Allcoupedup

We're weighing options in constructing a new garage. My lot is small and I live in a neighborhood where everything needs to be aesthetically pleasing.

For those of you lucky enough to have 4 post lifts - how high is your ceiling? Does the construction use custom designed trusses, rafters, or is your ceiling simply high?

I'm thinking of building a 22w x 26d building for a daily driver and the '65. I know a local builder that can build just about anything BUT i'm on a budget and I want to make sure the garage is useable by anyone who might own this house after me.

Thanks,
Brian

Subfixer

I'm in the process of getting my permit this month for a new garage. Here are the specifics:
Regular block footing rising 1 foot above grade. 10 foot walls. 4/12 pitch truss roof. Interior ceiling height will be 11 ft. Total building height will be 15 ft. Mean building height will be 13 ft. (mean height is height above grade measured to the eaves plus 1/2 distance from eaves to roof peak). Exterior dimensions 24'Wx32'D. 2 oversize 9'Wx8'H doors (so I can get the Suburban in also).

As far as price goes, with the help of some forum members, I was hooked up to a lumber yard called 84 Lumber (they can be found online). They have a stock kit with all building materials for the size I want. Total material cost includung roofing, doors, windows and vinyl siding to match my house came to under $4700 including delivery. Another $5-6K for the foundation (local guys). Should be able to get the whole thing in for about $10K if I build it myself. Contractors in this area wanted as much as $36k.

I'm cutting it as close as I can as my zoning laws limit the mean height to 14ft. Hopefully, I can get a lift in there.


[Modified by Subfixer, 3:32 PM 5/19/2003]

Denney

Brian, I have a 4-post lift and my garage ceiling is 10.5 ft high. Works just fine for the vettes (can go all the way up - 6 ft) but can only go up about 5.5 ft with the other passenger cars in the stable and only about 4 ft with the SUV. If I could have the "ideal" height I would say it would be between 11 and 12 ft. :cheers: :smash:

Allcoupedup

Subfixer- I remember that post - EdT gave some great advice. I don't have the resources to build one my self. Contractors here want $15,600 for the whole deal (576 ft^2 w/8' celingin) including demolition of the existing garage. They want $1500 more for 10' ceiling. What kind of roof construction are you going to use? BTW Maybe I should call your 84 lumber - the one up here by me wanted $5144 for the 24x24.

Denney - did you have to have a special door built to keep the opener and the track/chain close to the ceiling? What I mean here is can you open the garage door with a car up on the lift? Do you have the car back far enough so that it does not interfere with the door.


THANKS

JohnZ

When we built our new home three years ago, I had the garage designed with a 12' ceiling to accommodate a car at full working height on a lift, and had the door openings framed to accommodate 8-foot tall garage doors (instead of the standard 7 feet) so I could roll the lift out in the driveway if necessary with the caster kit installed. The top of the horizontal roller tracks for the doors are 9" from the ceiling, and I can open the door fully with my '67 at full working height. This is called a "high-lift" door installation, with an extra (not visible from outside) fifth top door section to get the geometry correct for the door operator (its track is only 2" from the ceiling) so as the operator pulls rearward, the door pulls upward before the top rollers start making the transition from vertical to horizontal. Here's a photo:


:steering:

cbernhardt

Brian:

Not sure if this would work in your situation but you might want to consider just making the area over the lift higher than the rest of the garage by using vaulted or scissor trusses. Below is a picture I created to show contractors what I wanted over my 2 post lift area. The (peak) ceiling over the lift is 13' while the rest of the shop ceiling is 10'. In my case the extra cost of the vaulted trusses was much less that adding another 3 courses of block.
Charles

Biggus Blockus

My garage height is 11' and we used standard trusses. You will want to go at
least 11 feet to be able to use the lift to it's full advantage. I love mine!
Good luck!

JWD01

I have 11' ceilings which is enough for the Corvettes but not for the truck. Build as high as possible, you won't be sorry. Also, put in the tallest door you can. :cheers:

Mikey1

With a good 9 meters...you do not have a lifting problem....the only prob is that you cannot reach the car anymore.... :jester

Allcoupedup

Thanks for all the info. Time to talk to builders.
Brian

Denney

Brian, whoops, I should have mentioned that I have a very large attached garage (will hold 5 cars easily without the lift, 6 with it and 7 cars if I wanted to use the space where my shop tools are. It is effectively double deep so the garage door does not come into play whatsoever (lift is in the back). I also had the builder install an 8' door (which I would recommend regardless). :cheers:

gary6696

My ceiling is 8.5' - no problem for my lift! :D

Don't laugh. It sure made for an easy differential installation..