Better Work Area

[Justwondering]

Lets suppose you currently use the driveway and cardboard to work on your cars and tractor. And, lets suppose you want to build an place to have an all weather work area as well as a place to park vehicle(s).

Tell me what I should do and what mistakes not to make.

 

[Gator]

Build a building as big as you can afford.

 

[Darth-Car]

Concrete floor. Then go from there.

 

[Aspen500]

That's pretty much it. No matter how big it looks once the foundation and slab are poured, it won't be big enough!
Of course, zoning rules have a say in it as well. I wanted a bigger shop behind the house but can only have 1,000 sq ft of external buildings so,,,,,,,,,,24x30 on the shop which left enough for a 12x16 storage shed. Could have gone bigger if it was attached to the house and the attached garage (only 1 car sadly) but my wallet said otherwise. Detached can go on a floating slab, attached would require a 4 ft deep foundation and probably blasting to get through the ginormous rocks.

Anyways, make sure to site the building so you can easily get in and out with a vehicle, plan your electrical in advance. The, insulate with fiberglass and put rigid 1/2" over the studs, followed by sheetrock (for fire resistance). In your climate you can probably go without heat but if budget allows, A/C will make working a whole lot nicer experience on those hot Texas summer days.
Lighting. Figure out how much you think will be enough and then double it (seriously). If you can put windows in, all the better. Mine only has one small window and it sucks (planning on adding some eventually). As I said, budget is the deciding factor and the reason mine was built with only one window. Had it built 3 months after buying the house so money was tight. LOL, like it isn't tight now!

Do what you can yourself to cut costs. I had the excavation, concrete and exterior put up and finished but did the electrical, insulation, sheet rock, etc and paid myself nothing. Oh, obviously I had a professional put the hanging furnace in. One last piece of advise. Finish the garage totally BEFORE starting to use it. I still have bare drywall and and tape joints among other things still not finished because I started on my car project and never got back to the garage project. Maybe this year.......................Yeah right! lol.

 

[7T8 Custom]

Solid foundation, concrete floor, 2 by 6 framing, lots of insulation, a door big enough to get your biggest vehicle through(tractor ?), power, plumbing if you want to put in a washtub sink, AND as big as you can afford.

 

[Justwondering]

Would you go with a multiple opening garage or something more like a barn?
I can see pros and cons of each way.

 

[7T8 Custom]

Depends on how you are going to use it. If its big enough for multiple vehicles that are all taken out at different times the the more doors the better(and/or one door at each end). Drive through anyone?

 

[360 mafia]

Go to scrap yard and get a steel I beam to put in the ceiling so you can pull engines.Steel is best cause you can use it to lift front or back of your car. Also find new friends.Your old ones will want to store there stuff there and use it for there own projects that seem to go on for ever

 

[Justwondering]

Is that personal experience talking?

 

[7T8 Custom]

Go to scrap yard and get a steel I beam to put in the ceiling so you can pull engines.Steel is best cause you can use it to lift front or back of your car. Also find new friends.Your old ones will want to store there stuff there and use it for there own projects that seem to go on for ever

I have found in the past that if people want to store stuff at your place because they are too cheap to pay for storage then telling them "Sure but it`s this much per month." usually causes them to have a better idea quickly.

 

[Justwondering]

I'm gonna use that comment!

 

[BudW]

In summer, you will want at least 3 doors (overhead, sliding, etc.) to allow a breeze in – maybe one for each side.

A rest room.
Other than restroom, would be nice to have 2nd sink/wash basin inside with lines going outside for wash basin outside (with valves allowing outside lines to be turned off in winter).

Concrete slab with metal frame is best.
Dirt floor is usable as long as floor is slightly higher than surrounding area.
No matter how big you budget for, it will be too small

If you go concrete, you might consider having a pit made in floor. That way you can walk under car for oil changes. Also handy in case storm comes.
Also, if going concrete floor, think about making a storm/root cellar (if the above pit doesn’t make the cut) under your garage.

I’ve heard you want building height to be more than twice the height of tallest vehicle that could enter said building (what I heard – I have no facts to back up). I think it allows room for vehicle maintaince, maybe.

It would be nice to make at least part of structure strong enough to lift heavy parts with (engines, transmissions, etc.) via chain hoist, if needed.

Can never have too much light.

Consideration for air compressor and air lines (part inside/part outside) might be warranted.

Most important item is a fridge.

Not sure of exact size, but my dad built a metal building, I think 50x100’. One half is for tractor maintaince and repairs (can easily get two motorhomes into this section) with open area above. The other half has a 2nd floor. The top floor is for storage. One half (1/4th of floor) of the lower floor is a woodworking workshop, and other half is hardwood storage and storage too heavy to carry upstairs.

 

[Darth-Car]

Light is so very important. Sky lights are great, but I am only talking about roof panels that allow light to pass through, not clear glass. The frosted roof panels diffuse, and disperse the light better.

There are also a lot of great, bright LED shop light options that are now on the market. Buy what you think you need, then double it.

You will want a lift for the largest vehicle that you own, I am guessing that would be the dually. Do not skimp here. There are a lot of lifts imported from the chi-coms that look like knock offs of legitimate manufacturer's products. You may save a buck, but when it collapses on you, and destroys your vehicle, was it worth it? Spend the bucks, and buy the brand name stuff.

 

[Justwondering]

Brian,
I'm really torn between a lift or building a bay under the floor. I was kinda thinking of using the bay as a storm shelter when needed.
But that brings in the entire concept of how do you close the 'door' above if there is a car sitting there. As well as it would be about 300 feet from the house.

Right now I'm thinking of 1 bay thats tall enough for an RV. That gives me the height I need for tractor or vehicle on a lift. Then 2 more bays for parking. Still need an office and potty.

There's too many options...lol
Course, the fact that there is no money yet is a bigger issue.

 

[Aspen500]

Darth, worse is when a elcheapo deluxe lift from China collapses and not only wrecks the vehicle that was on it, it wrecks the person standing underneath it.

No money to do it yet? Man does that ever sound familiar

 

[Justwondering]

For xmas last year, I bought my dad one of those 3 foot, 2 row LED lights for his barn.
He now has 3 in there.
Really adds a lot of light.

 

[Aspen500]

That's what I want to put in my shop eventually. I've got 15 4-foot double tube fluorescent fixtures on the ceiling and 3 incandecent track lights over one of the workbenches and I can't see a darn thing. Granted, they aren't as bright as they once were, new tubes would help but still not enough light.

Back to the same old story though, money to do it (or the lack thereof), lol.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Light is so very important. Sky lights are great, but I am only talking about roof panels that allow light to pass through, not clear glass. The frosted roof panels diffuse, and disperse the light better.

There are also a lot of great, bright LED shop light options that are now on the market. Buy what you think you need, then double it.

You will want a lift for the largest vehicle that you own, I am guessing that would be the dually. Do not skimp here. There are a lot of lifts imported from the chi-coms that look like knock offs of legitimate manufacturer's products. You may save a buck, but when it collapses on you, and destroys your vehicle, was it worth it? Spend the bucks, and buy the brand name stuff.

If it says Made In China it might as well say Made To Break.

 

[brotherGood]

FWIW, make sure you check your areas local laws. Here, its illegal to build a pit. Im currently arranging delivery of the shed my dad and step-grandfather built..one thay I helped build while in high school. Its a 12x16 with huge doors. Its got 2 windows in it right now, but one is busted, along with the back wall. So, when it gets to my house, im going to repanel that entire back wall, eliminating the window, and use it for storage/mowers/etc. Im still undecided as to whether or not I want power out there..but we'll see. The wife thinks its ugly, and hates that im getting it..meanwhile shes still upset that theres barely any room in the garage for the mower...hmmm

 

[Justwondering]

Thankfully, there are no building restrictions on the land.