# Building 28X36 Garage/Workshop



## Snowcat Operations

Hello FF Dudes and Dudettes,
Well I have been dreaming for years about building my garage/workshop. This week Ive added up all the costs and have decided on a 28x36. I may go as big as 28x40 but have to get my property serveyed before I can make the final decision. There is a very grey area about how far I can go past my fence line. Anyway if I can go out another 4 feet then it will be a 40' deep garage. My plan is to have 12' walls with a 10X18 commercial grade garage roll up door. So hang in there as this will take some time to build. I should be starting in March or April depending on how long winter holds in here. After that it should be about 4 months. I work in the field three weeks a month so I will be building her over a 4 week period (one week each month). Feel free to ask questions or make comments.


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## Big Dog

Join the club and good luck. I bet BigAl will have something to say. Allen laid out and and did some drawings for the one I start in the Spring. BTW Allen, I got them .......thanks!


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## BigAl RIP

Big Dog said:


> Join the club and good luck. I bet BigAl will have something to say. Allen laid out and and did some drawings for the one I start in the Spring. BTW Allen, I got them .......thanks!


I hope they , the drawing,  work out for you  Dog . Otherwise the drawings will make great fire starter .

Me and ole Mouse Ear Mike go way back when he was just a kid with ice cleets on his shoes that he called his first Snow Cat . Anyway the old boy has some mentally challenged ideas about building from his past life , and I hope he gets it right . 

Mike , Don't turn the shop plans upside down when you read them or you may end up with a new cellar .


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## Snowcat Operations

THANKS Big AL!  I keep thinking I designed a funny shaped basement but you have straightend me out!


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## Doc

Sounds interesting Mike and Dawg.  I'll be watching the progress / issues on both of these builds, as i would like to add a garage one of these years.


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## k-dog

Are you using a package?  What are you doing for power (getting its own service or sub-panel) (wire is quite pricey)?

I'm almost finished my garage.  I just built a 28' X 40' garage that was attached to the house via a 12' X 20" mud room and storage room.  The only thing I have left to do it pour the floor.  I wanted to wait for the stone to settle as I had to build it up quite a bit in the rear of the garage.  With the 40' length I can put my full size Chevy pickup (extended cab with 6 foot bed) and Ford Explorer in one side with room to walk around each one.  My dad's garage is 28' X 36' (the reason I went 40' deep) and that 4 feet makes a big difference!!!
Good luck and have fun with inspectors!!!

Once I get the slab poured, my ceilings will be around 11 1/2 foot tall.  I framed it with 10' long 2X4's and the rest of the height came from the block walls.  I've all ready insulated and drywalled the entire garage except the section where the doors are.  I went with insulated 9 foot tall and 10 foot wide doors.  I tied up over $2,000 in the two garage doors and openers (more than I was figuring on).


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## bczoom

Congrats on getting a new building.



Snowcat Operations said:


> My plan is to have 12' walls with a 10X18 commercial grade garage roll up door.


Why a single door as opposed to 2 narrower doors?

Since you're putting a workshop in there, is it going to be heated?

Below is a picture of one of my buildings (32x48').  The 2 garage doors in the front are 10'w X 8'h.  The one on the right is where the heated workshop is (16' wide by 27' deep).  The one on the left is where I put my truck (but also has a heater and it substitutes for the theater).  With the separate doors, I wouldn't have to worry about loosing heat in the shop area if I had to open the door to get the truck out.  _There's a third sliding door in the back of the building (In the picture, it's on the side wall, just over and to the left side of the picnic table)._

Another thing I've found beneficial is the translucent plastic put just below the soffit.  It allows light in so I don't have to run lights during the day.

When it's time to pour the floor, don't make the common mistake of putting the floor drain(s) between the cars (assuming 2 cars parked side-by-side).  The floor drain(s) go UNDER where a vehicle is to be parked.


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## Melensdad

Mike, build it bigger!!!   

I built a 28 by 32 garage/workshop.  Wished it was *at least* 40' long today!


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## Erik

BCZoom - I really like the idea of running the translucent plastic under the eaves -- that makes MUCH more sense than putting it on top where it can be hailed on!  Going to keep that in mind this spring when I'm working on mine, too!  (I'm trying to decide 30x40 or 30x50 - so I can have vehicle storage on one end and dedicated wood shop on the other, without breaking the bank)


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## bczoom

Erik said:


> I'm trying to decide 30x40 or 30x50 - so I can have vehicle storage on one end and dedicated wood shop on the other, without breaking the bank)


A couple thoughts.

I'd make all dimensions in increments of 4'.  E.g. 32x40 or 32x48 or 32x52.  This is for a couple reasons.  The first is that the 4' increment is more standard for pre-fabbed trusses.  The second is that it's an increment of standard building material sizes (e.g. plywood and 2x4's).  Otherwise, you're going to be cutting a lot of boards in 1/2 for no real reason.

I don't recall if exteriors were mentioned.  If you're considering something like T-111, look at HardyPanel.  It looks like T-111 but it's a concrete composite.  You can still cut and nail it with ease but it'll last A LOT longer.


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## bczoom

B_Skurka said:


> Mike, build it bigger!!!
> 
> I built a 28 by 32 garage/workshop.  Wished it was *at least* 40' long today!


I'll second that!

See that addition off the back (with the tarp covering the entrance)?  Well, that was an add-on since the 32x48 wasn't big enough.  Once that one got filled, I built yet another, and another...


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## k-dog

bczoom said:


> Why a single door as opposed to 2 narrower doors?


 
With all his equipment and trailers, I think the one big door is probably better.  I know trying to back a car trailer (8'2" wide) it doesn't leave much room on either side even with a 10 foot wide door.  Sometimes I kinda wish I would have went with one big door instead of 2 doors.


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## Erik

bczoom said:


> A couple thoughts.
> 
> I'd make all dimensions in increments of 4'.  E.g. 32x40 or 32x48 or 32x52.  This is for a couple reasons.  The first is that the 4' increment is more standard for pre-fabbed trusses.  The second is that it's an increment of standard building material sizes (e.g. plywood and 2x4's).  Otherwise, you're going to be cutting a lot of boards in 1/2 for no real reason.
> 
> I don't recall if exteriors were mentioned.  If you're considering something like T-111, look at HardyPanel.  It looks like T-111 but it's a concrete composite.  You can still cut and nail it with ease but it'll last A LOT longer.


 
you are right, unless a dimension is off by a couple of inches, then you have to use a filler strip at an edge.  OTOH, if my dimensions are clean, I'm only having to cut 2 panels in half for the siding to make my corners.  In reality, most construction book suggest a 2' rule rather then a 4' rule.  As to siding, you're absolutely correct - we used 9x4 hardipanel to side the house, except for the one side with no deck, and it got 10' panels.


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## Bobcat

SnoOps shop redux...

http://www.forumsforums.com/3_9/showthread.php?t=16420


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## Snowcat Operations

WOW! What a response. I want to go 40' but not sure if the building codes will allow it with my easment. Will find out in a few weeks when I get back home. AND YES 40' is much bigger than 36'. That 4 feet does make a huge diffrence in the end. No pun intended. As far as the one large door there are a couple of reasons. First its commercial grade and insulated with and electric operated commercial grade roller. Its the biggest I can find. 18' wide by 10' tall. Its cheaper than buying two non commercial grade electric insulated doors. I originally wanted 2 10x10 commercial grade electric doors but so far I have had zero luck finding them that meet my requierments. Heavy gauge, commercial, insulated, comercial grade electric motors ect ect and Hunter Green. IF anyone knows of a place please post a link here!!!!!!! BUT 18x10 will work just fine. I'm not to worried about the heat loss issue since I plan on running a heated slab design. A heated slab is warm and only takes a few minutes and almost no extra energy to reheat a garage VS just a heated air space in a garage that when a door is open it all goes away and take 30 plus minutes or more to reheat. The radiant floor heating system really works much better!


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## Snowcat Operations

Also the 10 foot hieght is needed for the doors since my newest Snowcat is 9'4" tall.


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## Chetdb

Which floor heat system you gonna go with ? Electric or water? Boiler or heater? 
I have electric in my shop 50'X 75'  one door is 30' X 16' Bi fold other is 20'X 14' rollup. Used to be in the custom harvesting business so to get combine with header on needed the 30' wide. Can open both doors with the wind blowing pull truck in drop trailers close doors and 15 minutes later shop is right back to set temp. Next morning all the snow melted and most of the water GONE.
Chet


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## Snowcat Operations

Electric water heater to heat the 50/50 water to run through the tubes. since I will be installing my own power plant on my property plus all the solar and wind power as well.  I am slowing converting everything to run off of electricity in my main house.  I will always have my plain wood burning stoves as well.


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## Ray

I wanted to chime in here. I have a couple of 40 by 60's and a 50 by 60. As far as electrical goes. If you think you are going to need 20 circuits.......put in 80.

All my buildings have 250-300 amp feeds. Also, for compressed air, I used cast iron pipe everywhere. Pain in the ass to put in, but safe, effecient, and effective. Inexpensive as well.
Go here for help on air line.......best way to do it imo.......

http://www.tptools.com/StaticText/airline-piping-diagram.pdf

I also prewired all the crap like speaker wire for the tunes, put speakers up , tv, broadband etc. 

I figured why the hell would anyone want broadband in the shop?
Do it.


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## Raspy

I'm building one too.

It's a 48 X 60 with 12 foot eves and two 10 foot doors.  But I'm finishing out about half of it as a workshop and half as a home.  It also has a 12 X 60 extension covered porch on one side.  And will have radiant in-slab heating throughout.

I've got all the footings in and am pouring the porch area next week.  Then starting on the steel.   So excited.

It looks like I'll be putting up the steel before the main slab is poured.  This is kind of a tradeoff, and I'm not sure it's the best way to go, but I have all the steel and want to get the framework going.  Then we can work under a cover for all the plumbing, elect., heating pipes, etc.

I sure could use a Sky-Trac forklift!


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