[Mike S]

Just got my variance to build a 30' x 50' x 10 pole barn. I am getting 2, 9 x 9 garage doors and a man door on the front and 2, 10 x 9 garage doors torward the rear on the side. The front will be for car storage and a clean area work bench. In the back where the 10' doors are will be a lift and a work bench in front of the cars for repair work. I plan on haveing a sink with hot water, cable, phone. Eventually the heat will be hot air with duct work running the length of the garage.
The ceiling is going to have scissor trusses that will give me 12'6" at the peak. I am planning on putting a sespended ceiling in since i already have 30, 2x4 4tube lights for a drop ceiling.
Attached are the plans. Anybody think I should do something else or add to them before I make it final?

[lnorczen]

Hi Mike S.,

Just a minor note related to your fluorescent tube lights. Here in Canada, I've just found out that they have stopped manufacturing what's called the T12 light in both 4 ft. & 8 ft. lengths. These fluorescent lights will now be going to the new T8 (thinner tube). From what I have been told, you need to change the ballast as well as the lights when converting from the T12 to the T8. There are still T12 lights available to purchase as spares but these will soon dry up. If yours are indeed T12's you might want to pick some spares up while you still can.

Another tip unrelated to these structural plans:

- Make sure you have lots of electrical outlets on multipe circuits.

Good luck with your dream garage!

[jdw_poncho]

Make it 40' wide instead of 30'. Once you get a reg cab long bed truck in there its tight having a bench in front of it. If I leave room to work around a truck or a big car and I have a bench in front of the vehicle it doesnt leave much room to use a cherry picker.

Have you thought about the distance from the floor to the garage door when its open? Make sure there is enough room to lift a car/truck when the garage door is open if the lift is meant to be right inside the door. I like having the doors open but I cant pulling backwards and lift the truck up on jack stands.

I built a 30' X 40' X 10' walls. It almost matches your garage except I dont have the 3rd door. I use a A-frame that rolls around the shop to pull engines or do any lifting. Using a standard garage door Its tough to lift items off a trailer because the garage door tracks get in the way of the I-beam.

I put radiant heat in my garage, I would recommend looking into the costs compared to forced air. Having the floor warm makes a difference when your on a creeper.

[Cammer-6]

I made my overhead doors follow the contour of the trusses,only 1 ft of wasted overhead space taken.
Check out the inground lift I have.

[GT182]

I can help you with ventilation for your attic/storage space. But, you will need vented soffits for airflow. I believe you'll be putting on a metal roof and it will be hotter than all getout up there. These vents will drop the temp up there in the hot summer by 20 to 30 degrees or more. Click this link for the product model.... http://www.ventilation-maximum.com/E...-model301.html.

Just make sure you insulate very well between the attic and lower workspace. These will still vent the attic/storage in the winter, but good insulation will keep your heat in for the winter, and heat out from above in the summer.

[Sidponcho]

Nice building!....I'd move the man door to one of the other walls and spread the two garage doors out a bit. They are too close together

[BOB VIDAN]

If you have the height for above storage, use attic trusses which are designed to carry a heavy floor load. Sheet it, then you can store less used items and extra parts and keep the shop floor useable all the time. Make a sold set of stairs for access. You'll love life for doing it. I did this for a friend when we built his garage and worked out perfect for him and I got an endless supply of beer.

[arbys]

Originally Posted by BOB VIDAN

If you have the height for above storage, use attic trusses which are designed to carry a heavy floor load. Sheet it, then you can store less used items and extra parts and keep the shop floor useable all the time. Make a sold set of stairs for access. You'll love life for doing it. I did this for a friend when we built his garage and worked out perfect for him and I got an endless supply of beer.

You KNOW that eventually you will need more storage space and using the modified truss for storage is the only way to go. Ask me how I know.

[Elarson]

Congrats on getting a step closer to the dream!

Outfit all of the doors with good locks. The scumbags will be curious what you have inside a nice setup like that.

FWIW,
Eric

[GT182]

Originally Posted by Elarson

Outfit all of the doors with good locks. The scumbags will be curious what you have inside a nice setup like that.

FWIW,
Eric

Hell, use claymores or a couple of big Shepards so they don't get near it. LOL

[The Boss]

Looks great - what are they charging you for it? What interior finishes will they leave you with? Sheetrock on the ceiling? Plywood on the interior walls? I'm going for a variance on mine now - trying to push one corner of it into the building setback.

[Mike S]

price is $16,700 complete as you see it. It was extra for the 1' overhangs, scissor trusses and 3' of wainscot on the lower half. No finish on the inside. The concrete floor is an added cost. Havn't got prices yet.
I am going to put a drop ceiling that follows the roof angle with insulation above it. The walls will most likely get 1.5" of foam and plywood on the lower half eventually.

[The Boss]

Not a bad deal - thanks for the info.

[Elarson]

FYI: prices around here run approx $3.50 a square foot for concrete floor. That should get you a ballpark estimate to start with.

Eric

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by Elarson

FYI: prices around here run approx $3.50 a square foot for concrete floor. That should get you a ballpark estimate to start with.

Eric

For a 4" slab that's $283.50/yard - about double what we pay around here (labor & materials) for a slab.

[beemergary]

The last garage I built went CHEAP on 8x10 steel doors. BIG MISTAKE

[02Hawk]

I would definitely rough in the piping/tubing for a glycol floor heat system. It is inexpensive to do it prior to laying the concrete....You can add the heat system when you can afford it later.Very cheap to operate..you don't lose the heat when the door opens and much better to work off of.....

[65Mark]

If you do pipe it for radiant floor heat you need to insulate under the whole slab. Around here a minimum of R-10 ridged foam is required. It is fairly cheap to pipe it in PEX before you pour so you have the capability even if you don't hook it up right away. Something I would recommend for every garage. I would also pipe it in zones for better control. You can use your water heater for the heat source and not have to go to the expense of a boiler.

[Elarson]

Originally Posted by The Boss

For a 4" slab that's $283.50/yard - about double what we pay around here (labor & materials) for a slab.

Mine is a 5" slab, but that's still a big difference.

Eric

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by 65Mark

If you do pipe it for radiant floor heat you need to insulate under the whole slab. Around here a minimum of R-10 ridged foam is required. It is fairly cheap to pipe it in PEX before you pour so you have the capability even if you don't hook it up right away. Something I would recommend for every garage. I would also pipe it in zones for better control. You can use your water heater for the heat source and not have to go to the expense of a boiler.

We do 2' (A) horizontal & 2' (B) vertical as in the figure to the left, around the perimeter with a 2" R-10 or R-14 foam board then in the field we use the 3/8" accordion style simply as a thermal break. From what I've been told by the state & local building departments and my insulation contractor - there is no appreciable gain realized by insulating with anything more in the "field" area of the slab - only on the perimeter.

Be sure to use the Pex Oxygen Barrier Tubing for longevity and have it designed in zones to provide equal warming. There are distances (300' for 1/2") that you should not exceed as the frictional loss of the fluid in the tubing will inhibit the heating.

Also include a vapor barrier of 4 or 6 mil poly under or over the insulation before you put down the PEX to stop the slab from wicking moisture up from below. We use the 6x6 wire mesh on top of the poly and zip tie the pex to it for the loops, but there are other products which will do the same thing and may prove easier to use.

I'll be putting it in mine - you don't need to keep it hot - 50-60 will be more than enough to work out there in the winter and be comfortable. A nice propane/natural gas fired hot water heater or small boiler will be more than enough.