Someone mention 220 lines? Pick an area for heavy work and another for storing the finished goods and put at least 2 220 lines in the work area if not everywhere! There are some books on designing a garage like that garage journal someone mentioned. Of course make sure there is a man-door! Floor drains would be awesome!
Lots of great ideas here, but don't forget security. srdart67 touches on it. Walk through doors can be kicked open, windows can be easy entries for bad guys. Go on vacation for a few days and come home to find tools and cool old car parts gone. Do some research and build your toy room bad guy proof.
Here's one no one has mentioned yet, but , speaking from experience, DO NOT put anything in that garage, not even one wrench or plier, until ALL the wiring is done. Do not listen to your old lady when she says, 'put this in the garage' until all the wiring is done. Before you know it you have more shit than you can move around and your wiring takes seven years to complete.
The lilac bush outside works too. Like others have said, radiant floor heating! It's supposed to be 10 below here Friday. Sure would be nice to have a warm shop.
every since I met my real father at age 30 and saw his shop with a trolly style crane system I have always wanted one.
Our high for tomorrow is -7. My shop's an old barn I hope to add on to some day. Sure wish I had heat in it. You guys have great ideas. Got family in OK, and heated floor really isn't necessary, but if it's a luxury you can afford why not? Probably the best idea mentioned thus far is the spot lights for working. If I had my way there'd be lights every three feet in my garage, cieling, walls, you name it. Tie downs are great if you will be doing any frame work, though if you have a four point lift (instead of two point) you'll have plenty of attachment points.
Build it Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger, Bigger. You never have enough room. 25x45 isn't all that big once you start putting tools, benches and other goodies in it....oh yeah, and a car or two. Unless you are very strict about what gets to stay in the shop I'm betting that you'll have room for one...MAYBE two cars in there plus a modest amount of work room. Go big....even if it means other items may have to wait a bit.....just my opinion. -Bigchief.
Well if you're gonna have a sink, put is a hot and cold mixer with a hose bib. If you can't do the crane, do an I beam with a trolley block and tackle. Oh yea a reas over head door so you can hide stuff ithe back yard. Put some florecents with difusers at shoulder height. Over head lighting is good but it makes shadows where you don't want them sometimes. Cable or sat tv outlet and one of those bigass flat screens, and a place for the dog to be comfortable in.
OKay, here it is for those that dont pay attention.......... www.garagejournal.com You see, it is our sister site that deals with everything garage! Cool beans!
I use metal halide overhead lights with T15 neon vertical wall mount lights they do a great job of imitating bright daylight. Make sure you have tall enough side walls to be able to install those four poster hoists you'll need when you run out of space, approximately one year after you finish building it!
I built mine 30x48x12.(snuck in an extra 8 feet, told my x it was going to be 30x40). Still too small. Added 10x48 storage room on the back. Took two years to fill. Still too small. Mine is a pole building. After pouring concrete now my ceiling trusses are 11.7 grrr! Most lifts need 12 feet. Bought a Snap on lift which top bar that could be lowered .Lowered it 4 inches and now I have to hunch down to work under car. I also have heated floor. Make sure if you are going to put in a lift that you lay the heating tube right for clearence. Works nice but mine is expencive to run. Make seperate room for heater and compressor. Noise will drive you crazy. Never enough outlets. Put as much insulation in it as you can afford. I have no sky lights and I think they are just a place for heat to escape. I have no windows for prying eyes. I also upgraded the entry door for security.
I live in my shop. I have a few pics in my shop/apartment album. Battery back up exit lighting is a cool feature. I have one at the front and back door. 110(20amp) and 220(50amp) outlets outside at the front and back doors. ceiling fans, exhaust fans. hose bibs at each corner of the building. Somewhere outside to wash dirty parts, either with gravel, or slopping concrete/asphalt so the mud/dirt/grease will flow away.
40'X80' two story. 2X6 construction and trusses every 4'. Two overhead doors (one each end) w/ electric openers. Office and full bathroom, and storage above office for wheels and tires. this was a dream of 25 years and when I built my house I got the dream along with it. The wife got to plan the house and I planned the shop. Win/win. If you live in the north don't skimp on insulation. Every dollar you spend on insulation you'll get back many times over when those winter heating bills start coming in. I've got a 110 outlet every 4' all around the shop a 3 ph converter for the machine shop area. An inground single post hoist right next to the office and a 15,000 btu overhead heater w/ductwork from end to end w/ 3 overhead fans to keep the warm air down on the floor, and a spray booth opposite end of the office. It cost a bundle but I never regreted it and now I'm set for life as far as a playhouse is concerned. Frank
I may have missed it but I didn't see anyone mention a pit. One of the greatest additions you can have, put angle iron around the edge so you can cover it with a floor of 2x6.
My only regret is not having heavier trusses put in when it was built. Put in a bathroom if at all possible, especially if its detached from the house.
The love of a good shed seems to be universal. I dream of the sort of shed of which you speak. Someone said man cave.........thats my shed, sauna in summer, beer cooler in winter, dark and evil..... and the only way you'd drag me out of it is in a box.
I used angle iron around the edges of mine and special ordered 1" plywood for the covers. Plenty strong enough to walk on.
Mount a dehumidifier in the rafters and run a hose outside from it. Skylights. Central vac with outlets on every wall. As for GarageJournal, I know it's the HAMB "sister site" but there simply isn't the same DIY mentality over there.
Finally got approved from the local yocals (needed 3 variances!!!!!) to finally build my 2.5+ "horticultural building" right across from my 2 car garage attached to the house. Had height restrictions, had to appear in the same design as the house, etc. What an effing mess and challenge. Like the previous posts, as many electrical outlets as possible and LIGHTS!!!! I even went back and changed the cheap shit my builder put in...cannot have enough light. I also put in a series of can lights with halogens on the back wall (opposite of the garage doors) where I planned on putting tables, work areas, etc. Has worked out GREAT. Also used slatwall on the back wall...AWESOME. You can buy affordable baskets, hooks, trays, etc in all sizes and painted in all colors. Also, I had the floors painted in the speckled DuPont paint and coated in a hard-resin finish. Not the cheapest thing, but man....you wipe shit right up, it doesn't show dirt and it looks damn good. Would highly recommend that you build up the foundation several inches to limit varmits, etc...... Like another here, I had the trusses beefed up so once we were "in," we could address the man lounge needs. Good luck!
It would be difficult to accidently drive on it. The garage stall is not very wide and you'd have to crank the wheel hard over in either direction to get a wheel on it. The garage is narrow enough to discourage this type of behaviour. Not saying it's impossible, but you'd really have to be trying. 1" plywood is actually pretty strong. Just getting one wheel on a corner of it by accident, you probably wouldn't even break it.
I live so far away from neighbors that there is no need to install a toilet. If something more serious that taking a leak comes up, I am going in the house anyway. Would like a place to keep the clean stuff away from the dirty stuff though. Now it is just all dirty stuff.
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