Garage ideas
- MidWesty
- Getting Hooked!
- Location: Where the grass is blue
- Status: Offline
Garage ideas
I'm getting ready to break ground on a new garage here at the house for my VW's and am looking for opinions for "must have" features.
The basic run down is as follows; It'll be 24' X 24' X 12' high walls. Over the left side I will be building a loft the complete depth of the building and 12' wide for parts storage and what not. There will be a set of steps at the rear of the loft. On this side I will only be able to run 7' high garage door due to the height of where the loft starts. (8') There will be an LVL beam that'll allow me to not have to have any support poles in the way. So I'll have complete open floor space.
On the right side it'll be open to the ceiling, approximately 16' to the peak. I'm using scissor trusses (no bottom runner) so there are no obstructions in the loft area or on the other side. The loft area will start at 4' and go to about 8' at the center. On the right side there will be a 10' X 10' door, so I can easily get my bus in. Also I'll be able to have the pop top up and work on it inside.
Anyway, I'm looking for ideas from others who have a garage or who have built one and have things they wish they had done or would do if they had to do it all over again. Any wisdom is appreciated. Money is definitely a factor here though.
Thanks!
The basic run down is as follows; It'll be 24' X 24' X 12' high walls. Over the left side I will be building a loft the complete depth of the building and 12' wide for parts storage and what not. There will be a set of steps at the rear of the loft. On this side I will only be able to run 7' high garage door due to the height of where the loft starts. (8') There will be an LVL beam that'll allow me to not have to have any support poles in the way. So I'll have complete open floor space.
On the right side it'll be open to the ceiling, approximately 16' to the peak. I'm using scissor trusses (no bottom runner) so there are no obstructions in the loft area or on the other side. The loft area will start at 4' and go to about 8' at the center. On the right side there will be a 10' X 10' door, so I can easily get my bus in. Also I'll be able to have the pop top up and work on it inside.
Anyway, I'm looking for ideas from others who have a garage or who have built one and have things they wish they had done or would do if they had to do it all over again. Any wisdom is appreciated. Money is definitely a factor here though.
Thanks!
"Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right."
'78 Rivi
'63 Ragtop
'73 Double cab (for sale)
'78 Rivi
'63 Ragtop
'73 Double cab (for sale)
- spiffy
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Walla Walla, WA
- Status: Offline
Cool!! I am a few years away from putting one up, sounds like a good project!
A few ideas...
Give it its own breaker panel and wire plenty of sockets. and get some nice energy efficient flourecent lights in there.
Sink...even just the cheap utility ones.
work bench with plenty of storage to stay organized.
Beer fridge...DUH!!
Stereo.
If you are going to have plumbing in the loft for a bathroom, look into setting the plumbing up so that you could have options down below at a later date...ie...another thrown.
escape hatch to your secret man-lair
A few ideas...
Give it its own breaker panel and wire plenty of sockets. and get some nice energy efficient flourecent lights in there.
Sink...even just the cheap utility ones.
work bench with plenty of storage to stay organized.
Beer fridge...DUH!!
Stereo.
If you are going to have plumbing in the loft for a bathroom, look into setting the plumbing up so that you could have options down below at a later date...ie...another thrown.
escape hatch to your secret man-lair
78 Riviera "Spiffy"
67 Riviera "Bill"
67 Riviera "Bill"
- chitwnvw
- Resident Troublemaker
- Location: Chicago.
- Status: Offline
- Adventurewagen
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Seattle
- Status: Offline
Most definately.spiffy wrote:escape hatch to your secret man-lair
In my garage I have an engine lift too, I figured with two VW's I'd never use it but as you can see I found something to lift off the ground to work on.
63 Gulf Blue Notch
71 Sierra Yellow Adventurewagen
71 Sierra Yellow Adventurewagen
DjEep wrote:Velo? Are you being "over-run"? Do you need to swim through a sea of Mexican anchor-babies to get to your bus in the morning?
- MidWesty
- Getting Hooked!
- Location: Where the grass is blue
- Status: Offline
I did think about a pit, but then that calls for alot more concrete and I'm afraid I wouldn't use it that much. There is going to be an auction at the end of Oct. locally and there are 2 lifts that are sitting there. If it all works out I'd like to pick one up. Beer fridge is already to go. It's sitting in my other building full of IPA's. I'm out here in the country, so as far as a "John" goes I'd have to tie into my septic system which may cost more than what I've got sitting at the moment. Same deal with a sink and running water. I plan on checking into though.
I'm running 2 seperate 220 lines. One for the welder and one for the compressor. I'm going to go all out with the electric because I've been in garages where you can't run 2 tools at once without blowing a fuse. Sucks!
Heat is definitely going to be in there. There is going to be a 12' steel top work bench across the back wall on the right side too.
So many ideas and limited funds!
I'm running 2 seperate 220 lines. One for the welder and one for the compressor. I'm going to go all out with the electric because I've been in garages where you can't run 2 tools at once without blowing a fuse. Sucks!
Heat is definitely going to be in there. There is going to be a 12' steel top work bench across the back wall on the right side too.
So many ideas and limited funds!
"Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right."
'78 Rivi
'63 Ragtop
'73 Double cab (for sale)
'78 Rivi
'63 Ragtop
'73 Double cab (for sale)
- chitwnvw
- Resident Troublemaker
- Location: Chicago.
- Status: Offline
- Randy in Maine
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Old Orchard Beach, Maine
- Status: Offline
- glasseye
- IAC Addict!
- Location: Kootenays, BC
- Status: Offline
The carp that helped me build my house said: "Figure out how big you need, then add four feet in both directions." So that's what I did.
I'll have 220 but no water. Wood heat, but no satellite TV. Wireless Internet, but no lift. Ah well. Everything's a compromise.
I'll have 220 but no water. Wood heat, but no satellite TV. Wireless Internet, but no lift. Ah well. Everything's a compromise.
"This war will pay for itself."
Paul Wolfowitz, speaking of Iraq.
Paul Wolfowitz, speaking of Iraq.
- Amskeptic
- IAC "Help Desk"
- Status: Offline
In it's own weather-protected shed. Do not have combustion flame in garage area or you'll be sweating bullets when you have a gas/solvent spill.vdubyah73 wrote: Propane or gas wall furnace is nice too.
Colin
(install a center drain with a good floor pitch and it will be easier to clean up after your projects. . . depending on the surrounding slope of course)
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles
- MidWesty
- Getting Hooked!
- Location: Where the grass is blue
- Status: Offline
The only way to drain at the moment is directly into the creek running along the boundary line. Obviously a BIG no, no! My house was originally laid out that way. It was built in the early 40's and in the country, that's the way they did things. We've done a lot of re-routing to the septic system since we've got the place. I'd hate to go digging up the whole yard again to run lines to the tank. I'd love to have water but may have to pass as of right now.
As far as going any larger than 24' in any direction, the land lays into a slope to the right side. I basically sit in the valley. The back of the property is pretty rough and gets a lot of run off. The other part would require quite a bit of digging into the hill. The creek cuts along the property line then cuts diagonally across the corner. In front of that are the leach lines for the septic tank. I'm kinda land locked so to speak as to location of the building. 24' deep puts me 4 feet or so out of the creek. There is a 20' X 16' building just to the left of the proposed building. I could maybe get 30' on the width side but that would start to cut into my driveway around to the back of the new garage. I have a lot of mature trees on the lot and the wife (and myself) don't want to part with any of them. As crazy as that all sounds, I wouldn't give it up for anything. I'm just making the best use of the room we've got. Gotta love the Kentucky hills!
I've set aside just shy of $10K for the whole project. I'll do all of the actual work myself, I've got a great neighbor to do the concrete and dirt work, for beer nonetheless, and everything minus the garage doors, heat, and siding is coming in under $3K right now. So far, so good. I know there will be untold changes and needs that arise during the process, so wish me luck. Hoping to be done before the bitter cold moves in.
Thanks for ya'lls ideas!
As far as going any larger than 24' in any direction, the land lays into a slope to the right side. I basically sit in the valley. The back of the property is pretty rough and gets a lot of run off. The other part would require quite a bit of digging into the hill. The creek cuts along the property line then cuts diagonally across the corner. In front of that are the leach lines for the septic tank. I'm kinda land locked so to speak as to location of the building. 24' deep puts me 4 feet or so out of the creek. There is a 20' X 16' building just to the left of the proposed building. I could maybe get 30' on the width side but that would start to cut into my driveway around to the back of the new garage. I have a lot of mature trees on the lot and the wife (and myself) don't want to part with any of them. As crazy as that all sounds, I wouldn't give it up for anything. I'm just making the best use of the room we've got. Gotta love the Kentucky hills!
I've set aside just shy of $10K for the whole project. I'll do all of the actual work myself, I've got a great neighbor to do the concrete and dirt work, for beer nonetheless, and everything minus the garage doors, heat, and siding is coming in under $3K right now. So far, so good. I know there will be untold changes and needs that arise during the process, so wish me luck. Hoping to be done before the bitter cold moves in.
Thanks for ya'lls ideas!
"Once in a while you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right."
'78 Rivi
'63 Ragtop
'73 Double cab (for sale)
'78 Rivi
'63 Ragtop
'73 Double cab (for sale)
- tristessa
- Trusted Air-Cooled Maniac
- Location: Uwish Uknew, Oregon
- Status: Offline
If you're putting in a compressor, make life nice for yourself and plumb some air lines down both walls with connectors every so often. Also put one on the outside wall by the garage door for easy tire inflation. But for safety's sake, use steel pipe .. I've heard some bad tales about using PVC for air lines.
Having worked someplace (briefly) that had plenty of air connectors, it's much nicer than having to drag a bunch of hose around all the time .. and tripping over hose sucks too.
Having worked someplace (briefly) that had plenty of air connectors, it's much nicer than having to drag a bunch of hose around all the time .. and tripping over hose sucks too.
Remember, only YOU can prevent narcissism!