Garage/Shop Design - Any Input?

[Spudland_Dave]

Mods...feel free to move this to a better category if needed...Figured I'd put it here as most of us probably do our Repairs & Servicing in a shop/garage...

Getting my stuff together to build a 30x40 (size not 100% set yet) shop... Plan is to do the sitework myself this fall and let it settle naturally over the winter and then pour the slab & build next spring...
I'm thinking of 2 8.5' doors offset to one side to leave me room off to one end of the building as a workspace, similar to the attached pic

Anybody have any ideas/inputs/things you wish you would have added or done differently? I figured "tractor people" would be the people to ask as we probably use our buildings for similar functions...Storage/Fabrication/Servicing/etc...

 

[firefighter9208]

What are you going to use it for? Place to work on cars or place to park cars?

I have a 30' (deep) x 40" (wide) garage kinda like the one you pictured. I put 10' wide x 8' tall doors. Just wide enough for my F250 with the mirrors out, but not tall enough for the tractor with the ROPS up. I have a 10' ceiling and wouldn't go with any less.

At 30' deep I can barely pull my Extended Cab LWB F250 in the door and have room for a tool box and me in front of it. When I work on my buddies Crew Cab Dually LWB we can't let the doors down, because the back end sticks out of the door to give room to walk in front of the truck.

The next building that I build will be a 40' (deep) x 60' (wide) with 12 foot ceilings. That way I can install 12' (wide) x 10' (tall) doors so I can drive the tractor in with the ROPs up and canopy on.

Now if your just going to park cars in it, or have a small tractor you can forget all I said above.

Chris

 

[Tig]

I just built a 26 x 36 garage/shop/winter storage building. A 10' high door was not practical for me. I may regret that at some point in the future. Rather that two doors I decided on one 12' wide door. That gives me room to put a vehicle and my 4' wide tractor in while leaving the other side of the building for storage or shop.

 

[Spudland_Dave]

What are you going to use it for? Place to work on cars or place to park cars?

I have a 30' (deep) x 40" (wide) garage kinda like the one you pictured. I put 10' wide x 8' tall doors. Just wide enough for my F250 with the mirrors out, but not tall enough for the tractor with the ROPS up. I have a 10' ceiling and wouldn't go with any less.

The next building that I build will be a 40' (deep) x 60' (wide) with 12 foot ceilings. That way I can install 12' (wide) x 10' (tall) doors so I can drive the tractor in with the ROPs up and canopy on.

Its gonna mostly be a workshop/home for my 3520 Cabbed and most likely just park my pickup in there (01 Sierra Ex Cab SWB).. More then anything though I'm thinking workshop....Welding, Painting, Etc...
Got an 8' Door on our attached garage now (hers ) and my tractor has a few inches spare for when I bring it in for service. which is why I was gonna do the 8.5'H x 9'W Doors, gives me a little leeway and the option to go with a 4x20 if I ever decide to......was thinking along the lines of a 12' Ceiling too...

 

[firefighter9208]

Yes, 12' ceiling. Going up is less expensive than going out. If I was going with a 12' ceiling I would go ahead and spend the extra $$ to put in 10' tall doors. Not that much more expensive and gives you options in the future. What's the use of having all that extra headroom inside and not being able to get something tall through the door.

Chris

 

[mwb]

I would definitely go for 12' ceiling and 10x10 doors (at least one of the two doors anyway).

If you are pouring a foundation (rather than slab on grade) you can have the foundation wall formed a little higher and then you can frame standard 8' walls to get 12'. Keeps the drywall away from the floor. Frame it with 2x6 on 24 centers, R20.

Install a header for another door in the back that lines up with your 10' on the front. Gives you the ability to drive through or to put an addition on when you realize you made the shop to small (probably about two weeks after you finish building it ).

Cheers,
Mike

 

[firedog]

Figure what size shop you need and then double that. I built mine back in 91' and now it's way too small (have to go outside to turn around). 12' ceilings with 2 10x10 doors. I currently have plans to add on more than doubling the size, but it will have to wait. ($$$)

The higher ceiling will give you room to:
perform overhead work; engine pulling, etc.
easily stack plywood or 10' boards on end
buy more neat stuff to stack on the extra shelves you built along the taller walls

 

[Spudland_Dave]

If you are pouring a foundation (rather than slab on grade) you can have the foundation wall formed a little higher and then you can frame standard 8' walls to get 12'. Keeps the drywall away from the floor. Frame it with 2x6 on 24 centers, R20.

I had thought of exactly that, but a friend talked me out of it...He has an 18" foundation wall on his garage and he doesnt like it one bit, its on his list of "never do again"...he refer's to it as he's got a 2" "dust & junk shelf/space waster" all around the garage...not to mention, installing something as simple as some old kitchen cabinets for a work center was a Major PITA... So between that and the cost associated with forming up a wall, I've pretty much eliminated that. I'm expecting this will be a 96% DIY project...

 

[budlite]

I agree 100% with some of the posters, maybe because I have a new 30x40 building myself. Go with the 12 ft ceiling and 10x10 doors. Won't make that significant a difference in price and spending a little more money now is a much smaller regret than wishing you had done it later. I would recommend 2x6 trusses also. I'll be the first to admit I tend to overdo things sometimes, but having more than you need is much better than having less.

 

[wushaw]

I like a 12X12 door myself but that is just me and I wouldn't be able to get my truck in a 10' door, the shop is 40X50 with 12' eve 15' awning off the 50' side for equipment and next month there will be 10' added to that.

Everybody likes to do their shop their own way and every shop is too small.

Right now your thinking you will use your shop for this and that, I guarantee it something will happen after it's built that you will be using it for something you never intended it for.
I never intended to have a big truck or to use my shop as a parking garage for one but I do and it is.
So just plan for the unexpected and built it with flexability in mind.