[Fot] The garage mahal

[Shane Ingate]

Funny you mention it.  I just broke ground on my
own 40'x30'x12' garagemahal this Friday.  I spent
a lot of time designing it and reading garagejournal.
Here are my personal preferences:
    - insulated 6" thick concrete floor, 4,000 psi, with
10" footings beneath the lift posts.  Use hard shake
when the concrete is floated; this hardens the concrete
(like nitriding) so that it will not chip or stain.  Better
then paint which is a maintenance item and needs to be
redone like any paint.  Includes floor drains.  I am in
New Mexico so it does not get cold enough for radiant
heat.
    - don't know if Babcock is smoking Maui-waui, but
a 2-post lift is a MUST.  I've used them for years and
just the simple expedient of raising the car 2 feet to
work on the engine will have your back thanking you
for years.  I have ordered a Mohawk 10,000 lb lift,
which is sufficient for the 3/4 ton Silverado.
    - I have ordered 2 insulated 12'x10' roll-up doors.
Expensive as hell (each as much as the lift), but ordinary
garage doors intrude too much into air space in the garage.
    - Doors face south, I have many windows on the northern
wall.  It is vital to have adequate flow-through insulation
during the summer.
    - stick-built, insulated and stucco-finished walls are not much
more expensive than a insulated steel building.  I am working
on a budget of $45/sq ft, and that is for the complete building,
permits, electrical etc.
    - for lighting, I am using four 2'x4' skylights and eight T8 8'
flourescent lights.  T8 technology is instant start, zero flicker and
work  at sub-zero temperatures.  8' is a whole lot cheaper than 4'.
    - power is 200 amps, including 220V single phase line.  I cannot
ever see my self needing 3-phase.  Wall plugs will be mounted at 4'
off the ground.  All my work benches have power-strips built-in.
    - you can pick up used pallet shelving damned cheap, and this
is the best way to make lofts and heavy-duty storage.
    - I'll be running airline through the walls.  I have a 2-stage
80 gallon compressor which does not bother me much (150K
miles on a megaphoned Guzzi took care of my hearing) so it
will stay inside with me, but I will build a closet for it.
    - We have more cooling days than heating days in NM, so
I am using a pro-panel roof, in white.  That will make it more pleasant
during the summer.

The only con is that I do not have any water or bathroom.  The
former is solved by a bucket, and the latter by the 120,000
acres of national forest on 3 sides of our property.

I'll be posting pictures and a blog to garagejornal.  I'll let you
know the link when I have some more pics to show.

Shane Ingate in NM


_________________________________________________________________
How well do you know your celebrity gossip?
http://originals.msn.com/thebigdebate?ocid=T002MSN03N0707A