garage/shop design ideas

A year after I wrecked my miata I’m finally wrapping up the nightmare of insurance and bills. Since I will no longer be hemorrhaging cash to a lawyer, and the settlement is looking decent, I can start planning my shop. I searched the website but didn’t really find anything. I have an empty lot next to me, So I can build up to the size of my house (3200 sf) before running afoul of zoning. I don’t think I need that much space. What are your suggestions for a shop that makes working on cars at home easier? I’m looking at something around 1600-2000 sf. What features should I make sure I incorporate?

Thoughts on two post lifts? Any favorites? Air compressors? General features, how it should be laid out, etc? I don’t even know what questions to consider right now.

The goal is to have a nice functional place where I can hopefully do a v8 miata build.

Wow, if I didn't know what hell you went through after the accident I'd be jealous. To heck with it. I'm jealous anyway!

Make it really well lit, supply plenty of power. Make sure that you've got enough vertical room for a car lift. Insulate it and throw in a HVAC unit - in that climate, you want to be comfortable. After the floor has cured, acid wash it and lay down some good epoxy. Install a good exhaust fan for welding, epoxy and stuff. Build awesome cars!

In terms of square feet, most people will say more is better. But I've seen great builds done in single car garages. So that's a tough one to say.

Something tells me not to go too big. I had a studio gym that was 800 sq/ft and it was BIG.

I will be no help, as I have to pack all my stuff into two bays (including a project car in one of them at any given time).

I honestly have found little use for air, unless you plan to do painting/blasting. We use air at one of my teammates' shops, and I honestly prefer electric for almost everything.....from grinding to impacts. Cordless power tools are powerful enough these days that I've never found any occasion where I said "I wish I had air," other than a small compressor to air up tires and stuff. I'd spend the money on top-end cordless power tools that you can take places when you're not at the garage...

That said, IDK how much motorsports you do, but a tire machine/balancer is on my wishlist if I ever win the lottery....and that needs a lot of air.

Size depends on how much stuff you have. Mine is 864ft^2 and it seems I am always running out of room. Of course the more room you have the more other peoples crap seems to end up in it. I have a 5hp upright air compressor. works fine for any air tools I use but I'm also using more cordless. It is good for blasting cabinet/painting/running a DA sander. Make sure you have good power accessible, and great lighting. I don't have a lift yet, so I can't help you there.

Don't store stuff where you work. An oversized two car is probably plenty if it is just your projects and you don't have the walls creeping in with stuff.

So, bang for the buck usually comes with going up vs. out, especially when they seldom tax on an unfinished garage artic. That means 25x30 min workspace, plus tool storage, desk, workbench, bathroom, and specialty space (welding, painting, sandblasting, etc., whatever you are into). My 30x40 isn't bad, but only because I have 22x72 and 28x50 storage buildings.

Also, if you are into wood work put it in a completely different space from the automotive stuff.

I'd have to disagree with irish44j on air, my experience is that the nice air tools (IR or the like, not HF) vastly out-power even the best lithium-ion ones at lower weight, infinite runtime (assuming proper compressor), and no need to wait for it to charge before starting your project. Also, if you plan to put in a lift, you'll probably need air to release the safety locks on it anyway.

If you're going 2-post, be aware that those add substantially to the width required for a single "bay" and plan accordingly.

Air compressors are loud, if I were building from scratch I'd make a soundproof closet to put it in.

Think about everything you might want to power and wire the shop appropriately. You'll want a 220V motor on the lift, some of them are available with 110, but the 220 are much faster going up. Welding? You'll want to scatter some outlets for the welder in useful places around the garage. You probably want the compressor to be 220V as well. Any plans for machine tools? Drill press, lathe, mills, etc? I think those are often 3-phase, which you can't get and thus requires a special conversion thingey, but that converter still wants power.

I'm in love with my in-ceiling LED troffer lights. Very bright (but dimmable), very clean looking, flush with the ceiling, (thus giving maximum height for the lift) and energy efficient. Not cheap, though. GE "ET" series -- if you're going to do something like this, be aware that they're sized for commercial drop ceilings, and that has implications for the width between any structural beams in the ceiling.

This pertains to my interests.

Since the building will be on a second lot, I would suggest building a two-part shop with one part that can be converted into a residence at some later date. Lay out services for a kitchen and a couple of bathrooms even if they are not fitted out. Also, designing the building this way might also ease the structure through planning in some situations (I know some areas where a large, pure shop building on an adjacent lot in a residential area would get shot down faster than a lead balloon).

While I don't know what kind of lot you have to work with, I'm envisioning an L-shaped building with the garage entrances in the back with the street facing side looking like a residence.

The "residence-shop" would be essentially an over-sized two-car garage where you would work. The other shop would mainly be storage parking. Doing it this way would also allow splitting up HVAC requirements since the "storage" area doesn't need to be conditioned to the same level (if at all) as the work shop space.

The idea of splitting the space into two makes a lot of sense. Your shop should be a sanctuary where your mind can relax. Clutter does not help. Making the place reasonably attractive and plumbing it makes a lot of sense as well since who knows what the future holds, and since its on a separate lot, a house would probably be worth a lot more than a utility building. Besides, in not long a son may want to live outside the house - but not far away.

A bathroom. Nothing worse than just starting into a project and having to trudge back into the house to pee. The ability clean up before going back inside is also huge. Starting from scratch I'd have hot water and a shower even without any plans for a living space in the building.
Other than that, think about how you'll store 40 wheels and the parts of three projects other than piling them in a corner.

Thanks guys, lots of good ideas. Luckily I live in a place with no HOAs, and pretty lenient zoning requirements. Also, I have a Texas Professional Engineer license, worked for city's most of my career so I can speak there language and use the PE stamp to get me out of a lot of requirements.

Great point on storage. Right now I have 2 8x10 storage sheds, one is filled with camping equipment, the other with yard equipment. Both of these will be going away and this storage needs to be in the new building. I like the idea of having them separated from the main shop area.

For floors it depends on what your going to do in the shop. I just built my 24x30 shop and was going to epoxy them. But after researching quite a bit I went with a Concrete Densifier and Protector. I do a lot of metal fab work and sparks etc. will eat up a epoxy floor. It's not a pretty floor but it's fully functional.And it was easy to apply by myself just a sprayer and a mop to spread the product.

A loft office space that can double as an inlaw suite is something on my wishlist.

Have you spent 5000 hours over at garage journal doing research?

+1 for plumbing. A big slop sink with foot pedal operation is huge on my wishlist. So is another bunch of sq ft. You can never have too big a shop except for heating cost. Maximize the footprint and make the ceiling (or part of it anyway) high enough for a commercial lift. You can buy a much better quality used pro lift for $1200 than you can a hobby version at $2k as long as you can go get it yourself.

Good ventilation too - it's cold for a long time where I live and opening the giant garage doors to let the smoke/fume/dust cloud out is not as good as flipping a switch and having a nice big exhaust fan whisk it all away. EVen with the bays wide open there isn't any "push" to move the cloud and it gets colder than it needs to and makes the heater work that much harder to recover. It would be nice in the summer too - even with the doors wide open to get some fresh moving air. Something as simple as an exhaust fan mounted on a rear window and leaving the garage door open 6" would be better than nothing.

Clean (engine builds, clean cars, etc.) and dirty rooms (welding, cutting, etc.), in addition to storage.

I would wall off the one end, say maybe ten feet in and put a 9x7 overhead door in to it. This would take the place of your two sheds. Insulate that wall so you aren't heating the mower and spare parts. Put the air compressor in there so you don't have to listen to it, that will improve the quality of your time in there.

One thing I have seen and liked was when the garage was two cars deep they put the lift far enough back in so that when your long term project is on the lift you can still pull in and park behind it.

If you have attic storage, make sure it's built to accept big and heavy pieces like spare body parts etc. Make sure you have a way to get those parts up there without killing yourself(ie beefy stares, maybe a hoist. Trying to fit stuff up between attic trusses can be a pain in the arse. If you are married, plan to lose 60% of your storage space. If you have children as well as a spouses, plan to lose 77% of your space, build accordingly.

You are planning a machine that will perform a function. You spoke of Miatas and I have seen some amazing shops that are geared toward a specific small car (Google Jack Olson) or you may need to gear for some known or unknown project in the future. My shop gets a wide variety of projects and what worked for my Escort or Mustang was cramped when I stuck a 65 Crewcab or a 72 Cougar in there. Garage doors were too narrow for my trailer and it kinda sucked. I kinda fear too much room as I have a raging hoarder/junky gene.

A lift...maybe? Pour the slab for it! Wire up for these maybes too. I spent the extra and have 5 220 circuits and have only used 3. But when I move my compressor outside the wires are already there.

Plumbing? Might as well get the basics installed even if you don't start with a bathroom.

Don't know your budget or needs, but if you build a bit past your expectations as you go it will be easier. Been to Amarillo (Borger actually) so don't ignore insulation.

Bruce

This is my thread at Garage Journal, and you can see the evolution of my design, all the way to where I am finishing up the last bits, and have started moving my equipment in.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279277

As much floor space as I am legally allowed, as tall as I am legally allowed, lots of light, good heater, fans, cabinets, hoist, etc. There is nothing I regret in the build at this point, but there is always hope.

Legally allowed > budget allowed.

Has anyone done a loft type storage area in a pre fabbed metal building? I've never seen one I liked much

Metal is cheaper, but there's some pretty good prefab wooden kits that may support a second floor better. If you do a second floor/loft make sure it's engineered to support the loads that you will/might put on it. There's nothing worse than a springy floor that you have no confidence in.