Aprox 36x48 Ideas Needed

[duwem]

Just bought a house with only a 2 car attached garage and want to put up a big storage/workshop.

Thinking 36" wide at the peak end, and 48" long on the side walls.

12 or 14' ceilings, but only for a car lift, otherwise don't need nearly that high to park and work on cars, lawn mowers, atvs...looking for some ideas here to save $ and heating costs.

Want to do an upstairs in at least part, if not all of it, for storage, paint booth for parts and a rec room for entertaining.

Considering in floor heat, 2 or 3 zones.

Here is something I have drawn up in cad, thinking 2 overhead doors in the front to park 2 vehicles like a full size pickup truck. Then a door off to the side where I could put the lift. That way easy access to the lift but its not always in the way of other stuff.

Back part would be a metal working shop with band saw, lathe, mill, welder, big welding table, workbenches, drill press etc.

Would like a utility room to put the air compressor (80 gallon) and hot water heater for in floor heat, maybe the breaker box and that kind of stuff.

Considering a bathroom and wash sink, but that ads a lot of cost and building code stuff.

Wife doesn't want just a rectangle building, so the side room would be like a woodworking area/storage for yard stuff etc.

Considering a peak roof vs a gambrel as far as appearance and attic space go. 2x6 walls, pole building, ICF concrete are all on the table right now.

Let me know your thoughts on the layout and how to use the second story/sidewall height.

 

[Chart]

That's way too small for a woodworking shop. Lumber and panel goods require space, as do sizable woodworking tools.

You don't have any access to the room except through the enclosed room in the shop, which is itself closed off from the outside. This is an issue for both woodworking and for accessing gardening/yard stuff.

Like the barn roof, as it maximizes the useful space upstairs.

 

[larry_g]

I have something similar in a 36x48. Look below for my build link.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[duwem]

Would do a service door into the woodworking area from the outside. I do almost zero woodworking and the wife a couple times a year, so that wont be used often.

For access to the metal shop, I would do double 36" doors as seen by the cutout in the dividing wall.

Larry, looks good, how deep is that back area, looks like plenty of room for the tools, but not sure if there would be enough room for a big welding table in the middle?

 

[larry_g]

Larry, looks good, how deep is that back area, looks like plenty of room for the tools, but not sure if there would be enough room for a big welding table in the middle?

The machine shop or clean area is 12x36. I do the grinding, cutting, welding and dirty work in the main shop area. I'm a firm believer that precision machine tools do not belong in the same room with tools that will provide abrasive dust to grind away the ways of the lathe and mill.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[duwem]

My concern is all that grinding and cutting fills the storage area and vehicles with dust. I did a little grinding one time with my car nearby and now have rust flecks in the paint.

Spent some more time filling the garage up.

Pallet racking, work bench, 2 full size pickup trucks up front, and one where the car lift would be. Problem is that doesnt leave much more room for atvs gokarts, lawn mower, tractors etc.

I know there wont be a vehicle on the lift most of the time, but in and ideal world that floor space would be open so its ready when I need it. And a longer term project might be on the lift for months.

Extended it out to 50' and only have 10' wide for the workshop on the back, want to expand on that.

Wonder if it would make sense to put the lift in the back and then have the rest of the shop with shorter cieling and an attic?

 

[larry_g]

My concern is all that grinding and cutting fills the storage area and vehicles with dust. I did a little grinding one time with my car nearby and now have rust flecks in the paint.

Spent some more time filling the garage up.

Pallet racking, work bench, 2 full size pickup trucks up front, and one where the car lift would be. Problem is that doesnt leave much more room for atvs gokarts, lawn mower, tractors etc.

I know there wont be a vehicle on the lift most of the time, but in and ideal world that floor space would be open so its ready when I need it. And a longer term project might be on the lift for months.

Extended it out to 50' and only have 10' wide for the workshop on the back, want to expand on that.

Wonder if it would make sense to put the lift in the back and then have the rest of the shop with shorter ceiling and an attic?

Well you do have some decisions to make. What is most cherished, what is important, what is the purpose of the building, it may not do all you want to do in the space you have. You have to decide if the cars stay outside while work is happening, if you will risk the machine tools to the fabrication stuff. Do you have the nature to cover stuff to protect it or do you tend to go for it and then say damn when you find the problems haste has caused. Only you know how careful and meticulous you are. Me I struggle with neat and tidy but I do not have nice cars in the shop for storage, only in there for working on.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[duwem]

Others tboughts?
Thanks.