Anyone have any good links to garage pix and ideas bring em on. Just started looking and have my graph paper ready to start sketching ideas.

Looking to do 3 stalls, upper mezz area high ceiling at least on 2 bays, with ample room for lounge area, beer fridge washroom TV etc. Want it to fit in with the house look but a bit of funky personalization too...

I'm going to mirror my current garage on the other side of the driveway, only I will have three stalls with service doors on each end. Looks like I can fit six 'birds in there if I had to.

Here's a shot of my current one. It would be easy to make a loft in the upper peak, but I don't plan on doing that for mine.

That will be fun! When I built my garage I went with in-floor heating, it was excellent.

Some ideas ...

I also put a sump in the floor and made the garage pad slope to sump. Water never goes outside so you use the garage as a indoor car wash in winter.

You can purchase an on-demand hot water heater & indirect tank to provide you home & garage unlimited hot water and heat for your garage floor.

I have heating designs if you wanna have a look.

My neighbor had some guys in that do garage pad coating. They put a costing that totally smoothed out the floor and made it the color blue like lake water. Looks really sharp.

Bring 60-100 amp supply to a breaker box in the garage. Wire some areas for 20,30 and 40amp plugs.

Some of these ideas will also benefit your family.

Thanks Craig, I found a good website forum "Garage Journal Board" as well... This is going to be fun

Thanks Brian, I am familiar with Tankless HW heaters, built two in the current house I built, two Takagi's...love em. I will be retrofitting them in the new place and one in the garage.

Having done a lot of concrete structures and work, I am familiar with the different coatings, and may look at staining and sealing at least some of it, but not yet there...the sump idea makes sense tho, would be cheap to do...

At any rate the acreage is mine, just got the signed contract 15 minutes ago...

View from the back (south facing)taken by me...grass a bit ratty from the rain and winter


Google view (about 2 years old....still has the horse barn and paddock, which will go...arrow shows where the garage will go


Kitchen and LR upstairs, turfing the range for a commercial gas setup and downdraft.


Lots to do and add to but good bones to start with....

Nice spread with lots of old trees! I'd love to have a pool.
Need a cabana man!

Yeah Man. Do you want to build me one

Craig how deep is your current garage? Is the bottom truss chord at ceiling level or a scissor truss sloping up slightly?

I have designed a few for some car guys.....I`d say go with 10 ft plate, slope ceiling up to 12 ft.....gives you room for lift(s)...I did a 7 car garage for a guy limited on space ,we made a 4 car garage footprint and used 3 lifts.....

Only one suggestion from me. BIG!

Here are a couple ideas you should incorporate into the man cave

Emergency escape should never be taken lightly..


Make sure to stay well hydrated while working hard all day!

there are also some good ideas on these two sites...

http://www.gladiatorgarageworks.com/
http://www.garagetek.com/

Now Doug, I see a dancers pole....while others may see a fireman's slide which is it!

Bjorn, those sites have some interesting products, but the getting started areas are for the average Joe...but guys like you and I will just get ideas, hit the Autocad or even Sketchup and git er done!

Don't forget one of these!

As for the pole, here is what I see. A naked pair of fire fighting ladies who need to "brush up" on their pole sliding skills. And maybe also hone their bush fire extinguishing skills...

yes, I`m talking about the products on those sites...and like the SS work bench tops.

The current one is 38' wide, 28 feet deep. The new one will be 46'x28'. The current one has a flat ceiling at 8 feet. 8:12/4:12 roof pitches to match the house.

C'mon Dave, it's 2011! Revit Structure is the only way to fly!

[/quote]

Now Doug, I see a dancers pole....while others may see a fireman's slide which is it![/quote]

We see it the same way of course... I was just being subtle.
I also see a frige full of cold ones

Yeah yeah, we used Revit on the hospital....unfortunately I don't have the luxury of the software at home!! I'm flying free and easy at present! Besides its just a garage LOL, take me longer to commit it to Revit than it would to build it!

Do you find the 28 foot depth adequate for car/truck and some bench space in front? The garage in the current house (2 car) is 24w x 25 deep with one bay having an extra 5' bump in for my tools. Its tight...

Whats your feeling on width per bay for a little legroom, I was thinking of a partial bench in between 2 bays.

Nice place Dave, looks awesome. Great to build your own place!

It's much easier to build it too small then too big; so go with the large end of your doubts and you'll be fine!

We see it the same way of course... I was just being subtle.
I also see a frige full of cold ones [/quote]

have you no faith! Here's my garage fridge right now....full of home brew presently, a great tasting honey brown ale...

I asked my good buddy a few years ago for a used $200 beer fridge (he is a western rep for Maytag, Jenaire Whirlpool etc etc ...this is what he dropped off! slight dent at the top stainless steel new Amana! Free... What are friends for....! Course he has been known to frequent the unit...

In terms of working on the firebird only, you could probably get by with 24' depth. I like the xtra depth because my 17' I/O fits with the lower unit extended plus the trailer hitch. Whenever I put my 'birds in the garage, there is tons of xtra room compared to when out Durango, boat, bobcat, and Grand Prix are all in the garage. I like the 10' bay widths, but not a lot of room to have two cars with the doors open at the same time. I use mine more for storage than working on. When I am working, I ususally use two bays at a time, which kicks something else outside.

Hence the need for another garage. (or at least that's what I tell my better half.)

Stick with the story

I also want to be able to bring my 18'+ F150 in there from time to time to work on and i hate being cramped. I am thinking 12' bays and 10' doors, 3 bays with a loft over one...I have been sketching a bit this morning and a few ideas are coming together...

...and yes, who knows, may need room for a boat, my sleds, atv's...think I will leave room on the property to add on!

may have some rough sketches to post for critique tomorrow....

OOOH! We LOVE to critique around here...

I'm a big boy, no problem, and it can only make it better...right?

I am struggling a bit with orientation, always liked the garage here, south facing, sun coming in on those cooler days. I don't have that opportunity here, so struggling with east facing doors, west...but don't want to do north...thinking maybe east with clerestory high windows on the west side...

Can't believe it, almost have my garage packed...'cept the polishing stuff and a few bird bits...awesome!

Going to be busy this week with the home inspection, septic inspection, well tests....darned good thing I took some time off!

28ft should be fine...a Suburban for instance is 18 ft 6" overall.

yes my 07 F150 is big too and its the same length..I'm working with that (28)dim now.

of course and if you want some Architectural critique ,I`ll be happy to.....LOL

Glad you created this post Dave. I am also looking into a garage for the bird/man cave. May consider a lift for storage and one less bay to save on concrete (not sure just yet). I will look forward to your sketches.
With the foundation were you going with a floating slab c/w thickened edges?
Bye the way nice new acreage.

Scuse the real fast massing sketches, first mind dump. Been so busy arranging water flow and well tests, inspections, appraisals, bank financing changes, I am BEAT... no sketching left in me today...perhaps a beer.....


Bare bones front elevation



Added carport structure



Brief iso so you can better get the idea....

No it will be footings, upstand wall, pour the slab after. Wood construction and it can be wet at times so like everything hi and dry.

I like the car port design. This is my second 3 car garage with 1 double & 1 single door. I prefer the double but if you were just parking 3 cars then 3 singles might be better.

Go big depth and width. I would go 3.5 bays wide for a 3 car garage so you have area to use not in the path of a car.

my 2cents...

That's basically what I've done; 3.5 as you see where the mandoor is adds an extra 5-6 feet. It's plenty deep at 28 feet. I'll have to work out some cross sections to work out heights and best lumber use.

I like the carport (port c'ochere (sp) idea too

Gives me an outdoor covered area out of the sun to polish, work whatever and extends that bay.

And kind of gives it that old gas station look

Sweet looking structure Dave. The elevations and MTO will prove interesting. Most impressive is the fact that you can put pen to paper while in the middle of doing a move prep.

Leave lots off room for storage for your firebird extra parts! somewhere put out of site so the garage doesn't look cluttered.

I'm thinking of a storage room with racks not large but enough to hide 50 or so tote boxes.

Dave, the most important part of this project is your door mat. It needs to be able to hide the spare key so that I can visit or move in when my wife kicks me out (probably sooner rather than later).

That's why I will have this installed in there....for guests....

I have already kicked myself out, that's why I'm building it!

Things in the house like:

*"We want to watch two and a half men, not the hockey game..."
*"The $4000 home theaters too loud on that action movie" (I can barely here the sub kicking in!)
*"You've had 3 beer already"
*A wife and two girls that stick together on issues....

need I say more...