Colorado garage and shop build

[craft]

Hello, all. Like many others I've been watching this forum for a while, just waiting for my turn. Well, it's finally coming. Things are moving in the right direction for planning, and I hope to have this thing built before the year's end.
Attached is a first look at what I'm planning.





I'm glad to finally be part of the club! Let me know what you think, or if I've missed anything, or, heck, anything based on your experience that I should know!

One thing I'm undecided on is how I'm going to accomplish the vertical siding seen in the elevation drawings... For now I'm planning on doing 8" horizontal lap for the whole thing, but I'm curious to hear recommendations on how to achieve the vertical look in the drawings. Let me know, thanks!

I've got my permit application all prepped, so dropping that off is my next task... after that it's down to scheduling the excavation and foundation. I'll keep this thread updated.

 

[Kevin54]

Craft......Welcome to Garage Journal. Looking forward to seeing your build as I imagine others are waiting to see it also. Make sure you post up a lot of pics as if you don't already know.....WE LIKE PICS!!!!!

It's hard to tell what the size of the garage is going to be as the pics won't enlarge anymore. And older eyes just won't let me see the fine print anymore. Can you enlarge them so we can see what is going on?

And again, WELCOME

 

[homebuilt burner]

This is only my opinion, but using vertical siding on the taller part only makes it look taller. I assume you are building that end tall to make room for a tall truck or RV or a lift, so I understand the height. Just my $.02 worth. Maybe break it up with a different horizontal detail on the bottom few feet.

Looks like a nice sized garage.

 

[BRUISER]

where are you in Colorado?

my buddy built one like that in denver

 

[craft]

I looked up how to do it, here you go:

 

[craft]

where are you in Colorado?

Up North, in Fort Collins

Does this buddy have a thread on GJ?

 

[craft]

I applied for a permit for the first time, and was sent away with a few missing items. I'll have to try again this week. Turns out I need to provide a "truss layout", and a note from my engineer stating that the structure can withstand a 104 MPH wind. Overall I think I'm glad I'm as close as I came, and hope that one more trip is all that's needed.

Getting closer, it's site prep time!

Here's the not-so-blank canvas I have to work with:

And the fence I removed this weekend, which was a real hassle. They sure put those posts and cement deeper than seems necessary, but I dug 'em all out anyway (with some help). Maybe could have cut them, but didn't want to deal with the stubs left in the ground.

Now that the main obstacle is out (fence) I think I'll let the excavator deal with the rest of what was our garden.

For those with wives that are wondering how I pulled the impossible, to build over the main garden: It involved me building some raised beds in another part of the yard, so everybody wins!

 

[lakeroadster]

Up North, in Fort Collins?

Defend The Fort!

Looking forward to your build. The 104 mph wind calc's make for some super strong buildings.

You dealing with the city, the county, or both?

 

[craft]

I'm just outside the city limits, so I luckily only have to deal with the county. Which is why I had to get confirmation of the 104... I guess the city is just 100, and the engineer assumed I was in the city. Oh well, it all got resolved quickly and easily

 

[Jo Diesel]

You are not going to like your 22' deep bay. If you park a truck in there you will have no room in front of it for anything. Needs to be 26' for and 4 door short box and a work bench and that leaves you 12" of walk space

 

[craft]

You are not going to like your 22' deep bay. If you park a truck in there you will have no room in front of it for anything...

Thanks, Jo. I definitely thought about this for a while, but finally decided on this size for several reasons. (1) I plan to park small sports cars in those two 22' bays. (2) I don't want to eat too much of the yard. (3) I'm on a budget. (4) I also have an attached 2 car garage, which is where I could park any longer vehicles.

When I first started designing the garage it was bigger than 22', but the wife, and a general feeling of greediness, kept me in check. After all, I'll have 5+ garage bays to keep me satisfied.

 

[Kevin54]

Ditto on what Jo is saying. I have one bay that is 24' deep, and it is about too tight. When I had my truck in there it was tight. O have an '02 Dodge Ram 4 door. My previos truck was an '89 Silverado extended cab with a full bed. That truck ate up the whole bay length. I couldn't imagine being 2' shorter.

And remember.......22' deep is your outside dimensions. Take an 8" wide block x 2 and you are removing 16" from that 22'. That only leave 20' 8" inside, then subtract door hardware and drywall from one side, and maxed out you are at 20 1/2' inside, wall to wall. Not very much space when it is put that way. Going out another 2' to get your 20 1/2' wouldn't add that much to your final bill. Maybe $200 tops.

 

[Riley]

Yep, what Kevin said. Are you going to live there for ever?

At re-sale I'd be wondering what short sighted guy put this together.

Especially since its an easy fix now, later not so much....

Also, on review it looks like a 15ft setback and you added an additional 5 ft?

Seems to me that the set back limits are there for a reason, unless you really need 20, I'd just use some of that for the extra couple of feet on the short bays...

As always, its easy to spend your money on your project for you...

Looks great otherwise and it will be fun watching ti come together.

Ok, ok one more thing that might be nice down the road, the 9 ft wide door on the high side, for a trailer or big vehicle 10 wide might be easier to get through.....

 

[craft]

I do plan to live there forever, but I hear what you guys are saying. A little extra now goes a long way later, certainly. Too bad I didn't post sooner, I maybe could have used this feedback and taken some action. I'm afraid it's a bit too late now, with all my planning done, material and labor orders in place... I'm just not willing to rock the boat this late in the game. Again, thanks for the feedback.

I'm not sure why the drawing states it as 15' plus another 5', but I'm certain there is a required 20' setback on that side.

Having said all that, I'm not going to dwell on this. I've seen many garages smaller than what I'm planning, and I'm truly grateful to be able to have what I can have, and will try to look at it that way.

 

[BajaScout]

Up North, in Fort Collins

Does this buddy have a thread on GJ?

I grew up in Berthoud. Class of 79. Joined the Navy in Fort Collins.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

 

[lakeroadster]

In regard to outbuilding sizes and property changes in general, sometimes less is more to a prospective buyer. You can "over improve" a property to the point that you'll never get the money you invested back out of it.

So I guess the moral of the story is do what's right for you now, but think long term also.

Kind of a sign of the times... a 26' deep garage may be needed for the guy who has a daily driver OEM full size 4 door long bed pickup truck (that probably has an engine that used to only be used in 18 wheelers)..... unless your daily driver happens to be a Smart Car, in which case a Home Depot box shed will work just fine.

_____
John

 

[Jo Diesel]

My QCLB Dodge does not fit in my 26x26 garage on my house. It goes in the shop. And 9' wide door clears my mirrors by 2" on each side. Does not clear when they are out for the camper. Wiped one out when I was pissed off and in a hurry. $250 screw up

 

[Kevin54]

I do plan to live there forever, but I hear what you guys are saying. A little extra now goes a long way later, certainly. Too bad I didn't post sooner, I maybe could have used this feedback and taken some action. I'm afraid it's a bit too late now, with all my planning done, material and labor orders in place... I'm just not willing to rock the boat this late in the game. Again, thanks for the feedback.

I'm not sure why the drawing states it as 15' plus another 5', but I'm certain there is a required 20' setback on that side.

Having said all that, I'm not going to dwell on this. I've seen many garages smaller than what I'm planning, and I'm truly grateful to be able to have what I can have, and will try to look at it that way.

Craft.....sometimes it's better to rock the boat than to try and change things later. Every change after something is already nailed is expensive. It's only a few bucks up front.

Now your doors and what Jo Diesel said......a 9' door is tight. I have an '02 Dodge Ram and it only clears the stock mirrors by a few inches. I had a car trailer that was loaded with lumber and I didn't want to unload it that evening. So I figured I would pull it in the garage. I had literally one inch on each side to get it in. I have 10' wide doors on my addition, and I don't have to worry about pulling the truck in or out without hitting a mirror. So you may want to change your door width.

And it's understandable that you are never going to sell and you will work on smaller cars, but things change over time, and cars change over time. Will you ALWAYS own small cars? Just something to think about. A few more bucks for a footer, a few bucks for extra blocks, and a few bucks more for a few feet of lumber, and you can gain 2' of space. The 2' of yard won't even be missed.

But I understand that it is your design, and everyone always has other ideas. Whatever you do, enjoy the hell out of it, and post up the pics

 

[BRUISER]

Up North, in Fort Collins

Does this buddy have a thread on GJ?

sorry, no thread in GJ

 

[jesse72]

The plans look like its gonna be a nice shop! Look forward to seeing how it comes along

 

[craft]

While bleeding my brakes the other night I made a very important realization... this might be the last time I need to do this in my cramped space! Now I'm really getting excited

 

[lakeroadster]

While bleeding my brakes the other night I made a very important realization... this might be the last time I need to do this in my cramped space! .....

It takes a lot of focus and self control. The amount of "stuff" one owns is proportionate to the amount of space one has.

Unless you're like my neighbor, who just throws all his stuff (landfill worthy) around the "outside" of his shop

_____
John

 

[Riley]

Hey Craft! How goes the project?

Looking forward to updates as you progress.

PS - Didn't mean to be a "debbie downer" in my earlier post. I thought you were asking for suggestions rather than telling us what was already set.

 

[craft]

Things are moving, but slowly. I've got the permit in hand, and I'm trying to schedule the excavation and foundation work. If only people would return my calls and emails...

I'll be sure to post lots of pics once things start.

 

[craft]

Finally making some progress again, here are the pics:

Here's the fence I removed to expose the drive

Here's the first pass at excavation

The Big Dig, now I'm getting excited

Ready to pour footings

I passed inspection required for this phase, but I was told that because I'm not 5 feet or more from the assumed property line plus the required setback that I need a survey. This *****... I'm 23 feet from the original fence, with a 20' setback requirement. Plus, I just found out that Colorado requires some sort of state filing for surveys on older neighborhoods, so I'm looking at $360 to the state, plus $125/hr for the survey. I think I'll feel lucky if I get away with two hours. Life lesson: Expect the unexpected.

I've decided to go ahead and have them pour, as I'm pretty confident I'm behind the 20' setback requirement.

That's all I have for now, more to come in the next days hopefully, as long as weather cooperates

 

[Riley]

A perfect time to open those forms up a couple of feet.....

Kidding of course; (kind of).

Looks like a great start.

Good luck dealing with the bureaucrats.

 

[Rockston]

Looks like a fun project, Craft.

If it turns out to be too tight, you can always get into miatas instead of the vette! there are some guys shoe horning ls3 blocks into those things and building some fierce little monsters

Pouring right to dirt or the footers going to be bagged? More rebar going into those footers still I assume?

 

[lakeroadster]

Curious.. What's the required depth of the footer?

In the photo's the depth seems way to shallow for Colorado... where the frost line is about 3 to 4 feet, depending on altitude.

 

[Rockston]

That's a good observation john, agreed.
Footer should be minimum 3' below finished grade in colorado, possibly deeper in norther colorado and with the increased soil moisture and minerals such as bentonite in parts of fort collins it is that much more critical for the design to be right. Follow best practices unless you have had a soil sample analyzed with structural engineering report. Frost heave will snap that footer and compromise your wall and floor in short order.... Especially without close to 4 times as much rebar as is currently shown in that image... If I had to guess it looks like a single stick of #5 without any corner laps tied in yet.

The walls going to be built up a couple feet and tied in with vertical bars I assume and poured to a framing raised ground level (positive drainage around full perimeter)?