27x50 Garage

[Prairiedawg]

Hi,

New member here and looking for input for on a proposed garage build. We are in the beginning stages (design) of a home addition with attached garage build. Due to setbacks, the attached garage would be 27.5w X 50 deep, 12' ceiling with a 18x9 door on the 27' side with an 8' door on the opposite end for lawn tractor access etc.

The plan is to park the 2 daily drivers at the overhead door and store 2 smaller sports cars in the interior, possibly on a lift. One will be driven more than the other.

I'm looking for input both pros and cons of this plan. Unfortunately, this is about the only way to build due to the property lines, setbacks etc. Yes I know I will have to jockey cars about to get the interior cars out but they will sit 6 months out of the year. I still think its workable to have storage, workspace for the cars, and have a small workshop as well.

Thoughts?

TIA

 

[Stuart in MN]

Having to shuffle cars around to get the sports cars out is the biggest problem, but you already know that and it sounds like you don't have any other option. Otherwise it sounds workable. It may be tricky to integrate a garage that large into the design of the house without it looking outsized. You may want to post where you're located, as climate will have an effect on the design (like what are the insulation requirements, or do you want to heat or cool the entire garage at the same time.)

 

[billconner]

Sounds well thought out. You are building as big as possible, the usual first word of advice.

Post frame, pre engineered metal, stick frame, other? Just curious.

 

[Prairiedawg]

Yes, I'm going as big as possible without being too obtrusive. The garage will sit back furthest from the street and I'm up about 8' elevated from the road (ranch) so you really cant see the higher roof line above the house. It will be standard 2x6 construction with batt insulation, drywall. The addition will require upsizing the HVAC so my plan is to move the current furnace and AC to the garage and use it to heat/cool that space. The AC will be undersized but should do a good job keeping the humidity down during the Wisconsin summers.

 

[CraigStu]

That seems like it will work just fine. Yeah jockeying cars is a pain but not a huge deal. I am betting that a lot of the sports car driving will be one weekends so you can park on DD outside friday night. Heck we a have a Mustang and a Stingray in our garage and wife parks the Honda Pilot backed to the 16ft garage door 90% of the time for ease of loading/unloading. It's is pretty common that I grab Honda and Stingray keys at the same time so I can get out. BTW good move on 18W vs 16W door. Wish I had done that.

 

[kbuhagiar]

That seems like it will work just fine. Yeah jockeying cars is a pain but not a huge deal. I am betting that a lot of the sports car driving will be one weekends so you can park on DD outside friday night. Heck we a have a Mustang and a Stingray in our garage and wife parks the Honda Pilot backed to the 16ft garage door 90% of the time for ease of loading/unloading. It's is pretty common that I grab Honda and Stingray keys at the same time so I can get out. BTW good move on 18W vs 16W door. Wish I had done that.

The 'inconvenience' of a tandem garage is a small price to pay for the joy of the extra garage space.
I experience that joy every single day when I walk into my 6-car (formerly 3-car) slice of heaven.
Good luck on your garage build.

 

[PhantomEB]

Me always a fan of go deeper than wider. Love having my work benches all up front in front of the projects.

 

[66Caprice]

Put a 10 foot door on the back for an easier access to the back yard area.

 

[Model A Fan]

Can you go taller to accommodate a loft area? I've seen that in different shops and have always liked the idea of having a loft so you can sit and plan out projects or relax away from the stuff you may be working on. I don't know your shop "habits", but when I'm in the middle of a project, its nice to be able to step away and not have any tools or materials I'm sitting in.

 

[firebirdparts]

Sounds 100 times better than not having it, to me. I love it. You probably want a 4 post lift in that building just due to the sprawling width of a 2 post lift. The building is just a little bit narrow.

 

[audleon]

I've got about the exact same setup. I park a 55 horse tractor, my wife's suv, and 2 trucks in it. Works great for us. I park the tractor in front of the truck I use the least. If I don't want to move the tractor, I just use the rear garage door to get that truck out. I park my daily driver in front of my wife as she usually leaves earlier every day so it doesn't pose any issues. I do have a lift, but it's a mid-rise and I park my daily over it. I have it spray foamed and then I put 8" batts on top of that. The spray foam is great, but sound really carries through closed cell. The extra room in the garage is very handy. I put a clean out drain in the center of the floor for when I wash cars or equipment. I enjoy it.

 

[Hilltopmasonry]

Your garage plan is similar to the one I am currently building for my house, my garage is 30 x 50 with 12’8” ceiling

50 feet deep and 30 wide


You can check out my build under my profile

My garage is higher than the house, but it looks decent from the street. Curb appeal was important to us. The front overhead door is 16 feet wide by 10 foot tall and we have a rear 9 foot wide by 8 foot tall store.

The daily drivers will go in the front and the back will be for a car lift and car storage/shop

 

[Prairiedawg]

Your garage plan is similar to the one I am currently building for my house, my garage is 30 x 50 with 12’8” ceiling

50 feet deep and 30 wide


You can check out my build under my profile

My garage is higher than the house, but it looks decent from the street. Curb appeal was important to us. The front overhead door is 16 feet wide by 10 foot tall and we have a rear 9 foot wide by 8 foot tall store.

The daily drivers will go in the front and the back will be for a car lift and car storage/shop

I read your thread. That's exactly what we're planning. doubling the square footage of our smallish ranch and tearing down the garage and rebuilding the 27X50. I really wanted to go 30 but the setback wouldn't allow it. I asked the village about a variance but they told me that making my 1400 sq ft garage 3 ft wider isn't a hardship. (I disagree) I was welcome to fill out the paperwork and pay the fees but there was less than a slim to none chance it would be approved.

I'm happy to see I'm not the only one to do the calculation. I love where I live but have been looking for a new place with the room, garage, interior space, and acreage but find nothing I'm insterested in. It's going to cost but my wife and I both get what I want. She gets a new oversized bath and WI closets, I get my garage. Win Win.

No loft above the garage. I would love it but the costs are already out of control. Eye watering actually. we're already having to make hard choices. Life is all about trade-offs.

 

[Craig Balzer]

Since you are in the planning stage, maybe theses notes will help. My shop is for restoring old cars:

I compiled these notes during/after my Garaj Mahal build. Looks like you have the main dimensions already set, but you may find some nuggets here (I have posted this several times here so if this is redundant, my apologies).

My 2300 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

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 limited 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 this summer and stays warm in winter 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 requirements finding a stud or two. OSB has more industrial appearance 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)
• 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 and 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 should 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. 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)?

Find a place for 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.

 

[Prairiedawg]

Wow, excellent stuff! I wouldn't of though about an outlet for a TV etc. I have to review the plans but I don't think I have enough outlets. Preliminary design plans are drawn but not construction drawings. Another thing I thought of is 230v in the ceiling for a fan but I'm not sure it's needed at only 12'.

Was going to stub out hot and cold water but no sink. The design guy recommended we add the sink after the build is complete and passed all inspections. He said some municipalities get weird about sinks in garages. I don't understand the thinking but that's what he said. The plumbing isn't too far away in the new addition and my buddy is a plumber so probably not much of an issue. One thing I would love would be a floor drain but code would require grease traps etc and would prohibitively expensive. If I lived out west of I94, nobody would give it a second thought.

The plan is for a 4 post lift and a 5" pour throughout. Is 5" not enough to support a 4 post?

Drywall is required on the home side but OSB can be used throughout the rest. Obviously drywall gives a more finished look but OSB is more cost effective. It's all going to come down to money. There is a finite amount and this build will approach the limit quickly. I haven't been given the numbers yet for the house/garage but have a ballpark estimate. It's nauseating.

 

[Fixr]

A ceiling fan probably doesn't need 230. If you can, put in what most people would consider a ridiculous number of 115v 20 amp receptacles and you'll still want more. I have them at 4 foot intervals on the side walls in my little 22x22 garage, and every other one is a quad. Adjacent receptacles are on different circuits. I wish I'd done all quads and maybe every 32 inches. Put several exterior receptacles on walls adjacent to outdoor workspaces. Provide for cold and hot water outside, preferably with a mixing valve.