Geo

Oh Keith, this is one we'll have to sit down with some beers to discuss.

I've thought of this since once Kerry is through with school we'll likely be moving to the DFW area. If I stay in the rat race here is what I'd like.....

6 car garage
2 story
lift in one bay

Originally I planned on setting up my woodworking shop in the second story, but with my father-in-law retiring in 2-3 years, and being the type to not want to impose, given the chance to do this we'll install a guest quarters above.

Fully heated and air conditioned.
Epoxy floor
Lots of lights
No, more lights than that.

Lots of shelves
Lots of other storage

One reason for needing all the room is to build a car rotissarie for building race cars.

In our case, since kids aren't in our future (barring a miracle), the house will probably be smaller than the garage.

There's more, but we'll need those beers.

Good luck to you both. You two deserve it.

Skip

If you're going for a 3-car, try to find one that has the third separated from the 2-car main bay. A set of double-doors is the ticket, just in case you need to roll large stuff through. You can set the 3rd as a maintenance-free zone where cleaning and caressing can take place and also serve as the area where she parks daily. For the two-car, try to get the double-door type with no middle post (sometimes hard to find and/or expensive). It's real nice to work on a car with 8+ feet of clearance to the port and starboard. Some folks decide on the single-car bay as the "workshop", but I've seen more-than-not dissatisfied with that arrangement. If you're like me and do any metal work, painting and wordwork in the garage you'll really appreciate the separate bay.

Another nicety is to have the air compressor outside the garage (sheltered, of course) and just air hookups at strategic areas within (recoiled from the roof does not work well for me - easier to have two mid-wall hookups.) It's a bit of a trade, and should really only be considered if using a very low-maintenance compressor (mo'money - the type that doesn't require full bleed after every use). Biggest reason; they're flippin noisy buggers. A friend of mine built a small enclosure outside the garage for his - then, was unsatisfied with that so he insulated the whole thing with Dynamat. He really hated the noise of that thing and spends quite a bit of time in the shop. When I asked him "What about the tools themselves... don't they make noise?" he just glared unamusingly

Good Luck!

Luis de Prat

If you haven't already, browse Ultimate Garages by Phil Berg for some "inspirational" garage examples.

I found it by chance at the local Borders bookstore and spent like 30 minutes ogling at the pictures.

zehnd

Also Keith I had my walls of the garage sprayed with drywall mud, like what they do on ceilings but not as thick. It makes a nice finish, but the real reason is if you ding up your wall, all you have to do is touch it up with paint and you will never know it was there.

Jay Wellwood

This is an interesting topic as I am in the process of building a new home.

I have incorporated a lift (foward manufacturing assymetrical), air lines w/ reel, plenty of outlets, 220 service for future welding machine, have Oxy/Acet kit already. Set up for a cordless phone and wireless Internet connection for laptop to access rennlist anytime I want. Also have seperate stereo just for the garage.

ASir compressor is hidden under the house in a remoite location - so there will be no sound issues. Only have to decide on the floor paint/covering at this point. House should finish NLT the end of next month. I'll post pics when it's done.

Any suggestions for floor covering???

icat

Skip - I agree on the doors and the lack of use in a single bay (too confined). But in a marriage there are compromises to be made and sometimes you just have to work with what you get. This house would look awful with a single door - so it's two or nothing. I like the double depth outside bay though. Where it connects with the single bay the wall is set at an angle and that gives some extra room. It appears that I would be able to pull forward into the tandem bay and then reverse course at an angle and put myself in the center of the front bays. I'm fairly certain I will use the back bay of the tandem for a work shop area, but I may set up the bench along the short wall on the inside single depth bay. That way I'd have room to park a trailer in the garage.

All I can say is it's a good problem to have.

Geo - a beer or two sounds good right about now.

alengyel

If its not built yet, make sure you get clearance for the lift. If you need details for the footing you can contact the manufacturer or I could get off my *** and do it early since I'm going to have to do it soon anyway.
Another nice thing would be a floor drain. If you do air lines, its best to go with black iron. Its more expensive but pvc with compressed air has killed people.

SidViscous

Congrats Keith.

I would recomend digging a pit so you can change theoil under the car, like they have at Speedy Lube and so forth.

I recomend that this pit have 20X20 dimensions, with of course only a small hole in the "roof" for doing the oil change business and the like.

I would then stack the room with the above mentioned sofa's televisions and adult beverage dispensers.

Can you just see it when the better half sticks her head in the garage looking for you, cuz she has something you need to do, and doesn't see you, and goes away, cuz your in the basement.

UDPride

Buddy of mine on here has an incredible garage. Two car garage but its decked out. Hes got cabinets built in everywhere (painted red of course). Half of his other storage stuff is courtesy of the Griots catalog. Hes got the black/white checkerboard floor with red edging. Porsche memorabilia on the walls everywhere (static signs, lighted signs), 36" cable TV hanging from the ceiling, la-z-boy, deep washing sink, flourescent lights EVERYWHERE, including all along the baseboards, I have a couple photos of it but they are crappy. Other than a lift, hes pretty much got the setup I want. If Im over soon I'll take some better photos.

Everything in the garage is either red, black, or gold. Hes got Porsche crests on all the cabinet handles. Its just sick. He does a ton of car shows and concours stuff so its his "laboratory".

Bill

Travis,

Luck had nothing to do with it. You have to fight to get anything nowadays. At my first application the utility company said "NO 3-PHASE TO A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING".

But, I built my house on 5 acres that is zoned "Agricultural". I had to bring up the agricultural zoning and I told them that I planned to have green houses in the future, mass irrigate the field, out-structures ie: shop to repair heavy equipment. After a week, they approved the installation.

I did have to compromise though, I really wanted a Y transformer, but they would only give me a delta. On a side note - One cool thing that I did not realize until I got my first bill, 3-phase is commercial power and commercial power is cheaper per KW/Hr than residential power! I guess the logic is that commercial users, theoreticly use more and thus get a better rate. Who am I to argue?

Keith,

I will post a picture of my walls on curbs.

icat

Sink and floor drain! Yikes - some of you guys are really serious garage adicts! The sink would be nice though. I'll have to see what the evil sales guy says when I bring that one up. Actually, he's been great so far - of course we haven't began to add on all the extras so the final cost may kill me. He'll likely use the extras to get back at me for driving such a hard bargin on the base price. Hey, what can I tell you - I was willing to walk away (of course Joyce would have killed me). We actually did tell him no at one point. We went in to the model, told him it was just too much, and then he started cutting the price. Not a bad tactic - damn glad he caved, Joyce would have had my hide if he didn't.

Gear Dog

I'm in the process of reclaiming my 2nd bay. It's currently filled with work toys (mower, snow blower etc.)
I'm looking into getting a shed but then that is now an issue.
I wanted an 8x10 until I saw a 12x16, I have to find out what the local codes are but I really want the big one. I to got a cool house along with my 2 car garage. I've been there for 3 years now and my wife is already talking about expanding. If that happens then I'll give up the garage and turn it into a big family room with a pool table and some cool movie seats.

But back to the original subject.
Heavy duty shelves, lots good light, several jacks and stands.

Gear Dog

I forgot to add I'll be giving up the 2 car garage to build a 3 car with workshop. I live on a corner lot and have a side yard that the garage would fit perfect on.

alengyel

For some background, I'm working on my house plans now and ill get six bays. Some may be wondering, "how in the hell did you get that past the wife"? I'm calling it an on grade basement, it helps get you space for sweat equity later. Ill put the office and photo studio in the the extra three bays later..... Good luck Keith, and yes they love the extras after the contract is signed....

Geo

Oh man, I'm going through an audit right now and have a board meeting tomorrow. Two beers is starting to sound like an appetizer.