Hi,
I'm a long time lurker. I built (had built)a 36 x 32 detached garage in my last house but the whole shebang was sold due to divorce. So new house now has a tiny 20 x 20 "double" car garage. I'm planning an attached additional 32 x 28 one and have two questions at this point and would love to get some good input.
1) For Pex in the floor, as I understand it, 200-250' is the desired max length of each run. What size pex is best? Recommended spacing? Then I can figure out how many runs. I'm not planning on installing the heating right away, so how should I terminate the lines? Just have them sticking up 4-5 feet? Should they all be bunched together at where they will exit the floor? I guess it's important to mark them as pairs. Also, how far embedded in the concrete should they be? I'm aware of the need for insulation below them, etc.
2) I'm going with 12' ceilings for a lift eventually. I know I need to pour the floor thicker and avoid pex where the lift will be placed. So.... two basic questions on lifts:
a) Is a 2 post better than a 4 post? Why? Cheaper? Unobstructed floor? Please give me your pros/cons.
b) Let's assume 2 post. Then do you all have one that is highly recommended and the best (like, for example, I think most of us think highly of snap-on hand tools and Ingersoll Rand air compressors)? And is the location of the lift mounting points fairly standard? I won't be buying the lift immediately so I don't want to screw up on where I reinforce the floor.
Ok, here are the garage plans. Attach a 32 x 28 with 12' ceilings via a new 9 x 19 mudroom. The new mudroom will house a pantry and laundry area. The entrance to this mud room will be through the old powder room which will be moved to the current pantry. The new powder room location is where it should have been in the first place! And we do now have a second floor laundry room, so why put it in the new mud room? Because the new fangled high efficiency washing machines spin along a horizontal axis which means they bounce in an up and down manner and the house shakes so much you'd think it was going to fall down. And I'll get to remove a wall and enlarge the master bath into the current second floor laundry room. It'll be cool (eventually!) Back to garage plans. I'll use attic trusses to get a decent sized storage area up top. I'll have permanent stairs to the attic. We'll put in two functional dormers up top too. I'm going with two 10' wide by 8' high fully insulated doors, 2 x 6 framing, and am thinking of putting in a rough in for a toilet and sink. Being attached, it will have a front and side man door and also a door to the mudroom. The idea of not even going outside in the rain or snow or cold or dark to go to your abode sounds really cool to me. I tried to make the current garage work but without a shed, it's half full of yard stuff. And even so, there's just no room to do anything to the car.
I know, go as large as you can, you'll never regret it. I think this is as large as I can afford, and as large as the stupid HOA would go for. Really, I think that having an extra 8 feet in both directions will help a lot. The 32' width will be eaten up a bit by the stairs, but I still see this as a really nice size garage.
I'm in the quote stage. I am always amazed at the huge spread in quotes. First one was 111k. Second today was 78k. Only substantial difference was that the first guy was really building a second story and not just an attic. He had a 32 x 12 room up there. Using attic trusses, I'll have a 32 x 4 section that is 6' high or more. The idea was storage. Another 33k for more storage means I'll never retire. At 58, I'm ready to retire and restore old cars!!!!!
Thanks for your comments and suggestions!
Tom
I'm a long time lurker. I built (had built)a 36 x 32 detached garage in my last house but the whole shebang was sold due to divorce. So new house now has a tiny 20 x 20 "double" car garage. I'm planning an attached additional 32 x 28 one and have two questions at this point and would love to get some good input.
1) For Pex in the floor, as I understand it, 200-250' is the desired max length of each run. What size pex is best? Recommended spacing? Then I can figure out how many runs. I'm not planning on installing the heating right away, so how should I terminate the lines? Just have them sticking up 4-5 feet? Should they all be bunched together at where they will exit the floor? I guess it's important to mark them as pairs. Also, how far embedded in the concrete should they be? I'm aware of the need for insulation below them, etc.
2) I'm going with 12' ceilings for a lift eventually. I know I need to pour the floor thicker and avoid pex where the lift will be placed. So.... two basic questions on lifts:
a) Is a 2 post better than a 4 post? Why? Cheaper? Unobstructed floor? Please give me your pros/cons.
b) Let's assume 2 post. Then do you all have one that is highly recommended and the best (like, for example, I think most of us think highly of snap-on hand tools and Ingersoll Rand air compressors)? And is the location of the lift mounting points fairly standard? I won't be buying the lift immediately so I don't want to screw up on where I reinforce the floor.
Ok, here are the garage plans. Attach a 32 x 28 with 12' ceilings via a new 9 x 19 mudroom. The new mudroom will house a pantry and laundry area. The entrance to this mud room will be through the old powder room which will be moved to the current pantry. The new powder room location is where it should have been in the first place! And we do now have a second floor laundry room, so why put it in the new mud room? Because the new fangled high efficiency washing machines spin along a horizontal axis which means they bounce in an up and down manner and the house shakes so much you'd think it was going to fall down. And I'll get to remove a wall and enlarge the master bath into the current second floor laundry room. It'll be cool (eventually!) Back to garage plans. I'll use attic trusses to get a decent sized storage area up top. I'll have permanent stairs to the attic. We'll put in two functional dormers up top too. I'm going with two 10' wide by 8' high fully insulated doors, 2 x 6 framing, and am thinking of putting in a rough in for a toilet and sink. Being attached, it will have a front and side man door and also a door to the mudroom. The idea of not even going outside in the rain or snow or cold or dark to go to your abode sounds really cool to me. I tried to make the current garage work but without a shed, it's half full of yard stuff. And even so, there's just no room to do anything to the car.
I know, go as large as you can, you'll never regret it. I think this is as large as I can afford, and as large as the stupid HOA would go for. Really, I think that having an extra 8 feet in both directions will help a lot. The 32' width will be eaten up a bit by the stairs, but I still see this as a really nice size garage.
I'm in the quote stage. I am always amazed at the huge spread in quotes. First one was 111k. Second today was 78k. Only substantial difference was that the first guy was really building a second story and not just an attic. He had a 32 x 12 room up there. Using attic trusses, I'll have a 32 x 4 section that is 6' high or more. The idea was storage. Another 33k for more storage means I'll never retire. At 58, I'm ready to retire and restore old cars!!!!!
Thanks for your comments and suggestions!
Tom