heres the deal, im wanting to build a garage in the spring i've pretty well decided on a 24 wide * 28 deep..i wont be storing any vehicles in it.. only own one vehicle (chev 1/2 ton) so i'm thinking a single 12' by 8' door... anyhow i'm just starting to go over all my options and would like lots of input..like im debating between 2*4 and 2*6 walls..the difference is only a few hundred dollars and the insulating factor is near double...i'm also thinking of 2 rows of 6 inch block on the wall bottoms... i'm more worried about getting the foundation and the shell up this spring and worrying about the wiring,insulating, and stuff for next fall/winter..anyhow im lookin for some suggestions or advice b4 its too late.... anyhow i'd like to keep this thread going and keep input coming in as i do my homework on this whole project... i'm already looking at a truss upgrade, its called a raised heal truss, it allows you to put your full insullation in the attic b4 it hits the sloped part of the truss..small improvement but its not a big extra expense either...anyway input is appreciated on how u built your garage or how u wish u would have done it...
need some input.
- Thread starter RAMBIN
- Start date
RonBou
Well-known member
The cost of the 2x6's will be recouped in the first Canadian winter. Go for it! 
NHCharger
Well-known member
I agree with Ron. The 2x6 walls will pay for themselves quickly up in Canada. If you plan on having continous heat in the garage the raised heel trusses aren't a bad idea. Some of the towns I build in now require them as part of the overall insulation package.
I'm fron Central Illinois so I can't speak of the weather in Canada other than I know it's cold. We had many years before we decided to build a new house and I took a lot of suggestions from other guys about garages. One thing for sure when you start the wiring spend a few dollars at that time and install a couple of ceiling fan brackets wired on a separete switch. My garage is 870 sq. ft-3 car attached to the house with a cable and phone jack, nothing fancy but adding the wiring for the fans while under construction will save you time and headaches later, trust me.....also add plenty of outlets and mount them waist high if your building codes allow.
logical
Well-known member
By waist high are you suggesting higher than normal or lower than normal? Every garage I've ever built, owned or been in has then at about 42 inches. I do not think it is code except there is an an 18" minimum for commercial installs.sjsfire said:
yeah im thinking an extra few hundred now for 2*5 and the special trusses will make it better in the long run... i was thinking about a few cealing fans too but as i said im more worried about the garage shell this season, i will probaly hold off on the wiring till next winter or so.. i've found the "Garaga" brand doors to be the best around here for insulation r16 if rem right which i thought was amazing... i'm thinking i will put windows in the garage door which will cause it to loose some insulation but hey i dont plan on leaving the heat on 24/7 or anything just want it to be warm when i'm out there and not listen to a furnace running cuz i know when its running my wallet is crying!
This is in response to Logic's question about waist high outlets. The garage at my old house was a "Bullock" built by a company in Central Illinois sometime in the early 1970"s. It was bare bones, just exposed wall studs and there were ceiling joists on every other rafter. So after adding additional joists and stiffing things up a bit I nailed 1/2 OSB on the ceiling and insulated everything. I was lucky enough to find a old house that was being tore down that had a family room with 1x8 rough cedar on the walls and the owner let me tear them out. I ran them horizontal up about 3ft or so and finished with OSB up to the cieling. At that time my outlets were only maybe 16 inches off the floor. I cut the wire at each outlet and moved them up "waist high" to me. I'm 6'5" so I guess that would be different to the average guy. This was my first house I owned, when I was growing up at my parents house our outlets were the same height in the garag e as they were in the house. So when I had my new house built I asked the contractor to raise the outlets in the garage. We looked a few houses on the market before deciding to build and I did see some were still near the floor. I'm not sure if some areas have certain codes regarding outlet heights or not. It's all about comfort as we get older. 