Building New Garage for Ferraris

right now i have 5 in there, but there is room for at least 3 more...without crowding them in

 

When is the garage-warming party???

 

would like to set up an informal early summer get together where we can display our cars and have some fun socializing...can anyone give me hints on how it is done?

 

You might want to try a commercial grade epoxy or polymer. I had the polymer coating installed from Premier Garage. (www.premiergarage.com) It is installed with a light grit for so it doesn't get slippery when wet.

That stuff is unbelievable. Gravel, chemicals, gas, shovels and ice breakers...and it still looks brand new with the semi gloss finish!

 

vintageracer,

Look up UCoatIt.com. I used it. It works. It looks good. You can do it yourself or hire a pro.

I don't like to shill for a company I don't own stock in but in this day and age there's no reason to guess about floor coatings.

Good Luck!

 

Not sure where you live, but if you're in a cold climate, a floor drain so that you can wash your car in heated comfort with warm water is the ultimate!

 

I used Color Wheel brand. Walt Disney uses this alot on their projects, including the 160MM hotel the company I work for built.
-Nate

 

Tony,
Please tell us how the emblems were put on the floors! I love that!

Yes, being an HONEST General Contractor, I find it is really important for the Owner to fully scope out your contract and write down ever single item they are doing. A guaranteed maximum price not to exceed contract (GMP) is the way to go because it forces the contractor to estimate the project correctly and not rely on change orders to make more money on you. We do this with our subcontractors as do our clients with us.... In the end everyone is happy.

 

When I built my garage I aspired to have a sink with drain. However the cost and hassle soon cut that off the list. With a drain the foundation had to be quite different and more expensive, in addition to the costs of tying into drain and water lines.

The permitting was the kiss of death to the idea. You should check your area. Around here they will never allow drains in garages since it would be easy to adapt/use the "garage" as living quarters.

 

Might been posted elsewhere..but this guy had some nice pics and details on how he built his garage...might be useful to you.

http://www.hooville.net/forums/showthread.php?t=64

 

You might want to check out www.garagejunkies.net for ideas.

 

Hi Nathan.
The badges are laser cut resin peices. Outline of badge is done before the epoxy covering goes down. Then the badge peices are applied , 1 by 1 . 360CS on here did all the floors pictured.
Rgds
Tony

 

Im in the process of doing my garage as we speak. I hired Garage Design LLC to do a custom black and red checkered floor and white walls. I also ordered Stainless stell cabinets and already have my NSX posters all ready to go. Should done by Monday and ill post some pics...

 

If it gets cold where you live, and you use fluorescent lighting, make sure it is rated for cold weather. Turns out your average fluorescent light does not work worth a darn in cold weather (constantly flickering).

 

Just get the ones with ballasts? and they will be fine.

 

My drain is simple, but effective. The PVC pipe that was laid underneath the concrete floor simple exits out the back of my garage to grass since there is enough slope for it to fall. Since all I use it for is washing my carsl, it is the same water that would end up on the driveway and grass anyway if I were to use an outside spicket. The advantage is that I can wash the car inside where it is heated. No connection to publilc utilities, no permitting issues, etc. Obviously if I was to use any harsh chemicals, etc. would end up in the grass at the back of yard behind the garage, so it is self-policing in that respect.

 

I've got car and garage fever.... BAD.

Current cars are Subaru STi and Lotus Elise. Plan to get Noble M400, Radical SR8, and Ferrari F430 in the coming years. Been a Ferrari nut since age 13. Also think I'd like to build an Ultima GTR with my son, once I have a place to do it.

Only problem... well... besides temporary financial constraints.... is a place to put them all!

So...... Wifey and I recently bought the 2-acre lot behind our house (on 1-acre) for the primary purpose of building my ultimate man-cave dream-garage.

Things I want for the garage:

climate control (a/c)

room for 6 - 8 cars

shop area

2 lifts

lounge with big screen permanently tuned to Speed Channel

bathroom

car wash area (covered, outside garage)

checkerboard tile floor with lighting built in underneath lifts.

compressed air

A high-limit line of credit with Griot's Garage!



Anyone familiar with garage architects in S. Florida?

Mike

 

Would you consider placing your garage into a time-share or interval-ownership pool?

 

Alot of lighting. Most people worry about having enough plugs and end up with a plug every 4 foot and a light every 10. Recess the lighting if you can, not loosing the head room is nice.

Put in a clock plug. I forgot and have a cord hanging down now.

Plan out how the cars are going to sit and put power in for battery maintainers on the side of the car the battery is on.

Plan where the TV and stereo are going to be so you can get your speaker wire in the walls.

If the floor has'nt been poured, figure out what type of lift and where its going and put a plug on the post and power for the lift underground.

If you put plugs over your work bench, put them at least 12 inches above so you can access them after the bench fills up.

Don't forget Heat, Air Conditioning, or both.

Fridge!!!!!!!!!

Put in a 220V - 50A plug somewhere in case you need to plug in a welder or any other unforseen 220v load.

I also have an old computer with high speed internet out there. With the network, i can play digital music off any computer in the house in the garage. Computer is tied to the stereo.

Run a telephone wire somewhere. Nice not having to go in to get a call.

Put in double the amount of cabinets as you think you need.

If you are going to do work out there keep the colors as light as possible. The darker the colors the more lighting you will need. I went all white and i never have to go get a trouble light.


This is all nuts and bolts stuff. I'm not much for the fufu garages but if mine was strictly for storage I might get a little fancier.

Good luck!
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If you are going to work on the car(s), consider the safety aspects first before the cosmetic:

NON-slip floor coatings, i worked in a few shops and it is no fun to slip and fall, even water can make some finishes un-walkable, oil and coolant make them like ice. A single relatively light color will let you see those small nuts, bolts and sockets that will inevitably end up on the floor and are likely to send you for a ride. Mirror finish floors are Dangerous.

GFCI protected outlets.

Fire extinguishers, maybe a halon for the small flare ups and a 10 pound dry chemical backup. For storing cars perhaps a sprinkler system - better wet than toasted.

First aid kit.

Phone and or intercom.

As has been said before, lots of light. A light colored high quality , (cleanable) wall and ceiling paint will "lighten up" your work area.

An appropriate metal locker to store volatile cleaners, gas.

A metal trash/rag can with a tight fitting metal lid.

If you are going to work on the car with the garage door closed, have a professional design the exhaust extraction system, just running a big black corrugated hose out under the door does not get it done.

If you are in the planning stage, have the furnace & hot water heater in their own seperate closet with an exterior door, not free standing, in your work area or with the car, so that you do not have a ready source of ignition for volatiles.

Plan for enough room to do maintenance work, it is a real drag to have to move the car to one side of the garage so you can have enough room to just pull the wheels on the other side.

Try to get as much of the wiring and plumbing inside the insulated walls, before the rock goes on.

My next garage will have a two post hoist, good insulation and a hot water heated floor. working in a drafty, cramped, cold garage kind of takes some of the fun out of working on the car.

my .02,
chris

 

Chris brings up an important point - flammable fluids/vapor, ventilation, etc.

My garage has a 'water closet' for my water heater (garage is attached). My Ferrari once had a problem with a leaking gasoline line. Things became a BIG problem when I remembered that my water heater was Natural Gas (read: PILOT FLAME) and was sitting directly on the floor. Not ten feet from the car, no less.....

 

Here's my 1,000 q ft project.
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