roof and walls of the garage are insulated and sheetrocked. Also, I'd do insulated garage doors. This will help quite a bit actually.

 

[sberry]

The drawings need to be bigger ha. I wouldn't fuk with none of that. Build a big pole barn, a door on each end with the living along one side and end with mechanicals on the back end of that, build it tall with second story above living for extra space and utility bathroom stacked above etc. Most of the kitchen and master bath backed up on first floor to a utility room/bathroom. Stairway to second story in shop with all living done on first floor with expanded capability on second.

I need a sketch program, I am lazy though.

 

[sberry]

Something like this.

 

[Ray916MN]

Some comments.

To me in floor radiant heat only makes sense if you are going to use the garage regularly in winter and do work sitting on the floor. As a Minnesotan, knowing the amount of salt that gets used on roads, I would be hesitant to park a daily driver in a constantly heated garage. The heat will accelerate rusting noticeably. For an occaisonal work space garage in MN it makes more sense to heat (and air condition) using forced air and to separate your work space from your daily parking space.

Nolimits76 comments about dimensions are very important to consider. One of the things which drives me a bit crazy about MN is the need to have access to a snowblower or tractor with a blower on it during the winter. Aside from depth for things like trucks and width for being able to get in and out of vehicles depth and width can help enable you to park vehicles and still get access to snow removal equipment which you want to get out before pulling a vehicle out of a garage. I would be thinking a minimum of 24' depth for any space meant for a vehicle. My F250 crew short bed fits 24' with just enough space to lower the tailgate with the garage door closed. Being able to unload my truck inside the garage is nice, especially if it is raining or frigid outside. This depth gives you enough room for work benches and other access in front of shorter vehicles. If I wanted a work bench in front of my truck I'd want another 6' for a total depth of 30'.

 

[Bennie]

What part of town are you looking at?

I don't know personally but you may want to look in to the limits of spancrete if you are installing a lift. Maybe it's a non issue?

What are you planning on lifting? I have a 10ft ceiling and can get full lift (48") with my maxjax and a fullsize (suburban or truck with topper).

I have infloor heat and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Don't forget floor drains and ceiling fans!

 

[nolimits76]

I don't know personally but you may want to look in to the limits of spancrete if you are installing a lift. Maybe it's a non issue

I don't have much doubt he can find a solution using spancrete. I just don't think it's going to be very economical. Precast panels, cranes to lift, support structures to carry the precast loads, etc.

 

[justanengineer]

I'd ask the question, is this a storage garage or a working garage. For storage, you might get 4 smallish vehicles in there if youre not careful about not banging doors and are careful. As a working garage thats really a three car, maybe two depending the work done and definitely only one big pickemup will fit. I'd square off the front and get rid of one of the doors, fewer doors = less air leaks. If youre concerned with heating the garage, I would highly suggest a normal vented garage heater as its cheap, easy, simple to repair/maintain, and very quick acting. Radiant heat is a great idea, but in reality the garage slab will warm up and retain plenty of heat if the air above it is decently warm.

JMHO as well, but the rest of the layout looks a bit too "showy" with every conceivable type of room crammed in and rather poorly laid out, but I prefer simplicity and functionality over all else.

 

[flyinb501]

Personally I think you are too concerned over the heat loss. Of course I live in a warmer climate than you. Here, having an a/c in the garage is a dream come true. Nonetheless, you won't be able to stop all your heat loss and it comes down to either you want a lift or you don't. To get the lift you need the added ceiling clearance. What you lose in heating efficiency, you can easily make up with a heating unit. Remember, it's a garage...you are just wanting to take the bite off, it doesn't have to be a comfy 72 or whatever your ideal temp is for inside living.

If you think about it....same ceiling principles applies to inside living. Most efficient design of heating/cooling is 8' ceiling line (minimum these days). However, most people will do vaults, 9' or 10' ceilings, boxed ceilings, etc because taller ceiling heights typically open up a space and make people feel more comfortable.

So I'd make your ceilings the height you want/need for the garage and move on if it were me. Here, it is common to finish out the garage areas when building new. I've seen enough pictures of others builds to realize that isn't common everywhere. My point being, I would put my effort and money into making sure the roof and walls of the garage are insulated and sheetrocked. Also, I'd do insulated garage doors. This will help quite a bit actually.

I think you are probably right. For what I'm using the garage for in floor heat may be a bit overkill, and we certainly don't need more things to add to our budget. I will probable just go with a tradtional garage heater, and concentrate on my insulation and sheetrock. I'll be doing spray foam for the house so I may used it for the garage as well.

Some comments.

To me in floor radiant heat only makes sense if you are going to use the garage regularly in winter and do work sitting on the floor. As a Minnesotan, knowing the amount of salt that gets used on roads, I would be hesitant to park a daily driver in a constantly heated garage. The heat will accelerate rusting noticeably. For an occaisonal work space garage in MN it makes more sense to heat (and air condition) using forced air and to separate your work space from your daily parking space.

Nolimits76 comments about dimensions are very important to consider. One of the things which drives me a bit crazy about MN is the need to have access to a snowblower or tractor with a blower on it during the winter. Aside from depth for things like trucks and width for being able to get in and out of vehicles depth and width can help enable you to park vehicles and still get access to snow removal equipment which you want to get out before pulling a vehicle out of a garage. I would be thinking a minimum of 24' depth for any space meant for a vehicle. My F250 crew short bed fits 24' with just enough space to lower the tailgate with the garage door closed. Being able to unload my truck inside the garage is nice, especially if it is raining or frigid outside. This depth gives you enough room for work benches and other access in front of shorter vehicles. If I wanted a work bench in front of my truck I'd want another 6' for a total depth of 30'.

I'm not sure about separating the garage. If I'm doing work on the cars that will be in the front (3 car section), and if I'm working on my dirt bikes and what not I will be in the back (2 car shop section). I'll have to put more thought into that...

As for getting lawn mowers, snowblowers, etc out that is a good point. Maybe I could add a smaller garage door on the rear or side of the garage. Do they make mini garage doors in a standard size?

What part of town are you looking at?

I don't know personally but you may want to look in to the limits of spancrete if you are installing a lift. Maybe it's a non issue?

What are you planning on lifting? I have a 10ft ceiling and can get full lift (48") with my maxjax and a fullsize (suburban or truck with topper).

I have infloor heat and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Don't forget floor drains and ceiling fans!

We are primarily looking at Prior Lake, and Savage. I would be lifting anything from a car to an F-250 crew cab (the next truck I buy). Do you have any pics of your setup? Is 48" sufficient for you, or does it bother you?

Aside from the obvious stuff, what are the major benefits of floor drains and ceiling fans? I plan on finishing the garage, painting the walls, etc so I don't think I would be washing vehicles in there.

Lots of good info so far guys, I appreciate it!

 

[flyinb501]

I'd ask the question, is this a storage garage or a working garage. For storage, you might get 4 smallish vehicles in there if youre not careful about not banging doors and are careful. As a working garage thats really a three car, maybe two depending the work done and definitely only one big pickemup will fit. I'd square off the front and get rid of one of the doors, fewer doors = less air leaks. If youre concerned with heating the garage, I would highly suggest a normal vented garage heater as its cheap, easy, simple to repair/maintain, and very quick acting. Radiant heat is a great idea, but in reality the garage slab will warm up and retain plenty of heat if the air above it is decently warm.

JMHO as well, but the rest of the layout looks a bit too "showy" with every conceivable type of room crammed in and rather poorly laid out, but I prefer simplicity and functionality over all else.

Well it will be used to park a car, midsize SUV, and full size truck. And the rear section will have a couple dirt bikes, work benches, tools, etc. We will also need space for lawn mower, snow blower, etc. We can modify this type of layout to be a little deeper and wider than what's pictured, but I don't think my wife or the covenants will allow bigger than a 5 car garage.

As for the house floor plan, this is not the layout we'll be using. I was just using that picture to help illustrate the style and shape of the garage that I was leaning towards using (3 car wide, with 2 stalls being tandem).

 

[Bennie]

We are primarily looking at Prior Lake, and Savage. I would be lifting anything from a car to an F-250 crew cab (the next truck I buy). Do you have any pics of your setup? Is 48" sufficient for you, or does it bother you?

Aside from the obvious stuff, what are the major benefits of floor drains and ceiling fans? I plan on finishing the garage, painting the walls, etc so I don't think I would be washing vehicles in there.

Lots of good info so far guys, I appreciate it!

I have a few pics on my phone, I'll see if I can get them posted here. I have only had the maxjax installed for 1 month and 2 days , but I have had over a dozen vehicles on it. Off the top of my head.. '07 1500 ext. cab with topper, '00 Tahoe, '01 Grand Prix, '98 Prizm, '08 Acura MDX, '05 Honda Pilot, '07 HHR, '00 Celica, '08 Impreza, '01 Suburban, '03 John Deere L120 ...........

I love it. It was a perfect fit for the space I had and how I use it. Every once in a while I wish I could lift a little higher but overall I can't help but remember how much higher 48" is than what my floor jack can do. Puts things in perspective. I enjoy sitting on a stool while working on stuff that I used to think was hard to get to.

I have had a heated garage (that I didn't even park in normally) without drains, and a heated garage with drains. Winter is a mess, floor drains help minimize the mess. I can't imagine not having them. It's also nice because I can wash my car in the garage.

The ceiling fans are mostly for winter. With a tall ceilings and no infloor heat most of your heat will be up top. You can knock it back down to where you are working with a couple fans.

Not that I have the untimate setup or anything but I have an attached oversized triple laid out pretty close to how you are thinking. If you wanted to take a drive to Belle Plaine I'd be happy to show you my setup so you can have another reference. I'll be out in the garage....

 

[nolimits76]

As for getting lawn mowers, snowblowers, etc out that is a good point. Maybe I could add a smaller garage door on the rear or side of the garage. Do they make mini garage doors in a standard size?

I think I mentioned putting a door on the "back" 2 garage section in one of my earlier posts for this exact reason. It's nice to have the ability to open up and be able to maneuver your toys around, regardless if it's a lawnmower, snow blower, etc. Also it's nice to have a man door as well, although if you have an actual garage door you could just open that. Another option (depending on width) is running dual man doors instead of an overhead door.

If you call an actual garage door company (Overhead Door is one I called here) and talk with them you will find out there are quite a few options. At one point I was looking at a 6' to 7' door for just toy access.

While that works, if you have the space, I would go with a standard 8' or 9' door and then you can fit a normal sized vehicle through as well as your toys.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

On that second floor, I'd reduce the size of that linen closet and make that 3/4 bath a full bath. Seems to me like that would be better for resale...

 

[nolimits76]

On that second floor, I'd reduce the size of that linen closet and make that 3/4 bath a full bath. Seems to me like that would be better for resale...

Typically I would agree; however, upstairs is just bedrooms and each bedroom has it own's bathroom. The exception being the bedrooms sharing the "Jack & Jill" bathroom setup, but more or less it's the same idea.

But I don't think it would take much to convert....the plans show the "black blob" where they are blocking in to fit a smaller shower unit. Dimensionally I bet the space would accept a 60" tub/shower unit with no problems and you have a full bath.

More discerning to me is the fact there master is not on the lower level. Around here that hurts re-sale pretty badly. But I wasn't sure the OP wanted input regarding the living space design, or just the garage.

 

[justanengineer]

Well it will be used to park a car, midsize SUV, and full size truck. And the rear section will have a couple dirt bikes, work benches, tools, etc. We will also need space for lawn mower, snow blower, etc. We can modify this type of layout to be a little deeper and wider than what's pictured, but I don't think my wife or the covenants will allow bigger than a 5 car garage.

Just to clarify bc most folks dont understand what a 5-car garage really is....Do yourself a favor and check your measurements VERY carefully bc what most builders call a X-car garage today are only that if you have compact cars and dont store anything in the area around the vehicle or have stuff hanging from nearby walls. When you start talking full sized trucks or SUVs they simply dont fit, and as drawn at only 22' deep your truck is going to be sticking out one way or another unless its a shortie. Again, as drawn thats a 3 car garage to me, not a 5 car. Kevin's thread below pretty well illustrates the depth issue, personally Im not a fan of squeezing by wet/dirty vehicles bc I hung stuff on the wall or put in a small desk, and Im also not a fan of not being able to open my car doors inside the garage. I would highly suggest each bay be at least 10'x28' for a basic non-working garage. Bigger per bay if youre planning on getting into vehicle restoration/major work.
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=198344

 

[ludakris04]

If you're concerned about heat loss in a tall ceiling, why are you building so big?
Unless you have a ton of kids, etc, I see a few rooms that personally I would do without. Smaller house, bigger garage. I would have to see an elevation of those plans because in my head I cant see the second floor fitting with the first floor.

 

[flyinb501]

Typically I would agree; however, upstairs is just bedrooms and each bedroom has it own's bathroom. The exception being the bedrooms sharing the "Jack & Jill" bathroom setup, but more or less it's the same idea.

But I don't think it would take much to convert....the plans show the "black blob" where they are blocking in to fit a smaller shower unit. Dimensionally I bet the space would accept a 60" tub/shower unit with no problems and you have a full bath.

More discerning to me is the fact there master is not on the lower level. Around here that hurts re-sale pretty badly. But I wasn't sure the OP wanted input regarding the living space design, or just the garage.

Really? In MN it seems buyer always mostly want 4 bedrooms upstairs (including the master). Most people want the kids to be close. For me, the biggest reason I like a 2 story with the master upstairs is because I don't want my bedroom to be so close to the action (kitchen, living room). If I want to sleep in a little, I don't want people making a bunch of racket next to my bedroom.

But again, this is not the exact floor plan of the house we are going with.

If you're concerned about heat loss in a tall ceiling, why are you building so big?
Unless you have a ton of kids, etc, I see a few rooms that personally I would do without. Smaller house, bigger garage. I would have to see an elevation of those plans because in my head I cant see the second floor fitting with the first floor.

We are building the house to accomodate our future family, and also for resale value. I just got this floor plan from Lennar's website.

http://www.lennar.com/New-Homes/Min...n/The-Woodlands-of-Stonehaven/Blakely#t_h&s_1

The exact flloor plan we go with will be different, but I like this garage layout (after modifications are made to stretch it out). And our house will be similar in the fact that it will be a 2 story, and have 4 bedrooms upstairs.

 

[Ray916MN]

I wouldn't be surprised if putting a garage door in the back would violate the covenant against having more than 3 garage appearances. You might be able to get around this by installing an undersized garage door or even french doors for access to the back space. There are two tradeoffs which come with this, loss of space (wall and floor) for having to keep the floor clear near the access and an increase in amount of hardcover that has to be snow blown, but it will give you cross ventilation for the backspace although the same could be achieved with a window or two.

As you are thinking of a lift and working on a vehicle while it is on the lift, the comments about having adequate space become even more important. You want at least 3' around the side of a vehicle on a lift to have minimal working room. A full size truck is 8' wide including the mirrors, add 3 feet on each side and you have to have at least 14' of total width. If you want to see what a 4 post lift with an F250 crewcab short bed looks like in 24'x14' space PM me. This is the space I have in my workshop set aside for lift work when it is full. You're more than welcome to swing by so you can get an idea exactly how tight this is.

An alternative way to think of laying out your space is to think of it more as a "5" car garage laid out as a roomy 4 car, with a standard side by side 2 car side and an extra wide 2 car deep side. Using 24x12 as a standard space the side by side space would be 24x24 and the extra wide 2 car deep space would be 18x48. The extra width would enable you to get vehicles out of the back past something parked in the front, as well as to store or park vehicles to the sides of something parked in front. It would also provide enough space for a vehicle on a lift at the front to be worked on. If the ceiling in this space were something like 12' you would also with tall shelving or pallet racking be able to get quite a bit of storage room while preserving floor space.

Lastly, even though you may be able to put cars into smaller spaces in something like a 20'x10' and still have room to open the doors and get in and out, planning a space this tightly is going to mean there will be virtually no room for storing anything in the garage. Anything stored in this tight a garage is a recipe for having stuff fall on your vehicles and damage them.

 

[flyinb501]

Here are some other plans where the garage depth could be extended back on 1 or 2 stalls to the back of the house:

http://www.floorplans.com/plan-detail/AFLFPW22563/quality-craftsman

http://www.floorplans.com/plan-detail/AFLFPW24251/interior-balcony

http://www.floorplans.com/plan-detail/AFLFPW03037/baker

 

[flyinb501]

An alternative way to think of laying out your space is to think of it more as a "5" car garage laid out as a roomy 4 car, with a standard side by side 2 car side and an extra wide 2 car deep side. Using 24x12 as a standard space the side by side space would be 24x24 and the extra wide 2 car deep space would be 18x48. The extra width would enable you to get vehicles out of the back past something parked in the front, as well as to store or park vehicles to the sides of something parked in front. It would also provide enough space for a vehicle on a lift at the front to be worked on. If the ceiling in this space were something like 12' you would also with tall shelving or pallet racking be able to get quite a bit of storage room while preserving floor space.

How about this?

Edit: never mind I was trying to upload a picture but it keeps failing...

 

[nolimits76]

Really? In MN it seems buyer always mostly want 4 bedrooms upstairs (including the master). Most people want the kids to be close. For me, the biggest reason I like a 2 story with the master upstairs is because I don't want my bedroom to be so close to the action (kitchen, living room). If I want to sleep in a little, I don't want people making a bunch of racket next to my bedroom.

This thread goes to show how geographical location can affect plans. People in this area generally prefer a master on the lower level. The mentality is that as the owners age, they may not want (or be able) to climb stairs. When young kids are involved, a "split plan" is preferred putting the kids on one side of the house and the master bedroom on the other. Mainly for privacy issues.

Walk into any newer home (here) and 99% of them follow this criteria. However, older homes will tend to have bedrooms grouped together and/or all clumped together on the 2nd story (if more than a single level) as you suggested.

I'm not saying your way is right or wrong...just pointing out what is common here. Having owned (4) homes already, I am pretty realistic that a change of address is likely; therefore, I think you are wise to build/buy fundamental layout criteria (such as we've discussed, or open kitchens, etc) so you can resale later when/if the time comes. Never sacrifice your happiness in the process, but go in with your eyes wide open.

Also be smart with your design. You can build the the Taj Mahal, but what are your resources, and do you ever plan to move? Simply having a 5 car garage (by builders size standards) puts you in a 1% (or less) market. Having 5 bays measuring 14x28 is a dream come true for a guy really wanting that but probably just extra space to the average Joe. Not discouraging you from splurging but with all things in life...balance is the key.

 

[bczygan]

Well, really the point of my thread was just to see what you guys think of this type of 5 car garage design. This is the direction I'm leaning regardless of what lot we end up with. Also, I would really like to get input on the use of spancrete, type of heat to use, and how to best leave room for a lift down the road.

The best designs are simple designs.

Spancrete is an expensive solution, looking for a problem that doesn't exist. Keep all of your garage on grade.

If I wanted that many spaces, I wouldn't give up having easy access to each vehicle. If that many doors on one face wouldn't be acceptable, I would situate the garage block so it had doors on the left and right sides. To visualize this, imagine a circular drive where the garage was at the apex of the circle and you could drive through it. The housing mass would be behind and to the left or right.

Done this way, NO garage doors are visible from the street. And the garage acts as a visual and noise screen for the house.

In addition, the higher roof line to accommodate a lift, can be camouflaged by making them the 2 bays closest to the 2 story house block.

First question you need to answer is what is your budget?

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

Typically I would agree; however, upstairs is just bedrooms and each bedroom has it own's bathroom. The exception being the bedrooms sharing the "Jack & Jill" bathroom setup, but more or less it's the same idea.

But I don't think it would take much to convert....the plans show the "black blob" where they are blocking in to fit a smaller shower unit. Dimensionally I bet the space would accept a 60" tub/shower unit with no problems and you have a full bath.

More discerning to me is the fact there master is not on the lower level. Around here that hurts re-sale pretty badly. But I wasn't sure the OP wanted input regarding the living space design, or just the garage.

Around here, you find a mixture of both. My home currently has the master on the main and my wife and I agree that we would prefer it to be upstairs. We are a family of three without any concrete plans to have another. The house the OP has shown us is really appealing to my family situation. I really like the jack and jill bathrooms and bedrooms. The extra room with the 3/4 bath should me made into a full bath and in our case, would be used a guest room, although we would prefer a "guest room" to be on the main or finished lower level. We love how that massive laundry room is next to the master bed rooms and family bedrooms. IN our house now, we have to take them down to the Mud room where the laundry facilities are located. Love the layout of that entire house, with only a few modifications! I'm sure the OP will love it when it is all said and done.

 

[flyinb501]

How about this?

Edit: never mind I was trying to upload a picture but it keeps failing...

This is what I was trying to upload. I think these dimensions would work nicely. What do you think?

 

[flyinb501]

This thread goes to show how geographical location can affect plans. People in this area generally prefer a master on the lower level. The mentality is that as the owners age, they may not want (or be able) to climb stairs. When young kids are involved, a "split plan" is preferred putting the kids on one side of the house and the master bedroom on the other. Mainly for privacy issues

Also be smart with your design. You can build the the Taj Mahal, but what are your resources, and do you ever plan to move? Simply having a 5 car garage (by builders size standards) puts you in a 1% (or less) market. Having 5 bays measuring 14x28 is a dream come true for a guy really wanting that but probably just extra space to the average Joe. Not discouraging you from splurging but with all things in life...balance is the key.

Typically people that like that type of design here build a rambler with a finished walkout basement. This is also nice, but not what we like. I would say up here about 80% prefer the 2 story with 4 bedrooms up top though. My company just built a beautiful rambler in an upscale part of town here, and I can't tell you how many people loved the house, but the fact that it wasn't a 2 story was a deal breaker.

We plan on being in this house for a quite a while, maybe 10 years. Could be more, could be less. It depends on a lot of things. As long as the ample garage space is not a turn off for most potential buyers than I'm not worried. Do you think it could be a turn off?

The best designs are simple designs.

Spancrete is an expensive solution, looking for a problem that doesn't exist. Keep all of your garage on grade.

If I wanted that many spaces, I wouldn't give up having easy access to each vehicle. If that many doors on one face wouldn't be acceptable, I would situate the garage block so it had doors on the left and right sides. To visualize this, imagine a circular drive where the garage was at the apex of the circle and you could drive through it. The housing mass would be behind and to the left or right.

Done this way, NO garage doors are visible from the street. And the garage acts as a visual and noise screen for the house.

In addition, the higher roof line to accommodate a lift, can be camouflaged by making them the 2 bays closest to the 2 story house block.

First question you need to answer is what is your budget?

We could do 4 garage doors, I just don't think it's necessary. We may get a 4th car down the road, but if we did I would just keep my truck outside. We are trying to keep our budget at or below $600k total. I should be able to build the house for $100 per sq ft give or take. Probably give lol...