Building garage - NEED ADVICE!

[vjarv]

I've got an 8.5' x 16' trailer. Gotta be careful with a 9 ft door.

For "residential" garages I always go with an 8' door height. Modern trucks "barely" fit in a 7' high door. My '81 Toyota wouldn't go in a 7' high garage entry after a lift and 35" tires.

For "shop" doors, 10' wide minimum. If you've got the height, with a 14' high door, if it goes down the road, it goes in the shop...

Roll up doors ****. Biggest mistake I made on the shop.


IMHO, spray foam is the best insulation you can buy. Around here, it's a swing of about 300% over traditional bat insulation. My home has a standard vapor barrier on the outside and spray foam inside the walls. Your attic becomes heated/cooled space with spray foam, big advantage if your air handler is in the attic.

My shop (steel) has no vapor barrier, straight spray foam to walls and roof. Mini-splits for heat/cooling.

Closed cell is much more dense, more expensive. You use it where you have limited space. Otherwise use open cell.

There are great "hybrid" insulation solutions, IE, 1" of closed cell to seal the envelope and then combination of traditional insulation.

Great info….thanks!

 

[vjarv]

Also add in the plan where the roof slopes down, will snow drop down in front of the doors for when it sheds off the roof.
Mine does, but I'm Ok with that because the first piece of equipment out is the UTV snow blower.

Yes, our garage door is located on the gable end.
Thanks for the input!

 

[vjarv]

If you're able to change things like overhead door widths at this point, I'll venture a guess that we're building directly on a slab (no stem wall)?

Agreed that it's nuts to have already poured the slab (and hopefully some sort of foundation or frost protection) without a complete building plan. Are permits not required in

Not to pile on - but this is absolutely nuts to start a project of this magnitude without a complete plan, budget and a couple of bids. You need to put the breaks on this right now, spend the winter coming up with these things and then restart next year. As others have mentioned, this is likely to be at least $100/ sq ft, so $160K, and it is not going to go well without a plan.

Nuts we are! thanks for your advice

 

[larry_g]

You have to be careful of sensuous parts of the projects. Well since you are going to .... what ever it is might as well do this also. My sister is building a garage of similar proportions and what was a $165k building has turned into near $280k project with driveway work, electrical work, new retaining walls and on and on. I would suggest that If you have a real builder that you get real drawings and materials costs up front, like right now. Then decide if you have the money to accomplish what you want.

 

[vjarv]

As for lighting, go to the electrical section of the forum and look at the sticky notes at the top of the page about 'the best light fixture ever' and 'light fixture layouts', there's a lot of good advice in there. 4' LED strip fixtures are probably the best choice, these days they're widely available at the big box stores or online, and are pretty inexpensive. There are various light fixture layouts in the other thread, chances are there's one that will be pretty similar to your garage. Otherwise there are a number of calculators online where you can plug in the dimensions of the room, the amount of light you want in foot-candles, and they'll pop out a suggested layout.

Thanks much!

 

[vjarv]

No attic, correct?

Based on what you've shared and it seeming you are hiring most work done vs diy, could be over $100/sq ft. Better to plan and scale back now rather than later.

Correct, we decided against the room in attic.
Thank you for your response. We talked to the builder about specifics and will be getting a figure shortly.
We did feel ahead of time that we were going to build this garage, regardless of price….or I should say my boyfriend did. I just wasn’t aware until now that some research and discussions weren’t happening along the way prior to this point. Live and learn.
Thanks to all for your helpful and kind advice.

 

[billconner]

Well you are fortunate that it doesn't matter what it is costs, that you're able "to build this garage, regardless of price". That will make it much easier.

 

[Fixr]

We actually did have a drain put in.

I hope the slab is insulated.

 

[vjarv]

Well you are fortunate that it doesn't matter what it is costs, that you're able "to build this garage, regardless of price". That will make it much easier.

I would like to build it for a reasonable cost, of course.

I hope the slab is insulated.

Yes it sure is

 

[no704]

For outlets, have them over 4’ high so you can have sheet goods leaning on the wall and still access them. Outlets every 6-8feet. Run 2 circuits per wall and have every other outlet on the different circuits.

 

[vjarv]

For outlets, have them over 4’ high so you can have sheet goods leaning on the wall and still access them. Outlets every 6-8feet. Run 2 circuits per wall and have every other outlet on the different circuits.

Thanks much….great advice!