Designing a Car Guy Garage, Drawing Feedback Welcome!

[grgc5]

Hey Garage Enthusiasts,

I am design a detached oversized three-car garage for my property and wanted to know if there is anything I might have missed or should be thinking about. Looking for 1 bay with a 12' 2 post lift, one that can fit a 4 post storage lift, and another general one for washing or project space. there will also be a small powder room under the stairs up to the second floor. That floor will be roughed in for plumbing and insulated, but not finished otherwise. The doors a 10'x9' and I plan to install a HVAC system for both floors. I like to do maintenance for my track car, some fabrication (welding, etc) for it as well, and some fun upgrades. I love clean cars so being able to do that in the winter after the kids bedtime would be great, and I detail every now any then. Someday I could see myself resorting some cars from my youth. What do you think?

 

[firebirdparts]

The door side you won't get much stiffness as there's not much wall left. I'm not sure what building code requires, but that could be an issue. I don't wash cars inside my shop, but it seems like that would be great if you didn't get everything around you wet.

 

[matt_i]

I would not ever wash inside. Wash outside, and dry inside.

That personal preference aside, I think as-designed you will struggle to drive-in and open the doors with a car parked next to you. I think ideally you need more spacing between the garage bays. Note how tight the truck is to the two post lift. I would lay another similar truck into the open space within the model to compare and assess.

 

[imagineer]

Just my opinion, but I would not have as many windows on the 1st level. It limits the usage of wall space and provides access points for potential break-ins.

 

[matt_i]

Also think the 2nd floor is going to be hot and cold in corresponding seasons. With just enough headroom to walk around and just the top chord of a truss or rafter to separate from the roof, I think you would feel the radiant heat in the summer no matter what kind of insulation or conditioning is chosen.

 

[Yankeefarmer]

Are you limited in size by zoning regs? If you want to put 3 cars inside, consider adding another 8 feet on the right side so there’s room for a work area.

Other thoughts:
That looks like a very small truck in your drawings. My building is 26’ deep and my reg cab long bed PU fills that bay.

Consider locating the 2 post lift in the middle bay where there is “adequate” ceiling height to leave the tallest ceiling area for where you can stack cars in case one of them might be a truck.

 

[grgc5]

Thanks everyone. The doors are 2ft oversized 10ft wide, with 1.5ft between each one. I dont want to limit any future car or trailers from fitting in the door. The lift is pictured slightly out of position. It should be 1ft to the right. My thinking is, If I park the center car biased to the left then there should be no problem with the door opening.

The structural engineer is looking at the drawing now, but 16ft double doors have no structural issues. So I think im ok with 10ft with 1.5 in between, the architect agreed.

I live outside of Philadelphia so the winters are cold enough that washing outside is not always possible so trying to give myself the option of indoors when needed.

Thanks for making me think about some things twice! Keep the feedback coming!

 

[dave*99]

As mentioned previously - you will not like having that lift post so close to the truck in the center. One typically walks around that post when a car is on the lift and exiting the truck will be a challenge.

Find a scale image of the truck with doors open and test it on your drawing.

I have 10' doors with 40" between them. 18" is narrow. 30" should be comfortable.

A 10' door with a pick up is not much oversized. Mirror to mirror on my truck is 8' 6". You will likely park the truck in the center of that door.

Are you looking at an asymmetric or symmetric lift?

 

[grgc5]

ok I see. I don’t have a truck, or plan to park one in this garage, the architect just put it in there. But even with a medium size SUV it could be tight. The garage will mostly be for sporty cars and sedan/ wagons, so likely asymmetrical lift.

 

[dave*99]

ok I see. I don’t have a truck, or plan to park one in this garage, the architect just put it in there. But even with a medium size SUV it could be tight. The garage will mostly be for sporty cars and sedan/ wagons, so likely asymmetrical lift.

If that is your usage, play around with different door sizes. Maybe a 10' and a 16'? I had that on my last house and it worked well. The lift had the 10' door and the other cars shared the 16' door. We had a pickup, and SUV and a 2004 911 GT3 track car in there. Explore some options.

 

[grgc5]

Will do. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Shiftless]

If you really want to be able to wash vehicles indoors, I strongly suggest adding a dedicated space just for that. Waterproof walls, floor sloped to a drain, etc. I can’t imagine a space with shelves or cabinets or workbenches being used once in a while to wash cars.

 

[grgc5]

Yeah planning for a slopped floor and drains and doing it only on the opposite side of the garage as the tools. Looking into a large curtain to divide the space as well.

 

[matt_i]

I live outside of Philadelphia so the winters are cold enough that washing outside is not always possible so trying to give myself the option of indoors when needed.

I would keep your hose inside and give yourself a mixing option to get warm water. But roll the hose outdoors to wash. Downsides of washing indoors....mega water splash, everything in the building will get humid, you'll have constant surface rust issues. Also have to deal with the floor drain output so it doesn't freeze...

 

[grgc5]

I would keep your hose inside and give yourself a mixing option to get warm water. But roll the hose outdoors to wash. Downsides of washing indoors....mega water splash, everything in the building will get humid, you'll have constant surface rust issues. Also have to deal with the floor drain output so it doesn't freeze...

Yes definitely a hot/cold mixer with everything inside. The and humidity is something I had not thought about. Thanks for the heads up

 

[Craig Balzer]

You appear to be well down the path to finalizing your design.

Allow me to offer up some notes I compiled after my from-scratch build. My shop was built to work on cars. My 2,300 sq ft Hobby Shop is complete and I am working in it daily and still populating it with stuff.

What stuff? How is it all gonna fit? Where’s it gonna go. What goes next to what? See below (sorry -- my OCD kicked in and I got pretty detailed):

GENERAL
• Build as big as you can afford/fit on your property (or you'll regret it).
• You gotta know your plan inside and out – when the builder asks to move something elsewhere, only you can visualize the impact on other things / stuff
• Be flexible when reality shows up – also be true to your overall plan
• Windows? PRO: natural light – CON: entry point for a$$holes
• Skylight(s)? PRO: natural light – CON: then no attic
• Keep the building dimensions in multiples of 4 feet – reduces wastage of wood
• A mezzanine is good for long-time storage of large or awkward items; plan for where the staircase is gonna be placed; plan how to get heavy items up there and back down

FLOOR
• Gonna place light(s) in floor under lift??
• First thing you lay down is 10 mil vapor barrier
• Then closed-cell insulation – 2 inches thick
• In-floor tubing for radiant goes in before concrete pour – plan carefully if a lift is planned. Should be thicker concrete and limit pex tubing near posts
• Lay some plastic conduit in the floor before concrete is poured from the circuit box to the three other walls to allow future wiring to be run without tearing into walls or mounting conduit on the walls
o Since I forgot to do this, I installed a 2-3" PVC pipe in the upper left-hand corner of the circuit breaker box that terminates in the attic with another sweeping 90° curve. This easily allows fishing a new line (or two) into the circuit box. (See photo) The girts needed to be notched so the OSB would lay flat and metal straps were used to hold the pipe in place.

• Thickness? 4” works. Except under lift – my pour was 9-12 inches thick under posts.
• Plan now for smoothness of finish on concrete - - epoxy covering?
• Gonna wash cars in there – floor drain(s)? Lot’s of environmental issues to learn

WALLS
• 2x4 vs 2x6 construction. A 2x6 is pennies more per board and allows thicker insulation
• I have R19 in my walls (Colorado) and the building is noticeably cooler in summer and stays warm in winter even during sub-freezing temps
• I have R49 blown-in above the ceiling
• Sheath with OSB vs Dry Wall. Dry wall looks prettier but to hang anything heavy requires finding a stud or two. OSB has more industrial appearance (and can be a ***** to paint – think “sponge”) but a shelf goes wherever you want to put it
• Windows – already covered
• Height of walls? 12 or 13’ allows most lifts to fit (I have 14’ ceilings in main room)
o If you plan to have a mezzanine, go with 16' ceilings to allow adequate head room in mezzanine
• Tall walls require more heating capacity, and costs more to heat

ELECTRICAL
• Plan where your 110v outlets are gonna be, then add 50% more of them (mine are 4 feet apart except where a window gets in the way); I have 45x 120V outlets in my 2300 sq ft hobby shop
• Are you gonna use 15- or 20-Amp circuits? (different wiring requirements and different fixtures)
• Place them 45-48” above the floor level so they aren’t hidden later by benches, toolboxes, etc
• Plan for outlet(s) on the exterior of each wall
• Plan for outlet(s) in ceiling for lift or drop light or other
• Plan for outlet(s) in ceiling for garage door opener
• Plan for outlets up high on wall: wall clock, TV, modern “smart” speakers, other
• Lights – fluorescent or LED? Dimmable? Dimmable LEDs are available but require different wiring and dimming switch
• Plan for exterior lights – Colorado Code requires a light above each man-door opening
• Plan for exterior lights – gonna have a patio nearby or BarBQ pit or horseshoe pit or Christmas lights?
• Plan for dedicated circuit for heater
• Plan for dedicated circuit for water heater
• Now plan where circuits are gonna start. Each can handle 8-10 outlets and need to start with a GFIC outlet
• Plan where your 220v outlets are gonna be. Consider welders, air compressor, lift, oven (powder coating), special tools, etc. Even if you won’t have these until the future, plan now to power them.

WATER
• Gonna have water in the garage? A sink to wash up before going into the house is priceless
• Gonna have water in the garage? A sink to wash parts is useful
• A shower is priceless to avoid getting SWMBO’s towels and linens filthy
• Toilet?
• Hot water is nice to wash cars in the winter
• Plan a hose bibb on at least one exterior wall and maybe one inside

A/C

HEAT
• Gonna use in-floor PEX? -- see notes on concrete.
• If not, propane or electric heater will need power and proper placement and capacity
• See comments re height of walls

STUFF
What toys do you have? What toys do you plan to have? Sketch your floor plan to scale on gridded paper; don’t forget to include windows, doors, and the circuit box. And then, to scale, place your toys. All of them. The easy ones are toolbox(es), benches, welders, air compressor, and the like. Did you remember to ID a place to store floor jacks? Creeper? Jack stands? Ladder(s)? Computer desk?

Find a place for place everything:
o Welder
o Plasma Cutter
o Grinder
o Polisher / Buffer
o Powder Coating Oven
o Blast Cabinet
o Parts Washer
o Microwave
o Refrigerator
o Charging station for cordless tools
o Desk lamp
o TV
o Stereo
o Computer
o Phone
o Wall Art / Neon signs
o Other

Expanded details:
STORAGE
• Plan cabinet(s) to store hardware (nuts, bolts, washers, this and that)
• Plan cabinet(s) to store supplies, such as (paint, cleaners, paper towels, etc)

FLUIDS for the car
• Oil
• Oil Filters
• Fuel Filter(s)
• Gear Lube
• Differential Lube/Additive
• ATF
• Brake fluid
• Anti-Freeze
• Power Steering Fluid
• Marvel Mystery Oil
• Starting Fluid
• Lacquer Thinner
• Grease for ball joints/tie rod ends etc

CLEANING yourself
• Hand Cleaner
• Latex (or Nitrile) Gloves
• Shop Towels

CLEANERS for the Car/Engine/Garage/Floor
• Castrol Concentrated Cleaner
• Engine Cleaner
• Brake Cleaner
• Carb Cleaner
• Rust Remover
• Brushable Rustoleum
• Degreaser
• Acetone
• Mineral Spirits

Beauty Products
• Polish
• Wax
• Touch-up paint
• Chrome Cleaner
• Chrome Kleener (Autosol)

WORKING on the Car
• Di-electric grease
• Bearing Grease
• 3-1 oil
• Silicon Spray
• Anti-seize compound
• Loctite
• Teflon tape
• Acousti-Seal, Exhaust System Sealing Compound
• Wellseal Gasket Compound / Gasket sealer
• Wire of various colors and sizes
• Electrical Connectors
• Masking Tape
• Duct Tape
• Electric Tape
• Contact Cement
• 3M Weather-strip Adhesive
• General Purpose Adhesive Solvent Part #: 051135-08984
• 3M Adhesive Remover (Ronson lighter fluid)
• PB Blaster or Kroil -or Knock’er Loose
• Wire ties
• Mechanic's wire
• Cotter pins
• C-clips
• E-clips
• Snap rings
• Hose clamps
• Roloc pads/grinding discs
• Die-grinder burrs/bits
• Buffing wheels/compound
• Razor blades
• Utility knife blades
• Sandpaper
• Emory cloth
• Scotch-brite
• Grease fittings
• Fuel line/brake line and fittings
• Rubber hose: windshield washer, heater, radiator, fuel, vacuum
• Spray paint
• JB Weld

THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT: TAKE TONS OF PHOTOS.
Just like when you disassemble a car or major component, referring to a before photo is priceless during reassembly. I have been able to show my GC photos of the routing of power lines or placement of studs or whatever on at least 5 occasions. Saved guess work by him and potential oop's during drilling or nailing.

 

[Ak Jim]

I wash my cars in the garage all of the time. It’s a great way to do it. I use one of those brass shutoff valves to help control the water pressure. I also have the main hose which hooks up to the sink and that connects to a Y and I have two hoses. One for each side of the car.

 

[carlaisle]

Attempting to wash a car inside in an area not fully isolated for that purpose seems unwise. I don't see how you could do that - even with a sponge and bucket - without getting many things wet that should be kept dry. In full disclosure, I have never attempted it, so maybe I overestimate the mess. Many locations have ridiculous requirements for garage floor drains. You should check on those. I used to know a guy who had a section of his large shop designed so he could partition it off with a pair of interior garage doors. I don't know the exact dimensions, but it had to be at least 40 ' deep because he had a pair of 16' doors. He kept them open except when he wanted to close off the smaller area. He used that area for a paint booth, but it would have worked perfectly for anything you wanted to isolate like, for example, washing cars.

It looks like your exterior footprint is 28x40, so the interior will be closer to 27x39. Measure all of the things you want to occupy the space and then place them in the scale drawings you have. All of those things quickly shrink the usable floor space.

A 2 post lift is great, but those posts are never not in the way. An in ground scissor lift or two post might be worth considering in addition to or in place of.

If the lay of your land is conducive, parking underneath the garage is super convenient.

Craig provided a great starting point for your checklist.

Looks like your design should fit in very nicely in a residential setting.

 

[Hooked]

"GENERAL
• Build as big as you can afford/fit on your property (or you'll regret it)."

In my opinion this is the most important thing to consider, and reconsider, on any building project. I swore 40x60 was 'more than enough' space and my wife questioned me on it multiple times during the planning and we could have gone much larger but when I laid things out it looked right. The problem is we later realized there was so much more we could use the building for.

 

[tarmy]

You need to pay attention to snow/ice runoff. The way the front is will have issues with that right side door With stuff coming down that valley.

 

[dave*99]

Attempting to wash a car inside in an area not fully isolated for that purpose seems unwise.

Well, call me unwise. I bring my salty snowy nasty cars into the garage and they drip salt, dirt and filth on the floor. A bucket of soapy water and a little diligence in where you point your hose (always a good move) has never failed me. Washing a car in the garage is less mess than snow.

I had to escape the floods of hurricane Sandy and ended up driving my truck through way too deep salty water. So I put the truck on the 2 post lift and hosed the underside thoroughly. The truck and the garage all survived the ordeal.

If I was a car detailer I'd have a washdown bay. But my garage served many purposes over the years.

 

[grgc5]

Thanks everyone! We have space to go 32x44 but that starts to look more like a main house than a garage, which some people do not like. The problem is that it brings the roofline higher if we keep the matching pitch.