Garage layout opinion

[dlc]

I'm hoping to finally start on my new garage next week. I originally planned on doing a 30x40 but I've had a hard time saving enough to go that big so I've downsized to a 24x30. My main question before starting concerns layout. Would there be any advantage to having the garage doors (two 9 ft. doors) on the 24' side or the 30' side. I'm laying 3 runs of block and will have 12' walls on top of that for a ceiling in the neighborhood of 14' high to accomodate a lift. I'm thinking that it would be better to have the garage doors on the 24' side so that I have additional depth when pulling in cars and can put a workbench and my toolboxes along the back wall. Suggestions and comments are welcomed and appreciated.

 

[czeto]

Go deep. That would give you about 12 feet in front of the cars which is useful space. Going wide would give you about 6 feet of space which is "almost" useful.

 

[Carl B]

Agreed - 24'x32 or 24'x34 would be even better. A couple sections of Package Racking 8 ft long by 4' deep would give you a huge amount of storage space. For little additional cost in floor space.

FWIW,
Carl B.

 

[Beaumont67]

I wrote & posted this the other night, and it may help you some to, so I cut&pasted it for you:
- I couldn't get a permit to go 26x32, or that would be the final size instead of 24x30'

If you go wide and go 26x30, you can still get in a lift and have work benches, front & one side...have a look / see what you think...the parts loft, was "small-money", well spent.
the 650 sq foot challenge http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99894
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Mine is 24x30 (720 sq.ft.) - 1.5 story / 9'high ceiling in main & -6' head room at roof peak:
- 24 deep is ideal for full size pickup or boat & trailer / doing vehicle body work, etc.
- garage doors are 8'high x 10'wide each / like the size
- all oversize garage doors are favored to one side, and it works very well
(other side for equipment, work bench, redi-rack, gas furnace, etc.)
- man door starts 4ft. past the front left corner
(first 4ft. has a vertical sheet of plywood to mount the 100amp Hydro panel)

14" deep WOOD-EYE STRUCTURAL BEAMS on top of the framed 2x6" wall studs / to accept "open area" stick framing on roof (no need for trusses) - T&G plywood upper floor = 700 sq.ft. parts loft.

I build it with one experienced carpenter, in 1991 - booked holidays and worked along side him... to save a wade of cash.

I toyed with the idea of going 30' deep or 30' wide, and wisely chose the later.
- last year I added a 14x21' sun room, plus a cedar deck (about 1/2 the size of the room / due to the house additions, I'm glad my garage is wide and not deep now...fits property better
- I also keep the back of the garage 7ft. off the rear property line (4' minimum is code) / have a slight drop off and makes it easier to cut the grass, with a little extra room



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Beaumont { :>)) www.petperfectexpress.com
1965 Malibu S/S, 1966 Beaumont Custom original paint, 1967 Beaumont Custom, 1967 Beaumont Custom original paint, 1967 Beaumont 396-350HP Sport Deluxe M21-411's - SOLD 1970 Judge

 

[Daniel Dudley]

With a door on the 24' side, you can run a second door through the 30' side in the back, and get a car, boat or lawn tractor in that way. I planned mine to be 30 wide and 26 deep, but I wound up building a 20' x 26' first, and adding a bay on one side. I could however get three cars into a 20 x 26.

I already knew I was adding on before I ever picked up a hammer. I just did the construction in phases to keep the costs down during the first build phase. I built mine with the gable end of the roof facing the 20' side, and added a shed dormer on the side.

Later I added another shed dormer on the other side. Initially I kept the shed dormers open pole barns, but again I closed them is as time and money would allow.

Plan for what you think you might want later, even if you cannot afford it now. I even framed in the openings in the wall for the extra bay on one side, and famed in for an extra garage door to the back. You will want a tall ceiling as well. That is one thing you cannot add later. If you put in a low ceiling, you will wish you hadn't later. At least that was my experience.

 

[NUTTSGT]

When I rebuilt the garage on the house, I built a 24x32, but I spaced the doors out to allow plenty of room for parking. I use my garage (detached) for working in. If properly set up, either way will give you room to work in.

If you have the cash outlay for the smaller garage, but are tired of saving to build the bigger garage, I suggest you hold your build.
If you don't want to hold off, I'd suggest borrowing the extra from a bank to build the garage you want. The small amount of interest you pay will be worth it in the years to come. It will definetely easier to build now than to add on later. Have you actually figured the cost difference between the 24x30 (24x32) ?
Another suggestion would be to use a HD card and get 6 months same as cash, no different than a 6 month personal note, as long as you pay it back before the 6 months. I'm not sure what Lowe's or Menard's have in this type of option. Many time I have done home projects, get what I need and pay it off before the 6 months, "using their money and not mine".


Something else to consider, a 24' depth is somewhat tight for a full size pick up, if you have one. If I built a new garage and wanted to work in it, it would atleast be 28' deep and that would be the short side.

 

[dlc]

Have you actually figured the cost difference between the 24x30 (24x32) ?

You know, going to 32' on the length instead of 30' probably wouldn't be that much more and the extra 2 feet would come in handy. I will seriously consider that. A lot of the building materials such as plywood are 4'x8' anyway and they would be wasting the 2' left over anyway. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[NUTTSGT]

You know, going to 32' on the length instead of 30' probably wouldn't be that much more and the extra 2 feet would come in handy. I will seriously consider that. A lot of the building materials such as plywood are 4'x8' anyway and they would be wasting the 2' left over anyway. Thanks for the suggestion.

LOL. I actually meant and forgot to type the rest of the sentence. I meant to say the difference between the 24x30 (or more commonly 24x32) vs. the 30x40.


The 24x32 is more common for the stick built while the 30x40 is generally a pole bldg dimension. Either way, I suggest try to figure both ways. Simply buckling down and biting the bullet for 6 months or 1-2 years, may very well pay off in the 10-15 long haul.