Question for those with a Metal Garage

I have browsed the net for days looking at all the configurations and prices on steel frame and full metal garages. I am planning on a 30 x 50
or longer garage and I just can't seem to google an answer.

Question:

What do you have and what do you like and dis-like about it?

Robert

 

I have a 15 x 40 foot single car garage and it has enough room to park a car in and work on it and a nice shop at the far end. I have it filled with a lathe, mill, drill press, solvent tank, arbor press, compressor, grinder, parts and heat treating ovens. I have had a 66 Mustang in the garage for the last 19 years while I "modify" it for street use. I would prefer a larger space - 45 feet wide would be about right with it 40 feet deep.

 

Hey Robert,

I've got a 40 x 40 metal, pole-barn style shop. If I had it to do over again I would put a trench drain in it from one side to the other. As it is now, I've just got two regular round drains, and I don't care much for them. I'd also go with 12 foot ceilings. I have 10 and would like to have the added height for a lift later. I'd definitely have them insulate under the roof metal while under construction. Some folks don't do this, and in the spring and fall, with the big temp changes from daylight to dark, the roof will sweat and it's like rain inside the shop! I also went with 8ft tall doors instead of typical 7ft tall ones. I did this so that there are no clearance problems at all when backing my truck and trailer with the car on it into the shop. Get a full-size breaker panel. If you don't need the spots, don't use them... but you will need them! Run twice as many electrical outlets as you think you will need... I did, and have never regretted it. Beats having to use extension cords all the time.

That's all I can think of right now, but if I think of anything else, or if you have any questions, fire away.

Later,

 

Hey Robert,

I've got a 40 x 40 metal, pole-barn style shop. If I had it to do over again I would put a trench drain in it from one side to the other. As it is now, I've just got two regular round drains, and I don't care much for them. I'd also go with 12 foot ceilings. I have 10 and would like to have the added height for a lift later. I'd definitely have them insulate under the roof metal while under construction. Some folks don't do this, and in the spring and fall, with the big temp changes from daylight to dark, the roof will sweat and it's like rain inside the shop! I also went with 8ft tall doors instead of typical 7ft tall ones. I did this so that there are no clearance problems at all when backing my truck and trailer with the car on it into the shop. Get a full-size breaker panel. If you don't need the spots, don't use them... but you will need them! Run twice as many electrical outlets as you think you will need... I did, and have never regretted it. Beats having to use extension cords all the time.

That's all I can think of right now, but if I think of anything else, or if you have any questions, fire away.

Later,

 

"The Mans Room"

...and of course... w/window and floor drain.

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I went to a show this past weekend and talked to a gemini lift dealer, and he recomended 12 foot also.....that is what I had planned on having was 12 foot side walls and 10x10 door. Went to look at a carolina carport dealer here in town, looked at their 24x24 demo unit that they had on the lot, got there price lists and also went online to configure the garage....If I go with them I will have 4' on center sides.

I dont think they have insulation packages....guess you could always call a foam sprayer guy and have 3 or 4 inches of that sprayed on the inside roof area.
As far a electrial I have my current 24x24 carage loaded and the new one will exceed that. I have already got a 1000' + of 12-2 and 250' + of 14-2. I also plan on having at least 2 places to plug in the welder, one in the back middle and the other between the 2 doors. the welding cart I build has a 20' cord of 8-3 on it so I can get it where I need it. and I am going to have a dedicated meter on the garage with a 200amp service. My current garage is feed off the house and is limited to about 30 amps.
Robert

 

There is nothing I dislike about my Morton building. But if to do over, I would have 12' ceilings instead of 10'. And I would have made it twice as big. 36'X 45' is not big enough.
Dan

 

although mine isnt metal, I would definitely say to go for as much as you can swing space wise, I dont think you can have too much room.future projects, tools, materials,ect all eat up space quickly.

 

I have a 42 X 70 Wood structure insulated with heat and all amenities with 13' ceilings I LOVE it. When I built it I thought it was too big now it fits perfect.

 

not here to add anything intelligent to the thread. but ya know what they say... the bigger the space, the more stuff you need. i had a 2500 sq. shop outside of my normal 2.5 car garage, 2 20 x 20 outbuildings, and i still needed more room. i could of gone on forever. god bless us all for saving stuff. i love stuff. cant get enough stuff.

 

Got more pictures of that garage and footings?.....looks like the carolina carport I just looked at....I like that yours is up on a couple of courses of blocks.
Robert

 

Robert,
i went to 6 places before i could get them to put it on a block wall. it is bolted to the wall and it's full of cement. the wall was to make it match the foundation of my house. there is a 12"Dx16"w footer around the outside. where the lift feet are there are 4'x4'x 8"D pads. specs. called for 24"x24"x5"D...
in the pic. of me ...waterproofing...the walls you can see the bolts.
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In Dallas your only allowed 25% of the dwelling structure size as a storage or "other" building not attatched and it has to be made of the same type material and have the same shingles, at least that is what I was told !

 

Looks good, who is the manufacturer?
My back yard sometimes sit in an inch or two of water on heavy rain, I thought about raising it up a block or two.
Robert

 

that's a different type foundation than mine. you will have to pour a footer, lay the block, back fill and then pour the slab. your building will be sitting on the slab, not on a block wall like mine.
...make sure that your slab is the same size as the outside of the metal frame...that way the metal on the outside will hang over the edge and not let water run under the frame...


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