Construction of Garage Mahal has begun!

I'd put some sort of roof over the stairs.

you should cut a slot in the roof for mast up storage <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

looks great.

Look great, we're thinking of something simular but not as big.

Good luck, you doing this yourself?

I would really like to but there's no way I would have time to handle the construction and the height of the structure dictates scaffolding or lift equipment with multiple hands - I've hired a builder to put it in the dry (including finished exterior and concrete). I'll take over at that point with the wiring, plumbing, flooring, and HVAC...I will hopefully have enough left in the budget to contract the insulating and drywall...those are time consuming tasks (and tasks that I'm not a big fan of doing).

I was going to go 24x24 but a couple sailor/builder friends of mine gave the same piece of advice....they both said that

people complain about building it too small and they complain about it costing too much but nobody complains about building it too big.

The extra space will be nice Jake. My garage is 24' deep and the 20 hulls did NOT want to fit in there with the other garage type crap.

Also, when you get one of those RC winged tri's going, I'll purchase one from you since most of my sailing is going to be on a gator pond across the street.

You can't have too much power or outlets. Install compressor outlets into the walls. Consider built-in vacuum system.

Not worth the hassle in my opinion. Money better spent on a good moveable shop vac. Fein, Alto-Wap, Festool, etc.

Make sure your electric service is up to the anticipated load. It is surprisingly inexpensive to upgrade.

When I built my detached garage I added two buried conduits between the house and the new slab for the garage. One was for power, the other was for future (if needed) stuff. Well, the second one is now full with phone lines, cat5, coax, cctv wiring, low voltage wire for the garage door, etc. It came in real handy.

Never underestimate the power of dust collection. You can even run a hose to a table made of peg boards and use it for a down flow table for sanding. I hate having to drag my shop vac around. Check out Harbor Freight for a cheap but decent DC.

Great advice on here, thanks! I did call the power company and asked them about putting a dedicated service on the new structure - they said that the County probably wouldn't allow it since it will be attached to the existing structure...which is debatable since my shop is attached only by a shared roof over unlivable carport / breezeway...but they're running the numbers on my existing service to see if it will support the additional heatpumps, RV plug, welder, etc.

how are they bracing the gable ends? I'm not sure where your house is, but remember windstorm mitigation...it will save a lot on your eventual insurance premium...

Might consider one of those mist fire sprinkler systems too... they don't spray as much water, but do the same job (minimizing collateral damage). Garage fires are the worst.. don't ask me how I know

Fixed it for ya: <img src="<>/grin.gif" alt="grin" title="grin" height="15" width="15" />
...but they're running the numbers on my existing service to see if it will support
the additional LED-beamers, plasma TV, walkin-fridge, subwoofers, xbox, grill, microwave, jacuzzi

Now that's a MAN CAVE! <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

Only thing missing to make it truly manish is an old skool waterbed (the big bag kind)....

Every garage should have a floor drain ......

ARRRRRrrrrrrr ....

Tim (ToolTime) Taylor

Good point!

Unless you get super crazy with big loads, i.e. hot tub, BIG electric motor/s (>3h.p.), resistance loads (electric heat), a 60 amp. sub-panel will be large enough (guessing your load to be ~9kW max.) Add surge suppression to your low voltage cables (phone, video, etc.) where they enter the Garage (buried conduit from house?) Lightning seeks the smallest wires first.

That is too cool! I am so jealous.

Don't forget to put a NASCAR shop paint job on the floor.

I was going to run a 100Amp line over from my existing 200Amp service. In addition to the two 1Ton heat pumps and RV that may run it's AC from time to time, I'll have one or two Dye Sub heat presses running that each require a dedicated 20 amp circuit. That's not to mention a pretty hefty 80gallon 175psi compressor.

I strongly recommend you upgrade to 400 amp service for your home, then have your electrician run whatever sub-panels you need from that. With two HVACs and the toys you mentioned, you will max out your 200 amp service every time the AC kicks on. Don't ask me how I know.

It cost me ~$700 to do my 25'x25' garage. The only thing I would do different would be to sandblast instead of wasting time with the acid etch stuff. I've got a few bubbles and talking to some cement guys, sandblasting it gives it about a perfect texture for paint.

I also would just count on doing two coats. I did two coats, but there is chips inbetween the coats, then a clear top coat. Looks awesome though. Had my garage been 30X30 it would've cost the same as I had to throw out alot of paint.

when I moved into my house, I did the garage floor epoxy/paint myself. Was about $150 and came out really nicely. Make sure you use the cement etching solution first though!

If you do it yourself wear a respirator. Otherwise you might lose a lung.

Sheeewwwwweee...400Amps? Good lord. The power company is doing a calculation on it to see if the 200 I have is adequate but I hope I gave them all the right information. The heatpumps I'm using will be split ductless systems with 18seer efficiency and they're only drawing around 15amps (each) with both the indoor and outdoor units (230v).

I have a friend in the flooring business so the epoxy will come once the slab has matured. Good tip on the sandblasting - I have a large pot blaster so that should go pretty quickly....but good lord - the cleanup after sandblasting 864 sq feet of concrete would be a nightmare!

Nah. Vacuum most of it up and re-use it over and over. Hose and a squeegee for the really fine stuff.

Here's mine all done. Definetly get the

Proffessional

kits, and do a clear over the top.

May be close, but my bet is the 200 will do by the looks and size of the house in the photos and drawing. (JW you must live in WAY bigger abodes than me and Jake <img src="<>/wink.gif" alt="wink" title="wink" height="15" width="15" /> ) Again, you haven't described anything too extravagant, and Heat pumps are a good/highly efficient move.

Nice floor Karl

The 400 service delivers 320 continuous. The AC loads up a lot when it comes on, and you said there were two. I read welder and some other non-hobyist-type tools in the shop. Add the tech from the graphics business (computers, monitors, printers, plotters)...

Don't take my word for it - most power companies offer 100-, 200-, and 400-amp service. I'll bet my bobbysocks they recommend the 400 service to Jake. Our place in P'cola wasn't huge, but when we added the heat pump for the pool and the outlets in the garage, we had no choice but to upgrade from our 100-amp service (1960s house). The difference between the 200 service, which we would have maxed-out, and the 400 service was surprisingly small.

I miss that house.

For normal shop use I just have an underground 50 amp service running to the building from a circuit in my house. The highest load comes from my 220-Volt 80 gal 5hp air compressor. When I was planning the shop I was thinking about a 100 amp circuit and my electrician asked a simple question are you going to run everything at once. Good point! He assured me a 50 amp service would be enough. I do not have heavy equipment or hot ovens but I do have air tools, saws, welders, electronics, fridge, and fans. I have never had a problem or popped a breaker.
I have an electric breaker box in the shop that splits everything out in the shop. The air compressor has its own dedicated circuit. I have a row of lights hanging from the roof on its own circuit. I have a row of 4 gang electrical plug boxes 10 feet apart along each wall that has 2 pairs of plugs each pair on its own circuit. So I can have 2 always on plugs and 2 switched plugs in the same 4 plug box. Along one wall (the side of the compressor) I have a 1 inch galvanized pipe 46 feet long, set at a slope for drainage, with quick disconnect outlets for air and down pipes with stop **** to drain the pipe. I have a paint filter / dryer in line at one station for my painting connection. All lines are about 5 feet off the ground so they are not hidden by stuff in the shop and susceptible to water. Except for one shelf and the air compressor everything in the shop is on wheels.

Mike, does your shop have its own climate control?