Hi all,

Dreaming at the moment, but if everything continues to plan, I should soon be able to build a garage how I want....only problem is I'm not sure what I want, so I thought I'd ask you guys & gals.

External dimensions limited to 8m x 16m (but doesnt have to be that big!), and roof height to 4m, but other than that pretty much free draw.

I don't think I will have the vertical space for a ramp (unless I dig downwards....which might be worth it) and if not I guess I should have a pit. I want space for 4 cars in there plus lathe / milling machine. An area for computer etc.... sink and kettle.... painting/spraying area.... toilet.... roof mounted lifting tackle....industrial shelving... what else?

With sensible head on how will I heat it?...is it worth insulating?... how much will it cost me to build?, best construction method (block&brick / timber / steel?) any other obvious considerations?...

Appreciate it's a very open ended question but want to try and avoid the 'if only i'd thought of it' scenario.

Thanks all

Greg

sounds like you are building a small industrial unit!!!

I've got some thing similar on my 'if I win the lottery' list

You can get solar heating systems that work through having black radiators on the roof, it won't be all your heating needs but its worth doing. The heating and isulation you should use depends on what kind of doors your going to have and what sort of ventilation you run. Your probably safest with electric heating of some sort but it won't be cheap.

Worth reading this series
http://autospeed.com/cms/search/index.html?keywords=Building+a+Home+Workshop&x=19&y=9

Sounds brilliant if a touch expensive.
The more floor area the better for building kits IMO, and lots of storage.

Beer fridge and microwave.

Edit: Oh, and a comfy chair for pondering in comfort.

[Edited on 10/1/10 by Confused but excited.]

Start here: www.garagejournal.com

this is the one i plan to build once the car is finished

15m across the back with the main bit 9mx9m



rough cost inc electrics and insulation will be around the 5-6k mark

What about this? Why do you want / can you build up to 4 m?


Garage sketch

insulate as best you can, as the large metal machines will pick up condensation as they go up and down the temperatures.

Wow thats some size, when I built mine it had to be done to the same regs as the house, so its well insulated! Its 6m x 9m, I also fitted attic roof trusses, to create an upstairs, if yours is 8m wide the roof space will be fantastic. I partitioned the rear off for a workshop, had to use fire doors internelly too, I would also suggest a pedestrian door aswell as the main door. Don't forget about drainage if you are putting a sink in there (that's a godsend when your hands are mucky) no more complaints about mucky finger prints on the kitchen sink! And don't let your other 1/2 use it for storage, freezers, fridges etc (except beer fridge!)

4 meters to the roof should be plenty of height to get a car up on a 2 poster lift (It is in my case ) Much safer than a pit, will not fill with water, doesn't take up much more than the width of a car and is a damn site easier to work on the car

If you are going that large it could be better to split into two.

From a cost point of view mine that im building at the moment is not quite as big as that . It measures 9.2M long 5.6M wide at back and 3.6M at front (sort of wedged shape). It has a pitched roof 3.8 M high in the middle (or will have when the snow clears and i can get on with fitting the rafters!) so I can get a car lift in there. So far total spend is £6400 and I still need to buy..
a window
guttering
soffits
lead flashing
2 garage doors

So total should be just over £7k but that is because ive done EVERYTHING myself from drawing up the plans to driving the digger ,concreteting ,collecting blocks,bricklaying. The only labour i paid for was £120 for a structural engineer to calculate the size of the girders and rafters for the roof.
It should be a nice place to play in as it is also having roof windows for some natural light .

All REALLY helpful comments. Has anybody got any experience of steel sheet workshops/garages (like in the link posted) used in the UK rather than Oz. I know there are lots of them about....

Good tip about comfy seats.... might need a new post on which barge has the most comfy (perhaps leave that for another day...!)

Dividing into two with some sort of partition has two advantages.

One side can be kept clean while the other can be used for the dirty jobs, grinding, welding, spraying, etc.


And secondly in the depths of winter a smaller work area to heat makes life a little more pleasant.

Paul G

I wouldnt go for metal buildings because they seem to be very cold. I have heard that wood is great because you get less condensation ?

My garage is half integral to the house and its good to work in most of the year round, worst bit is the metal up and over door, its on my list of things to do, i.e. double skin, draft proof and insulate.

I like the idea of roof windows mentioned earlier in this thread, you cant beat natural light.

Another good idea i heard was skirting board height strip lights - would be very useful when working low down on the car.