High ceiling - How to do & Intro

[mvanbens]

Found this site Yesteday and have already spent several hours lurking. My name is Matt and I'm from SE MI. I have raced for many years in SCCA club and have been do a fair amount of motorcycle and car restoration work as hobby. Currently I have a detached, roughly square, 870 ft^2 garage. It has the usual epoxy floor, insulated & drywalled, lots of cabinets, compressor in attic, forced-air heat, cable TV & phone, 60 amp seperate service. This is what I coming from and this is where I'm heading...

My wife and are have just put an offer in on a home with a standard 20 x 20 attached two car. The offer we put in is contingent on getting planning permission to bring the outside garage wall out to 26' and add another 20' to the front to finish with a 26' x 40' work space. This is an attached garage and will have a new master suite added above the existing garage. I want the front garage to be a single level with with some type of low pitch cathedral ceiling so that I can install a two post lift without obstructing the gable-end of the new master suite.

What are my options for doing this? My reasons for keeping the front, new, garage to a single level is to keep the garage from overpowering the house and to allow good sized windows in the gable end of the new master bedroom above to existing garage. Anyone have something similar to this? Suggestions would be appreciated.

I have attached two pictures that may help illustrate what I'm trying to do.

Thanks.

-Matt

 

[bmwpower]

How much height inside the garage would you have if the ceiling was flat? What's the roof pitch?

 

[mvanbens]

The existing roof is a 7:12 pitch. I was planning on having the master suite maintain that same pitch but use scissor trusses to give a nice high ceiling in there. The new garage section I was thinking about a pitch of more like 5:12 or 4:12. The existing garage ceiling height is ~ 9'. I have attached a picture of the front of the house. Thanks.

I also included a few pictures of my current garage. I did not clean for this picture so figive the working mess.

Where are you from in NJ? I grew-up and still have family in Northern NJ. I grew-up in Little Falls / Passaic County.

-Matt

 

[kbs2244]

I don't think you are going to avoid having the garage "overpower" the house with the garage door that much in front of the house front door.
From the street all you are going to see is garage door.
Also, I would guess there is a "set back" line from the street that you cannot build in front of. Have you checked that out? It may be a reason for pirmit rejection.

 

[JMURiz]

I say go for it, as long as you get a nice looking garage door it won't be too much of an issue. Sure the garage will be most of what you see on the house, but as long as it's housing that 911 it's all good

 

[mvanbens]

I must have muddied the waters with my original note.

I'm good with site plan approval and the like.

What I'm looking for are examples of garages that have high interior ceiling heights without massive exteriors. Something like a post and beam style construction or special trusses or dormers to provide enough height to lift a vehicle.

Thank you.

-Matt

 

[bmwpower]

Steve D (ultgar)

 

[benaj]

I might have some experience that you are looking for. We are currently under construction adding on to our existing 80 year old 21x24 garage with an addition that will accept a lift. The addition will have an exterior 15'3" roof peak but with an interior height of 11' to allow the lift. Here is a picture after the rough construction of the exterior was completed to show you how the new peak is shorter than the existing garage's peak:

and two others to show you the truss work on the inside to allow the maximization of the interior height:

 

[JMURiz]

benaj:
Excellent looking interior, that's the same style truss work I did on mine to give me tall ceiling access for a future lift.

 

[mvanbens]

That is just what I was looking for. Has anyone done a two car with this type of truss system?

Thanks.

-Matt

 

[bmwpower]

Aren't you going to need at least 12 foot for a 2 post lift? The lift posts are also 12 foot apart....looks too close to call.

 

[chicane]

Aren't you going to need at least 12 foot for a 2 post lift? The lift posts are also 12 foot apart....looks too close to call.

No. I have seen numerous two posters that are only around 10'+. Not to mention 4 posters. I believe this one is around 10' 4":

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=46299

 

[JMURiz]

That is just what I was looking for. Has anyone done a two car with this type of truss system?
Thanks.
-Matt

Like this:
It's a simple stick built rafter with a large ridge beam in the middle. Also as you can see I built a storage loft over the area where the garage door will roll up, no use wasting that space).

 

[mvanbens]

Thats is it. Please send more pictures. What height do you have at say roughly 2 feet off either side wall? Thanks.

-Matt

 

[JMURiz]

I'll have to measure it, but my door is 8' and the loft is 10" thick....so I'd say 11' or so 2' from the wall...about 15' to the collar ties in the center.

 

[mdshore348]

like this ?

 

[ersatzs2]

What I'm looking for are examples of garages that have high interior ceiling heights without massive exteriors. Something like a post and beam style construction or special trusses or dormers to provide enough height to lift a vehicle.

-Matt

Ours uses a giant ridge beam strong enough to support the rafters without trusses. Not sure if this is a potential solution for your application but it makes for the absolute maximum clearance possible.

 

[mvanbens]

Now were talking! Do you guys have any exterior pictures to share. I think the "giant ridge beam" may be the way to go for my project. Thanks.

-Matt

 

[ersatzs2]

Now were talking! Do you guys have any exterior pictures to share. I think the "giant ridge beam" may be the way to go for my project. Thanks.

-Matt

For lots of photos, follow sig link to the gallery thread. However here are some of ridge installation and some older exterior shots

 

[JMURiz]

And here's mine:

My ridge beam is no where near as large as ersatzs2's, but my garage is only 22x24.

 

[mvanbens]

Nathan,
What you are showing is much more in line with what I'm looking at doing for my front garage. It will be roughy 26' wide by 20' deep. Do you have a lift in your garage. Do you have some pictures of the inside? What pitch is that roof? Thanks.

-Matt

 

[JMURiz]

Nathan,
What you are showing is much more in line with what I'm looking at doing for my front garage. It will be roughy 26' wide by 20' deep. Do you have a lift in your garage. Do you have some pictures of the inside? What pitch is that roof? Thanks.

-Matt

Mine is a 7/12 pitch roof and I don't have a lift...yet. I need to finish up the garage first, then save up for the lift. I just built with the future in mind. With 26' wide that pitch will give some nice height.