24x30 End Wall or Side Wall Doors?

[Ryan10700]

Hey folks, need more advice I'm going to be building my 24x30x10 this spring and was wondering if those of you that have a size similar to this prefer to have your garage doors on the side or end walls?

 

[Nuts]

If you live where it snows much, end wall.
I'm not much interested in shoveling the whole roofs load of the white stuff.

Nuts

 

[WNYflyer]

If you live where it snows much, end wall.
I'm not much interested in shoveling the whole roofs load of the white stuff.

Nuts

What Nuts said, I would put in the endwall if you can. Where I am with lots of snow and ice when than sun comes out the metal roofs can start shedding snow right in front of your doors. Plus you end up ice build up at grade. If you dont have gutters you also have water dropping on your head, etc.

If you don't have a snow/ice problem then may want to consider the building and door orientation based upon which direction your wind blows most of the time. Less stuff blowing in the open doors, minimize driving rain coming in, less wear and tear on your overhead doors if oriented currectly.

Those things considered I would think how you want the space to work for you (clearances to walls, etc) would be of primary concern.

 

[Brad54]

I've got a 32x40 shop, with doors on the end wall. Never again. ALWAYS put the doors on the side wall as far as I'm concerned. You pull the vehicles in, and they've all got a place to go. If you pull them in the end-wall, you have a lot of dead space at the front of the vehicles. If you put them in the side wall, you can fit more vehicles in the garage, and still have a decent work area along the long wall in front of the vehicles.

-Brad

 

[Daniel Dudley]

If you put a 15 or 16 and an 8 on the long wall, it is a three bay garage. If you put them on the end wall, it is a very deep two bay.

How about two on the end, and one in the back of a long side ?

 

[Colonial Cobra]

My detached is 24x28 with two 9' doors on the 28' side with one entry door. Works out really well. Work area is on the side with the entry door.

The attached is 24x36 with two 8' doors on the front (24') and one on the back. It seems really tight with the Tundra and Cobra side by side. The extra 4' in width makes a big difference in the back garage.

 

[BioHazard]

Both.

My door is currently on the end wall, I'm going to open up the opposite end too so I have a 'drive through', and I want a side door too.

 

[Scout Driver]

Side-walls bear more load than end-walls due to supporting the ends of the rafters. Put doors in the end wall if you can. Otherwise, make sure your door headers are sturdy.

Scott

 

[ket-tek]

My 38x28 has 3 oversized single doors on the long wall, I wanted two 16' doors at first but the county engineer turned it down because of the full height finished second story above, the floor span was to much without putting support columns in the garage (which I did not want). So I had to have two huge Prelaminated beams dividing the span into thirds (the support for those beams are between the 3 doors). So it became a big 3 car instead of the planned 4 car.

With that being said two years later I'm cool with it, and added a 4 post to get the fourth car in, but if anything I kinda wish I had an additional front or rear door at 90degrees to the side doors.. I like the idea of doors on more than one side as it gives you much more flexibility to arrange cars and other power toys the garage, but it just eats up some wall space if you had long benches planned.

Now after being in for a while I realize how tight 4 cars wide would have been, though if it there were 2 doors on the short wall 4 cars in 2+2 deep would have plenty of room. Not sure if I would rather have that or not still.. I thought that I had it all figured out when building, but sometimes you just aren't sure what works best in the long run til after the fact. I'm just glad I got a big box to play in, and don't stress it anymore.

On this garage/house build I planned and drew for almost a year and did do 100 things right, but after moving in I quickly realized another 100 things that would have been even better.

 

[Doug B]

I've got a 32x40 shop,..... If you put them in the side wall, you can fit more vehicles in the garage, and still have a decent work area along the long wall in front of the vehicles.

-Brad

I agree with this,but the OP is only building 24' wide. In my opinion,there is not adequate work space infront of a car at 24' deep.

I built my 24x32 knowing it would be a 2 place garage with doors in the end wall. Plenty of storage in front of her daily driver,and plenty of work space in front of my project car,and no roof slide snow in front of the doors.

 

[nate379]

24ft end for sure.

If you have a metal roof I would not put the door on the side wall though, as the snow will slide down.
On an asphalt shingle roof I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[larry_g]

I agree with this,but the OP is only building 24' wide. In my opinion,there is not adequate work space infront of a car at 24' deep.

I built my 24x32 knowing it would be a 2 place garage with doors in the end wall. Plenty of storage in front of her daily driver,and plenty of work space in front of my project car,and no roof slide snow in front of the doors.

I was going to say what Doug said. 24' long bay is not long enough to work in. Good for parking though.. I guess it kinda depends on what the OP intends to do in the building. Parking structure or maintenance & construction of cars. If a party shack then it doesn't matter. I don't do motorcycles, atv's, or snowmobiles so I won't comment on layout for those rigs.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Ryan10700]

Man you folks raise a lot of very good points. Here in Missouri it can be hit or miss on snow. This year we've gotten 3 times the usual and spring rains typically keep us wet for awhile. Having all of that snow falling in the path of my doors would render me pretty much useless if we get more than a few inches of snow. Then again it will be in the way of my walk door as well, but that wouldn't be nearly as much a problem as opposed to having all of the snow runoff in front of the garage doors. On the other hand it would be nice to have the extra room on either side of the doors when pulling vehicles in to work on them.

This is a bigger dilemma than I thought. I appreciate everyone's input so far. I'm open to a lot more suggestions!

 

[tmiller]

i have end now but wish i would have done both to pull my forklift tractor in and out easier when lifting frount ends and engine blocks.

 

[Ryan10700]

Hey gang, hate to bump an old post. Just wanted to post an update. Decided to go with doors in the end wall and a walkdoor on one of the sidewalls. I took advice from others who suggested shopping around at local lumber yards. Great choice! The prices for kits from Sutherland's were $5600 plus tax, and today at our new Menard's was $6,400 plus tax. But the lumber yard kit was built MUCH stronger and came in at only $5,100 including tax.

 

[rwhite692]

Big door on the 24' End Wall for sure...Are you planning to have a lift? If so, you might consider building with scissor trusses to get maximum usable ceiling height.

This is my 24x36, with 16x9 door at the 24' wide end...It is 10' at the side walls, and 13'6" at the interior peak.

 

[Kevin54]

Side-walls bear more load than end-walls due to supporting the ends of the rafters. Put doors in the end wall if you can. Otherwise, make sure your door headers are sturdy.

Scott

Not always a true statement. It depends on which way the rafters run. I consider the sides of my garage the walls that are to the left and right of the doors and the end of my garage opposite the doors. My rafters run front to back. So the rafter weight is carried on the front and back wall and not the sides. My ranch house is built the same way.

 

[Rosco]

Both. You wont regret it.

 

[ItBurnsWhenIPee]

I have a 24x30, and the big door is on the end. I f'n HATE it, and for the very reasons stated in this thread. It makes it a long two car, whereas if the door was on the side, I'd have a large 3 car.

I'd add a side door...BUT...For every door you put in, you lose that much wall space. The shop is small enough as it is, I can't lose that much wall space.

/still thinking about adding one because if I had it, I wouldn't have to use the existing one and could park **** in front of it.

 

[PassnThru]

Mine is 24 X 32 with the main doors in the end wall - that was due more to lot size than anything else since my lot is longer than it is wide. If you go this route, I would suggest that you add a good door in the back - in my case a shed rollup door to move bigger stuff in and out without having to move a car. It has been very handy for me.
View media item 3919This is an old picture during construction - there is a concrete pad along this side of the garage now.