New Garage

[wheelzman]

Okay guys and gals here is an opportunity to add some input for my new garage. The dimensions are 24'x48' with 12' sidewalls to clear a lift. I was thinking of electric heat as gas is going through the stratosphere or maybe in-floor radiant heat run off of an on-demand hot water heat source. I will probably divide the garage and only heat one area with the lift and work bench. I have a 5HP Ingersoll-Rand compressor, MiG welder, torches, stick welder, and assorted other goodies leftover from the body shop so their going in there. I am only going to do this once so I need all and any feedback. Here are some questions.
How thick will the cement need to be to support a two post lift?
Two post or four post lift?
I have seen portable four post, what do you think?
In-floor radiant heat, do I need to heat it all winter or can I use an additive to keep it from freezing?
I have two gas overhead 40000 BTU ceramic radiant heaters that I bought and never used and I have been told they are super efficient but I really don't know??
Two sixteen foot overhead doors or three twelves??
Paint the floor or cover with some sort of top coat?
Add your comments.

[jim sanders]

great thread Wheelz..... man to be able to start from scratch... my oversize 2-car is an everyday attatched ranch style deal with 9 ft cieling. i spent many hours on the how and where to put my 2-post rack knowing full well i'd wind up with just a great 1 car shop no matter where i put it. stock floor but we did constuct new footings of 12 inches of concrete with 6 L anchor bolts set in the concrete for each leg... a lot of accurette measurements cause once it sets there is not much adjustment avaible for the chain length and positioning of the rack towers.. I also had to box in and then remove roof joists to allow more clearence of vehicle roofs. your 12 ft sides will eliminate my problem.i only have 1 16x7 door so i have to remember to pull it down when raising the rack . take your time in designing.. everyone has driven by a neat shop of their dreams.yep energy prices to heat the thing is critical.. i just wear as much clothing as i can and still move freely in the cold of winter or just don't go out there at all !! i have a nat gas furnace mounted up high in 1 corner i use if i have to but being the shop is attatched to the house it stays above freezing in there so the water pipes don't freeze.Ialways wanted the checkerboard black and white floor treatment but all that cool stuff is out of my budget.

[Lippy]

Wheelz, I see you are thinking of the floor heat deal, a buddy of mine has a 40x60 with floor heat, and solar panels. They use Glycol in the system. I know cause I went with him to get some. It stays 55-60 all winter without the water heater going with the panels. And he has 14ft sidewalls. If you want to know more let me know and I'll take pics and talk to him or you can, he's a real nice guy, and would be glad to help ya. One thing about the floor heat, it always seems warm in there even when it's only 60 in there cause the concrete is warm. Your feet stay warm, so you stay warm!

[Bob Kraemer]

Go with the floor heat from what I understand it is more efficient and recovers faster when you open the doors in the winter time.
I like the 2 post lifts they take up less room and they also allow you to work on the brakes, tires & suspension easier.
The 3 12ft doors would probably be better, easier to move things around and provided they will clear any truck and trailer combo you work on in the shop.
Not sure where Dover, Ohio is but if you need an electrician I am a licensed electrical contractor in Cincinnati, Ohio.

[pro70z28]

Back in the day. I took a used single post lift out of a closed station. Got it for $0, only had to repair the floor after I removed it. I built my own rack system (Since that part didn't come with it). I built the 4 outriggers to slide off & hang on the wall. The "H" frame dropped down flush with the floor when lowered. When I poured the concrete floor I built an angle iron frame for the "H" frame to drop into. the recessed area in the floor was connected to a floor drain just a few feet away, so the snow & rain from vehicles would drain off. When it was down, I could roll a creeper over it with no problems. Shop was a 4 stall and this stall was the only one big enough for buses & bigger trucks. So, this set-up allowed me to have a lift and still have a usable space for other stuff.

[jim sanders]

very nicely engineered on that deal Gary !! My favorite shop was the last Shell Station i managed.. just 3 bays . 1 2-post for latemodel stuff and old reliable single post like pro 70 and a plain old wash bay.. If i could pick that building up and drop it in my yard i'd be in heaven

[wheelzman]

Thanks a million for the ideas guys. Jim that black/white floor looks good but I can't afford it either. Lippy, I never even thought of solar panels and the back of the garage is facing almost due south. Bob, I was leaning towards the three 12' doors and the height is going to be 10'. Pro70 I like the flush fit rack idea, I would have never thought of that. What better place to get good ideas than from die-hard gear heads. Keep those cards and letters coming. As in the movie Short Circuit when Johnnie 5 says "More input".

[Billy Mac]

I Loved that movie....kinda korny....but fun nevertheless......"Nice Softwear" ...LMSAO

[Bob Kraemer]

If you can afford it buy some do it yourself epoxy floor kits. You won't regret it. I have seen it done on Home Time and This Old House and it doesn't seem to hard to do. The price I found is about 400.00 per 750 sq ft.

[Rapid Randy Baker]

I haven't chimed in too much yet, mind is still on camshafts! LOL

Put in electrical outlets,,,lots all around. Especially by the over-head doors so if you need power out in the driveway, you only have a short run to be there. You will want numerous outlets along each wall, so you don't have to run an extension cord just to power a drop light or in my case, buffer.

If you or the wife uses a an electric trimmer, consider putting power at the 3-4 corners of the garage {outside} so power is available for that also. We have a reel type power cord in the center of the roof also, so you don't have to run an extension cord across the floor also.

Lights,,have lots, and on multiple switches. You won't want to turn on all the lights just to go in and get a wrench from your tool box. It is nice to be able to turn on the light section only where you are working also. I use a plain old light bulb on a switch for getting stuff out of the garage rather than turning on the fluorescents. If you wanted a real bright environment to work in, hand a couple of fluorescents vertical in the corners 2-3 foot off the ground. This really lights up the sides of a car.

I would use water proof material in the lower 6"-12" of the walls. This way you can wash your cars in there. You will want a couple of drains so water can run out, and you can wash the floor down. Plastic on shower curtain rings make a nice way to contain the spray to the bay you are using as a wash bay.

If at all possible, I would opt for the heated garage floor. In the long run, it would be the nicest gift you ever did for yourself. JMO

The radiant heat we had at Karl Chev Bodyshop, worked fair, the no airflow was nice, but it was slow to heat up. It never really ran us out of there when it was cold out. But the ceilings were way up there also.

The new hanging heaters, have an instant on deal so you are not burning gas with the pilot. That seems like a cool feature.

Air outlets,,,,put in them all around also. You will thank me everytime you don't have to drag a 100 foot hose around the shop. Just plug in your 20 foot and reach all your spaces. Put in a couple right at the work bench. Too many times you are using 1-tool, and need to switch back and forth. If you have 2-outlets, you don't need to hook and re-hook back and forth.

That is all I can think of for now.