garage build - suggestions?
 

so i am going to be starting construction on a new garage in august or september, i am looking for any input or suggestions as i may not think of everything.

here is the basic run down of what is going to be done.

30 x 30 (900sqft)
2x6 construction
r20 in walls
r40 in ceiling
vinyl siding
1 window
9' x 16' rear garage door
9' x 8' front garage door
1 large walk in door (forget the dimensions)
forced air heat
100 amp dedicated panel (40 circuit panel?)
4 x 20 amp plugs
1 x 220 plug
2 ceiling fans
18 pot lights outside under soffit
2 motion lights, front and rear
wired for cable/phone/ethernet
wiring for six speakers in ceiling, 3 on each side.

thats pretty much it for now, i cant think of anything else.. besides maybe a wired security camera system.

i am doing all the electrical/cable wiring myself. so i can pretty much do anything wiring related.

If you raise your ceiling to 12 feet,you can add an addict and add more storage space for parts and such, an office or something.

The higher the better, then you can add a lift in the future if your planning on going that far.

And a sink for washing your hands.

Custom floor, U-coat it?

http://www.americangarageworks.com/i...o_garage_5.jpg

it would be nice, but i spec'd everything out with the city already. 10' is the max i can go, otherwise i will exceed the max limit on building height.

only other option is to build a smaller garage with a more relaxed pitch and a stupid overhang.

i cant change the dimensions of the garage, its maxed to my property lines.

You can also dig the ground up alittle bit if you haven't thought about it.

ooh BOOOOO on the city!!!

if i had the ability to build my own garage, id go for high ceilings, high enough to put a 2 post lift in...

Are you going with a natural gas unit heater? I installed one in a garage about a month ago. Keep in mind that they are about 2 ft high and hang about a foot off the ceiling...so you might want to think now about where to put it where it won't be in your way.

in floor heating. so nice for winter.

More plugs. There are never enough.

If you're going to be welding, consider putting in a proper ventilation fan as opposed to just the ceiling fans, your lungs will thank you.

As mentioned, a wash basin if you can plumb it, and a urinal too. Saves you having to kick off your filthy shoes to go for a piss in the house when you're all drinkin' in the shop on build nights.

Run your hot water pipes in your floor, thats what we did with our shop. makes life soooooo much nicer in the winter

Rather than adding an "addict" to your garage, I'd recommend an attic instead. But unless you plan on using that space as living quarters, an attic truss system will be way too much money and also mess around with any height restrictions that may be in place in your area. 30' does make one hell of a nice attic room depending on the snow load in your area.

Also the idea for in-floor heating is your best route for a shop, there is pretty much no recovery time once you close your garage doors in the winter.

LOL I think this is the first time I've ever posted on here at work / about work... haha

i bet everyone wishes they had an addict in their garage haha

more plugs and a slop sink for sure
and what about a pit idea if you cant do more height?

Go for more than one window, or even consider solar tubes or skylights. Natural light is free! Don't forget the beer fridge!

^ as long as they're insulated properly.

also urinal is brilliant

Yeah, radiant floor heat is a good way to go. Especially in a garage since its biggest downfall is that you can't cool with it. I'm assuming you weren't planning on having AC anyway. It is also quite expensive since you have to run the tubing in the floor, and I think boilers are more expensive than unit heaters.

More windows are good for light, but are also a huge source of heat loss. Just something to consider.

only one window is going in for heat loss/ security. no infloor heat. the garage is way to far away from the house. no plumbing for water, just natural gas heater.

i will have a very good lighting system setup, i just gotta figure out. i might have as many as 6-8 zones for lighting.

and have them all controllable from your cell phone!

^ dry urinal then, if the house is far.

If you can swing it, try tossing a horizontal fluorescent tube on each side of your work area, about 7 feet up, and pointing down on about a 45* angle. These are great if you're polishing inside, and also to help get useful light under the hood when you're doing motor work. Lights that are directly overhead are blocked by your hood, and also by your body when you're leaning over whatver you need to see, creating shitty shadows.

sorry for late reply but this is not always true.

Many areas, especially close to sea level, you can't dig. You have to know your local building code before building.

I only wanted to post this here so everyone doesn't make a costly mistake on some random internet advice. Cheers, and sorry for the 2009 bump.

radiant flooring is great and all. but unless you are going to leave the heat on 24/7, it's a big waste of heat. and don't forget, radiant flooring takes at least 8 to 9 hours from off to room temperature (for a regular house, might be shorter for a smaller space). force air is still the best way to go

Flushed in driveway lights embedded in the concrete would look awesome...

update op?

Drainage. Our garage is at the end of a slop and when debris covers it the gets a stream of mater going threw it.