Design help requested

[Matti]

I'm designing a 24 deep x 26 wide stick built garage that must accommodate a 4 post lift. It is sideways on the back of my lot. The challenge is that I would like to keep an 8 foot wall height on the north (house) side for aesthetics reasons. The south side can be higher where the lift will be. I may have to go to 9 foot walls. I figure I need the roof to be 11' high at 4 feet in from the wall. This would require a 6/12 pitch with 9 foot walls or a 9/12 with 8 foot walls assuming a purely vaulted ceilings. Scissor trusses won't do it for me unless I go to 10 foot walls. Here are my options as I see it now:
a) go with a fully vaulted ceiling - might be big $$$
b) go with std trusses and vault the center 8 feet only (not sure how this is done)
c) go with std trusses and box in a section where the lift is (not sure how this is done)
c) go with uneven wall heights ie 10 foot wall on the south side.

Any suggestions on options guys?
Thanks,Matt

 

[kbs2244]

Go with the uneven walls and a custom built sissors truss.
It will not be the same on both sides. A short and steep half and a long shallow half.
You will want to keep at least a 4/12 pitch on the back, unseen side, but you can have a steeper ptich on the front side that will get you your height quicker in the front of the building.

 

[InPrimer]

If I'm reading you right you think now need a 9' wall height for a 4 post lift? I have a 10' high garage, I just went out to measure the height of my convert. It stands about 60" at floor level to the top of the convert top assume the lift is about 12" higher from the floor to the bottom of the tire add that to the 60" and about 6' are already used up, in other words you have less than 36 " to work under your car, I may be wrong. I can kick my **** for not having a 12' height... too late for me, hope this helps.

 

[toadjammer]

The ramps/channels are about 4" thick and allow for about 2" clearance to the roof would give 120"-66"=54" with 10' walls. But yes if was to build a shop with any knid of lift in mind I would go for 12' minimum.
Toad

 

[Matti]

If I'm reading you right you think now need a 9' wall height for a 4 post lift? I have a 10' high garage, I just went out to measure the height of my convert. It stands about 60" at floor level to the top of the convert top assume the lift is about 12" higher from the floor to the bottom of the tire add that to the 60" and about 6' are already used up, in other words you have less than 36 " to work under your car, I may be wrong. I can kick my **** for not having a 12' height... too late for me, hope this helps.

No the ceiling needs to rise to 11' at 4' out from the wall. 12 foot ceilings are nice if you live on an acreage or a farm. I would have to have a flat roof to have a 12 foot ceiling w/city bylaws. According to the lift mfgs, I should be fine with 11' and this will allow me to go to the max. height position which allows room to work under the car.

 

[toadjammer]

It all depends on how tall the vehicle is you put on the lift and how high you have to have the lift to work on said vehicle comfortably. if 60" is a comfortable working height and the ramps are 4" you only have room for a vehicle that is 68" and that is without any clearance with 11' cielings. also make sure to position said lift far enough away from the garage door to allow for the door if this applies.

 

[Matti]

No trucks or SUVs so max vehicle height= 57" +70" lift max height = 10'7" max height which leaves 5" of clearance.

 

[jamm]

What if you bump out the bay with the lift to 26' deep with a gable running 90 degrees to the main roof? Then you might be able to use scissor trusses. Be sure to account for any overhead room that a garage door may eat up when opened.

 

[brownbagg]

dig down so outside looks eight feet, inside it be ten

 

[Matti]

You guys are definitely thinking "outside of the box"
Anybody done a dual pitch roof ie 7/12 on one side and 5/12 on the other? Any pics? Also, a totally vaulted roof might be an option. I'm just unsure of how much extra that might cost.

 

[GuerrillaCycles]

Can you do a Gambrel roof? Then you will have more than enough ceiling height, and can stay to a standard wall height.

I used your dimensions, and it looks something like this...

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12009583@N06/2049379294/" title="gambrel1 by npulliam, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2058/2049379294_9d0d4b3913.jpg" width="500" height="342" alt="gambrel1" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12009583@N06/2048593939/" title="gambrel2 by npulliam, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2296/2048593939_566d0bee17.jpg" width="500" height="342" alt="gambrel2" /></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/12009583@N06/2048594099/" title="gambrel3 by npulliam, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2159/2048594099_079d9e029b.jpg" width="500" height="342" alt="gambrel3" /></a>

 

[Matti]

Thanks GuerrillaCycles. What program did you use to do that?
That is the basic layout I am looking at except with the roof in the conventional orientation. Pretty straight forward. I could also use a scissor truss but the wife doesn't want to look at the gable end of the garage which would face our kitchen window.

 

[GuerrillaCycles]

I use Home Designer Pro 7.08. It's made by ChiefArchitect. I will see if I can draw something up using the pitches you mentioned and the conventional roof lines.

It will take a little longer as I'm on the road for the holiday, and have my slooooow laptop with me instead of the workstation. But I'll post it here when I have something.

 

[kbs2244]

Matti
Your double pitch idea is what I first suggested. You may have to play with what the pitch is, but a 10 foot back wall and a custom sissors truss to give you virtical clearence towards the front, you should be OK.

 

[Matti]

I met with the truss co. today and they suggested keeping the wall height the same on both sides to keep the framing cost down. They can build a truss that is a parallel chord (vaulted) on one side and conventional on the other side. From the outside of the garage it looks like a std 6/12 pitch gable roof except that one side has approx. 2 foot deep/thick roof due to the parallel chord truss.

Once you get away from the std 4/12 run-of-the-mill garage package truss the price doubles and goes up from there. Overall, if I understood him correctly, I am only adding $1200 to the overall truss cost with his design and installation/construction labor is unaffected.

 

[kbs2244]

Go for it.
He is the guy with the experience.