Small Garage need advice...

[tegguy]

Ok everyone I have come to terms with the fact that I will never be able to build a second garage (HOA and City) and there is no way the wife will want to move so I am stuck with my current 3 car garage.

I am trying to find a way to make it more functional. I like to work/restore my cars and right now everything is just so tight it's a PITA. I have a couple ideas on how to make it more functional but I wanted to ask for thoughts here as well. I'd like to not break the bank too bad and selling cars is not an option. Please excuse the mess right now.

 

[timbitca]

Working out of a 16x24, I'd sure like to have your problem... there's a whole bunch of people on here that wouldn't call your garage small

First off I'd say clean the mess on the drivers side of that Chevelle. Then maybe build out that wall full of shelves? That'd take care of some storage?

Looks like you need to set yourself up with a good workbench too.

To make it a comfortable working space I'd say your #1 priority would be to organise yourself and keep it clean, that space has a lot of potential to be a good working garage, but until you clean up that mess your '3 car garage' is no more useful than any double garage.

 

[tegguy]

I don't know if it is shown well but on the drivers side of the Chevelle is a 1955 Thunderbird. I know I need to organize and I've been using my toolbox as a work bench thus far.

 

[ShadowRuleZ]

Sell me the Chevelle, you'll have lots of room then!

Can you build a 'kids playhouse' that happens to store some stuff? Or any room under a deck?

 

[bdamico]

Not much to it. You have to use your wall space. And you should search for threads on shelving, soffits, and wall organizers

 

[tegguy]

Personally I wasn't thinking shelving alone will help with the issue right now there is not even enough space between the 2 cars on the double side to open the door. Perhaps I'm wrong. I'll snap a couple pictures with the doors open in a little bit.

No deck to store stuff under and the way our HOA is right now the playhouse thing wouldn't fly and sorry but the Chevelle is going no where anytime soon but if you want to come over and help me finish it up that'd work.

 

[DC73]

If you can't build a second garage, maybe you could build a small storage building that matches the house and at least free up some room in the garage.

It also looks like you have a reasonably tall ceiling and room for storage up above around the perimeter and especially above the garage door rails.

DC

 

[DC73]

One thing I did at my last house was to put my car on wheel dollies when doing a project. That allowed me to easily roll it around and put it next to the walls which allowed extra clearance for opening doors, etc.

DC

 

[tegguy]

I was actually wondering if it might be possible to eliminate the soffet (at least partially) and putting in a 4 post lift then so I can stack 2 of the cars and free up my 2 bay area for my toolbox/workbench and a car. I think my ceiling is 9' 4"

 

[brveagle]

Work bench and lots of shelving. Cleaning up the space in between the front of the cars and the wall will help reduce your frustration

 

[tegguy]

Currently there is no room for a work bench even with organizing

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[coleman10]

Working out of a 16x24, I'd sure like to have your problem... there's a whole bunch of people on here that wouldn't call your garage small

I'm one of those people! What I wouldn't do for a 3 car garage!

Park one of your cars in the driveway. Bingo, instant space and plenty of room to move around and work. Seems that your cramped environment is self-imposed.

 

[tegguy]

Sorry but parking a car outside isn't an option either permanent or temporary my cars are project cars and only 1 is able to drive on its own right now. And I'm trying to get away from having to move a ton of stuff to work on a car.

I'm you mean self imposed by number of cars then yes. If you mean it in some other way then I don't quite follow.

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[coleman10]

Sorry but parking a car outside isn't an option either permanent or temporary my cars are project cars and only 1 is able to drive on its own right now. And I'm trying to get away from having to move a ton of stuff to work on a car.

I'm you mean self imposed by number of cars then yes. If you mean it in some other way then I don't quite follow.

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Yes, the number of cars. If there's no room to work in and no room for wall shelves, etc., something has to give and you have to make concessions somewhere. Parking a car outside seems logical to me and it's free, too. If it won't go on its own, push it. Get a couple rolling carts or chests to make it easier move your gear around.

 

[tegguy]

Push a car on my own with a sloped driveway....seems like a bad idea.

Seems like stacking 2 cars is a feasible solution doesn't it? Just dunno if I have height

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[1949 caddyman]

What is above the soffet? If dead space you may be able to gain some space.

 

[tegguy]

There are trusses in the soffit it forms the small roof that's over the garage.

 

[racerex]

Cut an exploratory hole in the sofit area to see what options you have in terms of cheating some additional height for a 4-post lift. If that's not possible without some major reengineering, maybe you can get some dead storage space up there. If you can't get the lift in there, I'd build some overhead storage at the the front of the garage. The goal is to get as much as you can off of the floor. Also think about installing tall upper wall cabinets.

When my house was built, I took a few hundred progress pictures. There were a few dead spaces that I've since taken advantage of. For example, in our master bathroom, I was able to make two narrow closets out of dead space on each end of the room.

I restored two cars in one bay of a detached 2-car garage. What worked for me was being able to reconfigure the space without much effort to work on a particular area of the car. All of my storage shelves were on wheels....same for all of my tool boxes. I kept large parts on cheap HF moving dollies so they could be moved around. The only thing that I could no be moved was my work bench. When I had a car on its wheels, I used wheel/car dollies. You'll be amazed how well they work. If my sister in-law backed her car out of the other bay, I could spin my Corvette around in the garage by myself.....and that was with a lolly column in the center of the garage.

 

[dougf]

Shelving would help a great deal, get everything off the floor. When you decide where you are putting a work bench you can put your cars on those cool castors and roll them out of the way to create more space also.

 

[FlyingLow]

There are trusses in the soffit it forms the small roof that's over the garage.

2 options that i see based on your picture is to knock out the slab and dig down to gain ceiling height for a hoist, assuming the footings are at a decent depth. This will be messy, no way around that but cheaper than building a new garage. Lower the garage doors or put taller doors in. Driveway will have to be replace also, at least the upper part. Second option is to add foundation and trusses to the front on the double door side, also messing with existing driveway (it will be steeper) but won't change the single door side. Figure out your setback from the front property line and go as far out as you can, won't cost a lot more for 8 feet than 2 feet. Or go all out and do both...

I'm not a contractor and you will have to consult someone if your not up to the task on your own, i have considered both on my house but likely won't follow through with either unless the driveway is suddenly destroyed and needs replacing.

 

[tjpavlov]

Trade the chevelle for an mgb. You'll pick up loads of space.

I'd consider soffit cabinets with a big overhang.

 

[xtremek]

Get as much up off the floor as possible. My compressor (80 gal, 5hp) is 4' off the floor in a cabinet so i can store stuff underneath. I have angle braces coming out ot the wall to support it so legs don't take up floor space. Put stuff you don't use every day/week/month up high. Keep a stool handy so you can access the high stuff. Something you haven't used in 3 months can go in an attic. Put at least one car on dollies so you can move it close to a wall, etc. I did a 4"-6" suspension drop, complete shave, roll pan install and complete interior redo on my truck in a two car garage. The garage also had another car, a compressor, toolbox, kids bikes, a motorcycle, lawn mower,....., so it can be done. Floor space is precious, reclaim as much of it as you can, then you'll have room to work. And no, the other car never sat outside.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

One of those cars runs, so it gets parked by the project car in the double bay. It goes out for the day when you work.

You can make this work, but you have to want to. Your garage, Your world.

Take charge, and find the solution. Make things happen.

 

[rarebreed]

I wish we would have opted for the third bay when we built our house. I thought $12k was a bit much to add the extra bay seeing what materials cost for a detached. Stupid mistake on my part cause it looks like it's going to cost me more in the long run for the detached.

I guess I'm saying I wish I had the third bay now. You are lucky you have that. Make it work for you. I considered a lift as well and only have 9'4" height. It will work with a 4 post, but it's gonna be tight.

 

[Daniel Dudley]

There are trusses in the soffit it forms the small roof that's over the garage.

Just looking at the picture, it wouldn't be hard to extend the two car garage portion out 4 or 5 feet. It might cost you an arm and a leg, or just a leg, but it is doable.

 

[kv501]

...there is no way the wife will want to move so I am stuck...

Get divorced.

I know everyone's different but there's no way in hell I could ever get married and have someone making/keeping me from making my life decisions. Life's too short the way it is. Went through a couple girlfriends because of that so now I stay single, but luckily I found that out about myself before it cost me half a house and alimony. Don't take me too seriously, though