Minimum size for 2 car useable?
- Thread starter samduhspam
- Start date
like2wheel
Well-known member
Thank you for posting this. Couldn't agree more.
Combatninja also had a good lift suggestion but if that's not feasible, this may help:
https://www.carguygarage.com/9nawicarli.html
Apologies to the OP for some of the other posts...
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Innovate1
Well-known member
In keeping with Garage Journal style I suggest you make the first floor the garage. Then put the living space on the second floor. That way you don't have to trade garage space for house space. Problem solved!
Just kidding!
Just kidding!
Its the same old story. Always build as big as possible, because you will always need more. I just did a 30x40 and its shrinkin fast... my municipality would only approve
1200 sq ft. I did do 10 ft side walls and vaulted trusses, so my middle bay is over 13 ft tall. lifting a truck over 6ft is no problem
1200 sq ft. I did do 10 ft side walls and vaulted trusses, so my middle bay is over 13 ft tall. lifting a truck over 6ft is no problem
OP
samduhspam
Active member
This thread is classic Garage Journal. This guy starts a thread about what the minimum size garage can somewhat reasonably fit two cars because he is limited with lot size and every square foot of garage is going to eat a square foot of home space. You guys are now telling him 30' x 30'. That is practically a 3-car. Listen to the man's needs and stop telling him about how you can barely park your F250 in your 25' deep garage with the tow hitch on the back and how you need 600 square feet of garage to do engine swaps.
OP, in my opinion you need a minimum of 20' wide. Realize that this will probably force you to park one car nose in and one car **** in in order to give enough room for the doors to open if you have anything at all on your side walls. I think your minimum depth is about 22' in order to be able to walk around the cars at all. This will not fit a full-size pickup or giant SUV. As for your proposed lift, I would do a 4-poster that can park two cars under and two cars above to avoid the posts being in the middle of your garage and causing you issues with the door openings of the lower cars and generally just being in the way. Something like this:
Yes, thank you! This is the info I was looking for. Best response yet.
The 4 poster is a great idea, but that might leave the one side not as useable with kids and "stuff". At least with the a car on the ground and no lift, it's moveable to free up that space for projects or other things. However, having a 4 post that gives the option to have 3 cars in the garage (2 in the air) and still half the ground floor space as useable. Although - both cars are on the floor need to moved to access the top cars - not ideal for me.
OP
samduhspam
Active member
In keeping with Garage Journal style I suggest you make the first floor the garage. Then put the living space on the second floor. That way you don't have to trade garage space for house space. Problem solved!
Just kidding!
LOL
OP
samduhspam
Active member
Thanks! This looks like a great option for a narrow garage. With the narrow lift - does it limit you on size of car vs the standard 4 post? I need to make a spread sheet to find the most narrow lift. Any other suggestions on narrow lift's?
like2wheel
Well-known member
It has almost 90" between the columns. A Trailblazer is a fairly big SUV, is about 75" without the mirrors.
Safe to say you'd have to fold in mirrors on any truck, but most would fit albeit tight.
There's only a certain % of the lot that can have coverage (~35% I think it was). The house had an addition put on that took up some of that %. With the 18x24' garage I was somewhere around 32%. I probably could've eked out another foot or two, but it was starting to eat up my backyard space. My lot is 42' wide x 124' deep.