Min side wall width

[mark2457]

Hi All

Building a new 2-car garage that will house 1 car and remainder will be a woodworking shop and storage.

I want to have 2 separate doors so the I don't expose all the equipment to passers by if I have one door open. The garage will be 24' wide and i'm considering putting the two doors as close together as possible and off to one side so that I can have more usable storage on on side wall) (see attached)

I'm wondering what the min width of the side wall (on right) can be and what should I leave between the doors. Remember it's one car and if it ever did need to be used for two one car could be driven in and other backed in to give plenty of space between the car doors

TIA

Mark

 

[bczygan]

With no wall to the right of the doors, you have a shear wall problem.

Also, they make a setup where the jamb between the two doors is removable, allowing a larger opening when needed.

 

[ForceFed70]

I think this is a bad idea.

You need that space. Not just for room for the doors, etc (about 6" would be enough). But how are you going to open your car doors once you've pulled in? Or store anything against that wall? Generally you need a minimum of 2' of space for this. I have 3.5' and I find that a little more would be nice.

If you are worried about people seeing in, I'd look at other options for blocking their view.Fencing, shrubs, etc. You'll hate having your doors positioned like that.

 

[mark2457]

I think this is a bad idea.

You need that space. Not just for room for the doors, etc (about 6" would be enough). But how are you going to open your car doors once you've pulled in? Or store anything against that wall? Generally you need a minimum of 2' of space for this. I have 3.5' and I find that a little more would be nice.

If you are worried about people seeing in, I'd look at other options for blocking their view.Fencing, shrubs, etc. You'll hate having your doors positioned like that.

Thanks

The garage backs onto an alley, so I have no option to block the view.

Revised it a bit (see door locations2.jpg)

I'd back into the LH door so I would have a ton of space to open the door. I live alone so no concern about passengers 9even so, there's 2 feet)

I made the bigger opening at the right so i can put tools there or use for storage

 

[mark2457]

With no wall to the right of the doors, you have a shear wall problem.

Also, they make a setup where the jamb between the two doors is removable, allowing a larger opening when needed.

That's what I was concerned about

I tried to find a 2 car door where you could open just one half: no luck. Any idea where I'd find one?

 

[bczygan]

That's what I was concerned about

I tried to find a 2 car door where you could open just one half: no luck. Any idea where I'd find one?

As narrow as your garage is, both side walls on either side of the overhead doors, should be detailed out as shear walls.

The double overhead door with removable jamb I was talking about is called a removable jamb wall. Call Overhead Door and ask about it. I've seen it used in airplane hangars. If you want the full double opening, after both doors are opened, you simply unhook the double track and remove it. Of course this requires a heftier header, to span both doors.

Some other things to consider.

A wider man door or even a double man door, that you could open on the side or even the back of the garage, for light and ventilation. Or an additional garage door in one of those places.

One of the doors in the front could be sliding.

To block the view from passers by, you could use a movable screen. This could be solid, or have screening for bugs. It could be fold-able, so you could block part or all of a doors opening. This would allow a single double door, that you could block with a combination of a solid insulated panel along with a screened panel.

Bill

 

[TheOtherChris]

...To block the view from passers by, you could use a movable screen. This could be solid, or have screening for bugs. It could be fold-able, so you could block part or all of a doors opening. This would allow a single double door, that you could block with a combination of a solid insulated panel along with a screened panel.

Bill

Try a printed screen like these?
http://myscreendesign.com/garages.html

 

[mark2457]

As narrow as your garage is, both side walls on either side of the overhead doors, should be detailed out as shear walls.

The double overhead door with removable jamb I was talking about is called a removable jamb wall. Call Overhead Door and ask about it. I've seen it used in airplane hangars. If you want the full double opening, after both doors are opened, you simply unhook the double track and remove it. Of course this requires a heftier header, to span both doors.

Some other things to consider.

A wider man door or even a double man door, that you could open on the side or even the back of the garage, for light and ventilation. Or an additional garage door in one of those places.

One of the doors in the front could be sliding.

To block the view from passers by, you could use a movable screen. This could be solid, or have screening for bugs. It could be fold-able, so you could block part or all of a doors opening. This would allow a single double door, that you could block with a combination of a solid insulated panel along with a screened panel.

Bill

Thanks

will give that place a call if I decide on a single door. Think I'm gonna stick with 2x8ft though. Was planning to use a single engineered bean to support a single door if I or future owner decide to move to a 16 foot door.

Those screens are pretty cool

I was thinking of a double door on back (depends on where my budget comes in - still waiting for final price on concrete)

I found a design on garageplans.com that has an offset double door. One of the short walls is less than 1.5 ft by my calculation (see attached). Wonder where I can find a true min size

 

[kbs2244]

My contractor built, and fully inspected, attached garage has a 16 foot door as close as possible to the right hand wall.
The corner is the customary 3 studs with two studs next to the to hold up the door header.
There is an apx 6 inch wide dry walled inside wall to the right of the door.
On the outside, including the trim boards, the wall is apx 18 inches wide.
I would expect the plywood sheathing solves any shear concerns.

 

[mark2457]

My contractor built, and fully inspected, attached garage has a 16 foot door as close as possible to the right hand wall.
The corner is the customary 3 studs with two studs next to the to hold up the door header.
There is an apx 6 inch wide dry walled inside wall to the right of the door.
On the outside, including the trim boards, the wall is apx 18 inches wide.
I would expect the plywood sheathing solves any shear concerns.

Great stuff

Thanks a lot

The requirements from village say

"short walls to be braced per current adopted IRC"

guess I need to try and figure out what that is :-(

 

[Thumper68]

Personally if I was in your shoes I would install a header for a 16 foot door and then frame for 1 10 foot door. Then in the future you or the new owner could change things up if you or they so wish. I really don't see a need for 2 overhead doors,

In the 22x22 I built for my uncle last fall we went with 1 overhead door, he too lives alone and only has the need to park 1 vehicle inside, the rest of the garage is storage and work area. He is very happy that we decided on this, he likes the extra wall space for storage.

My 32x40 shop also only has 1 overhead door no need for more as I like only being able to have 1 vehicle in the shop at a time, keeps projects moving along.

 

[mark2457]

Personally if I was in your shoes I would install a header for a 16 foot door and then frame for 1 10 foot door. Then in the future you or the new owner could change things up if you or they so wish. I really don't see a need for 2 overhead doors,

In the 22x22 I built for my uncle last fall we went with 1 overhead door, he too lives alone and only has the need to park 1 vehicle inside, the rest of the garage is storage and work area. He is very happy that we decided on this, he likes the extra wall space for storage.

My 32x40 shop also only has 1 overhead door no need for more as I like only being able to have 1 vehicle in the shop at a time, keeps projects moving along.

Thanks Thumper

Good idea