Garage organization: Planning a new garage.

[AmadeusCharger500]

I am building a 24' x 24' gargage to house my projects. I currently have a 1 car garage in which I have done all my engine work and even painting. I am not happy with my space management and lighting. Does anyone have designs that have worked well for them or even books on the subject of garage organization

[Telvis]

Try to go bigger if at all possible. My garage is 24 x 24 and I am cramped for space.

[Todd Wilson]

Try to go bigger if at all possible. My garage is 24 x 24 and I am cramped for space.

YES!   I agree!


And keep the 1 car garage also!


Todd

[Brock Samson]

perhaps you can build up if the foot print is maxed out... kinda like what oldmopartinhelmet hat did.. 
As for lighting, natural light is best, i'd do a huge sky light if i was planning, and at least have multple lighting sources in different locations and lots and lots of electrical sockets,.. you gonna have a peaked roof where you might be able to do a loft/storage space?..

[MassCharger73]

My 24'x24' is cramped also. I have a 8'x20' storage container full and a shed, you can never have enough mopar storage.

[tan top]

build as big as possible , keep the single car garage for equipment when not in use  /engine crane/ jacks/  stands /tools/ welder/compressor/ bodywork equipment etc ,and parts , fit as mutch lighting as you can &  4 or 6 double power points. just my 

My 24'x24' is cramped also. I have a 8'x20' storage container full and a shed, you can never have enough mopar storage.

      "never have enough mopar storage"  thats so true.

[limey]

My old garage was great (in a stupid little one now  )
I had steel engineers benching running around the room, double sockets every 1.5 metres, the benching had storage racks underneath and I had a collection of bench mounted tools on there, pillar drills, grinders polishers, blast cabinets, parts washers etc. If you can stretch to a four post lift....it'll make your very existence worthwhile....
A friend of mine does it a different way. He has a free standing double storey barn. It is built into the slope of the land, and has a ramp round the back so he actually uses the first floor to drive into.There is a hole in the floor and he accesses the underneath of the car from a gantry down below. Also the ground floor is the workshop. He can drop the tranny down from the car. Wheel it to a nearby bench and rebuild it before offering it back up into the car. Really Neat, keeps the  dirty oily stuff seperate from the bodywork/interior/electrical side of it. the top floor is more like a living room than a garage. Plasma TV and everything......having said that, this guy is worth several million $, so he can do what he likes....He's more of an Aston Martin man...but there is no accounting for taste!
Limey

[Blown70]

I would also suggest larger.  I have a 35x40 Shop and well I have 4 cars in there but not much room. 

As mentioned..... if you cannot build larger DO build up, meaning a second level for parts.


Tom

[MassCharger73]

limey brought up a good point that I wish I had done. Build it tall enough for a lift. Even if you can't afford the lift now. When you could afford it you still don't have the ceiling height.

[CaptMarvel]

By all means, if possible at all, go bigger. A 20 to 24 x 24 is a pretty standard garage size. For anyone at all interested in working on vehicles or other projects I would go much bigger. I am just now getting the tractor out to break ground on my new shop (been here 2 yrs w/o any outside storage and I cant stand it!) Its going to be 32' deep by 45' wide and an additional 10x32' covered attached carport to one side as well as a 20' x 55' parking slab out front. That way I can store the 68 Charger, the 64 Power Wagon & 74 Duster inside and the boat & the Ford 8N tractor under the carport (wife still has to park her Chevy outside ha ha) and still have lots of room for the kiddies to skate/bike ride/ basketball on the slab. I've come to really appreciate having a workshop for the past 2 yrs not having anywhere to store stuff (especially in the foothills) instead letting alot of good stuff get ruined in the crazy rain we've had recently...

[Steve P.]

Go as big as you can.  Planning is everything...


E-mail on the way...

[71440charger]

my dad had his shop built where if he needs more room he can take down a wall and add more room just a thought i can call him and see who built his i know they build all around.

[MyMopar]

Ok everyone is saying build as big as you can but really has no support for their claim so here is my story.
My old house I had a 2 car garrage.  I belive it was 24'x32'.  TO me that was an ideal size becuase I had enough room to park cars in with space to open the doors of both cars with out touching, enough room around the side of the car from the garage wall and enough room in front of the car to roll an engine hoist in and pull an engine out.  Also if you plan it right you still can have an area for tools, compressor and work bench.  I did have a pull down attic which made storing large items difficult.
I also had an outide storage area for ALL lawn equip., storing transmissions, engine hoist, Jeep Hardtop, tires and rims and other misc. stuff.

Now I bought my new house and was all crazy because of the 4 car garage plus workshop.  Well the 2 car dettached garage is 20x24 and NOT ENOUGH room to really work on the car.  When I pull engines, I must back the car in and hope for nice weather.  I will be expanding this garage about 10'.  Good thing is the workshop houses all my tools and equipment, if not for that, I'd be really stuck.  I didn't realize how good I had it with the old place.

SO while it is true to build as big as you can, I'd say build it at least 24x32 to be happy, bigger is better though.  Also for second floor storage, lofts are good, but make sure you have enough room and support ot bring heavier items up.  Charger doors are heavy, and a lot of misc. parts add up in weight, Cylinder heads, pulleys, steering boxes, etc.. so make sure you have enough support.  Also avoid any poles or supports in the middle of the garage.  This will effect the load carrying weight of the attic (if you go that route) but you will be so much happier without it.

[Mike DC]

 
--  IMHO bigger is better. 

--  Storage space really does need to be a significant part of the long-term plan.  It's not unusual to want as much storage space as the actual workspace.

--  Get 240-volt power in there for the air compressor & welder, and get plenty of extra 120-volt power too. 

--  Insulate the ceiling/walls so you can heat the place efficiently in the winter.  Once you try a heated garage in the winter, you'll never look back.

--  Everyone ends up using flourescent shop lights for practicality.  They're cheap, they're bright, and they don't get dangerously hot.

 

[Charger_Fan]

There's plenty of great ideas here too; http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/

[AmadeusCharger500]

Allright guys,
Enough of the bigger. I am maxed out in my yard space with the city, so there is no chance of bigger. I am more concerned about organizing what I have.
Like where exactly to put a work bench. Where to put shelves, outlets, lights.  I plan on getting a 4 post lift, so where does that factor in with space and lighting.
My garage is going to be 10feet high at the wall. There will not be limited storage space because of the light support in the joists. This is a pole building. I know higher would have been better but the size is allready determined so thats that.
Not sure how to parcel out the space between the 2 garages. The existing garage is 21 X 16. I have a compressor and a small work bench plus lots of peg board and many shelves. It also has a good strong 3/4 attic, and yes that is filled with parts.

Suggestions on how to heat, cool and ventilate dust would be very helpful also. I will be insulating the ceiling and walls.
Thanks,
Heath

BTW anyone going to carlisle?

[jackel440]

    Too bad your out of room.If you plan to have room to work and lots of tools setup.going bigg as you can you are definatly better off.My shop is 40'x44'  and i have a 12'4"ceiling hieght  I have 3 10'w x 11' tall doors. when I was designing my floor plan I didn't want floor drains were the cars are parked so i put A floor drain 2' behind my doors running the full length of the shop.I also put the tubing in the floor for my future radiant heat.I also poured my concrete 12" thick in the area were my lift is located.I also put the plumbing in the floor for a full bath in  one corner(even a urinal  ) and sinks in diferent areas.
    Try to plan for anything you think you will ever do.And what kind of tools you will use and the amount of area they will take up.Try and think about parts storage and supply storage.how easy it will be to get to things while your working on your ride.
    I try to plan for flow and how things will make it easier to get things done.you don't want tools here parts over there and be walkn all day.
    I would consider few windows or atleast keep them high.just asking for things to dissapear.breakins and such.
    not sure where your at ,but think about insulation and lots of it.and find the highest R-value doors you can get.
    Good Luck

[AmadeusCharger500]

Thanks ChargerFan, Great link.

I agree. I need to think ahead to everthing I plan on doing. I guess thats the part that stumps me, what will I be doing. I know I would like to be able to paint and work on the cars, so I am thinking perhaps turning the smaller garage into a paint booth, not that i have many cars to paint, but I am very happy with the car I painted in the driveway and would like very much to have a cleaner, less windy environment to paint in for my next car(s).

[Mike DC]

 
In some states/places it's feasible to rent a paint booth somewhere.  If that's an option, then it sure beats building half your shop around a job you'll only do 1-2 times per car.

Another thing that I've found important is getting space at each end of the car body.  In a 2-car garage, it's easy to park the car in the middle of it and have lots of access to both sides comfortably.  But the downside is that getting at either the front or rear end of the car is a pain in the butt in this situation.  So I definitely would try not to put any workbenches & stuff on the wall opposite from the garage's big car entry door.
 
   

[jackel440]

definatly look at floor space around the car.as you want room to work.I got a big roll of plastic and made curtains that hung to the floor all the way around the car and duct taped the seamsto seal the car in and the i cut a small hole and sealed it to a fan to pull out the fumes,also had filters taped to the walls at the other end to let in filtered air.that could be an idea for you.that way you can use your area more efficiently.
    Work area?do you plan to?
    1  weld and fabricate.   might need a heavy metal bech to fabricate on.2x3' or maybe 4x8'
    2  need room for rolling a cherry picker and engine stand?
    3  places for air compressor,parts washer,sanders,grinders and be able to get to them and use them without being cramped for room.
     maybe that will give you a few ideas to plan for.not sure what all you like doing.I work on cars ,trucks ,tractors.trailers.  so i do all kinds of welding and fab work.try my hand at bodywork and painting,plus all kinds of other repair jobs from lawn mowers to the kids toys.
good luck

[CaptMarvel]

Ok everyone is saying build as big as you can but really has no support for their claim so here is my story.
My old house I had a 2 car garrage.  I belive it was 24'x32'. 

Ok, but I am planning on parking the Duster in front of the Charger & my 64 Power Wagon in front of another vehicle, side by side to the cars, so I think the ideal depth is somewhere in excess of 35' and the ideal width as long as you can make it. This allows a small office space at one end, with plenty of room for workbenches and other storage. I think a pit is also cool if you can plan for it & a strong enough beam or header that you could lift heavy items. Just what I've always thought of...

[blackcharger]

Try to go bigger if at all possible. My garage is 24 x 24 and I am cramped for space.

I didn't even have all the roof sheathing on, and I started building shelves.Was sick and tired of not being able to find a part. I sorted everything out, put them in boxes clearly marked.

Dave