How small is too small

[hh76]

I've got a new garage in my future and I'm trying to figure out how to set it up. The wife and I will be moving back to Wisconsin within a year and have just purchased the house we'll be moving into. The house sits on a large city lot that includes an old garage/shop that has a lot of potential, but I figure I need to take the time before moving to design the layout.

The garage consists of a 31x40ft section and a long skinny section that was added on. What I'd like to do in the near term(5-10yrs) is use the skinny section as my main workshop because it will be that much easier to heat, and the floor is in a lot better shape. What I'm worried about though, is that I'll get frustrated with how narrow the space is, and have to redesign again. In the long term I'd love to refurbish the entire thing, but for now I feel I should pick one section to concentrate on.

How narrow is too narrow for a garage? I Mostly work on motorcycles, and I know it's big enough for that, but one of these years I need to get around to fixing up my 62 Econoline.

I realize that there are plenty of stories of people getting a lot done with virtually no space, but what would be comfortable? I'll post pics and dimensions once I get a couple of answers.

 

[Falcon67]

I was going to expand my existing shop before we got this new house thing going on. The additional room was going to be 23' x 7' wide. A little tight, but workable. Space is space. My dad did all his electronic/ham radio work on a 4' x 2' desk in a bedroom before we had a real garage.

 

[GreyOwl]

So..... What is the size of the long skinny section? Need that to be of more help. Mine is 20X28 and is always too small.
Charles

 

[hh76]

So..... What is the size of the long skinny section? Need that to be of more help. Mine is 20X28 and is always too small.
Charles

I'll post the dimensions once I get a couple answers. I know if I post them now I'll get a lot of answers saying that it should be big enough. What I'm looking for is what would be too narrow for working on a car comfortably.

 

[Red Green]

If you keep stuff picked up and don't have junk in the way about 4-5ft on each side of the car can be workable. Then again it depends on how big you are also.

 

[GreyOwl]

OK, 6-7' for a vehicle with doors closed, 2-1/2' each side for SMALL workbench or storage, 2' for walking room. That's already 13-1/2 to 14-1/2 before the door(s) are open. I think I would want a minimum of 20 -22' for a width.
Charles

 

[Falcon67]

Oh - car width? Depends on the car. For example, the 70 Mustang here is just a hair over 6' wide and right at 16' long. The doors are a good 1/3 of the car length. So to work "decently" on that car, I'd say 12' minimum, 14' much better. 16' if there are benches/machines on one wall.

 

[larry_g]

I figure 12' is a good usable width. It is not luxurous but workable. If your long and narrow then you should not have to store stuff along teh sidewall in the work area, keep it at the end and your working. Most of the time you do not have to be working inside of the rig with both doors open.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[metal1313]

im planning a garage on my parents property but becuase of zoning and set backs, and my dad not wanting to give up his garden the size is limited. im shooting for 16ft wide, with a single 8-10ft wide door in the center. that gives me room on the sides for benches and stuff, and with 28ft depth more room at the back wall. i should still be able to fit my f150 in, but only to work on it.

12ft is about as small as i would go, you can put stuff at the front of the car to work in a 12 wide space but 14-16 is better

 

[milkovich]

12ft is about as small as i would go, you can put stuff at the front of the car to work in a 12 wide space but 14-16 is better

I'd agree. 12' and put the car on casters and it can be workable if you keep things tidy.

This was my first garage and was fine for 2 motorcycles and an engine swap in a fwd four cylinder car:

How can you truly appreciate a big garage if you haven't done work in a little one?

 

[hh76]

Thanks, I think I should be good enough then.

The space is 14ft wide by 51ft long with a little 6ft bump out in the "L" section. The big space is 31x40.

I figure I'll use the narrow section as my shop, with all the benches in the "L" end and the van parked just inside the door. The tough part will be pulling the motor on the van, which will come out of the side doors.

 

[hh76]

I'd agree. 12' and put the car on casters and it can be workable if you keep things tidy.

This was my first garage and was fine for 2 motorcycles and an engine swap in a fwd four cylinder car:

How can you truly appreciate a big garage if you haven't done work in a little one?

My current is 11.5x 15. The new one will feel like a palace.

 

[tdkkart]

Remeber that many people here work in basically 1/2 of a 24x24 garage. My first garage was 26wx20d, I built 2 stock cars and a drag car out of that garage, always leaving room for the wife's car to be in overnite.

 

[bazzateer]

That's huge! Just put the van against the wall to give plenty of room on the other side to pull the engine. Wish I had that sort of problem!

 

[brownbagg]

mine is 36 x 30 and too small, I,m getting ready to add 24 x36 on the end of it

 

[1969]

I don't care what size it is........ it's never large enough. Never.

 

[Stuart in MN]

That's an interesting space. I like the gantry crane, that will prove to be a handy tool.

 

[hh76]

That's an interesting space. I like the gantry crane, that will prove to be a handy tool.

yeah, my father is convinced that it was originally a blacksmith shop. No idea when it would have been built. I figure the crane will be perfect for unloading a truck.

 

[tatra]

like your avatar..........

 

[hh76]

like your avatar..........

Came up when searching images looking for wheel ideas for my van. For some reason it made me chuckle enough I had to save.

 

[bdkruger1]

WOW! The possibilities with that place are ENDLESS!

 

[rickycobra]

When one car barely fits that might be pushing it.

 

[copterdoctor]

my garage is just wide enough in the "work area" to have both doors of my 46' ford truck to be open and have about a foot left to the wall... I have to close the doors if I need to go by with a welder/shopvac/etc.. I would definitely LIKE it to be bigger, but it works just fine for me...

 

[Stephenw]

Set up your shop in the smaller area. That area is for storing tools, working on sub-assemlies, cleaning parts, etc. It also houses your work bench. Park the vehicle in the larger 31 x 40 area.

 

[hh76]

Set up your shop in the smaller area. That area is for storing tools, working on sub-assemlies, cleaning parts, etc. It also houses your work bench. Park the vehicle in the larger 31 x 40 area.

that's essentially what I'll be doing. I just want to make sure that I can get the vehicle into the heated portion while I'm working on it. Big section will have daily drivers, storage and bigger tools (compressor, blast cabinet)

 

[Keith_MN]

At my parents house I worked out of a 14 ft wide shop and it was just big enough to have both doors (of my two door car) open at the same time. They would actually both touch the walls when pushed fully open. But it was wide enough to have the tool boxes on the side and still have enough room. I consider 14 wide to be the minimum to be comfortable.

My current garage is also 14 ft wide but only about 11.5 ft wide of usable space because of stairs going down to the basement. It is tight working on the wheels and maneuvering the jack on the side of the car to jack it up without the handle hitting the wall.

I think you will have a great space there. Certainly lots of light from outside.

-Keith

 

[jlckmj]

hh76
Where in Wisconsin are you moving?
I live half way between Milwaukee and Madison
Jim

 

[Snake87]

I work on my 98 F150 in a 12' wide garage. It's difficult, not impossible, but nowhere near comfortable. An extra 2 feet per side would be heaven.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Small is relative. Try these out.............Garages of Murmansk

Charles

 

[hh76]

Small is relative. Try these out.............Garages of Murmansk

Charles

Wow, those would be like working out of a fish shanty.

 

[SPDMETL]

Murmansk...isn't that east of siberia ? OP, if that was my building I'd park in the narrow part and use the bigger part for work

 

[WhatThaFrig]

I'd like the shape of the shop. How about pics of the Econoline? My friend is building a 63 Econoline, not a van but the kind with a bed. We've been kicking around ideas for it for about 5-6 years!

 

[Red Green]

that's essentially what I'll be doing. I just want to make sure that I can get the vehicle into the heated portion while I'm working on it. Big section will have daily drivers, storage and bigger tools (compressor, blast cabinet)

With all those windows you could build a bunch of window sill solar heaters on the south side of the shop and cut your heat bill down a lot.

Here are the plans from mother earth magazine.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/1977-09-01/Mothers-Heat-Grabber.aspx

 

[dankicksass]

My garage is bigger than all the homes you can see from it, and I still wish it were larger.

 

[jwillis]

I think the 6' room could be used for a small workbench, drill press, grinder, and something that could fit along one wall. Or you could just use it as a storeroom to keep larger hand tools.

 

[kenfath]

"It is a tradition that the men build the garages themselves. Many of them were illegally built, though a few months ago there was an amnesty for unregistered garages."

I had just finished reading some news involving current events in Washington, particularly the compromise on the taxes, when I came across this caption to one of the Murmansk Garage article photos. Made me wonder will there be an amnesty for unregistered garages in the USA? What is Obama's thoughts as well as the Republican and Democrats? Will they reach agreement? Inquiring minds just want to know!

 

[wyattboche]

Where at in Wisconsin?

 

[NUTTSGT]

I'd frame in the small section and put the air compressor in there along with some storage.

 

[Groovy]

Small is relative. Try these out.............Garages of Murmansk

Charles

Kewl link! Just goes to show you men all over the world like to have a spot to do man things- I'm sure there are some women who have cool garages as well I think they are called "das kitchen" in Murmansk