Layout Help, Narrow Garage, Eave Entry

[JCook5003]

Hey Guys-

Planning phase of my garage build. I've settled on standard stick built construction (10' high 2x6 stud on 24" centers) on a footer and CMU stem wall, floating pad poured within. Problem is on my property without a great deal of back-fill I can only orient my garage length ways on my lot.

In an attempt to avoid increased back-fill inspections and the cost associated with having that fill delivered and leveled I settled on a 16x28 shop. It's not my dream size, but it's what I can afford and what will fit on my lot.

I'm a CAD designer (Tool and Die) by trade and have been using AutoCAD for 15 years. I've been drawing my plans up and have some layout questions.

I've dedicated the front wall to cabinets, benches, welder and my tool box, all represented on the layout. In an effort to save space I will build a small lean-to compressor room once the county inspections are finished.

The real question is, without claiming huge portions of my backyard for a driveway, which I don't want, my garage would be best laid out with an eave entry garage door. My question is door any of you have experience or advice with narrow garages and eave entry. I work on cars some, but mostly bikes are my garage passion. so I know they will fit. I am also planning a CJ-7 project but as compact as that is, I think I could pull in and back it around in the space or use wheel dollies.

Below are my layouts from CAD. All 16x28, option #1 represents what I would call the most ideal layout, gable entry 12' door. Option #2 represents my most desirable and cost efficient layout, a 12' eave entry garage door. Finally, option #3 represents an acceptable but more expensive 16' eave entry garage door.

Could you guys give me some advice and guidance as to which you all think might be the best based on real world experience?

Thanks in advance.
Josh

 

[MagKarl]

Sounds like you need to make the decision between workshop and garage. Big doors say garage to me. If that's the case I would want the option to let a vehicle come straight in, #1. If it's only going to be bikes, why the big doors?

 

[JCook5003]

Sounds like you need to make the decision between workshop and garage. Big doors say garage to me. If that's the case I would want the option to let a vehicle come straight in, #1. If it's only going to be bikes, why the big doors?

Would seem to me that even for motorcycles only a big door is nice for ventilation.

The hope is to still be able to get a car in to work on it if need arises. Hence a big door, pull the car in at an angle and back it up to center it, or use wheel dollies.

 

[CombatNinja]

Having the door on the long side of a 16' deep garage makes no sense. This might be a fully custom build where you are not considering resale but people that build custom have a way of regretting it down the road. I vote for #1 but also question the need for a 12' door when you are going to be working mainly on bikes. I think a 10' door will do fine and allow you some useable space in the corners whereas a 12' door on a 16' wall makes for a waste of space--your drawing even shows the service door opening past the garage door opening, not a good design.

It might be helpful to show us the entire property so we can see where the garage door should open up to. Your drawing shows it on two different sides and in my experience there is only ever one 'right' answer for that in the real world.

 

[CJ7VFR]

If you go with options 2 or 3 that doesn't really leave much room to get around a car, even a CJ, when you pull it in. With the garage door closed, you wouldn't have more than a foot or so in the front and the back of it along the 16 foot dimension.

Also with options 2 and 3 you said you could pull a car in, at an angle, and then use wheel dollies to rotate the car and center it along the 28 foot dimension. But that ends up just being the orientation of option 1, but with a lot more hassles to get the cars in and out.

I would do option 1. This affords you the best way to get cars in and out, gives you the most room in front of and behind the cars to work, and involves no parking on an angle and messing with wheel dollies.

And with option 1, if you did want to rotate the cars around, then you could use the wheel dollies if you wanted to. But I bet that if your like most of us, 99 percent of the time you wouldn't be rotating the cars around anyway. Just pull them in, work on them, and pull them back out. Zip zip...

Just my .02.

Jim

 

[pmiranda]

I'd do #1. The only reason I ever see to put a garage door on the long side is to get a car in and out while another car is parked, but you don't have that much space so I wouldn't worry about that. The 12' door might be nice if you put a wide truck in there and still want to get a cruiser past it, but for most cars a 10' would probably do the trick. I don't think I own a single car wider than 6 feet once I fold in/up the mirrors.

 

[finn]

#1.

How are you going to sell #2 & #3 when that time (inevitably) comes?