Anybody with a 30 x 50 Garage/Shop???

[JB400]

if your building a lean to on the outside, and plan on using a large compressor, I always recommend people insulate a small room/lean to off the main building and put the noisy compressors out in there. you'll thank me.

I would have to agree with this idea, coming from someone that works in an area with compressors running most of the time.

[ACUDANUT]

Thanks for the reply.  Actually, the walls are going to be 11ft and the truss that my builder uses is an open span metal truss.  This will make the ceiling even taller in the center.  This picture is from him his site and will kind of give you an idea of how the shop will look on the inside.  My door is actually going to be a 10x10... not sure what size this door is.  On the back wall (over the three parked cars) I am building a loft to store parts.  So the lift will have to go toward the front.  



Justin
"CornDog"

Get two doors on that garage. Trying to get one out (if they are side by side) will be a bitch.

Remember, I said it first. lol
Also, I would build it stronger. 16" between studs (like a house) and insulate it.

[Mytur Binsdirti]

Nice building! 

[NHCharger]

Nice building! 

Thanks. In the initial design phase I started off with a 26x40 footprint. It kept growing. Finally poured the foundation before it hit 100'. In hindsight I should have done something different over the garage area for additional storage. The trusses over the garage bays are rated for light storage but I ended up running a microlam beam under the middle to beef them up  and currently have every part you can unbolt from a 72 Charger stored up there.

Also agree with the others on placement of the shop compressor. Mine is located in the corner of the garage area adjacent to the shop/garage interior wall which is insulated.

[CornDogsCharger]

if your building a lean to on the outside, and plan on using a large compressor, I always recommend people insulate a small room/lean to off the main building and put the noisy compressors out in there. you'll thank me.

Trust me, I have already thought about this!  My friend has a 40x60 and his compressor is right in the middle of one 60ft wall.  I don't have a clue why he did it this way but I hate it when I'm over there and the loud thing cuts on.  I also thought about putting it under the staircase that goes up to the storage loft.  I would close it off with insulation in the wall. 

Justin
"CornDog"

[CornDogsCharger]

Thanks for the reply.  Actually, the walls are going to be 11ft and the truss that my builder uses is an open span metal truss.  This will make the ceiling even taller in the center.  This picture is from him his site and will kind of give you an idea of how the shop will look on the inside.  My door is actually going to be a 10x10... not sure what size this door is.  On the back wall (over the three parked cars) I am building a loft to store parts.  So the lift will have to go toward the front.  



Justin
"CornDog"

Get two doors on that garage. Trying to get one out (if they are side by side) will be a bitch.

Remember, I said it first. lol
Also, I would build it stronger. 16" between studs (like a house) and insulate it.

I'm going to wall up the inside and when I do, I'll add more studs and insulation

Justin
"CornDog"

[Charger RT]

I have a 30x40 with a 10x10 roll up door on the front.

I have three cars across the back but it does not quite work out like your drawing. Their is a 66 dart under all the stuff in the first picture. There is just enough room between the car and wall to get in the drivers door.

These pictures were taken shortly after finish building it and emptying the storage unit. The Charger under the cover is backed in close to the side wall but the Daytona is too close to get in the Charger.

I now just center the middle car. So there is just walking room between cars.

I also can't get two cars in the front either because by the time I got my work bench and tool box jacks and everything else they took up alot of space in the front corners. It does give me a very nice center work area. I do like the extra 10 feet you are getting. I thought about taking my back wall down and adding 10 or 20 feet more to mine. If I would add 10 feet I would leave the cars where they are and move the tools work bench and stuff behind the cars. It would help with space in front. I'm in Florida so I don't have too many cold days and no heater in the building but 40 long does work with the door closed so tools and jacks and big stuff in the back of a 50 foot long would work nice. I also put my 4x7 service door on the back wall to get air moving through the building during the 9 months of summer here. The garage is alot more crowded now then when these pictures were taken. I also put some shelfs up I got from a home center that closed they were made to hold 4x8 sheets of wood but they can hold alot of weight. This picture is my son and me putting the head back on my Daytona. The car is in the front of the shop by the front door and you can see the room we have. In the back you can see the bottom of one of the three shelfs, my tool box ans work bench. There is also three cars in the back of the garage while doing this job.

Tim

[Steve P.]

Whatever you do, build it with plans for a lift. A thick high pressure concrete floor is first and foremost. Then I would figure out exactly where I would want the lift and figure height and side room from there... Add tool boxes and parts area 5 times the size of what you are figuring now. I like a 14 foot ceiling height for the lift area so I can put my tow vehicle in the air and take care of it as well..

My shop was built by a (CAR GUY). Well, he called himself that!! My shop is 28' deep and 45' wide. 2-16 foot overhead doors and flat bottom trusses set at, (ready for this), 8'8"... What a moron!!!!! Also has shit for a concrete floor.. So basically it is ok storage and otherwise a complete waste of valuable space..

I only tell you this so you will look hard at the future of the shop.. Is it set up the best possible way or should I save for another year and build a better working shop??

Also, the area of the mezzanine/loft, I would talk with the contractor about building it into the structure for a few reasons. 1). If you can build it to handle many thousands of pounds without a jacking post and special poured crete for the jacking posts you will be able to move the cars underneath easier without worry of creasing the car rolling it in or out on a post.. 2). Building it as part of the structure will also keep it square in high winds. To a much higher wind anyway.

Another thought might be to add to the slab on the side or behind and just put a shed roof over the area to park the project cars. That just might save you from loading parts on top of your projects..

I just feel you cannot consider all the options enough...

PS, I agree with a quiet and clean place for the compressor.. Especially for the guys doing bodywork.. Who wants to hear that big bassard running all the time!!!!