New garage - Must haves?

[LeighB]

I'm a new member here and am looking forward to contributing and learning from the member here. Some background:
I've just retired, sold all my other real estate an moved full time to the lake house. So we (wife and I) are adding onto the house, which includes an additional 30x36 3 stall attached garage. We are also keeping the 20x20 current garage to be used as a motor bike garage/shop. I already know the garage is going t be too small, but it's as large as I can make it and still have it attached to the house without making the place look like an aircraft hanger. I have thoughts of another detached 30x40 out building for my wood and metal shop.

Construction of the 3 stall has already begun. The footings and foundation walls have been poured, so the size is locked in. The floor will be likely poured in 2 weeks. Infloor hot water heat will be put in next week. I don't do a lot of auto repair work, mostly oil changes and tire rotations. But I'm thinking a scissor lift might be handy. I'll have 10 ft ceilings and 9 ft doors. Th "work bay" will have a 10 ft wide door. Will a scissor lift work with a 10ft ceiling height? Is there installation plans with dimensions for the concrete available? Are there other options I'm not aware of that will work that would be handier and cheaper?

Any other things I should be planning, that I'll regret not doing?

 

[polexican23]

midrise you would have no problem with ceiling height. Full rise scissor if you do scissor trusses over just the one bay where the lift is, it will work fine. Full rise is double the price of midrise.

 

[LeighB]

Yeah, doing some more reseach and the mid rise seems like the way to go. I'm looking at the specs for a Bendpac MDS-6KF. Gotta get price yet and the concrete drawings
Thanks for the reply.

 

[ItsNemo]

Yeah, doing some more reseach and the mid rise seems like the way to go. I'm looking at the specs for a Bendpac MDS-6KF. Gotta get price yet and the concrete drawings
Thanks for the reply.

See our MDS-6KF thread here...some good, some bad on it:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=332754

I am done my concrete work on it, Bendpak's pit size in the manual will work, if I was to pour again I might go a 1/2" shorter in the length than they say to tighten it up, but it's pretty good.

http://www.bendpak.com/MDS-6K-and-6KF-Manual-5900956-02-05-16-WEB.pdf

 

[jloehlein]

I put a floor drain in mine and love it. I would think that especially with you being in a colder climate, it would be useful. I can wash cars inside during the winter or hose down my floor without having to open a door to squeegee everything out.

Also, having a bunch of outlets above workbench height. I put boxes of 4 outlets every ~5 feet around the perimeter. They're 52" off the ground which is high enough that they don't get blocked by things I set on my workbench, and I can lean 4'x8' sheets up against the wall without blocking them.

 

[ryburns]

Concrete floor anchors from anchor mfg. Super quality. Electric hoists behind the door openers. Swisstrax floor. Sherwin williams mindful gray paint. Air compressor. Electric and LED light reels. Air hose reel. Lights mounted on the vertical walls for niw shadows. Eye bolts in the walls for other attachment points. Elay water reel.

 

[LeighB]

I have a 15 ft trench drain in the plan. SWMBO thru cold water on my scissor lift idea, she wants me to not put it in the car garage but save the money and put added space and a lift in my wood/metal shop. So I guess that's ok as long as I don't run out of money and never get the shop building built.
I like the 52" outlet idea and the Swisstrax look good, I'll check price.

 

[racinfarmer]

I'm a new member here and am looking forward to contributing and learning from the member here. Some background:
I've just retired, sold all my other real estate an moved full time to the lake house. So we (wife and I) are adding onto the house, which includes an additional 30x36 3 stall attached garage. We are also keeping the 20x20 current garage to be used as a motor bike garage/shop. I already know the garage is going t be too small, but it's as large as I can make it and still have it attached to the house without making the place look like an aircraft hanger. I have thoughts of another detached 30x40 out building for my wood and metal shop.

Construction of the 3 stall has already begun. The footings and foundation walls have been poured, so the size is locked in. The floor will be likely poured in 2 weeks. Infloor hot water heat will be put in next week. I don't do a lot of auto repair work, mostly oil changes and tire rotations. But I'm thinking a scissor lift might be handy. I'll have 10 ft ceilings and 9 ft doors. Th "work bay" will have a 10 ft wide door. Will a scissor lift work with a 10ft ceiling height? Is there installation plans with dimensions for the concrete available? Are there other options I'm not aware of that will work that would be handier and cheaper?

Any other things I should be planning, that I'll regret not doing?

Build it twice as big as you think you need. 1.5x at the very minimum.

 

[Shiftless]

Please don't hate me for living where daytime winter temps are rarely much below 50, but I can't visualize what it would be like to wash my car inside the garage with water spraying all over the workbench, shelves and cabinets.
Do guys build dedicated wash bays with tiled walls like a shower room at the gym?

racinfarmer has some excellent advice.

One piece of advice from me is to carefully plan your lighting. If you haven't already done so, check out the stickies on the electrical and lighting portion of GJ.

 

[kbs2244]

I have to vote with SWMBO.
Attached garages should be for overnight parking of DD.
Save the lift install for the detached shop.
It will make both of you happier.

 

[rwilner]

240v everywhere. Electric car charging, lifts, welders, ductless mini split/ HVAC, hydraulic motors for presses.

It's a pain in the ba!!s to run dedicated 10-3 everywhere. But so is flossing your teeth. Just do it, it's the right thing to do.

Also: wall mounted vacuum with 30' hose. Once you get one - you never drag a shop vac around again.

 

[Norcal]

240v everywhere. Electric car charging, lifts, welders, ductless mini split/ HVAC, hydraulic motors for presses.

It's a pain in the ba!!s to run dedicated 10-3 everywhere. But so is flossing your teeth. Just do it, it's the right thing to do.

Also: wall mounted vacuum with 30' hose. Once you get one - you never drag a shop vac around again.

240 volt loads do not require a neutral, and to tap off a 30A circuit to get 120 volts is going to violate code.

 

[rwilner]

240 volt loads do not require a neutral, and to tap off a 30A circuit to get 120 volts is going to violate code.

Dryers are 240v loads and are 4 wire. My welder uses a 4 wire plug.

Who mentioned tapping a 240v circuit to get 120v? Don't do that.

...sorry OP, back to your post

 

[Norcal]

]Dryers are 240v loads and are 4 wire.[/B] My welder uses a 4 wire plug.

This is not correct a dryer is a 120/240 volt load, always have been.

 

[John in OH]

Most have already mentioned, but to emphasize:

Lots of 120v outlets
Lots of lights on multiple switches
Scissor truss design over lift area (just in case)
Air lines
Floor anchor on back wall at centerline of each overhead door, minimum
Floor drain/s
Provisions for future AC
TV cable
Potable water & drains
Extra 120v outlets on ceiling for task lighting/cord reels etc.
Alarm system
Enclosed closet with ventilation for compressor
Sturdy workbench secured to wall with a BIG vise
One or two "extra" buried 2" PVC conduits house-to-shop for unknown future use

At least run all underground lines and pipes now and make floor penetrations during construction with ties into house systems.

 

[Cairo94507]

Regardless of where you install the scissor lift, do a vault in the ground so the lift is flush with the floor when down. Don't forget to add a drain in the vault and in the floor just in case you want to wash the garage out or something leaks.
Whatever lighting you think you need, double that. As we get older, our eyes don't work as well. Go all LED lighting.
Jack-shaft garage door openers, not the overhead type. Pre wire for music/TV. Airlines in the walls to the 4 sides of the garage. Power in the ceiling in a few spots. Nice cabinet to conceal air compressor and keep it quiet but still get sufficient air to keep it cool.
Windows for natural light. Cabinets to hold tall items like brooms, floor jacks, etc. Sturdy work bench with lights illuminating the surface very well. In-counter sink for garage cleanup when you are dirty. Perhaps a 1/2 sized refrigerator for cold beverages.

 

[ItsNemo]

Regardless of where you install the scissor lift, do a vault in the ground so the lift is flush with the floor when down. Don't forget to add a drain in the vault and in the floor just in case you want to wash the garage out or something leaks.
Whatever lighting you think you need, double that. As we get older, our eyes don't work as well. Go all LED lighting.
Jack-shaft garage door openers, not the overhead type. Pre wire for music/TV. Airlines in the walls to the 4 sides of the garage. Power in the ceiling in a few spots. Nice cabinet to conceal air compressor and keep it quiet but still get sufficient air to keep it cool.
Windows for natural light. Cabinets to hold tall items like brooms, floor jacks, etc. Sturdy work bench with lights illuminating the surface very well. In-counter sink for garage cleanup when you are dirty. Perhaps a 1/2 sized refrigerator for cold beverages.

Don't put airlines behind drywall or whatever wall finish you're doing. Surface mounted is better in case of leaks or changes.

 

[turfgnome]

I suggest a 4 post lift with 2 rolling jacks instead of a 2 post, it is nice to use as a work bench when you do not have a car in the shop and I have yet to run into a job I could not do with the 4 post however I have found things I could do with a 4 post that I could not do with a 2 post. A hydraulic lift cart is also a necessity who wants to lift and carry heavy objects.

 

[thool]

I wish my garage had a couple ceiling mount fans to exhaust directly outside. This could be helpful if you need to spray paint on a rainy day, or do other work that generates smoke or odor. You'll want to add provisions for make-up air if you operate an exhaust fan with the doors closed.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Wow lots of thoughts. I like this thread.

 

[LeighB]

Thanks for the ideas so far. My biggest dilemma is figuring out if I'll have enough money after building the garage to actually build my shop. If I build a basic garage I should have funds to build the shop. But if I run short I'll be living with a unsatisfactory garage/shop combo. So I guess my default plan is to not get too carried away for the garage and hope I have a good return on my investments this year to afford a shop next summer.
So far I have a trench drain, heated floor, extra 200 amp service dug in, 10ft walls, and 9ft doors. The new garage is attaching at 90 degrees to my current 20x20 garage, both attached to the house. I'm leaving the 16ft door in th current garage. I will have to enter the new garage and make a 90 degree turn to get into the current garage, which means the current garage really won't work very well for autos. But I have 3 motorcycles, 2 that have side cars on them. So the real plan is 5 stalls, 2 for motorbikes, and three for cars and trucks. And then a 30x40 or 50 shop to work in. Did I say my house is only 1200 square ft? I think I have my priorities about right!

 

[turfgnome]

I wish my garage had a couple ceiling mount fans to exhaust directly outside. This could be helpful if you need to spray paint on a rainy day, or do other work that generates smoke or odor. You'll want to add provisions for make-up air if you operate an exhaust fan with the doors closed.

I am in the process of trying to redo a dust collection system to use for both a redneck paint room, and for engine exhaust. I hope to also have it run dust collection as well.

 

[John in OH]

Thanks for the ideas so far. My biggest dilemma is figuring out if I'll have enough money after building the garage to actually build my shop. If I build a basic garage I should have funds to build the shop. But if I run short I'll be living with a unsatisfactory garage/shop combo. So I guess my default plan is to not get too carried away for the garage and hope I have a good return on my investments this year to afford a shop next summer.
So far I have a trench drain, heated floor, extra 200 amp service dug in, 10ft walls, and 9ft doors. The new garage is attaching at 90 degrees to my current 20x20 garage, both attached to the house. I'm leaving the 16ft door in th current garage. I will have to enter the new garage and make a 90 degree turn to get into the current garage, which means the current garage really won't work very well for autos. But I have 3 motorcycles, 2 that have side cars on them. So the real plan is 5 stalls, 2 for motorbikes, and three for cars and trucks. And then a 30x40 or 50 shop to work in. Did I say my house is only 1200 square ft? I think I have my priorities about right!

The real key here is to PLAN the COMPLETE project now before you build anything. Then, if funds are limited, just make sure you make PROVISIONS for the future wish list features ...... such as imbeds, concrete penetrations, adequate breaker box capacities, buried pipes & conduit, etc. Then when funds do become available in the future you can readily proceed without a lot of after-the-fact, "Gee, I wish I had thought of that ....." !!

I speak from experience !!

 

[n20junkie]

I second making sure provisions are installed for all upgrades.

PVC is really cheap, unless you decide after the garage is built that you want a bathroom, then it gets really expensive and difficult.


I am not big on windows, but I made sure that I framed out for a nice big exhaust fan. I also pit all the stubs in for elec, water, sewage, as well as a smaller entry for cable/internet ( everything that needed to be laid down prior to backfill and floor concrete).

If your not using plywood for walls, think about adding blocking and backers for attaching things like door struts, door openers and so forth behind the drywall.

 

[bdbecker]

Welcome! (from a former South Dakotan)

 

[LeighB]

Former SD??? I just retired and moved back.
I think I'll go with Ribtrax from Swisstrax. I got a quote to do both the new and old floors. Not as spendy as I thought it would be.

 

[rwilner]

Forgot to mention - Ethernet. My garage is far enough away from my router where I don't get good wifi coverage. Hardwire Ethernet back to your router and put another access point in the garage.

 

[LeighB]

Ethernet is covered, router is in the current garage, cable tv is also there. Washroom and bathroom 10 ft into the house so also covered. Also have a cold water garden hose hookup in the current garage. Maybe I should add hot water.

 

[Gannz]

If you do drains, have them pitch the 10" of threshold toward the driveway, not the drain.

I also ran conduit & 2 boxes under the slab for floor outlets. I have a workbench over one & I don't have to drop a cord from the ceiling or run one across the floor for power. Plan on having a grinding & sanding station over the other.

 

[LeighB]

I like the floor outlet idea, but probably not in this build but next year in my shop build. In my shop build I think I'll also put wood dust collection in the floor under the concrete.
I'll talk to the concrete guy about the slope to the driveway, my current garage is done this way.

 

[ItsNemo]

I like the floor outlet idea, but probably not in this build but next year in my shop build. In my shop build I think I'll also put wood dust collection in the floor under the concrete.
I'll talk to the concrete guy about the slope to the driveway, my current garage is done this way.

I wouldn't put dust collection under floor...if you ever get something stuck in the pipes, you'll never be able to get it out.

 

[grommit]

A dedicated wall outlet next to a window in case you want to a window fan or portable air conditioner would be nice.

 

[NES]

Put in a utility sink, AC unit and have epoxy flooring.

 

[LeighB]

Great idea NES, that I almost for got. The plumber and I worked a couple of late hours to put in the drain for a utility sink last night. Hope to get the final fill screeded today, insulation and floor heat in today or tomorrow and floor poured yet this week.
I'll make sure to frame and run electrical for a AC unit, although summers aren't real bad since we are on a lake.

 

[Gannz]

eBay has good deals on stainless utility sinks. I snagged one of these for the garage a few weeks ago. $86 shipped. It just had a little bend on the top, back corner that was easy to straighten.

 

[NES]

The nice thing about the ac unit especially in the summer you have the garage doors and windows closed. Feel the cold air and no dealing with insects at all. The utility sink is wonderful to have especially if your working on any projects.

 

[LeighB]

I actually already have a almost new laundry tub that was never installed in my old house. You're right on about ac and keeping the bugs locked out. I'll have one and a couple of ceiling fans to spread the air around
I also took a bunch of pics of the pex tubing installed so once it's buried in the concrete I can hopefully find it in case I ever need to drill a hole in the floor.

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Wow lots of thoughts. I like this thread.

Ditto to that !! ^^^

 

[david71984]

When planning on mine I did a lot of reading here to get ideas and other searches. I have a 20x40 detached with 10ft ceilings which was there on property we just bought. The whole thing needed to be completely renovated so pretty much started from scratch.
.
I changed out my two crappy garage doors to a 12ft wide 10ft tall roll up door to save on space above. The garage already had two bathrooms so I converted one on the back wall to a small mini kitchen with a bar. It has a small room for the pool pump and all on that same wall which I moved all pool equipment outside the building so now I can store dirty items like a shed.

We put outlets every 2 feet in work spaces 48 inches from the floor, plenty in kitchen, along walls where no cabinets will be, ceilings, in large cabinets for chargers and other things. I have 240V 30amp outlets throughout the garage along with two 50 amp for welding machine and other heavy duty items. The ethernet, speaker wiring, coaxial is all ran. The air lines have been prepped for being dropped once the drywall is done which will all be mounted hidden in my large cabinets. I wired for 4 ceiling fans in main garage portion and 1 in the mini kitchen. We have can lights throughout the garage. Did I mention my father and father in law is an electrician, LOL!

Other items which were pertinent were switches throughout (3 way) to avoid walking all over to turn on and off lights, exterior lighting, exterior outlets every 8 feet, re decking attic floor once insulated, wiring for large window AC unit heat/cool combo, 3 windows, and 1 exterior man door. We have a bathroom with a standup shower with large closet and overhead storage over shower for our pool stuff. I am sure I will come up with more but the list never ends and always coming up with more ideas everytime I get on this forum!

I will try to post pictures shortly.

 

[Zeke]

I didn't read all the posts but an air line system and retractable reels for air and extension cords come in 'reel' handy. Anytime you can avoid cords and lines on the floor is safer and neater. Therefore, 2-3 drops for power are nice as is power at every bench in front and in the back on the wall for benches next to walls. For sure, any rolling benches can be served from above with drops.

I stumbled over cords on the ground way too long. Now I'm set.