Shop/garage info needed....hoist as well.

[Big_John]

I don't have the ideal garage, so there will be no pictures of mine.

If I was to build one, the one thing that I would be sure to do is have a garage door on the rear of the building directly opposite one of the front doors so I could pull through with a truck and trailer. Both doors would be taller too. That portion of the garage would be long enough for the trailer at the very least.

 

[CanCritter]

My shop is 50'x 50' with 15' ceiling.

In the 13 years that I've been collecting these cars, I've learned one thing:

No matter how big you make it, it will soon be too small.

Here's some progress pics from when I moved in almost five years ago:
View attachment 109774
View attachment 109775
View attachment 109776

Turned the cars and fit 6 where 5 used to be:
View attachment 109777
View attachment 109778
View attachment 109779
Where we are today:
View attachment 109780
Cool pics:
View attachment 109781
View attachment 109782

Hope the input gives you some ideas.

John

you suck.....would just move my bed,fridge in there and call it a day.....who needs a dam house

 

[GJS]

My shop is 50'x 50' with 15' ceiling.

In the 13 years that I've been collecting these cars, I've learned one thing:

No matter how big you make it, it will soon be too small.

Here's some progress pics from when I moved in almost five years ago:
View attachment 109774
View attachment 109775
View attachment 109776

Turned the cars and fit 6 where 5 used to be:
View attachment 109777
View attachment 109778
View attachment 109779
Where we are today:
View attachment 109780
Cool pics:
View attachment 109781
View attachment 109782

Hope the input gives you some ideas.

John

That is INSANE!

 

[MYSINBIN]

That is INSANE!

Again I say:

You are correct sir.

 

[cantflip]

Again I say:

You are correct sir.

Nah... the insanity kicks in when you want to dig out the one in the very back of it all...

Then just getting the keys straight is like

I plan to eventually key all of mine alike... I never sell anything anyhow

 

[MYSINBIN]

Nah... the insanity kicks in when you want to dig out the one in the very back of it all...

Then just getting the keys straight is like

I plan to eventually key all of mine alike... I never sell anything anyhow

Keys are easy. They are hanging on a board in the order that I bought them.

John

 

[Zymurgy]

Compartmentalize, divide into sections that can be isolated and heated as needed.


Alan

I always said if I built a bigger shop I would do this for heat. I like the idea of a curtain. Something like this and it wouldn't even need to be an insulated type, if you ran it clear to the ceiling.

 

[thrashingcows]

Thank you everyone for your replies.....very good information so far!

Stan we are now closer to the Yukon border then the US/Canada border. We are in the area of Elk and Caribou though.....;) Yup still driving truck....Super B fuel hauling now.....Timmies didn't have a resident driver position up north, so had to leave them after 12 years.

 

[cantflip]

Mine's 30 x 60 with 3 bays along the long side and space for another bay with no overhead door there - deliberately done that way so I couldn't stuff so much in that there was no room to work on things and room for equipment or tools in the fourth spot. 14' ceilings so I could easily put a car or truck on the lift with the hood open and not hit the top. Works well for me, now just need more energy to work on the stuff in there........ As others have said, I soon ran out of room. I'm in NW Minnesota and average heat bill is ~ 100/mo in the winter @ 63 degrees inside, (off peak electric floor heat).
View attachment 109792
View attachment 109793
View attachment 109794

Radiant floor heat in a garage... that's just awesome... if you're somewhere A/C doesn't count.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Mines 30x40 not big enough. I have t 2 post lifts one is at a angle so I can pull the Peterbilt in and use the arms to lift the engine out if the reason ever arises again, but in reality it's easier to rent, beg, borrow or steal a knuckle boom truck.

 

[thrashingcows]

Radiant floor heat in a garage... that's just awesome... if you're somewhere A/C doesn't count.

Up north were we now live doesn't get crazy hot in the summer. If it does it hot, it's only a week or two. ;)

 

[olmoparnut]

Since moving up north and to our new place on acreage...with no shop ...I am looking to build a shop this coming year. Just brain storming and wonder about putting a hoist in the shop. Now people who done this how tall a ceiling do you need, and any other pertinent info?

I have a blank slate and want to make this the best I can....within a reasonable budget of course. Thinking of a shop around 40' x 40' or so. So any thoughts, suggestions and comments about your current shop/garage, and the size, shape and configuration and construction materials would also be appreciated.

All comments, suggestions, and ideas are appreciated.

One way to increase your ceiling height without raising the eaves is by using scissors trusses. They have sort of an "A" design, give you 2-3 ft of extra height in the center. cost me about $30 extra per truss earlier this year. and you only need to use them wherever your lift will go.

 

[livininharrow]

Up north were we now live doesn't get crazy hot in the summer. If it does it hot, it's only a week or two. ;)

like others have said don't build it too small. I know of guys who build a pole barn style. larger than needed .high ceiling. build a workshop inside that is heated and only need to pour a floor in that area for the time being. basically a building within a building. you would have lots of room for vehicles and tractors and whatever. room for your rig. if you wanted to later you could pour concrete a section at a time in an area you wanted to. just my thoughts. this would save you a **** load of money now and still be able to enjoy it.

 

[Dobalovr]

Don't forget the wash bay and detail department with good lighting and floor drains.....AMHIK

 

[HWYCRZR]

I used scissor trusses in my 24x24 garage I just built. I was limited in height by the city (15' midway between the peaks and eves). With 10' walls it gives me about 14' in the center. I am hoping to add a low height lift at some point. I should have gone 26-30' deep but was following the covenants. If I need extra room I could move some wood working stuff and use my 30' 3rd stall in my attached garage.
Here is a shot of my 24x24. Just getting things organized before my car comes back

 

[thrashingcows]

Lots of great advice....Thank you!

I think I will look into heated floors for sure, and up north where I now live an outdoor fire fueled boiler system is quite common.....so might look into that as well.

 

[HWYCRZR]

Heated floors are the way to go. I have them in my attached garage. It is one of the things I should have done in my 24 x 24. But with 2x6 insulated walls and R-49 insulation in the ceiling it doesn't take much to heat. It is pretty easy to get up to 65 degrees at -20 below. Plus in the summer if I keep the doors closed it doesn't get much warmer than 75 degrees on a 90 degree day.

 

[shooter65]

I've been planning an auto shop that I hope to someday build where an old pool house is. The plans I'm drawing up are for 36X56, the dimensions of the old pool house. I came across this website a while back, don't agree with it all, and much seems obvious, unless you forget it but some good info too.
The Well-Equipped Garage: Tips and Tricks for a Versatile Space - Gearbox

One important thing I've learned from trying to keep my barn organized is to try to keep as much as you can mobile and modular regardless of how much space you think you have, it won't be enough eventually.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

Mine has 15' ceilings and is hard to heat or at least the bottom half. My brother in law was going to use radiant heat but his friends dad that does HVAC told him the recovery time is slow if you open the doors alot, if you are not in and out very much I think it would be better.

 

[Fury440]

Brian, besides many of the good tips already posted, a couple things I've discovered over the years.
- mount everything on wheels, it sure makes temporary garage reconfiguration much easier. My garage get re-purposed when I do car stuff, wood working projects, furniture restoration and electrical/electronic repairs. I made dollies similar to these for my 12" radial arm, sand blasting cabinet and misc work surfaces.
- epoxy seal and coat the concrete floor, makes clean-up very easy.
- use a sound proofed room for your air compressor and mount the compressor on sound deadening pads.
- think about drapes on rollers that can be pulled down from the ceiling like a wind blind. Use these curtains to isolate areas of the garage from an open bay door during winter weather. Also nice to have around your sandblaster.
- You can't have too many 110v outlets. In my case I also need 220v for some of my tools.
- You can't have too many lights, but you can waste money lighting areas you aren't currently working in. So create work zones, each with it's own light switch.
- In my current garage I ran a Cat6 cable for high speed internet and an RJ6 coax cable for my cable TV access. The internet cable can plug into wifi router/switch for wired computers and for wifi access to other toys.
- running water is super handy for cleanup and car washing. If you can get access to sewer/septic, a porcelain throne and a shower are a nice addition.
- In your location I expect firewood is plentiful so consider an airtight furnace to save on gas/propane expenses. Paul, down in Idaho uses wood stoves to heat all his shops. In your location you might need an auxiliary pellet feeder to keep the fires going when you're not around to add wood.
- if you use scissor trusses to get ceiling clearance for a lift, consider also extended door tracks to run up the roof slope and get the door and its hardware out of the way. Do a google search for "roof pitch track".
- join the garage journal group, very good source of ideas.
That about covers my 2 cents worth!