I'm about to pull the trigger on a new garage. I've been garageless for 20 years. Finances finally cooperate so we can build one. It's going to be 26' wide, and 36' deep. There is an outside possibility it could get to 40' long if I can get a zoning variance.
2 doors on the front, and the front bays will be for the 2 daily drivers. Rear is for my race car and sons go kart(s). Attic trusses, will allow some storage upstairs, but not full with.
Either doing scissor trusses in the back or going with 12 foot ceilings. My gut tells me I'll be more happy with a Max Jack type of lift rather than a full height 2 post lift.
Those that have built your own garage, what is your biggest regret now that you are living with it?
Two post is better then max jack in almost every instance for me. Four post with two jacks that run the length even better. Make sure you double the sound deadening around the air compressor, and keep it outside the building.
220v that are on spools are a lifesaver if you are welding and it is about the same cost as running around the wall every couple feet.
If you expoxy the floor, and I suggest you do, DO NOT EVER put the sparkles in the floor. Yes it looks cool, and sometimes it looks cleaner but when you drop a bolt or a c clip on the floor it is as good as lost.
Size is the main thing - build as large as you can afford.
Your configuration, with the front spaces blocked in by the rear spaces for the daily drivers, should work okay for a race car, but if you have plans for keeping a Sunday driver in there it becomes pretty inconvenient to have to back one of the daily drivers out to get to it. Personally I prefer having all the spaces in a garage side by side, if possible.
wearymicrobe wrote:
220v that are on spools are a lifesaver if you are welding and it is about the same cost as running around the wall every couple feet.
Are you talking about a cord reel? Not familiar with a 240vac version.
There is no such thing as enough electrical outlets. In the house we are currently building, I had the contractor install outlets every 8 feet in the garage, and it's a 29' x 24'.
All I can add is that my buddy had a garage with a smaller door on the back for pulling the mowers/atvs in and out, 3 man doors for flexibility and had a toilet and sink in a corner. If I ever built one, I'd make it easy to get in and out of and able to support 12 hour stints without leaving.
Not having to walk into the house to pee is about the nicest part of my garage. That and not making the kitchen sink gross when I wash horrible nasty car filth off my hands and arms. I wish I had hot water out there too.
For any new construction I recommend running cat6 these days. Cheap, could be very useful, and can only be good for property values.
sachilles wrote:
Those that have built your own garage, what is your biggest regret now that you are living with it?
Of those I know who have built garages (I have not):
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Not building big enough.
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Not placing the pex piping in the cement flooring for winter heat.
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Not insisting the cement floor be polished smooth.
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To a substantially lesser degree, not placing foam boards down for insulation and then pouring the concrete.
Definitely run cat6. Run a lot of it -- cable is cheap, labor to run it is expensive, but it barely costs any more to run 6 wires at a time than it does to run one. Run some up into the ceiling so that you can mount a wifi access point up there (power too), it'll get much better coverage that way.
The thing I don't like about a 2 post full height lift, is that you are sort of confined by it. The race car space is already smaller than I'd like. With the max jack I'd be more comfortable removing one post when needed. However, that's in "phase 2" anyway. I'll have the ceiling height for either choice, and slab thick enough for either.
I work in a pro race shop, and we don't use lifts. My race car has pin stands and I'm accustomed to working without a lift. So any lift is a luxury. I'm just not sure I want lift posts in my way all the time. I'm sort of minimalist.
Of course I could store the racecar out of the way, with the full size lift. Might make a nice street hockey area for my son and I ;)
Worst things:
Painting the floor
Drywall on the walls
Generally trying to make it nice instead of functional
Best Things:
12' high bay for lift
Hydronic floor heat
Bathroom
Watching with interest.
I am going to be embarking on my own garage redo in the near future (starting in April as we close 3/31).
Large Electrical service!! You will always want more 240 or another circuit here or there or something.
Height and electrical service. If I ever do another one I will have 240 and a enough height for a lift.
What is bad about drywall on the walls/ceiling? I just got home from lowes pricing it out.
bravenrace wrote:
Worst things:
Painting the floor
Drywall on the walls
Generally trying to make it nice instead of functional
Best Things:
12' high bay for lift
Hydronic floor heat
Bathroom
I already have a garage about the size of what you are building. I want to add a small roll up door to the back, something big enough to drive my lawn tractor through. Right now I have to move a car to get the lawn tractor out of the workshop area storage space.
The best thing the previous owner did when building my garage was putting 4 courses of concrete block around the perimeter, THEN building the garage on top of that. I have insane ceiling height, no rot issue, and no bug issues since no wood is anywhere near the ground. The siding only cover the wood walls, the bottom 3' are concrete block.
The best thing I added to the garage was a master breaker inside the house. The garage has a 50-amp box, but inside my house I have a master breaker that cuts the power to the garage. I only turn on the garage power when I am working out there. Too many horror stories of guys losing their garage due to a short or something else electrical frying.
My concern with drywall is functionality. Things are going to hit the wall, and cause some sort of damage to it. My wife saw a cool idea the other day. Metal roofing was installed on the bottom 4 feet of the wall like a metal wainscoting.
All of that is in the finishing side of the plan. Bare bones build for this spring and summer. I can do electrical, and that will be done slowly and with eyes towards expansion.
Using a 12 foot high ceiling to the fullest extent is high on my list. I like clear floor space.
Likely doing an attached "garden shed" so that that lawn mower, wheel barrow and air compressor can have home without taking up garage space.
Do you plan to insulate your garage? I am planning on insulating mine, but would hate to leave insulation exposed and have it catch from welding/grinding sparks.
In my mind dry wall was the answer, but maybe I should do a little more homework on this topic 
sachilles wrote:
My concern with drywall is functionality. Things are going to hit the wall, and cause some sort of damage to it. My wife saw a cool idea the other day. Metal roofing was installed on the bottom 4 feet of the wall like a metal wainscoting.
All of that is in the finishing side of the plan. Bare bones build for this spring and summer. I can do electrical, and that will be done slowly and with eyes towards expansion.
Using a 12 foot high ceiling to the fullest extent is high on my list. I like clear floor space.
Likely doing an attached "garden shed" so that that lawn mower, wheel barrow and air compressor can have home without taking up garage space.
I am in a similar situation but my garage is going in the basement of a new house. I am stretching it to get a 10 ft ceiling. Is this enough for the 4 post with 2 post add on mentioned above? Sorry for the thread jack.
wearymicrobe wrote:
Two post is better then max jack in almost every instance for me. Four post with two jacks that run the length even better.
Can you expand on this a bit?
I am buying a house and the seller will include the 4 post for $1200, but I was thinking of passing as I thought I would want a two post.
As for the drywall concern, I did plywood for the first 4', drywall up from there and then just a molding board at the intersection. Paint it all (2 colors looks cool) then you have the best of both worlds.
In reply to paranoid_android74:
I will insulate. Thinking of something other than drywall on the lower 4 feet or so.
Probably something like this.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/4-ft-x-8-ft-White-090-FRP-Wall-Board-MFTF12IXA480009600/100389836
I just know I'll get grumpy if I use drywall and I dent it or something.
In reply to airwerks:
Plywood is also a thought. A lot easier to mount stuff to it as well.
I personally don't get the concern about drywall - how often do you run into the walls in your house and make dents? Shouldn't be much more frequent in the garage. Now, moisture can be a concern. Keep it up off the floor, and of course don't spray it with a hose.
In reply to paranoid_android74:
Its just takes a lot of maintenance. I painted mine in a dark gray oil based paint from the floor to about 3 feet up, using 5/4 board as a baseboard. Then I painted it white from that point up. I've never damaged the drywall, but the white gets dirty and stained pretty easily, and the drywall is not as functional as unfinished walls for hanging things, etc..Its not that much worse, but I wouldn't do it again.
You can see the paint job in the background of this picture.
