Home garage must-haves

[pilotpip]

So we're home shopping. We currently have a 1 car garage. I've never had a garage in my life, but one of the few criteria I have for our new home is that it must have a 3 car garage. My truck likely won't fit in it unless we build a new home (not happening) but I do like to tinker, and hope that some day there will be a restoration project in there, probably a 60's F-100 or C-10 (I like my trucks). The 3rd stall will more than likely never see a vehicle, it will probably be set up as a work area.

My must have list currently stands at:
20 amp outlets every 6 feet on the walls
220v outlet for welder/big compressor
Floors epoxy coated (DIY, might look at rocksolid, not the water based garbage)
Lots of shelving/cabinets.

What else would you add to that list? There are some good pics on the other thread, but while I'm sitting here, looking at snow, and my filthy cars, I'd like to know what you car junkies would have in your dream garage.

[Audios S6]

Since I just finished the CAD layout for my build over the next year I'll participate. This assumes my nominal 20x20 garage (with 6x8 alcove for workbench) working on one car in the center. I've also got much of this already, it's just rearranging and supplementing.

Existing work bench & storage to remain for auto & home tools
220V for heat and compressor
2 cord reels ceiling mounted, 10' in from door and 6' off centerline either way
2 comp air reels - 1 left side at back, 1 right side at front
1 garden hose reel at alcove (left side at back) with softened water
3 rows x 2 rows of 4' fluorescent fixtures on ceiling
Additional 6' workbench centered at back, room for cart underneath
(2) 30" cabinets either side of bench & (3) 24" cabinets above for bulk chemicals, pads, towels & rarely used items
(2) 4'x4' pegboards at right side back corner for spray bottles & detail tools (MTM, Tornador, brushes); vac, extractor, steamer, jack & buckets below
(1) 48" cabinet for ramps, creeper, stands, etc
(3) 24" cabinets, 1 each for: polishers & polishes, Interior, Exterior & towels
Heavy duty clamps mounted on walls near overhead door for hanging floor mats, winter wear & mechanics coveralls - vinyl panels behind to avoid wetting the walls
14' trench drain at overhead door
Modutile drain tile flooring

Other things that are done:
Insulation
plywood walls (my family would destroy drywall)
Basic 5.1 home theater stereo, 24" TV, raspberry pi for streaming from our network drive


Note: Come on AG, I need the roku content available on my RPi.

[BrutalNoodle]

Lighting.

Plenty of lighting is a must, IMO. If I could have my way, there would not only be multiple sources from above, but from the sides as well.

[jwgreen6]

I'd add a 2-post lift. They're not all that expensive, around $1500. Atlas® BP8000 Baseplate 8,000 lbs. Capacity 2 Post Lift | Greg Smith Equipment Sales, Inc.

[GSKR]

Climate control is a must have.

[swanicyouth]

Just had a home built by a custom builder - this thread was me a few months ago. I'm actually going to settlement in 2 weeks... Of course initially I thought I was going to build the Show Car Garage, but this is what I ended up going with:

1. Almost 3 car size garage with a single double wide garage door. In my case, a full 3 car garage would have been overkill. So, I got a 2 car garage with a "bump out" on the side. The "bump out" will house tools, detailing stuff, etc... This will make the garage clutter free and leave me with 2 clear, uncluttered, working bays. Here is a pic of the garage during e construction:





Also, wanted a window in the garage. This to me was just common sense, so you have the option to open it and get some air.

2. Flat driveway - No way was I buying any house with a driveway that was like a hill. I hate working on slopes. When the weather is nice, you may want to do "car stuff" in your driveway. Where I live now there is a slope; and my buckets, vacuum, work stool, and Master Blaster always want to roll away.

3. Insulated garage - dunno where the OP live, but if it's the NE - it gets COLD. I had the garage insulated. Nothing in it should ever freeze, even if it's pushing 0° outside. Of course, full climate control would be great, but the reality for me was it probable wasn't necessary. Because the garage is insulated, adding a portable AC unit is a cheap option I can do later. Builder charged < grand to insulate - so it's not super expensive.

4. Water taps and floor drain in the garage. This is pretty self explanatory. Basically you can wash your car inside the garage. You can also hose the floor down to clean it. I'm just like concrete, so I'm not looking for an epoxy flooring or whatever. But if I was, I could ad it later - and the water taps will make it easier to clean.

5. A lot of people recommended I get an electrical sub panel for an air compressor. The reality is, I would never use or need air tools or an air compressor. I do all my own work on my own cars, but electric power tools work pretty well now a days. Again, your needs may be different.

6. Dunno if you want a lift or the option to add one? I decided on eventually adding a midsize lift like Max Jax. If your having the house built - make sure the concrete is spec'd correctly for the lift you want. Also, consider the height and location of the auto garage door opener. If you want (need?) a real full size two post lift - you will need special electrician requirements in the garage (sub panel?) most likely. A Max Jax mid rise doesn't require this and is more than sufficient for my needs. It's also moveable, as I know a full two post lift would annoy me because it's in the way. Again, maybe you plan on pulling transmissions on a daily basis, and a full size lift would be better for you. But for detailing - it's kind of overkill for a home garage.

7. Lighting - LEDs are the way to go. But regular fluorescent lighting (T5s or T8s) are significantly cheaper. I decided to go with 28 inline T8 Bulls in surface mounted fixtures, because the price was reasonable and I knew it would be sufficient for me:



Of course, if you are taking out the trash - you won't need 28 bulbs. So, I had the builder put one strip of just 4 bulbs on a single switch, and a switch next to it that turns on all the lights.

I also made sure the auto garage door opener was fairly low profile, and won't interfere with a mid rise lift:



Of course if you are detailing for a living, you may want a fancier light set-up. But in reality, lights on the side of the wall would just be in the way for me.

8. Outlets everywhere - Outlets are CHEAP. My builder alloyed a certain number of outlets, and then charged like $40 for each additional. I got a slew of them all around the garage.

9. This may go without saying, but I wanted direct access to the garage from the house. In the old days, they built homes where the garage was only accessible via the garage door (attached garage). I'm guessing they aren't doing that anymore? Also, I wasn't really looking for a house with a detached garage.

**** That is what I went with. For me, it's plenty and left me money to do a lot of other upgrades inside the house.




****please support trans-species humans.

[Mike Honcho]

Sweet!!!

[Klasse Act]

Strong shelves and a heater are MUST haves💡

Sent from my LGLS990 using Tapatalk

[Eldorado2k]

Mini fridge, for the occasional adult beverage.

[willowcat11]

Lighting.

Plenty of lighting is a must, IMO. If I could have my way, there would not only be multiple sources from above, but from the sides as well.

Totally Agree!

And that Photo is a Great visual. Thanks for posting that. This just gave me an ideal to look at. I also like all the White to reflect all the light from the actual lights!


Ray