Please critique my garage plans

[Jgordon]

Originally Posted by 88911coupe

Sounds like you may be in East Dallas.

Bingo. She's black on tan, loud, and I'm up and down 75 all the time. Kid goes to school in North West Dallas. Wave some time.

Originally Posted by PeteKz

Do not use drywall on the inside walls of the garage. Use plywood. Inexpensive CDX will do. Drywall will get beat up and broken, and you can't screw hooks, shelves, etc. directly into it. Plywood is much more durable and stronger for mounting stuff.

Great idea.

Originally Posted by lateapex911

-Wider because of doors and jack handles. Every foot counts.
-Consider putting frosting film on the windows and then you can not worry about blocking them, seeing as you need them architecturally.

-Every window is $500 or more, where the wood and siding and insulation are far less. Spend the $ on sq footage.
-Cabinets instead of shelves. SO much neater and easier to clean. Ikea has cheap but actually nice ones if $$ is an issue.
-Compressor in the attic, Make a room around it, insulate with Rockul around and below. you'll thank me from the bottom of your ears
-Plumb the compressor down to a hose reel or two.
-Outlets: Quads not duplexes. Run TWO circuits to each quad box. Use white and grey outlets to denote which circuit they are on. 20A of course.
-Think about what you like to do in the shop. Plan around that.
-Can't have enough counter/bench space.
-I like stainless boxes under counters for tool storage that is mostly permanent, and a rolling tall box that goes to the car I'm working on. More efficient.
-A devoted space to organized nut and bolt storage.
-A real closet for engine hoists and jacks and brooms and oil drain cans and all the large stuff that you don't want shoved here and there. It's an eyesore.
- Wire for sound.
- Hang a flatscreen at one end.
-If you like being out there, maybe do a 5.1 surround system for F1 etc.
-Since fl 2 is storage, maybe a dumbwaiter (Or just a section of floor that lowers on a pulley system) that can be lowered helps heavy parts go upstairs .
-Plumbing might be a zoning no no, but if possible, yes, a bathroom/

Random thoughts

All solid and appreciated. Need the windows as I don't want a giant wall in the middle of the property.

Originally Posted by 49willard

Width is so important that I would create a new path across the lawn area, move a house door if that is needed and use ALL of the available width to the retaining wall.
I have built 2 garage/shops over the years and 20 ft width works for storage not workshop/shelves etc, just my opinion!

Not an option - see below.

Originally Posted by Showdown

What about making the garage bigger and moving the path into the lawn and through the retaining wall to the pool. Yes, there will be a jog from the house exit but as it’s not a primary entryway it won’t be all that intrusive. Alternatively if you aren’t wed to the rectilinear path, you could have a winding or meandering natural stone path through some plantings that goes from the house to the pool… not sure how we’d you are to having a lawn vs a garden…

What’s the area in yellow and can you use that area for a garage too? Is it a slab or lawn that you could access with a second overhead door at the back of the garage thus giving you a ‘shotgun’ or full pass through garage?



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Great idea, but the mandates for the lawn were large enough for bounce houses and large enough to put two junior soccer goals in and let the kids run around and play a game. I'm stuck with the space I have.

[88911coupe]

jgordon....did you make it to the car show this past saturday at Highland Park Village? lots of spectacular Porsches and other makes.

[lateapex911]

I know, buy the neighbors house! Knock it down! Your garage....Bigger! Put THREE drives in from THREE directions! Screw the pool pumps and heaters, move those lounge chairs outa there, thats a PATH from now on!

I keed.

The voice of reason and reality:

he's got land use restrictions, setbacks and coverages, and maybe water restrictions (draining/permeable surfaces etc) and his wife is going to lay the law down on messing with the existing pool etc.

Figure out what you will DO in the garage.
Then make THAT the design goal.

I hate wide garage doors, they look like crappy suburbia, and I imagine he's drawn singles for HOA and architectural reasons.


Jgordon, ask your architect if he uses Softplan for the drawings ...thats what I've used, looks like it, just curious!.

[49willard]

Given your significant constraints I would opt for 2 storage bays in the front and then center a 2 post lift in the center at the rear to allow bench and work around space in the rear. That would allow a 3rd stored car in the "work bay" where the lift would be. I am also a fan of painted OSB for interior wall covering.

[mpeastend]

Wow, great project, I'm jealous.

If you're thinking of storing anything heavy upstairs, maybe cut a hole in the floor so you can lift things up through the hole by a hoist attached to the roof joists. The hole can be covered by wood when not used. Or, do an old fashioned barn-hoist type beam sticking out of one end with an opening to move the item in. If you aren't storing engines or other big bulky/heavy items up there, never mind! Good luck with the build.

[mepstein]

Originally Posted by 49willard

Given your significant constraints I would opt for 2 storage bays in the front and then center a 2 post lift in the center at the rear to allow bench and work around space in the rear. That would allow a 3rd stored car in the "work bay" where the lift would be. I am also a fan of painted OSB for interior wall covering.

That sounds like a good idea. Give up one parking space for a nice sized work area. Store a car under the lift if you need temp storage.

[emac911]

Did you mention HVAC? Not sure about the weather there, but here in SC mini splits work great,reasonable cost, and take up very little space. My son has a 30x50 insulated metal building shop and we put in 2 mini splits and he rarely uses both of them.

[lateapex911]

Originally Posted by emac911

Did you mention HVAC? Not sure about the weather there, but here in SC mini splits work great,reasonable cost, and take up very little space. My son has a 30x50 insulated metal building shop and we put in 2 mini splits and he rarely uses both of them.

According to the plans, he's in Dallas. I have to imagine he has something up his sleeve to keep things under 100.