I wish I would have....

I'm getting ready to have a garage built (25x45) next to my house and I'm wondering if any of you out there have had a 'I wish I would have' moment after building your garage. The only "design" aspects I can think of is to add is a nice drain, an outside closet for the air compressor and a sink to clean up in. I’ll also make it 12’ tall to accommodate a lift if I decide to get one. Is there anything else that I couldn’t add later?
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I wish I would have poured a couple of deeper footings somewhere in the center of the floor and anchored a couple of steel loops in them. Many things done on hotrods would benefit if you could chain one particular part to the damn floor and jack the rest of it up to pull things straight.

 

HEAT and AIR CONDITIONING-Ventalation-MUCH LIGHTING

 

how bout a toilet so you dont have to run into the house in the middle of something important! sleeping quarters?

 

It's going to have it's own electrical service, right?

 

good ventilation, plenty of lights (both natural and electric) I wish I would have doubled the skylights in my shop. Electrical outlets everywhere including overhead drops...also plumb the shop for air and a plumb your shop vac...I did that at my old shop (used to do alot of woodworking) and it was great to not have to drag the shop vac around.

 

Double the size, a 25 x 45 will probably be half the size you really need!

 

The floor pull pockets are a great idea, floor drain, plenty of 20 amp outlets.

If you can map out a floor plan of where you want everything to go, that might help, like a welding/metalworking area, etc.

Mike

 

Check out the Garage Journal web-site, Ryan's other "great site", the archives and boards are very informative. As a contractor you never satisfy your needs!

 

Floor heat, you run plasic line thru the forms and hook each end to a hot water heater and it heats the floor and the shop

 

Aircell roof insulation , I have almost finished my shed / house and the smaller shed to the side is not insulated and the difference is amazing ...

 

If there is any chance that your hoist will be an in ground type then frame your blockout before casting the floor, it will be neater than saw cuts. You can drill the hole before the slab or thru the slab.

Put elec outlets everywhere you think you might need one.... better than long ext cords...and use multiple breakers so you don't kill everything at the same time.

Mount a powered exhaust fan in the gable or along the ridge and run ducts to where you might be welding and/or painting. If you're painting then use an explosion proof motor on the fan.

Since your planning a sink consider adding a urinal, unless your neighbours don't mind seeing you hose the bushes...

My $0.03

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Only thing I can add is box trusses. Build your "man-cave" upstairs. I'd say in-floor heat, but you may not have to worry about that down there.

 

I'm in the same mind set. Would like to add on to the existing old shop (no heat, etc.) or build a new one about the size you mention. I have thought the following:
1. Skylignt - about a 3' square thermal double payne glass for about $250 - I've used them before and to have a lot of natural light is great! The entire shop feels better. Also, I like lots of windows for natural light. Maby non opening panels up high on the side walls for light but high enough to discourage intruders.
2. An overhead door - maby two of them at either end to get a summer breeze going.
3. Also a standard entry door with small metal awning for rainy days.
4. A couple or more ceiling fans in the center of the space.
5. Finished or semi finished walls to hang stuff and "art" on.
6. A friend put radiant heat in the slab of his new shop - runs off a single 55 gal. water heater and a small elec circulater pump. He has a back up gas furnace also. I am seriously considering this. NO COLD FEET!
7. I like a "vintage" look so I'm considering covering the front wall exterior out of the old "S" pattern courregated barn metal. Maby build the entire thing outa this! Adding a pipe mounted shaded light or too over the doors. Something to make it inviting and not look like another tractor shed.
8. I like your plumbing idea for a bathroom and/or wash.
9. Maby a faux vintage sign painted on the side or such.
10. And like someone else said - double the size of it!
Just a few ideas I'm working on.........................

 

Floor pull pockets like the others have said...I had em sprinkled throughout my last garage and I miss the hell outta them on the new house...hopefully going to be moving soon so I'll get to build another garage to my specs..

Only other thing I can add....beef up your joists (think loadbearing roof beams)...thataway you can lay down a plank floor on say the front part of the garage and have parts storage space....

 

How about a mezzanine with your computer on a desk, small fridge, microwave, filing cabinet for receipts and other paper work, TV, speaker system for tunes, small storage, and an easy chair overlooking the shop so you can sit and appreciate/design/dream

 

Don't forget DISH or DirectTV and high speed internet

 

i would say the one thing i wish i had would be one of those really loud alarm systems that is connected to the police station. a toilet/sink and 220 all around. nice finish on your concrete too

 

Adding to this notion, I worked for a contractor some years back and we built a shop/garage and the owner wanted a "tow point" installed opposite of the garage door. He used it for winching old ("stuck") vehicles off trailers or into the shop. Cool idea to have it but I most likely wouldn't use it enough to justify the added cost.

I will have radiant heat in whatever I build in the future. If you have to work on a floor it makes it much more enjoyable.

 

Try this idea. A crane for lifting stuff.



We use the heck out of that thing.

I second (or third, lost count) the idea of lots of lighting. Keep in mind opened hoods when you locate your lighting fixtures. If you have your lights right above the place where your vehicle will be worked on, you will work in shadow when the hood is up. We placed spot lights on the wall in front of the work space so we could have light directly into the engine compartment.



Ceiling fan (or fans). They really help in summer and circulate the hot air at the ceiling in the winter. Our shop is 40x45 and we have three fans. You can just see the outlet boxes for them at the center of the ceiling between the lights. They are on speed controls. Well worth the bother to install.



Did I mention: lots of lighting? 8' High Output fluorescents

 

add a paint booth side lights mount on wall shadows make it real tough to see go with high out put bulbs find a guy that manufactures them this is way cheaper than homie depot or lowes thats what i did i paid 35.00 a light instead of 50.00 exhaust fan and a lot of electric and one 60 amp minimal 220 line for that big compressor your gonna buy water seperator oiler and drain for compressor should be added along with heat and airconditioner thats my 2 cents good luck john

 

In floor heat, 2X6 walls w/ R-19 insulation. Storage or attic trusses and an attic/drop down ladder. DONT SKIMP ON YOUR GARAGE DOORS!

 

Time was short when I built my shop, I wish I could have held off and put radiant heat in the slab. A toilet would have been a huge bonus as well but there was no way of making that happen.

 

If you're planning on running a lathe or a milling machine, anticipate where in the shop you'll want to locate them. When pouring the cement floor, pour it at least 3 times thicker in these locations for a solid base - these are precision machines and require an accurate and stable set-up. Better still, check with several local machine shops for advice, then decide for yourself.

 

may need to consider 3-phase, but yes, a stable base.

 

Floor drains! You also might want to check out the Garage Journal site.

 

Not sure what the winters are like in OK but you need both florescent and incandescent lights. Make the incandescent ones come on a different switch. This is because when its cold out the florescent do not run as bright as when its cold out. But if you have heat in this thing then don't worry about it. We have heat but its not run when we are not in the garage and natural light is hard to get into the garage being surrounded by tall evergreens. Wish I would have put those in to help till the florescent warm up.

We made a spray booth out of the right side with light mounted on the walls. Put 2 air compressor stations with hoses, and a huge attic fan used as an exhaust fan. Our garage is attached to the house so when its hot out...just crank that thing on low and it sucks hot air downstairs and out the garage 2 stories down! Cool air comin' in from the windows!

Also wish I would have made it 1' taller. Always add a block! Good luck and good idea asking.

 

High output fluorescents will light in the cold. They also put out more light than standard lamps of the same length.

They also cost more....

 

A lot of good ideas, I would just add that there may be some that you would like to do, but the current budget may not allow for it. But adding provisions for upgrades later can be a cheaper, pay as you go approach. Not sure if floor heat is needed in Ok, but that is one you can easily provision for and save $$$ later if you go for it. Others are plumbing stubs for a bathroom, a bigger elect. box than you'll really need to add on later, extra frame members where you may want to add windows/sky light, doors, etc. later, deep footings for a lift (but you'll also probably need studs in the floor which can be a pain in the ass until the lift is installed), additional wiring for lights (box them off if you can't afford all the lights right away), higher voltage outlets, etc. You get the idea.

 

My dad always said if you have a sink in the shop, you already have a urinal.