Buliding new garage

There are loads of these threads in the archives - I've been looking through them today. Go to the Advanced Search and just look for 'garage' in the title. You'll find a lot, although some of the pics are still missing from the crash.

 

hopefully the images are still there since the forum flush, you might want to contact carrerascott who just built a very nice carhouse

 

remember, you can never have too many electircal outlets run

 

Recently I read an interview with Luca di Montezemolo and they asked him, what his dream garage would be like. A few of the things I remember were marble floor, vintage photographs of Ferrari racing triumphs on the wall, a stereo system playing classical music and a comfortable table and chair for a nice bottle of wine. His point was, that at the end of the day, you want to spend some nice moments with your beloved car collection. The man has style.

 

I am also currently building a garage for my new black Ferrari. The marble floor I'm doing in vinyl 12” pattern floor covering-grey w/ white marbling. Central air & heat. Light grey walls w/ dk grey trim & white ceiling. I may paint a mural w/ Roman columns & architecture on one wall (remember, I’m an artist).

 

Phantastic idea! Love it! I'm a big fan of murals and always think people are not using that opportunity enough. It makes a huge difference and paying an artist or art student doesn't cost much.

If you're ever in Chicago, check out the showroom of Gold Coast Bentley in downtown Chicago. Very unique (and I'm not going into a debate about their sales practices, that's another story) with lots of Roman columsn etc. Some people call it kitsch, I call it hommage to the heritage.

 

Alot of what you are talking about is aesthetics. But first, think about how you are going to use the garage. For example, your personal information indicates that you live in Ohio, a place where it snows and rains, sometimes alot. Think about how you are going to manage the cars that you drive (with the attendant slop the comes from pulling them in after a snowy day) and the cars that you are storing.
Think about drainage.
Think about the ease with which you will be able to clean and maintain the working areas of the floors. Marble may be pretty, but its no fun when its wet, and its also a real drag to stand on for any length of time; it also does not hold up too well when you drop heavy stuff on it.
Are you going to clean and detail the cars in the garage?
Look at industrial vacuum systems.
Bring sufficient power, including 220 capability, into the space, along with cables for Internet, satellite, cable, telephone system and other electronic access. It probably makes sense to plot out an area devoted to power and wiring.
How will you heat and air-condition the space? Can you take advantage of any solar energy if you are building from scratch?
Hot water, as well as cold water, is nice.
Lighting- there is lighting for aesthetic purposes- that can be anything from funky to crystal chandeliers, and lighting for working-metal halide lights reveal much that ordinary florescents and incandescents cannot.
How much natural light can you take advantage of:
Air system- where will the compressor be located? Where will the hose(s) emanate from?
Battery tenders- master system with a variety of plug-in points is ideal, unless you like looking at alot of little boxes all over the floor.
Any lifts? Ceiling height?
Exposed ceilings are nice, but eat up BTU's when heating or air-conditioning.


Got any motorcycles? where will they park so they can be brought in and out without juggling cars?
First suggestion, then, is think about how you are going to use the space. Alot of the rest of it becomes much easier.

Also, consider how the garage building integrates with the rest of the property and any other out buildings adjacent to it. (My garage is adjacent to our pool, so there is the eventual possibility of creating a separate entrance to the garage on the pool side).
Finish on walls should be low maintenance, but the possiblities are limitless; if you want that greco-roman look, get somebody to learn how to do venetian marble faux finishing on walls- its like a labor intensive paint, with the feel and finish of marble. (Hard sounding acoustically, though, which is a whole other issue if you are serious about putting in an AV playroom- which should have entirely isolated AC power from the rest of the stuff in the garage for sonic and visual purity).

PS i will post pictures of mine, still a work in progress.

 

I just finished a 6 car 'storage' garage and will start a second 'working' garage this spring.

I did an epoxy floor in rossa corsa --using a firm that normally does commercial work (bridges/tunnels/commercial bldgs)--seamless, and up 8" on each wall to allow car washing inside. This is easier to keep clean and more durable than tile. You can pick your color and decide how much if any grain you want (no slip to glossy) It is not cheap if done properly --takes about 3 days and should be about 1/4" min.

I used two commercial hot water radiator heaters in top corners--as concrete floor was already in place and retro fitting in floor heat was too big a hassle.

Whatever size you are considering, make it bigger--mine is 35' x 23' x 12' .with three 220 volt eagle xlt lifts (also in red)--do not bolt lifts down for 3 months or more as you may want to change the positioning after you use them for a while. I would make mine deeper next time as workbench, storage and space for chairs means 23' should go to about 26'+.

My walls are yellow with gladiator sections for hanging stuff (bicycles, etc).

Put in lights on walls not just ceiling as cars block out much of overhead light.

Never too many outlets. Run wires for everything while walls are down. Insulate walls and weather seal doors. put in a good alarm from day 1.

I also put in hot/cold water with griots retractable hose hidden behind cabinet doors under workbench. Warm water is great on car washing.

Battery tenders, smoke alarms should also be pre-wired. You may want to add an internet camera capability, telephone/cable jack and stereo--built in speakers.

Hope this is helpful.

 

Some pics, as i said, it's still a work in progress, but its come along way from what it was:
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

More:
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

One more:
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Very nice. Congrats. I love the whole package, nice both in and out.

 

When we tackled my friend's garage (a basic two car, one door deal) we actually ran plumbing for compressed air to each corner and through the ceiling. With the compressor outside, you had minimal noise and air available anywhere you needed it.

Another thing we did was to place flourescent lighting fixtures in the walls as well as the ceiling. They flush-mounted against the drywall and really provided even light throughout the garage. See pics below for before/after shots (I apologize for the questionable content).

-Chris
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Wouldnt mind doing some bodywork in that garage

 

Rocca...

If you are going to maintain the car, rather than just putting it in a pretty place, I would go for hydronically heated floors, to make it nice to work on the car, an air compressor tucked in an outside, well insulated shed to give you air power , enough ceiling height to have a twin post hoist, which will give you easy access.

Lots of insulation in the envelope,

Lots of lights,

Enough room for a: bench, tool storage cabinets, track tires & wheels, spare parts.

A decent sound system to "cheer up' some of the more mundane maintenance tasks.

Properly clad assistants.

A refridge to store one's favorite libation.

A bookshelf for various references.

Form follows Function - what do you want??

hth,
chris

 

The basics: Tools: you need room for twice what you already have.

Lifts and lift power units - and hydraulic lines between.

Drainage ... but keep the floor as level and flat as possible. Sure, decor floors are nice to look at, and sloped floors drain off the snow droppings. But one person can't push a car back or forth on a sloped floor with lots of bumps on the surface. On my old garage, I could move a 3400 lb CelicaGT4 with one hand.

Cabinets for your spare oil, brake fluid, etc., and another for your waxes, window cleaners, etc.

HVAC: Air flow, and lots of it. If you ever deal with old gearbox oil, you'll want to change all the air in a hurry. Make provisions for venting exhaust outside if you work on the cars in a closed garage.
But for heat, you'll do better with a hot water distro system -- you lose all your hot air when you open the door. For a new home in Ohio, look into "geothermal" (ground water heat pump).

Trash, etc: You might want recycling for old beer cans.
But you'll need storage for used oil, brake fluids, etc. You don't want them sitting out in a can until you can dispose of them.

Plumbing: You'll need to clean out your drip pans, oil funnels, siphon pumps, waxing towels, etc. Those can be messy jobs, and you don't score points with the better half by dumping wax covered towels in the family washer/dryer. Think about how you want to handle messy clean-up jobs. (Keep some oil absorber stuff around for spills.)

Think about how you'll live with the garage: the special jobs, the visitor entertaining days, and the daily use. Think about the things that you need, and the things you'd like to have.

All that "planning" also makes for a good excuse to be lying on the couch on a Sunday, instead of being out shovelling snow.

 

BTW: Guys drool over me in 501 Levis & a ribbed white tank digging into the engine.

 

Here's a few other suggestions that I will do the next time around.
FLOOR DRAINS
METAL OR TILE 18" HIGH AT ALL WALLS ( so you can hose the area out )
WITH NO HEADROOM BUILD A PIT ( mine will be a little deeper and longer next time )
I HAVE DUPLEX OUTLETS EVERY 6 FEET ON ALL WALLS
220 OUTLETS
SET THE AIRCOMPRESSOR UP OUTSIDE IN A LITTLE ENCLOSURE
PRE-WIRE FOR HIGH SPEED INTERNET SERVICE

 

Check your local codes: you may need a fire escape area, or pits may be verbotten completely.
(Ever since some dweeb cut through a fuel line with a torch in a pit.)
(Politicians have to protect the stupid voters ... their re-election depends on it.)

 

Basically everything has been mentioned, but I like the idea mentioned about fluorescent lighting on the walls. Fluorescent lighting is good for detailing and finding small scratches.

If money is no object, I suggest one of the in-ground hydraulic lifts since they take up very little space. This one is made by Globe: http://www.globe1928.com/prod_fs28.html

Here are some previously mentioned items (excluding tool boxes and cabinets) that I think are priority in specific order:

1) Epoxy flooring
2) Insulated walls, ceiling, and garage doors (I think you can get garage doors in R30)
3) Wiring (110v, 220v, coaxial cable, phone wires, and ethernet cables)
4) Draining in the garage if you plan to wash your car indoors
5) Sinks (washer/dryer optional)
6) HVAC

Those are really basic things, but if you plan to hang out in the garage most of time, you could add a lounge, bathroom (carbon fiber toilet seat!), TV, surround sound, etc.

EDIT: Don't forget to get several fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, and VERY important to get Carbon Monoxide detectors. You can never be too safe.

 

For my dream garage (due to be constructed this year on the side of my house) my wife is mandating under floor heating. I'll probably have a tiled floor with a pit or a lift.