Which is better, wider or longer?

[sicklyscott]

Hi -

I currently have a detached 11x22 garage built sometime a long long time ago (house is from 1910). Along the back wall I have cabinets and a work bench. The cabinets continue on like a U shape in the sides with my rolling tool box next to that on both sides. (is this making sense?) When working on my Miata (track car) there is enough room however, anything bigger than say a Dodge Neon and i start having issues moving around the car. Side to side isn't so bad but front to back is a problem. I have been thinking about putting on an "addition" on and was curious what the thought is on which option would make more sense.

Option 1: Go back 8 ft. (11x30 garage)
With this I'd basically just push everything on the back wall back further. It would allow me to move the car forward so it's not pressed up against the back door. it would also be easier to do since I could just match up the roof line and be done with it.

Option 2: Go to the side 6 ft. (17x22 garage)
This would eat into my already small backyard. I'd have to change the roof line but that might allow me to raise the room for a lift. If I did this I'd move all the tools from the back wall and put in on the right along the wall. Certainly a much more expensive proposition.

Which would be more usable? Or does it really matter? I'd like to hear your thoughts.

-S

 

[Ditch]

17x22- more sq ft.
bigger is better

 

[BoilermakerFan]

I prefer deeper to wider. My garage is only 19' deep, a medium SUV barely fits with shelves on the walls, a 1/2 ton pickup won't fit. It's easier to work on a vehicle you can just pull in versus having to move it around or pull in at an angle.

 

[ddawg16]

Both............it's never big enough

 

[ducksface]

It absolutely has to be deep enough to park the biggest vehicle you expect to own and walk behind and in front with the garage door closed.

Width is up to you. Depth is up to common sense.

 

[matt_i]

If you have the option to do either, then imo you have the option to do both...17x30 sounds nice.

I don't know how integrated it is with your house but you could get all of the foundation work out of the way, build new stud walls and sheath, then have a teardown event to remove the roof surface and structure (down to the top of the walls), integrate the walls, set new trusses or rafters, sheath the roof and underlay back to a good degree of weatherproofing. Then finalize the details of shingles, gutters, flashing to the siding etc. etc etc. But the rough construction framing could go pretty quickly if you had a good plan.

 

[forAK]

Going 8' deeper would be the easiest and probably the cheapest since you're just carrying the same roof line. No valley's to contend with if going option 2. JMO

 

[Falcon67]

Depth is my vote

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

You'll only gain about 2' front to back if you only go wider.
Sounds like if you go wider you could go deeper without much additional expense.
(Actually pretty close to a whole new building).

Going deeper is easier and cheaper.

BTW: If I was going wider I'd go to 24' at least.

 

[RPH]

Depends on what she wants, usually both.

 

[1redTA]

Depends on what she wants, usually both.

really need a woman's input on this, it's like which came first chicken or the egg

 

[PassnThru]

Does it currently have a floor? Specifically a concrete slab?

 

[malibu101]

Here's my experience--
My garage is 23' deep. No obstructions on the front wall.
A new F250 fits in but only leaves enough room to walk around the front end if the back end is tight to the door. It's very tight. Working on it *****.
An early 2000's Silverado 1500 is a bit shorter but still leaves me wishing for elbow room.

Here is about the minimum IMHO-
25' deep by 16' wide is just enough to work on a full size truck leaving enough room to fully work around it with the doors open.
That's not including much room at all for a workbench and other shop equipment.

Can you do with less? Yes you can, and I have.
A Neon will take much less room than this. BUT, think of a workbench, tool chest, jack, stands, and all the other stuff.

 

[Kevin54]

I have a 28 deep x 36 wide and my addition is 28 wide x 36 deep. I much prefer the wide portion over the long portion.

 

[James-W]

My opinion is as follows. Since you mentioned you may want to install a lift, I would remove the roof, make the building taller, a few feet wider and a few feet deeper. How much wider, taller and deeper will depend on what the local building code will allow and on your budget. But if you want a lift at some point then you need to make provisions for that now. Don't wait until until later and then kick yourself because you didn't plan for it when you had the chance.

 

[RPH]

Sarcasm, buddy, sarcasm. Guess it was over your head!

 

[larry_g]

Have you considered going 8' deeper but making that 18'-20' wide? So the addition would be 8'x18' instead of 8'x11'. That way you save all the old roofing and trusses and the new trusses are just a bit wider.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Marctrees]

Missus says "longer" Marc

 

[driftpin]

I am in the 'longer' camp. Yes, wider is good too, but if you can only do one, longer will be easiest to build, and you can have lots of room for your tools & etc. I would build it as-deep as you can.

 

[James-W]

I am in the 'longer' camp. Yes, wider is good too, but if you can only do one, longer will be easiest to build, and you can have lots of room for your tools & etc. I would build it as-deep as you can.

I am sure you are correct, just going deeper would be easier and cheaper to do. But he mentioned the possibility of putting in a lift at some point. If he does decide to install a lift in a year or two down the road I would think it would be advantageous to plan for that now. By doing so he will no doubt save money later on.

 

[MikeF2316]

I did this. My garage slab was 12' x 22'. So with 2x4 framing, it was essentially what you have now. I would have loved to make it wider, but that was going to take up too much of my back yard, so I went back as far as possible. In my case that was 11'. I put a door in the former back wall which otherwise remained in place. I had a concrete slab put down to match the existing one. I knew I would never be happy unless there was a proper concrete floor. So I was left with an 11'x12' back room, where all my tools and workbench live. With the wall, it's easy to heat that small space in the winter.

It's not ideal, but it was pretty cheap and easy to do.

 

[rsanter]

Have you considered going 8' deeper but making that 18'-20' wide? So the addition would be 8'x18' instead of 8'x11'. That way you save all the old roofing and trusses and the new trusses are just a bit wider.

lg
no neat sig line

I like this idea.

Bob

 

[BoilermakerFan]

I did this. My garage slab was 12' x 22'. So with 2x4 framing, it was essentially what you have now. I would have loved to make it wider, but that was going to take up too much of my back yard, so I went back as far as possible. In my case that was 11'. I put a door in the former back wall which otherwise remained in place. I had a concrete slab put down to match the existing one. I knew I would never be happy unless there was a proper concrete floor. So I was left with an 11'x12' back room, where all my tools and workbench live. With the wall, it's easy to heat that small space in the winter.

It's not ideal, but it was pretty cheap and easy to do.

This is great!

I wish I had room behind my garage to do that.

 

[MikeF2316]

This is great!

I wish I had room behind my garage to do that.

I wish I had more room so I could have gone further...

 

[BoilermakerFan]

I wish I had more room so I could have gone further...

My slab is only 18x20... Even 4' would have been a huge help.