30x20 w/ loft - thoughts on first draft layout

[brianchevy]

30x24 w/ loft - thoughts on first draft layout

Friends,

I'm working with an architect designing & building my dream car garage at my new house. i gave up the 7 car huge country house when my wife passed away and moved to the city, so we are looking at a 30x24 spot (all we can do), but we are going with a 4 post lift and a 2 post lift (storage & projects).

My Daily drivers live in the 2car attached garage as well as carport

I want to put a loft in to use for social space (TV, frig, Couch, tables), but I also want to use a little bit of storage up there as well as under the stairs.

My son, who is an accomplished engineer and sports car builder, says that fitting a 4 post against the outside wall (far left) and a 2 post (middle section) is not going to yield enough room. He says either lose the loft and center the workspace, OR move the loft to the back of the garage (bottom of pic).

SO I'm already going to change the far left to have a smaller wall section there 18" down to maybe 6" past the door so I can fit the 4 post in there and save room for the 2 post near the loft. But I don't know the math on how much space a 2post requires for a "good" shop.

And guys, as you can see from the survey, i'm doing the best I can with what I have so please don't roast me for not building bigger...

thoughts on the loft (tools & workstations under there)

 

[brianchevy]

4 post lift to be installed in this config next to the outside wall

 

[Moosefire]

Is it 30x20 or 30x24, because the drawing says 30x24. If its being modified to a 30x20, with a stairwell in the back, I wouldnt put much hope into fitting a whole lot in there, car wise or 4 post wise

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[brianchevy]

Is it 30x20 or 30x24, because the drawing says 30x24. If its being modified to a 30x20, with a stairwell in the back, I wouldnt put much hope into fitting a whole lot in there, car wise or 4 post wise

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yeah, brainfart.. i've stayed up all night watching the Rolex24 from Daytona. It's 30x24 and has a 10 foot overhang carport at the front for Daily driver parking

yes. not alot of room in there.. agree. that's why i'm doing 2 levels and lifts.

 

[ducatithunder]

That is going to be tight. The depth of 24 feet is one of the limiting factors. The other one is a single 18ft door, If Im reading your drawing correctly. The lifts will have to be positioned to be accessible. I have a HD-9 and its takes up some space. It is going to be tight in a 24ft deep garage and still have room to walk around it. My cars are rather small too. The Giulia being on of the larger ones. I also attached a pic showing how tight it is in a 24x22 garage and 3 cars. Im standing in the door way ... like I said its tight. My set up is temporarily in my attached house garage until I finish up the interior and relocate everything. I can walk around it but its tight. You will lose putting anything on the wall. If you can add 10 ft of width to the garage then you will be able to accomplish your goal of lifts, workspace and the loft. I just dont see it happening unless you make some changes. I attached a layout of my garage. its 28x46 with 12ft rear wall 14.5ft front wall and 18ft garage door. The extra 16 ft of width allows for this. In the big scheme it isnt a lot more to build if you can. The 4 post is positioned to the left of the shop in front of the 18ft door. The 2 post is offset at an angle in the back corner where the workbench is. Both have good access to the door. It also allows for a car or another 4 post lift to be positioned next to the current one without affecting either lift. I planned on having a triangular loft later down the road for exactly sam reason you are building one. That would be on the right front corner ... its not pictured but there is room. A small place to lounge and entertain when not working.

Hope this was helpful.

 

[rsanter]

Lose the loft and use a room in the house for hand out space.

You can build a small loft/big shelf for storage

 

[twistedstang]

Sounds similar to my build. I went 30 wide x 24 deep with 2 doors and the stairs to the loft are outside to save room inside. Check out my build thread.

 

[brianchevy]

Re: 30x24 w/ loft - thoughts on first draft layout

Thanks for the ideas guys. Yes. I've removed the loft from the inside and looking for a 9 foot wide storage bay and a 10 foot wide door into a 16 wide workspace around the 2 post lift.

I sketched it up like this.

Also, thanks twisted for the GREAT build thread. very helpful.

Also ducatithunder, thanks - the 2 doors is a better play for me as well.

https://scontent-atl3-1.**.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-9/142644397_1323666037984689_7848088650976269803_n.png?_nc_cat=101&ccb=2&_nc_sid=ae9488&_nc_ohc=A3Vw0QELx0oAX_M2Suc&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.**&oh=fb5ffe153a94f0c91c30ca81d5720a03&oe=603C3A09

 

[ducatithunder]

Depending on how you position the power side of that 4 post if its against the wall then youll want more then 16 inches. The hydraulic unit will have to be on the left fwd post or the right rear post, forward being the back wall of the garage. I would try to keep a minimum of 24 inches from the wall.

 

[firebirdparts]

The existing driveway is put at a disadvantage. Can you not tolerate the appearance of it rotated around a bit? Our push it back a bit?

 

[brianchevy]

Thanks again for the GJ ideas and thoughts - you guys REALLY are the best.

@DucatiThunder - (love that name), i want to save as much space as possible on the work side of the shop, while minimizing the storage size of the shop, but I will look at that closer - thanks buddy.- i think putting it on the right forward post will be best - it will be at easy access from middle of floor.

@FirebirdParts (also love that name), the problem is that my existing 2 car garage is 28.7 feet away from the corner of the building and it's complex backing out - code requires 28 feet, but guidance is 30 feet.. i think i can try rotating it 90 degrees, but I don't know how much that will buy me. - will check that - good thought.

 

[ducatithunder]

Thanks again for the GJ ideas and thoughts - you guys REALLY are the best.

@DucatiThunder - (love that name), i want to save as much space as possible on the work side of the shop, while minimizing the storage size of the shop, but I will look at that closer - thanks buddy.- i think putting it on the LEFT forward post will be best - it will be at easy access from middle of floor.

FIFY

Thanks. Sounds good. Just making sure you were aware of where the power unit needs to be. I run mine on a long plug. No need to hard wire it is these lifts will walk a little unless bolted down. Not an issue just something to be aware of.

Im a fan of the driveway layout. Lends some privacy. I was never a fan of doors facing the road or way from the house. Anytime the door is open anyone on the road can see what you have in there.

 

[brianchevy]

thanks Ducati, i think i'll run some PVC in the concrete floor that will carry lines and hoses, i can put my Lift power and Air thru those lines and that should work for what we're doing. GREAT design point and idea and I greatly appreciate the coaching. The driveway layout needs to be this way IMHO. if the racecars roll out of the garage and down the hill, (sounds crazy, but I had one roll off a trailer at the old house and went 30 feet before I stopped it) . if that happens here it will be 500 feet away and embedded in a neighbor's living room so I have to be very careful with that hill. there's NO stopping it once it starts, so a flat big patch at the top between the house and garage works. it also works that the screened in back porch is attached to the kitchen and has a TV and several nice things there so a hangout spot is perfect as it is (as suggested here), and the small 4 foot loft will be ladder (and lift access) and for storage only.

 

[Gerald O]

Have a look at my 32' x 24' design to get an idea of how much you can squeeze into this kind of footprint.
New Build: 32' x 24' with Loft

Yes, there is a 4-post lift too.

 

[brianchevy]

Thanks Gerald. i LOVE your build thread. some good ideas in there and I'm happy that it's close to what I am doing. A few of my space saving ideas are:
1) no stairs inside. 4 foot loft for storage only
2) no bathroom, just a urinal and a shop sink both in the back corner for privacy
3) put the 4 post (storage) as far toward outside wall creating as much work space in middle
4) center the Bendpak 2 Post in the remaining space leaving 3 feet all around it (except at the back)
5) have removable ramps at the back of the 4post so I can take them off when not needed and recover space at the back of the garage.