In the stages of finalizing plans for the garage. I will have 3 9 foot wide garage doors on the front and one 9 foot on one side towards the back. That way i will have space for parking 2 cars sideways in back of the cars that are pulled in from the front. Total of 5 on the ground with option to add lifts and get even more in the garage (12 foot ceiling) Would love to hear some basics i need to make sure the garage should have so i do it the right way (lighting, floor thickness, insulation,..). I plan on attic trusses in case i want to finish the upper later. Thanks!
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Planning a 40x30x12 garage
- Thread starter kkosh
- Start date
Richard Cranium
Well-known member
if you might put a lift in some day you should make you pad thicker where you will be installing the lift. You might want to run plastic conduit for the power also.
matt_i
Well-known member
4" minimum slab should be enough. I always recommend putting in true rebar over wire mesh, but it does cost more, and you can't just back the truck over it when pouring. I second the advice to thicken the slab in the areas where you think the lift will go. It does not have to be an accurately placed pad but just make a large strip that's 8" deep for example. I'd make it simple if you are not doing the dirt work.
My preference would be to run electrical for 2 post lifts dropping down from overhead, rather than burying a conduit. Trying to get everything perfect and then making sure the finishers don't knock it off course is quite a task.
My preference would be to run electrical for 2 post lifts dropping down from overhead, rather than burying a conduit. Trying to get everything perfect and then making sure the finishers don't knock it off course is quite a task.
Cyberbear
Well-known member
I'd also recommend using a concrete sealer after the pour as a curing agent. I've done this for years with good results, along with lots of steel and good quality concrete mix. None of my slabs have cracked because of this slow cure process which I did myself using a garden sprayer to apply a couple surface coats of sealer to retard water evaporation while the cement is curing properly. My 30 x 80 sq/ft shop has been in place since 1996 and still no noticeable cracks.
marksland
Well-known member
I have a 30 x 40 with half the ceiling being 12' the other half cathedral. We went with a 100k BTU Modine Hot dawg natural gas heater, waiting for the install now.
black4.6gt
Active member
Here's a few things I just did in my shop...
-Radiant floor heat... Did it myself, kind of a pain to get started, but it all came together.
-I buried 3 separate drains and pipe, set the level before concrete. I now have a drain for a bathroom, utility sink, and one for the boiler.
-I put in some conduit for my water and power so there is no external conduit penetrations.
-I started with the R7 (or so) vapor barrier insulation that goes on the outside of the girts. Clean and tidy. Leaves me with more options down the road when money becomes available.
-Ill have eight 2x4 light troffers and set myself up for future expansion. No matter how much ceiling light you have, its dark under cars.
-Future, Future, Future... Don't limit yourself in any aspect. We all want it now, but sometimes that doesn't happen. When I was planning lights, power, water, I thought about what I may want down the road. I don't need 3 drains right now, but $25 for pipe is cheaper than drilling concrete later. Ill want more lights later, so I left an open conduit up to the ceiling. You get the idea.
This place is full of info, and may I suggest using google to search this site too. (xxxxxxxx site:garagejournal.com)
-Radiant floor heat... Did it myself, kind of a pain to get started, but it all came together.
-I buried 3 separate drains and pipe, set the level before concrete. I now have a drain for a bathroom, utility sink, and one for the boiler.
-I put in some conduit for my water and power so there is no external conduit penetrations.
-I started with the R7 (or so) vapor barrier insulation that goes on the outside of the girts. Clean and tidy. Leaves me with more options down the road when money becomes available.
-Ill have eight 2x4 light troffers and set myself up for future expansion. No matter how much ceiling light you have, its dark under cars.
-Future, Future, Future... Don't limit yourself in any aspect. We all want it now, but sometimes that doesn't happen. When I was planning lights, power, water, I thought about what I may want down the road. I don't need 3 drains right now, but $25 for pipe is cheaper than drilling concrete later. Ill want more lights later, so I left an open conduit up to the ceiling. You get the idea.
This place is full of info, and may I suggest using google to search this site too. (xxxxxxxx site:garagejournal.com)