Building a garage

Originally Posted by BGTV8

I have a 10m x 20m shed at the back of my property, which is 5 4m x 10m bays, with 3.7m high walls and clear-span gable roof (5m+ at highest point).

The rear wall is lined with 2.1m high racking to store all the race bits and pieces.

I keep my race car trailer and the 6'x4' box trailer in the first bay, second bay is a 4-post hoist - has the Z34 on it at present, the 3rd bay holds my current race car whilst we rebuild the front suspension following lower ball joint failure last year (new uprights, upper and lower arms, steering arm and tie rods plus shock mounts - a total redesign). I have a 2-post hoist to be installed in the race car bay. Both hoists have 3-phase motors and power is dropped from the roof. I have an air-compressor at the back of bay 3 as well.

4th bay stores my Z32TT and my 1972 MGB GT V8 roadie (lazy 380hp).

I have 240v 3-phase available for a large capacity stick welder and maybe a tig as well (I cannot weld for sh1t but my nephew who lives locally has his boiler-maker welding ticket and can weld anything).

Every bay has 4 x 240v single-phase outlets and the floor is 4" reinforced concrete with 8" pads 1m square under the hoist posts

The 5th bay rear third houses benches (stainless tops) with space for mig-welder, parts washer, drill press, grinder/linisher and post-mounted vice. The middle third houses the garden stuff for SWMBO and the front third has the bar fridge, table with kettle (simply cannot bring myself to get a coffee machine in the shed) and a 50" screen on the wall with Dolby 5.1 system underneath, plus an old couch so we can watch motorsport and not annoy the women folk in the house. TV is networked to the house network so I have cable and internet TV available as well.

Recommendations (I have been planning this shed for 40 years !!!!) .........

Thicker floor is mandatory for hoists (Aus standards call for 8" or 200mm)
A sink and cold water is good, hot/cold water is better - no going back into the house to wash up
Heating and cooling is also good, I have a pot-belly wood-burner to go in for winter and a 2nd hand a/c unit for the summer
Acid etch the concrete and paint is with proper paint - I did not do it and bitterly regret it now - I get a "lot" of concrete dust and it is a pita
Shed is remote monitoring alarmed and fitted with IP camera's so I can view it on my phone

The exercise was not cheap but this is our last house before getting that old that I cannot enjoy my hobby, so what the hell ....

Originally Posted by Rusty

Wiggin's, once you build your garage. You'll find out that it's not big enough. They never are once you start putting equipment and stuff in it.

Originally Posted by Chuck33079

Yep. Build as big as your lot will allow. It always looks big on paper. Once you get all the shelves and workbenches around the walls, it gets much smaller.

Bonus points for making it two story. Even if you don't finish out the upstairs, it can still be storage. I didn't and I still kick myself.