24x30...which side should the door be on?

[JB740i]

Just went out and walked around the lot. The detached garage we'll be building can go either direction, with either the wide or short side towards the house. It'll be probably 100' behind the back of the house at the rear of the property. The builder is suggesting I put the garage door facing the center of the property and put windows on the side of the garage that would then face the house.

To access the garage will require driving past the side of the house and through the backyard. Thinking I'll be driving past the right side of the house and put the garage in the back left corner of the lot. So I could drive into the back yard and hang a left and pull right into the garage.

So does it seem more useful to put the door on the wide side or narrow side of the garage. There's room to turn the building either way.

I know I'll want a lift down the road sometime which I've mentioned on here before and thought I'd have the garage door on the narrow side pointed at the back of the house.

Would putting the door on the 30' wall still give enough depth to work on a car/truck or does it definitely need to be on the 24' wall to have enough depth?

 

[Junkman]

Go for a 30' X 30' garage, and the problem is resolved. The cost difference isn't going to be that great, but the additional space will be. Never underestimate the amount of space that you can fill.

 

[JB740i]

Already pushing the budget as it is. Any bigger and I'd probably have to eliminate doors and windows in the house. Guess I could make some thatched doors like they used on Gilligan's island...hmm

 

[boiler7904]

What do you work on? A VW or Mini is one thing. A crew cab truck with an 8' bed is another.

Putting the door on the 24' side will give the most flexibility in depth but with a lift it will totally screw you up in width if you plan on storing anything down the sides and you want another vehicle next to the lift.

If you've got that much land, I'd see what I could do to increase the build budget to make it at least 28 x32 or wider. Wider is better. In that scenario, the door(I'd prefer doors) goes on the long side.

I think your builder is smoking something if he wants you to put the garage door on anyside but the street side (unless your codes or covenants won't allow it). Why would you want to have to pave that much extra space? Think about trying to navigate a trailer in that arrangement should the need arise. Murphy's law says that the need will arise as soon as the door gets installed facing the center of your property.

 

[JB740i]

Not gonna be paving it all the way back. Just gonna be driving across the grass.

Don't expect to ever have more than one spare vehicle to beat on.

Currently have a 76' Landcruiser and a 740i. Figure the biggest vehicle I'll have is a extended cab F150 or equivalent quarter ton truck.


Did see an old Cooper the other day in Gainesville. Don't think my 6'2" frame will ever fit in one though. It'd be cool to have though.

Never plan to use the lift to park another vehicle under one. I'd just keep it outside.

 

[bilede]

I vote 30x30. cost is nothing compared to finding out you are 2 feet short one way or the other. I have helped two people extend their garages by less than six feet after finding this out and the cost was more than double what it would of been to have built it larger the first time. 2 trusses delivered you still pay full load delivery, etc. minimum charges for concrete trucks on site, etc.. its never big enough really but I had a 34x32 which was best all around size I had. good luck!

 

[russlaferrera]

Already pushing the budget as it is. Any bigger and I'd probably have to eliminate doors and windows in the house. Guess I could make some thatched doors like they used on Gilligan's island...hmm

Eliminate the doors/windows in the house. Go with the 30 X 30 garage. I had a 24 X 27 garage. It was tight when there was 2 full size cars. Someone always left something on the side walls that made it impossible to open both doors. Doing a brake job I always was against the wall.

The best scenario is to be able to walk around the vehicles in the shop. If you put a lift in. You need enough space to walk around the lift. Always use full size vehicles for estimates.

Go bigger, and cut out finishing the interior. You can do that later.

 

[boiler7904]

If you don't install the windows or doors, at least frame for them as if you were going to install them now and then infill the framing. Oversize each opening by an inch or so in case you have to use a different manufacturer in the future. It's easier to retrofit to an oversize opening than one that's undersize.

 

[Kevin54]

If you are building a 24' x 30' ...go 24' wide x 30' long and put the door on the 24' wall. Depth will be better than width. One thing you have to figure is that there is only 6' difference between the two. If you would go with a door on the 30' side you are still only going to have a 16' door so you will have to manuever around. A 24' wide garage is classified as a 2 car and a 16' door is standard. Put the lift to one side. Now you have to consider that if you are under a vehicle on a lift, and the garage is only 24' deep, then a workbench has to probably go to one side. If the lift is on the other side, then you have walking to do. If the garage is 30' deep, the work area can be up front and it will be way less travel. But then it all depends on how much work you will be doing. A roll-a-round makes it way easier, but I would rather have a bench in front of me than a frontal lobotomy. Well that through ya. LOL!!! The thing is, the older you get, the handier you want things.

 

[Vicegrip]

I put a 16 door on the 24. Deep is better you have room for work benches and tool boxes and can reach ether parking spot. As was said by Keven54, a door on the 30 makes you put the tool boxes to one side.

 

[russlaferrera]

If you don't install the windows or doors, at least frame for them as if you were going to install them now and then infill the framing. Oversize each opening by an inch or so in case you have to use a different manufacturer in the future. It's easier to retrofit to an oversize opening than one that's undersize.

I think he was joking!

 

[Kevin54]

Already pushing the budget as it is. Any bigger and I'd probably have to eliminate doors and windows in the house.

Also shop around for a contractor to put it up, if you are not going to do it yourself. A garage can be framed in one day. And if you know someone that frames that can help you out, it would save a ton of money over someone coming in and building it for you. I have built a few garages and a few room additions. When I built the family room on the house, it was raining so I built all of the walls in the garage, had them sheeted with the windows and doors cut in. When the rains finally quit, a buddy stopped over and in a matter of 1 hour had all of the walls up and ready for rafters. So the point is...to save money, do most of the work yourself. to me the very worst of something like that is roofing. I hate roofing.

 

[JB740i]

I think he was joking!

Bingo!

 

[JB740i]

Also shop around for a contractor to put it up, if you are not going to do it yourself. A garage can be framed in one day. And if you know someone that frames that can help you out, it would save a ton of money over someone coming in and building it for you. I have built a few garages and a few room additions. When I built the family room on the house, it was raining so I built all of the walls in the garage, had them sheeted with the windows and doors cut in. When the rains finally quit, a buddy stopped over and in a matter of 1 hour had all of the walls up and ready for rafters. So the point is...to save money, do most of the work yourself. to me the very worst of something like that is roofing. I hate roofing.

My wifes side of the family is all in construction so one of the uncles will be doing the framing. I have decent experience with automotive stuff but the workbench in the garage is the limit of my wood working experience.

I will definitely be there helping/working weekends and when I can get out of work on anything I can do though.

 

[Junkman]

Skip the garage door and put that money into the larger building. When you have the money, have the door installed. Hell, you don't need windows in a garage anyway, so you can save there. No one said that it has to be complete by a certain day have they? Bigger is better..... just ask any man.. or the woman he lives with...

 

[alkemyst]

The previous owner did a 14x16 workshop...for the money he could have gone a bit bigger as he did the work myself, he also chose the cheap shingles instead of paying another couple hundred to do architectural grade ones and pocketed the insurance money (nothing wrong with that but for the little bit extra he could have had a nicer roof and still saved a ton).

Fortunately the guy did an ok job. My neighbor built a 20x25x20 foot garage that's beautiful...the limit he could build...he has the same 'backyard' as I do.

 

[6768rogues]

If you can't go bigger, I suggest as straight a shot at the garage as possible when using the driveway. Some of my criteria were a straight approach and having the doors so that I could see them clearly from the house. Leaving the doors open when it is a nice day and I am in the house does not bother me, since I can see them and the garage is to the rear of the house. Someday when you decide to back a trailer into the garage, or if you want to back a trailer up to the garage to unload something, you will be glad if the approach is straight.

 

[JB740i]

I agree with you rogues however it's just one of those things that depends. I could really go either way with it. To put the garage on a straight shot with the side of the house that will have the gate would require removal of a lot of trees where as the other side of the lot is empty already.

We discussed flipping the house and putting the garage on the west side, but the electric will be coming in from the east side so it'll save us money in electrical cable.

And since the garage will be 150' behind the house anyway, backing up a trailer will **** anyway you look at it.

I appreciate the comments guys. Really helps us think through a lot of things.

 

[6768rogues]

If it came down to a decision to have it the way I wanted it and the length of the electrical service was a deciding factor, I would bite the bullet and buy more cable.

 

[jay50]

Man, you need a 30X30 at the least. When I put in my garage, I had originally planned on 24X30 but decided to bite the bullet and go with 30X30. My only regret is I didn't go with a 40X30. Bigger is always better for a garage and you will wish you had more room.

 

[dreamingmuscle]

Go 26x30 28x30 30x30 scrimp save cut a few corners. Finish the drywall a piece at a time. frame for doors and windows but don't put them in until later. Any thing to make it larger now. You won't regret it later.

Don't scrimp on the house to build a bigger garage if a misses is envolved though. That you will regret.
________
glass pipe

 

[JB740i]

Here's the link to Vicegrip's shop. 24x30 and looks like he's got everything in there.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9143&showall=1