New garage build in Michigan

[jmarkwolf]

After many years of procrastination I am finally building a 28ft x 30ft detached 2-story garage to compliment my attached garage, which is way too small to accommodate all my hobbies including cars, motorcycles, aircraft, lawn equipment, snow blower, air compressor, portable generator, Bridgeport, etc, etc.

My biggest motivation for this project is storing my helicopter in the winter months. The door and the ceiling had to be tall enough to accommodate the 8ft tall main shaft, so I made the door 9ft tall, and ceilings 10ft tall. The interior had to be large enough to allow the 25ft diameter main rotor to turn.

I built most of my Rotorway 162F helicopter in my attached garage about 15 years ago, but after completion, since my hangar at the local airport is unheated, I always had to impose on buddies with heated work areas, when it came time to store it for the winter months. Now that issue will be resolved in time for the snow to fly this winter (2013/2014).

Chronology below:

Pic below is the side yard of my 1.25 acre lot, between myself and my neighbor before construction.

The mess after felling 6 trees to make room.

Starting to look like something now.

Really starting to look like something.

More to follow.

 

[harleyvet02]

Cool! I can't wait to see the helicopter in the garage. Do you trailer it to and from the airport or are you in a fly-in community?

 

[jmarkwolf]

Cool! I can't wait to see the helicopter in the garage. Do you trailer it to and from the airport or are you in a fly-in community?

No, I am in a typical "country" subdivision, with large lots. Mine is one of the smaller lots at an acre and a quarter.

Flying in would be most convenient, of course, but technically it's a violation of Township ordinance.

My lot is heavily wooded but I can just "sneak" into my front yard between a couple of trees, or trailer it from the airport.

 

[harleyvet02]

I love the looks of the Rotorway. Did you document your build online anywhere? I've always thought about getting a private pilot's license but kids, work, and money have all gotten in the way.

 

[jmarkwolf]

I love the looks of the Rotorway. Did you document your build online anywhere? I've always thought about getting a private pilot's license but kids, work, and money have all gotten in the way.

You bet I did:

www.ucosm.com/helicopter

Enjoy.

Haven't updated it in a while though.

 

[strandtc]

Look'n good. First time I've heard of someone storing a helicopter in their garage. My Father in law had a inslge engine cessna in his garage for a long time.

-Chris

 

[jmarkwolf]

Updated pics.

Hoping to complete electrical and call for final inspection, hang the ceiling mounted furnace, and possibly some insulation and drywall over the holidays.

Winter hit pretty hard a couple days after these pics were taken the first week of December. Didn't get time to paint the trim around the small door.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Thanks for the update, your build is looking great, well done.

 

[DynoDave]

Very nice. I'm jealous of all that "up stairs" space. Congratulations.

 

[nationalminer84]

nice!

 

[jesse72]

Very cool! Cant wait to see pics of the Helo in there and how you set it up. Im a Helicopter Pilot too, don't have my own but would love to build a kit like that someday. I really like your Rotorway. I looked into the Mosquito Turbines which are really cool but would much rather have a passenger seat.
- What kind of Max Density Altitude is that capable of?

 

[jmarkwolf]

Very cool! Cant wait to see pics of the Helo in there and how you set it up. Im a Helicopter Pilot too, don't have my own but would love to build a kit like that someday. I really like your Rotorway. I looked into the Mosquito Turbines which are really cool but would much rather have a passenger seat.
- What kind of Max Density Altitude is that capable of?

It's a little under powered with two aboard on hot days, but I haven't had much trouble at 3000ft or under (home field elevation under 1000 feet).

Some guys live in Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming and have some trouble at their altitudes. But some have low-boost superchargers to help.

 

[jmarkwolf]

Update:

It's been a long haul.

I did 90% of the electrical (had an electrician hang and wire the new 100amp panel).

Considered doing the natural gas black pipe myself, but I haven't done it before and couldn't get questions answered to my satisfaction so I opted to have a professional do it.

I installed the hanging heater myself, but had an experienced guy install the vent stack, as I was reluctant to cut a hole in my shiny new roof having never done that before either.

The gas meter is on the far side of the house from the new garage. Bids for increasing the capacity of the gas lines in the house and adding the run to the new garage were very high (between $3500 and $5000). I opted to have the gas company hang a new meter on the new building for $1300. Took them about 10 weeks to come out however. Used a torpedo with #1 grade kerosene in the mean time.

I did all the insulation. My old pneumatic stapler gave up the ghost and it was too old to find parts so I bought a nice new Senco. Sucker didn't misfire once the whole job!

Next tasks are drywall and painting/sealing the floor.

Everything took longer than anticipated, and it "should be" warming up in the next few weeks at my hangar, so consequently I won't be moving the helicopter to it's new "winter home" until next year.

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[jmarkwolf]

Update:

Below are pics with my newly epoxied floor and T1-11 interior siding, inspired by other GJ members that have done so in their shops and garages.

Still need to paint or seal the T1-11 and hang drywall on the ceiling, but that will have to wait until spring.

The bottom picture is the whole reason for building the shop. Heated winter-time quarters for my helicopter!

 

[jesse72]

Looking good! It's good to see your RotorWay in there! My one of my friends just started working for them recently as a A&P/pilot. What do you have planned for the loft above the garage, or should I say Hanger

 

[Morrison]

Need a pic of the helicopter.

 

[econolamb]

looks great! that's a whole lot of work right there.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I've moved this thread to the Gallery Section, it should get more traffic here.


Have you done anything to the upstairs ?

 

[drivesitfar]

Jmark: nice garage. did i read that you do fly that helicopter to your garage on occasion?

very nice helicopter too. can you really move it around by hand with just the 2 wheels on the rails?

 

[jon72vega]

Very Cool!

 

[jmarkwolf]

Looking good! It's good to see your RotorWay in there! My one of my friends just started working for them recently as a A&P/pilot. What do you have planned for the loft above the garage, or should I say Hanger

Always had great instructors in their flight school. New owners now. Hope they're successful.

No plans for the upstairs currently, other than storage.

HOA (and possibly local ordinance) prohibits making it into a living space. No running water anyways.

Needed to match "the look" of the house and attached garage as a matter of Covenants and Restrictions, consequently needed the 12:12 roof pitch. The space wouldv'e been wasted with standard trusses as opposed to the attic trusses I had installed.

 

[jmarkwolf]

Jmark: nice garage. did i read that you do fly that helicopter to your garage on occasion?

very nice helicopter too. can you really move it around by hand with just the 2 wheels on the rails?

My front yard is barely big enough to "squeeze in" (back yard heavily treed).

Technically I'm prohibited by local aircraft ordinance from landing, but the plan was to land in the street and quickly wheel it into the garage and shut the door before the "authorites" arrived (what helicopter officer, I didn't see a helicopter!).

It was a drizzly day anyways. Not worth risking it.

In the spring I'll tow it back to my real hangar at the local airport.

And yes, it pushes around like a big 1000lb wheelbarrow on those wheels. Just grab the tailboom, which makes a 12 foot lever arm, and push (on flat ground of course).

 

[nomonkeybus]

Cool a helicopter.

 

[kansei]

Excellent build. Looks great, and seems to serve your purposes exactly as planned.

I read your thread with more interest than some others simply because you are in Michigan as well. HOA rules, zoning restrictions and all never cease to amaze me. I'm on the west side of the state, in Greenville, just NE of GR. If you have ever been here, you know Greenville isn't that large. I'm on just over an acre outside of city limits, not in a subdivision, no HOA, just within a township. That said, I would not be permitted to build your new garage/shop here, believe it or not. The size of it would pass scrutiny, but placement on your lot, and the proximity to the neighbor's property line and house would have killed it here. Unlike you, though, I am allowed to install a bathroom in my existing 1,000sq ft shop, though I had to get special permission to get it approved. I'd have to check and see if the rules here have changed, but to my knowledge, I would not be allowed to store a helicopter here... heck, *technically* by the rules on the books, I am not allowed to park my car in my driveway overnight, nor are guests... thankfully, they don't try to enforce that one.

Did you have a dedicated natural gas pipeline run from the street's main line directly to the new shop's meter for the $1300, or was just the meter install that much?


Neal.

 

[drivesitfar]

JMark: thanks for all the great answers to my questions. I also like your sense of humor.

since you have the storage space upstairs if it was me and i owned a helicopter that has the need for expensive parts at times i'd beef up the floors upstairs. then when auctions or sales happen on some parts i need i have a place to store them since your space is free instead of having to pay full retail. or buy enough parts and build your own helicopter.

great looking garage/shop with the extra height by the way.

 

[jmarkwolf]

Excellent build. Looks great, and seems to serve your purposes exactly as planned.

I read your thread with more interest than some others simply because you are in Michigan as well. HOA rules, zoning restrictions and all never cease to amaze me. I'm on the west side of the state, in Greenville, just NE of GR. If you have ever been here, you know Greenville isn't that large. I'm on just over an acre outside of city limits, not in a subdivision, no HOA, just within a township. That said, I would not be permitted to build your new garage/shop here, believe it or not. The size of it would pass scrutiny, but placement on your lot, and the proximity to the neighbor's property line and house would have killed it here. Unlike you, though, I am allowed to install a bathroom in my existing 1,000sq ft shop, though I had to get special permission to get it approved. I'd have to check and see if the rules here have changed, but to my knowledge, I would not be allowed to store a helicopter here... heck, *technically* by the rules on the books, I am not allowed to park my car in my driveway overnight, nor are guests... thankfully, they don't try to enforce that one.

Did you have a dedicated natural gas pipeline run from the street's main line directly to the new shop's meter for the $1300, or was just the meter install that much?


Neal.

Hi Neal

Yes, I know Greenville. My brother lives there.

I probably couldv'e gotten a bathroom approved but didn't want to go to the added expense of running the water line, adding a water heater, and hooking up the the house septic, etc.

As far as placement on the lot, the setbacks are specified as 10ft from the lot line and I'm at 16ft, so I comply by a comfortable margin.

Surprised you can't leave a car in the driveway! The only prohibition in our HOA is derelict vehicles cannot be kept, and no vehicles can sit more than two weeks. It's not stringently enforced.

Also surprised you can't keep whatever you want in the garage if no one can see it. Being covered by insurance is another matter!

I'm parking the aircraft in the garage only during the winter non-flying/maintenance months. Back to the airport in the springtime.

The $1300 covered the cost of the new gas meter and running/trenching the gas line from the street. Much more reasonable than increasing the capacity of the original meter (costed seperately) on the far side of the house and updating the pipe in the basement and running new pipe underground between the house and new shop. One guy quoted $5000 for that.

 

[jmarkwolf]

JMark: thanks for all the great answers to my questions. I also like your sense of humor.

since you have the storage space upstairs if it was me and i owned a helicopter that has the need for expensive parts at times i'd beef up the floors upstairs. then when auctions or sales happen on some parts i need i have a place to store them since your space is free instead of having to pay full retail. or buy enough parts and build your own helicopter.

great looking garage/shop with the extra height by the way.

Ah but, aircraft parts are light. And the upstaris floor is quite strong anyway.

 

[Madhatter10-6]

I want helicopter now!

 

[jmarkwolf]

I want helicopter now!

A chicken in every pot, and a helicopter in every garage!

 

[Arps]

Thats cool!

 

[Sunbimmer]

I love helicopters and yours is a real beauty Even had a flying lesson in one for my 50th birthday, one of the best days in my life.

 

[jon72vega]

A chicken in every pot, and a helicopter in every garage!

LOL!
I like the idea of needing a garage for a helicopter!

 

[jesse72]

That's cool, HOAs be damned haha. I have always wanted to be able to land at home, someday maybe!

Always had great instructors in their flight school. New owners now. Hope they're successful.

No plans for the upstairs currently, other than storage.

HOA (and possibly local ordinance) prohibits making it into a living space. No running water anyways.

Needed to match "the look" of the house and attached garage as a matter of Covenants and Restrictions, consequently needed the 12:12 roof pitch. The space wouldv'e been wasted with standard trusses as opposed to the attic trusses I had installed.