Garage building! - LotusTalk

Modern Wedgie · 08-24-2004, 10:45 AM

My dad is in the process of building a garage. Of course I have made sure that certain components are accounted for when creating this garage, such as space for a lift and shelving/cabinets/workbenches for working on projects

What should I add? Any ideas for equipment?

mikester · 08-24-2004, 10:55 AM

Some other friends of ours are basically blowing out and rebuilding half their house (living room/kitchen/dining area) in order to accomodate a 5-car garage ! And yes, he's going to have a lift. Lucky guy....

khamai · 08-24-2004, 10:56 AM

RULES for Garage Building...

1) NO garage is ever big enough (look at Leno's!!!)

2) Think 220V with enough power to light Vegas and plugs everywhere. Compressed air everywhere (exterior closet for the compressor so you don't have to shout over it) and a toilet.

3) Ceiling height, at least 10 ft if not 14 (especially with a lift). Lots of lighting, enough to nearly burn your retinas.

4) Sealed floors - painted or something. Clean-up is so much easier. Drain in the middle for hosing down stuff.

5) More storage. At least double what you think you need!

6) READ #1!!!

Thanks for letting me fantasize...

Kiyoshi

hermanslotus · 08-24-2004, 11:02 AM

Well if you want some really nice ideas contact my friend Steve at The Ultimate Garage.

www.ultimategarage.com

He did my garage and it's one of the featured garages on his web site. He does this full time for a living and is the best in the business.

Best of Luck,
Mitch

rtking · 08-24-2004, 11:04 AM

I agree with the list of items from Khamai. I might add:

1) Make sure you wire for either single-phase or tri-phase 220V power (depending on what your lift requires.)

2) If using epoxy flooring, make sure to use grit. I didn't on my old garage and that floor was slicker than wet frog's fur. I landed on my ass many, many times.

3) Consult a lighting engineer (Russ is one) to calculate proper amount of lighting you'll require. My garage rivaled daylight.

4) If building the garage from scratch, you may want to consider building a ventilated and insulated room for the compressor. This will cut-down noise both from the neighbors as well as inside the garage.

5) Higher roofs are worthwhile. At minimum, it gives you enough height to fully lift the vehicle and walk underneath. And if you won't use all the ceiling height, you can build-in a mezzanine to store parts.

Bob

MattG · 08-24-2004, 11:05 AM

Make the garage greater than standard in all dimensions to allow extra room for cars. This is especially true with the depth of the garage - a 30' deep garage will leave a very nice space for a workbench and area to work on the cars. Use single-wide garage doors, as these allow you to space out the cars a bit (ie, greater than the 10' spacing common in garages), and usually gives a nicer appearance from outside.

As others said, design in *plenty* of electrical capacity! Several 30A, GFCI plugs on each wall. Use plenty of lighting. If possible, plan the space for the workbench and include extra plugs and lights there.

Add a sink! A small bathroom one can be used for this and look much nicer than your traditional laundry tub - though much less functional, of course. Depends on how the sink would be used.

Drywall! Gotta have it fully finished.

Pay special attention to the surface people will see when you look up in the garage. Is it sheetrock? Exposed rafters? If exposed structure, I recommend painting it white to reflect light.

Tile floor!

mikester · 08-24-2004, 11:07 AM

Also, you can get some ideas for some cool garage goodies here:

http://www.griotsgarage.com/index.jsp

mikester · 08-24-2004, 11:09 AM

Black and white checkerboard ! I considered it but ended up going the "granite look" epoxy route (with a bit of texture for safety). I still love the look of the checkerboard though.

rtking · 08-24-2004, 11:09 AM

I used Griot's Garage epoxy... great stuff! I would buy it again in a heartbeat. Except for my current garage, I used RaceDeck's plastic tile. It's OK... but if I had to do it over again (and probably will), I'd go with epoxy and be finished with it.

Bob

MattG · 08-24-2004, 11:09 AM

Another thing - if you get your common, steel garage door, I recommend getting an insulated one. Not that you *need* it, living in So Cal, but the extra wall it provides on the inside results in a smooth, clean look to the inside of the garage door and helps add to the overall aesthetics of the space.

MattG · 08-24-2004, 11:11 AM

Don't forget to consider the garage door opener. Most of the models look bulky and really ruin a nice garage. Either get one of the slim ones (mount just above garage door, nothing hanging over the cars), or stick with a manually operated door for the ultimate in simplicity.

atyclb · 08-24-2004, 11:14 AM

drainage in the center

hot water

lots and lots of lighting

Modern Wedgie · 08-24-2004, 11:19 AM

Unfortunately, I have to deal with an HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone). As such. I am limited as to what the exterior looks like. I ahve no problem with height, as the HPOZ requires a tall roofline to go with the "look" of the era

So I have plenty of height, even potential for a loft.

The problem is with a garage door. The HPOZ doesnt want a "new" looking door; rather, they want a "barn" style door. I have found a few ideas online for wooden doors that "look" authentic but still roll up. Expensive though. I want something that rolls up so I can have it roll to my 10ft ceiling

mikester · 08-24-2004, 11:25 AM

Oh and don't forget about the "trapeze".

(To help AW get in and out of the car, right ?)

TimMullen · 08-24-2004, 11:34 AM

Make sure that the garage floor is plenty thick and use re-bar for structural strength if you are planning to install a lift - especially a two post lift.

MickOpalak · 08-24-2004, 11:42 AM

Bathroom with shower, comfy couch, fridge, loud stereo, satelite TV system that gets Speed, wet bar & beer keg.

Gromit · 08-24-2004, 11:47 AM

He needs a Poll Position archade machine

agent.5 · 08-24-2004, 11:52 AM

I will make sure that the floor is absolutely flat. It is probably not a problem in San Diego, but here in San Francisco, most houses are built on hills and the floor tilts.

TimMullen · 08-24-2004, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by agent.5
I will make sure that the floor is absolutely flat. It is probably not a problem in San Diego, but here in San Francisco, most houses are built on hills and the floor tilts.

Actually even in "flat areas" the garage floors usually slope "out". If you plan on working on cars a lot, a really flat floor is an advantage - water doesn't flow out, but the car will be level for checking fluids, doing alignments, etc.

TotallyGreen · 08-24-2004, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MickOpalak
Bathroom with shower, comfy couch, fridge, loud stereo, satelite TV system that gets Speed, wet bar & beer keg.

this man is a genius.

08-24-2004, 10:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
Modern Wedgie elise groupie Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Geneva, Switzerland Posts: 2,743	Garage building! My dad is in the process of building a garage. Of course I have made sure that certain components are accounted for when creating this garage, such as space for a lift and shelving/cabinets/workbenches for working on projects What should I add? Any ideas for equipment? __________________ Long live the Last edited by Modern Wedgie : 08-24-2004 at 10:54 AM.

08-24-2004, 10:55 AM	#2 (permalink)
mikester Registered Shmoozer Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: So Cal Posts: 4,597	Some other friends of ours are basically blowing out and rebuilding half their house (living room/kitchen/dining area) in order to accomodate a 5-car garage ! And yes, he's going to have a lift. Lucky guy.... __________________ Covered in Brandy and Lard

08-24-2004, 10:56 AM	#3 (permalink)
khamai Plain ol' Lotus-nut Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Nor Cal Posts: 3,563	RULES for Garage Building... 1) NO garage is ever big enough (look at Leno's!!!) 2) Think 220V with enough power to light Vegas and plugs everywhere. Compressed air everywhere (exterior closet for the compressor so you don't have to shout over it) and a toilet. 3) Ceiling height, at least 10 ft if not 14 (especially with a lift). Lots of lighting, enough to nearly burn your retinas. 4) Sealed floors - painted or something. Clean-up is so much easier. Drain in the middle for hosing down stuff. 5) More storage. At least double what you think you need! 6) READ #1!!! Thanks for letting me fantasize... Kiyoshi __________________ life is better behind the wheel of a Lotus...

08-24-2004, 11:02 AM	#4 (permalink)
hermanslotus Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 1,114	Well if you want some really nice ideas contact my friend Steve at The Ultimate Garage. www.ultimategarage.com He did my garage and it's one of the featured garages on his web site. He does this full time for a living and is the best in the business. Best of Luck, Mitch __________________ http://www.raceandprestige.com/ Last edited by hermanslotus : 08-24-2004 at 11:04 AM.

08-24-2004, 11:04 AM	#5 (permalink)
rtking Former Elise Owner Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 999	I agree with the list of items from Khamai. I might add: 1) Make sure you wire for either single-phase or tri-phase 220V power (depending on what your lift requires.) 2) If using epoxy flooring, make sure to use grit. I didn't on my old garage and that floor was slicker than wet frog's fur. I landed on my ass many, many times. 3) Consult a lighting engineer (Russ is one) to calculate proper amount of lighting you'll require. My garage rivaled daylight. 4) If building the garage from scratch, you may want to consider building a ventilated and insulated room for the compressor. This will cut-down noise both from the neighbors as well as inside the garage. 5) Higher roofs are worthwhile. At minimum, it gives you enough height to fully lift the vehicle and walk underneath. And if you won't use all the ceiling height, you can build-in a mezzanine to store parts. Bob __________________ Gone: Ardent Red/Biscuit Elise Current: 2004 Nissan Murano SL AWD 2004 Ducati ST3 2002 Mercedes C230 Coupe 1987 Mazda RX-7 1984 Mustang SVO

08-24-2004, 11:05 AM	#6 (permalink)
MattG insert clever title here Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Living above the clouds in Colorado Posts: 7,676 Images: 11	Make the garage greater than standard in all dimensions to allow extra room for cars. This is especially true with the depth of the garage - a 30' deep garage will leave a very nice space for a workbench and area to work on the cars. Use single-wide garage doors, as these allow you to space out the cars a bit (ie, greater than the 10' spacing common in garages), and usually gives a nicer appearance from outside. As others said, design in plenty of electrical capacity! Several 30A, GFCI plugs on each wall. Use plenty of lighting. If possible, plan the space for the workbench and include extra plugs and lights there. Add a sink! A small bathroom one can be used for this and look much nicer than your traditional laundry tub - though much less functional, of course. Depends on how the sink would be used. Drywall! Gotta have it fully finished. Pay special attention to the surface people will see when you look up in the garage. Is it sheetrock? Exposed rafters? If exposed structure, I recommend painting it white to reflect light. Tile floor! __________________ '05 Elise, Magnetic Blue / Biscuit / Hardtop / http://eliseinfo.com Radar detector mounting brackets for sale here

08-24-2004, 11:07 AM	#7 (permalink)
mikester Registered Shmoozer Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: So Cal Posts: 4,597	Also, you can get some ideas for some cool garage goodies here: http://www.griotsgarage.com/index.jsp __________________ Covered in Brandy and Lard

08-24-2004, 11:09 AM	#8 (permalink)
mikester Registered Shmoozer Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: So Cal Posts: 4,597	Black and white checkerboard ! I considered it but ended up going the "granite look" epoxy route (with a bit of texture for safety). I still love the look of the checkerboard though. __________________ Covered in Brandy and Lard

08-24-2004, 11:09 AM	#9 (permalink)
rtking Former Elise Owner Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 999	I used Griot's Garage epoxy... great stuff! I would buy it again in a heartbeat. Except for my current garage, I used RaceDeck's plastic tile. It's OK... but if I had to do it over again (and probably will), I'd go with epoxy and be finished with it. Bob __________________ Gone: Ardent Red/Biscuit Elise Current: 2004 Nissan Murano SL AWD 2004 Ducati ST3 2002 Mercedes C230 Coupe 1987 Mazda RX-7 1984 Mustang SVO

08-24-2004, 11:09 AM	#10 (permalink)
MattG insert clever title here Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Living above the clouds in Colorado Posts: 7,676 Images: 11	Another thing - if you get your common, steel garage door, I recommend getting an insulated one. Not that you need it, living in So Cal, but the extra wall it provides on the inside results in a smooth, clean look to the inside of the garage door and helps add to the overall aesthetics of the space. __________________ '05 Elise, Magnetic Blue / Biscuit / Hardtop / http://eliseinfo.com Radar detector mounting brackets for sale here

08-24-2004, 11:11 AM	#11 (permalink)
MattG insert clever title here Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Living above the clouds in Colorado Posts: 7,676 Images: 11	Don't forget to consider the garage door opener. Most of the models look bulky and really ruin a nice garage. Either get one of the slim ones (mount just above garage door, nothing hanging over the cars), or stick with a manually operated door for the ultimate in simplicity. __________________ '05 Elise, Magnetic Blue / Biscuit / Hardtop / http://eliseinfo.com Radar detector mounting brackets for sale here

08-24-2004, 11:14 AM	#12 (permalink)
atyclb htdaab Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 1,830	drainage in the center hot water lots and lots of lighting

08-24-2004, 11:19 AM	#13 (permalink)
Modern Wedgie elise groupie Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Geneva, Switzerland Posts: 2,743	Unfortunately, I have to deal with an HPOZ (Historic Preservation Overlay Zone). As such. I am limited as to what the exterior looks like. I ahve no problem with height, as the HPOZ requires a tall roofline to go with the "look" of the era So I have plenty of height, even potential for a loft. The problem is with a garage door. The HPOZ doesnt want a "new" looking door; rather, they want a "barn" style door. I have found a few ideas online for wooden doors that "look" authentic but still roll up. Expensive though. I want something that rolls up so I can have it roll to my 10ft ceiling __________________ Long live the

08-24-2004, 11:25 AM	#14 (permalink)
mikester Registered Shmoozer Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: So Cal Posts: 4,597	Oh and don't forget about the "trapeze". (To help AW get in and out of the car, right ?) __________________ Covered in Brandy and Lard

08-24-2004, 11:34 AM	#15 (permalink)
TimMullen Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Chantilly, VA Posts: 11,386 Images: 19	Make sure that the garage floor is plenty thick and use re-bar for structural strength if you are planning to install a lift - especially a two post lift. __________________ Tim Mullen --- There is no such thing as Touring suspension or Touring wheels. I love being married. It's so great to find that one person that you want to annoy for the rest of your life. - Rita Rudner Chantilly, VA http://members.cox.net/elans4/ 05 Lotus Elise - Chrome Orange - No Touring - No LSS - No Hardtop - Lotus Driving Lights - Lotus "Chin Guards" - plain and simple. 94 Miata R Package - Black 72 Lotus Elan Sprint - Colorado Orange/Cirrus White

08-24-2004, 11:42 AM	#16 (permalink)
MickOpalak Prez: The K.G.B. Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 5,303	Bathroom with shower, comfy couch, fridge, loud stereo, satelite TV system that gets Speed, wet bar & beer keg. __________________ 2007 Exige S265 - Krypton Green - Gotham 265 ECU - Volk TE37s - Toyo R888s - B&M Shifter - QuickSilver exhaust - stripes - harnesses - Pagid pads - Green air filter 2002 Jaguar XKR convertible 2000 BMW 528i President - Lotus Limited Southeast http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/LLSE/

08-24-2004, 11:47 AM	#17 (permalink)
Gromit Instigator Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: San Diego Posts: 758	He needs a Poll Position archade machine __________________ Our minds must be conflicting because you say plague of snakes and all I hear is Easter bunny, Easter bunny, Easter bunny.

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08-24-2004, 11:52 AM	#18 (permalink)
agent.5 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: San Francisco, CA. Posts: 1,201	I will make sure that the floor is absolutely flat. It is probably not a problem in San Diego, but here in San Francisco, most houses are built on hills and the floor tilts.