Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Advice for building a new shop

I'm going to be adding on a two car garage soon and need to iron out the details pretty quick. Here's what I've got so far, I'm wide open for advice. I don't mind adding small things here and there if they'll really be useful, but little things add up to big money so I want to try and keep this under control too.

It's 21'6" deep (I can go a little deeper if I want, but that should fit any truck I'll ever buy) and 26'6" wide. The dimensions are a little odd, but it's connected to the house and there'll be a room above it so the size of the garage was dictated by that. 9' ceilings

There'll be 18' X 8' garage doors on opposing walls. That'll let me pull straight through into the backyard if I want, raise them both for airflow, or access the garage from the backyard without worrying about neighbor kids wandering in or my dog getting out. It'll cut down on wall space available for shelves and work benches, but for what we want to do with the space I think it'll be worth the trade off.

Wall outlets at 4'ish high so they'll be above a workbench and above workbench stuff.

There's a bathroom that shares one wall and I think I'll add a free standing outdoor sink (just tied in to the water and drain lines for the bathroom). The kitchen is only a few steps away from the garage door (it's attached to the main house) so I'm not set on a sink yet.

Lots of lights....For a shop this size how many / what size lights do y'all recommend? Like I said, there's a room above this so wiring for lights would be much easier now that later.

I don't weld, don't plan on starting, and have never needed a 220 outlet before. But if y'all can give me a reason to need one I don't mind adding that.

I'm thinking of putting an outlet in one or two ceiling corners to mount fans (to save floor space on a large rolling fan).

Is there anything else I'm not thinking of?

LED fluorescent type lighting.

What about air?

I would install one 220 outlet for just in case.

No air. It never gets too cold (not cold enough that a few propane heaters can't fix) and I couldn't afford to cool it.

What are you going to use the shop/garage for? I would put in 220v for an air compressor/welder. Ya just never know.

build it bigger!

i know you have constraints..just echoing the usual complaint.

my garage is attached to the house, right next to the kitchen. i have a sink in the garage. some of the things you'll do in a garage sink, your wife will kill you if you do them in the kitchen sink!

lots of electrical outlets, on the outside as well!

can you build a 2 story garage?

ked

A 220 V compressor will cost half as much to run as 110, if a stationary compressor is in the works.

I meant meant compressed air, but AC is nice in South Louisiana.

I second the 240 volt for the air compressor.


Also. 21'-6" is too shallow. You need 24' minimum for your depth.

Phone and Internet, water?

My pickup is 23' long. Even a 24' shop isn't long enough to get it in to work on it.

Would help to know what you plan to do besides not weld. Just for starters, if you are going to do woodworking have 220.

Don't count on never welding. I used to think that, too. I'm not even close to being good at it, but you'd be surprised at what you'll want to do when you get a good shop to do it in.

It costs very little to run a circuit for a welder even though you don't plan to use it. Just call it insurance.

On this house I went with a 4 car garage, the center bay is a tandem. I expect I'll always have at least one 1/2 ton pickup, and it sure is nice having the room to get in front of the vehicle. So I'd go as long as possible on the garage. Who knows, maybe the next guy you sell it to will have a boat or a even bigger truck, and the extra length will help close the deal.

Ditto the 220V outlets - I got two of them added; I haven't used them yet, but at some point I'll get a bigger air compressor or table saw that needs them, and it will be a fine deal at that point.

Floor drains so wet vehicle's wont leave puddles that always run and make a mess

And make sure the pad slopes into the drains

I hate 8 ft tall garage doors....too short

My shop is 30x40.....I wish I'd have used vaulted trusses to gain ceiling hight

I recommend that you re-think your two 18 foot doors that are on opposite sides unless you consult an engineer.....catastrophic collapse as the building will break in the middle with any snow or ice load

I'd rethink the size of the second door just to gain wall space.

He's in Texas.

Then bless his heart and I wish him the best of luck and hope he doesn't finish his ceilings or add any weight unless he has supper engineered headers

Goose luck

Blue...didn't know about this site before my last 2 builds, wish I did. Everything you need to know with great examples/discussion/pics can be found in this forum.

Garage Journal

This. 26' would be even better. There is NEVER enough garage space.

Electrical outlets everywhere. There are never too many outlets.

Bluedreaux,

What kind of construction for the garage:
Concrete block or wood stud and drywall ?

Will your electric be concealed inside the walls, or in conduit that is mounted on the surface of the walls ?
IMO, the best, but not prettiest, is exposed conduit so you can easily re-route circuits if needed.

The best way to do the electric, is to run a feed cable from the house main panel to a 220 volt sub-panel (breaker box) in the garage and supply everything electric in the garage from that panel.
That way you can easily get a 220 volt outlet and 110 volts from the two 'hots' to neutral connectors. If you pop a circuit breaker in the garage, you just re-set it in the sub panel. Saves a trip into the house and down the basement with muddy shoes.

You probably will have a building code problem with a floor drain. I think most places won't allow it if they find out.
An alternative is to slope the garaqe floor slightly toward the driveway and let any water out under the door.

Myron