Attached or detatched shop?

[1320stang]

I'm on an acre and a half and want a shop and I'm thinking I want it attached.

I know there's taxes and insurance to consider. The nice thing about an attached shop is I'll already have one wall up and it'll be at the same level as my garage floor, plus it doesn't take up more room than the stuff I have sitting outside that needs to go into the shop already takes up, so I won't be losing any back yard.

If I move it to the back yard there's more driveway to put in, plus a lot of dirt to be moved as well as a lot more retaining wall, whereas if I make it attached, only the far wall gets retained.

If I attach it'll be 30x40 (house is 32' deep) and tuck under the existing eave on a 5 1/2:12 pitch. It'll get two 12' doors on the front for the 1st 2 bays, the outside bay doesn't get a door. The middle bay gets a 12' door going out back for pull thru. 1st bay gets a scissor truss for the future lift, 2nd and 3rd bays will get 30' glue lams and TGI's for a full floor. It'll be fully framed and sided to match the house.

If detached it'll likely be a 40x60 metal building with 12' walls (the east and south will have about 4'-5' retaining walls) and one 18'x9' roll up door with another header at about 14' in case of RV in the future. The west side might also get a 8' deep shed roof the length of the building. It would also get wainscoat at the height of the retaining wall, either in roof colored metal or dry stack engineered stone. Several trees would come out and it would be pushed back to about my shed that's currently in the trees and would likely become the new home for my compressor. The shed would be torn out and the 12'x14' pad be steel framed and match the shed.

Either way access will be from the north, not the east or south. I'm out in the county unincorporated with no permits or inspections, only a lenient homeowners association that would have no problem with either plan.

This would be a multiyear, pay-as-I-go plan. I could likely get by with a 24x30 building, but with the 30x40 plan I get a 12x30 area for benches and equipment and possibly HVAC when I go to change out for a new unit (I added on the rear 2nd living area myself and rebalanced the A/C, triple digit temps push my current system.) The condensing unit has to move anyway as it would be inside my new shop. New horizontal unit in the attic for the house and use the old vertical unit in the shop, it was sized for 1750sq/ft, it ought to do 1200 sq/ft easy.

https://goo.io/nJwYmJ

 

[Thumper68]

Personally I hate well strongly dislike attached shops for a few reasons one would be the fire danger we do things in our shops where this is good possabilty second and does not apply to everyone but I like my personal time when working on stuff and have never enjoied the wife sticking her head in and interrupting me. third would be the noise, I like to work on stuff at all hours sometimes I will be out there at 5am and other times I will still be plugging away at 1am.

 

[rieferman]

I vote detached for reasons of keeping noise and mess separate from my living space. And, there's just something satisfying about going "out" to the shop.

edit: Growing up, my dad had a detached shop that had a breezeway connector to the house... that was the best of both worlds.

 

[Falcon67]

Something to be said for both. If attached, I'd try to arrange for a "mud room/air lock" type space between the house and shop, to reduce noise and create a air space to reduce the change of fume transfer.

 

[Streetbu]

It's easier being attached in every way, but detached is my preference. No smells, noises etc to make it into the house. Ever paint something, or use gear oil then have that smell in your house? My wife loves me but wouldn't put up with those smells in the house....

 

[CNGsaves]

+1 for Detached with a breezeway.

 

[wrench409]

Definitely detached, yeah definitely.


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[Stuart in MN]

Are there any code differences in your area for an attached structure vs. a detached structure? In some cases, total square footage allowable on the lot is different for one or the other. There will also be some differences for electrical requirements, and plumbing if you add a sink or bathroom.

 

[rburke65]

Detached and a bigger yes to the 40' x 60'.

 

[metalhead140]

Having had a detached metal building at my previous place, and now having an attached brick of about the same size, I'm going to go against the grain and say I prefer the attached. I spend a lot more time out there, because it's easier/quicker/more comfortable to duck out. I'm more likely to duck out for 10 minutes of an evening and get something done (or just look at it!). Smell and mess has not been a problem, but we have a policy of not using the door that goes direct into the house (carpet in the entrance, was filthy when we moved in) and instead going via the laundry or verandah. I really like that my wife can pop in to give me a hand or opinion easily (and she spends as much time working in the garage as I do). Obviously it's not for everyone, but personally I think it's great, and when one day I can afford more space I would prefer to expand attached to the house than separate, but cost may be a large factor as to if that's possible or reasonable.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I vote for detached!

My house has a two car attached garage that I used as a shop for 12 years. I had to watch how much noise I made after people went to sleep, and had to worry about the smells from chemicals I was using going into the house. About 5 years ago I built a large detached shop about 60 feet behind the house. I can use any chemicals I want, and can make all the noise I want all night if I need to.

Definitely go detached.
Chris

 

[Chilliwack Murray]

Detached for all the reasons listed. Especially the fire and exhaust / smoke issues. It doesn't matter what kind of fumes I create in the shop it won't affect the house. At worst, I ensured there's no mice living in there.

 

[Pack Rat]

My workshop will absolutely be detached. I want a private space that's all my own.
Everything attached I've had to share, office, den, ect.
A few weeks ago I had to polish out rust stains on the cast iron top of my table saw.
My wife decided it was a good place to set her flower pots on .
They are now in the landfill. I stored them for her at the curb on trash day.

 

[lynnbilodeau]

Larry. I am in Edmond OK as well... until Dec 1 when we move to Guthrie (15 miles north for those not familiar with this area). I am guessing you are in Logan County based on your description.

I did not see anything in your initial post about an existing attached garage, but guessing you have one. If you already have an attached, and if it is large enough to accommodate drivers plus any "toys" that you want to keep clean, then go with a detached. If your existing attached garage is not large enough, then I would say expand it first, large enough for daily drivers and other "finished" cars or other toys.

Detached shop for serious work.

I HATE working on projects in an attached garage. That is why we are moving.

 

[venturesomerite]

I strongly prefer detached for several reasons:

- Fire reasons - Garage or house can catch on fire, won't necessarily make it's way to the other.
- noise - I tend to work late at night. Don't want to disturb the wife!
-Fumes - Occasionally work with some chemicals, hell even brake cleaner should be considered. I also have a 56 Ford with a Y block, and a 56 Ford with an FE, both of which are great choices to kill your whole family with fumes. I like that as far away from where I intend to sleep as possible.
-People tend to go in an attached garage more - Kids, wife etc. I want to keep people away from nice paint and dangerous tools.
- I tend to leave a mess when I am done, and pick up when I come back (especially with projects) Detached is easier to just shut the door, where as attached again tend to have more people going through them, so there's that to worry about.

 

[sublimate]

I just built a detached with a breezeway.
Seemed like the best compromise.

 

[Joe13]

I will second on the Detached. My old house had a 30x34 attached garage and the wife hated it. Noise, fumes, etc from working on cars would bother her. I did like that I could pop in and out without much trouble, but I didnt like that the dailies and the project shared space. If you do a lot of work on cars, welding grinding, paint, etc it is nice to have a attached garage for the clean stuff and a seperate building for the mess. We are currently building a new home and it has a attached 26x26 with plans for a detached 30x50 in the future.

 

[kbs2244]

Attached garages are for parking the DD.
Detached SHOPS are for dirty, smelly, long term projects.

 

[Kingcreek]

I've got a nice heated attached garage which doubles as occasional work space. Large double sink, floor drains, benches, good lighting, etc.
I cant do a damn thing in there without risking accusations of tracking dirt into the house.
One weekend I was gone out of town, my wife bought a $10 chair on an auction and a rattle can of some designer paint and caused me 2 weeks work of evenings rubbing the overspray off a nice little sport coupe.
I vote for detached

 

[PCO6]

If you're planning to sell in the future, buyers are generally more interested in houses with an attached garage. This is also true for new houses especially in cold and/or wet climates. Most buyers see a garage as place to park. That doesn't apply to this crowd of course.

 

[finn]

If you're planning to sell in the future, buyers are generally more interested in houses with an attached garage. This is also true for new houses especially in cold and/or wet climates. Most buyers see a garage as place to park. That doesn't apply to this crowd of course.

I would assert that there is a big difference between a garage and a shop here.

If it is only a standard 2 or 3 car garage, attach it.

Anything larger, or set up to be a shop, make a separate building.

 

[1320stang]

I do have a 2 car attached garage, 20x24 with a cubby at the back. The existing wood siding and OSB would come off and 2 layers of 5/8" Firerock would go back up. Currently we get no smell inside the house from anything I do. I don't tend to stain wood or paint cars. Carb cleaner is about all, the parts washer has low odor solvent in it. Wall between the house and garage is insulated as is the ceiling. All the new walls and roof would be insulated in the new part as well.

 

[1320stang]

Larry. I am in Edmond OK as well... until Dec 1 when we move to Guthrie (15 miles north for those not familiar with this area). I am guessing you are in Logan County based on your description.

I did not see anything in your initial post about an existing attached garage, but guessing you have one. If you already have an attached, and if it is large enough to accommodate drivers plus any "toys" that you want to keep clean, then go with a detached. If your existing attached garage is not large enough, then I would say expand it first, large enough for daily drivers and other "finished" cars or other toys.

Detached shop for serious work.

I HATE working on projects in an attached garage. That is why we are moving.

I should have you swing by to lay eyes on it sometime. I am in Logan County, but Edmond Schools.

 

[PCO6]

I would assert that there is a big difference between a garage and a shop here.

If it is only a standard 2 or 3 car garage, attach it.

Anything larger, or set up to be a shop, make a separate building.

No disagreement here. Just saying that's what has been the case for smaller garages for years. As a land developer I tried to interest our home builders in detached garages for decades. Very few were built. In a rural setting I would definitely go with detached ... and big.

 

[NUTTSGT]

My garage is detached and I like it that way. If there was a reason to build another, I wouldn't try to fix what's not broken.

 

[metalhead140]

I was welding and grinding in my attached garage last night, no issues with smells in the house. I've done lots of painting in there too. Just saying... If we had kids, or my wife wasn't just as active in the garage as I am, then I can see that my opinion might be different though.

 

[chadman]

I have one of each and both have their merits. It really depends on what you plan to do in it as to which is best for you. My attached is 24x40 3 bay and serves as parking for the wife and I's daily drivers as well as a service bay with a lift for general auto maintenance, oil changes, brakes etc. This shop stays pretty clean, has nicely painted sheet rocked walls, flat screen TV etc. It is also where I keep the majority of my hand tools. I like it being attached as it is convenient to just go to from the house in my slippers if I need a screwdriver or something to remove a switch plate in the house. It's also nice not to need to walk out into the cold to get into your car in the winter. This is also where I drink beer with the guys.

My other shop is a 32x48 that I recently split into two 24X32 sides. One side is cold storage the other is the fab shop. This is where I do dirtier work. Grinding, welding, painting, wood working etc. Basically everything that makes a mess. I wouldn't really want this type of work attached to the house. This shop also doesn't have the level of fit and finish of the attached shop. Just plain unpainted OSB walls, no TV etc.