The ultimate Interstate garage

[InterBlog]

Following the surfacing of some worthy garage porn on another recent thread, I think we decided that we needed a thread devoted to that topic alone.

So here we have it - a place to post all of your best Interstate-worthy garage info: plans, pics, sightings, ideas, and what have you. Bonus points given for construction ideas and sightings that are potentially within financial reach of mere mortals, as opposed to the infinitely wealthy, which most of us are not.

I was inspired to commence the thread by this sighting shown below. The geographic area where LB_3 and I live is architecturally schizoid. We have a fair number of old wild-west-style larger homestead tracts where pretty much anything can still be built, vintage enclaves that were subsequently engulfed by Houston's encroaching urban sprawl. The latter stands in stark contrast in being subject to strict HOA boilerplate which rules out all but the most generic tiny passenger car garages.

This build grabbed my attention because I've never seen anything quite like it. A large but not unwieldy one-story home with a behemoth high-bay garage attached to its back side. *Attached*. Almost always, garages such as this one are free-standing rather than integral.



Here below is the view from the opposite diagonal. The owner obviously made an effort to try to add some architectural interest to this rear portion, which is all garage but which appears like it might possibly contain a loft of some sort (although the windows are not very far above the top of that foot door). I have no explanation for why they built this fence, however - they seriously need to ditch that eyesore and put in a proper cedar privacy fence IMO.



I tried researching this build on our CAD to get more details, but alas, the property is so new that it hasn't been entered into the tax database yet. It's not even on Googlemaps at this point. I'll get those details when they become available.

Now, let's see some more good stuff from everyone else, please.

[Pahaska]

When I converted a summer cabin to an all-year home above Carter Lake in Colorado, I added a 2-vehicle garage with 8-feet between the two garage doors. The door closest to the house was a standard door while the other door was 10' high. There was a people door between the two big doors.

The big door was not for a vehicle, though; it was for my 22' sailboat. I could back the sailboat in and then, by hand, move it into the space between doors. I could then house my Blazer and BMW behind the two garage doors.

I later bought a 25' keel sailboat which had to stay outdoors. It was still great to have the big garage.

I no longer have a photo of the house. It did look a bit strange with the two door heights, but it was very practical. Wish I had it now for my AI!

[LB_3]

The example provided by IB is pretty ugly. With a big place it should be easier to incorporate a larger garage without making it look like a monstrosity.

Here is my favorite garage/loft on thegarageplanshop.com. It’s tiny and squeezes in three car stalls, a small workroom/shop, a gianormous high bay, and a small 1 bedroom apartment. Only issue is you can’t easily get to the stairs from the front door.

https://www.thegarageplanshop.com/010g-0017.php

[InterBlog]

Reposting a few tidbits from the Mods thread, garage-related post series starts at this permalink here.

Also, the earliest thread I know of that discussed garages to fit Interstates (or any other Class B), "Where to park the space shuttle" by Weirdstuff.

My spin on Wachuko's proposed design.



I have other creative examples around our area that I'll post when I get pics.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by LB_3

The example provided by IB is pretty ugly. ...

Well, it's not as ugly as what we're paying for right now, and for sure it has less gun fire.

[Alex AVI]

We are just contemplating this (hard to leave what we thought was our forever home), but have put down the required deposit couple months ago to hold the lot until builder is ready to build at end-of-year. That's when we have to make a decision whether to build or not to build. Less house, more garage space, single story (vs. our current 2-story), within city-limits so MUCH smaller lots but low-maintenance xeriscape (Las Vegas no longer allows any sod installs on new properties, after all we are living in a desert.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by LB_3

With a big place it should be easier to incorporate a larger garage without making it look like a monstrosity.

Here is my favorite garage/loft on thegarageplanshop.com. It’s tiny and squeezes in three car stalls, a small workroom/shop, a gianormous high bay, and a small 1 bedroom apartment.

I agree, good architect should be able to make it look less of a commercial building, even if it's 75% garage. I like those garage/loft plans.

[InterBlog]

Originally Posted by Alex AVI

...Less house, more garage space, single story (vs. our current 2-story), within city-limits so MUCH smaller lots but low-maintenance xeriscape ...

Your design is superb. My only substantive suggestion is that you strongly consider adding a big a** skylight over the kitchen - not just any skylight, but a BIG one. The kitchen is in the middle of the house, just as ours is, and you'll need that in order to promote a light and airy feeling in that space. BECAUSE the kitchen is in the middle of the house, at that point the roof is at its tallest, and most of the time the skylight will not receive direct blinding sunlight, simply because the "chimney" will be so tall. So this will not become a problem. I will PM you a pic of ours so that you can see what I mean.

I'm curious about what the front elevation would look like with that kind of a design and with the house being one story. I would think that your tallest bay would need to be toward the center of the structure in order for it to appear cohesive (??).

LB_3 and I went from speculatively buying an Interstate and not knowing whether we'd keep it...

--to--

...having much of our lifestyle revolve around it.



Here's a redacted excerpt from our original contract documents, for the build we commissioned before we even know such a thing as an Interstate existed. You can immediately see our problem. Physically we could create a 6-car attached garage on this property - that would be easy. But I am 90% sure that we wouldn't be able to get permission to alter our roof line at the front of our house. I haven't tried to get a variance, and maybe if we retained an architect and did it all fancy with something like a limestone facade or whatever, they would go for it. But there'd still be an 11 to 12 foot door on the front, which is not even remotely in keeping with the neighborhood, so I have my doubts.

PLUS, because we are in a coastal Gulf county, doors for attached garages have to be built like brick outhouses (our house is rated for 120 mph sustained winds). I'm not even sure what that would have to look like, structurally, to meet building code. This is why 99.9% of high-bay garages are detached in our area. I don't know how in the hell that owner got a permit to build what he did, the "ugly" one I showed at the beginning of this thread. It's hard to pull a bait-and-switch on building inspectors these days because they can always withhold certificates of occupancy until the final walk-through.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by InterBlog

Your design is superb. My only substantive suggestion is that you strongly consider adding a big a** skylight over the kitchen - not just any skylight, but a BIG one. The kitchen is in the middle of the house, just as ours is, and you'll need that in order to promote a light and airy feeling in that space. BECAUSE the kitchen is in the middle of the house, at that point the roof is at its tallest, and most of the time the skylight will not receive direct blinding sunlight, simply because the "chimney" will be so tall. So this will not become a problem. I will PM you a pic of ours so that you can see what I mean.

I'm curious about what the front elevation would look like with that kind of a design and with the house being one story. I would think that your tallest bay would need to be toward the center of the structure in order for it to appear cohesive (??).

INTERBLOG - Digging up the plans and front elevation (I have it filed away). Will post elevation pics. I do like the skylight idea (especially the BIG one). I am pretty sure that was in the plans, but I believe we may not be able to get it because of the orientation of the house. The roofed patio next to kitchen has 9ft tall SGD wall partitions. It is not drawn on this plan, but we will option it out to completely open wall-to-wall. That will bring in all the light from the south. We never have a lack of light in Las Vegas, in fact, most of the time (51 weeks) we have to close it off due to amount of heat that we take in. Rear is south facing on the lot that we chose, and the solar system would be on that side of the house. We chose that orientation specifically so the solar is not on the front elevation of house.

The rv garage door is even taller on this plan - it is 14 ft. tall Plan is approved, no variances required, rv garages are common in Las Vegas so builders already have the steps down to get approval. It's never an issue to have one with the only requirements being obviously lot size & the setbacks from the street and sides. The height would almost always not be a problem, if it is below the tallest part of the roof.

[Lotus54]

I don’t like attached garages. The reason is I like to do work out there, including producing of all sorts of smelly stuff (well, not as a prime activity). Invariably that seems to get into the house if attached. More separation is better.
Some things like monoxide I’m very sensitive to (perhaps from many, many years of exposure) and sometimes things like painting produces some nasty fumes.
My wife doesn’t like the smell when I brew ale either, plus moving around 10 gallons of hot wort is a LOT easier with the cherry picker.

Attached certainly makes some other things a lot easier (power, water, sewer). But another reason I like detached is if it caught fire, at least it wouldn’t burn the house down also (well, hopefully not).

But I’m coming from having a small house (and too small garage) that isn’t worth as much as a new AI. Of course taxes are cheap, nice neighborhood, was walking distance to work (when I did such things as work) and I love this area.

Just a thought.

Mark

[InterBlog]

I'm not wedded to the idea of an attached mega-garage. In my Perfect World, I think we'd have a 2-car attached (for daily drivers) and a 4-car detached (for everything else). With a screened walkway between the two. Wholly-attached becomes potentially advantageous if it is to be air conditioned, which we would like to do. One or two walls of the garage would be up against other air conditioned space.

It had to be attached on our current property because of the available lot sizes. Which presented its own problems, actually. We have a 70' wide lot - very rare for a mid-priced Houston subdivision (standard size is 50' x 100'). With our house's aspect ratio, our small backyard varies from about 20 feet deep (at the patio) to about 34 deep (at the great room windows). With a one-story house, there was no rear place to put the garage. It had to go out laterally and share walls in order to fit.

One of our tax rates is pinned to our lot width - the one that is supposed to apply to common development areas. On that line item we are paying almost 40% more than people with skinny lots, so that's not ideal.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Lotus54

I don’t like attached garages. The reason is I like to do work out there, including producing of all sorts of smelly stuff (well, not as a prime activity). Invariably that seems to get into the house if attached. More separation is better.

That can be overcome by installing a simple vestibule between the living space and garage space, with doors on both ends— like an airlock, but not necessarily airtight. Which will also have a beneficial effect on living-space temperature management because you're less likely to let outside air into the living spaces when the garage doors are open and people are moving back and forth from the garage to the living spaces. And the presence of a vestibule, with doors at each end, will also help reduce sounds from the garage being carried into the living spaces, too.

[wachuko]

When I started thinking about building our house the AI was not even a consideration... I did not know at the time that this would be part of our lifestyle. At the time it was all about having the space and equipment to spend hours lost in the garage tinkering with my cars and motorcycles...

I initially wanted the house to be a single story (thinking ahead about being older and not looking at stairs with a painful thought) but then the footprint would be to large... so there was a plan for an elevator if going with a second story... and the reason for having dual laundry areas...

Today, I would still look for the same layout but with the modifications made by Interblog. With the kids, at that time, out living their lives, we would not need as many rooms as we have now... With my in-laws today, we have two master bedrooms, my daughter's room in the bonus room that is also the side of a master bedroom, and two additional rooms (one for my son and one we currently use as the home office)... there is the dining and living area that we seldom use... there is just so much space that we could do without...

I even built the kids a play house that they no longer use (me and my father-in-law in the photo):



We do not like bathtubs... walk-in showers is what we prefer... with an area to sit... rain-like shower heads... We also love open areas... Family area and kitchen is where everything happens... so we want that to be comfortable.

So many great ideas seeing Alex design... but for me, I would make it smaller since it would be just Mara and I. With the kids visiting from time to time or us driving over in the AI to visit... Daniela wants to work for Pixar so that will place her on the other coast... Daniel, too soon to know... Keep in mind, I am thinking retirement... so the needs are not those of what we have today...

At the time, this is what I was thinking on having for the garage side. If done today, it would incorporate space for the RV, more solar for less dependency on the grid. I am over boats, we still have one because my father in law just loves it... but the older I get, the less stuff that I want to maintain or store...cars and motorcycles, I do not think that I will be over those... :

Structural
1. Raised structure (at least 24” stem wall). Even if it is not in a flood zone but since it is close to the river. To have some peace of mind (this is when the land we had was next to the river)... this will change depending on where we build our next house...
2. 4 or 5” 4000 psi concrete slab floor with thickened (6”) pads for car lift
3. Steel beam on the ceiling to be used as an engine hoist, allowing me to remove an engine and then slide it from the two-post lift area along the metal rail to the work surface (bench).
4. Drains in garage floor in each bay
5. Garage door notch for weather-proofing
6. Plumbing and drain (3/4” water supply) for sink in garage (using a restaurant type stainless steel sink to serve as dual sink and parts cleaner).
7. Outside taps

a. By garage door next to main entrance
b. By deck area
c. By side and back of structure

8. 14' ceiling in first floor
9. 10’ ceiling in second floor
10. Three 12' x 12' insulated door. High lift track doors. Door should be pneumatic for quiet operation or using LiftMaster 3800.
11. In-ceiling pipes for air hose and electrical extension reels (or maybe do those outside for easy troubleshooting later if something goes wrong with them). Which ever is more cost effective.
12. Air compressor room in garage area with insulated walls to keep noise down
13. Full bathroom with closet area for working clothes. To be shared with first floor (two access doors, one from the garage and one from the living area). Toilet should have area for magazines to maximize the time reading the latest from CAR, Excellence, Panorama, etc.
14. A large floor level sink in the garage. Provides an excellent area to clean mops or parts.
15. Propane (or Diesel) tank for generator.


Electrical
1. 200 amp 220 volt service panel (40 breaker)
2. 30 amp 110/220 volt circuit for lift in ceiling
3. 30 amp 220 volt circuit for welder
4. 30 amp 220 volt circuit for powder coating oven
5. 30 amp 220 volt switched outlet for compressor
6. 30 amp 110/220 volt outlet for washer
7. 30 amp 110/220 volt outlet for dryer
8. 30 amp 220 volt outlet as spare
9. Circuits for A/C units

a. One for the garage
b. One for the living area first floor
c. One for the living area second floor

10. 20 amp 110 volt outlets in ceiling for lift, drop lines, ceiling fans, and air filter
11. 15 amp 110 volt GFI outlets outside on each side of garage door
12. 15 amp 110 volt outlet for exhaust fan
13. 110 volt GFI outlets at 48-52” height using double gang boxes located every 4’ around garage (approx 60 total)
14. Overhead high-output LED lights

a. 6 rows of lights with 5 lights in each, each row on switched circuit
b. 2 above work bench
c. 2 above cleaning area

15. Switched (with motion sensor) outside light. One on each corner.
16. Recess lights outside, over garage doors entrance
17. Individually switched ceiling fans

a. Over computer desk
b. Over car bays (off centered)

18. Natural Gas/Propane or Diesel, backup generator capable of running the living areas
19. Decorative lamps on each column (dark brown and black)
20. Three A/C units

a. One for the Second Floor
b. One for the First Floor living area
a. One for the Shop/Garage

Other wiring
1. Wired alarm system
2. Telephone service
3. Cable/satellite wired (lines for each room and garage)
4. Cat-5e network cables (lines for each room and garage)
5. Wire speakers for in-ceiling speakers in all rooms and garage
6. Wire video surveillance (power/video lines for 4 cameras)
7. Spare conduit to pull other future cables

Equipment
1. Asymmetrical two-post rotary auto Lift (my Mid-raise lift would be against the wall and with places to install if needed...great thing about a movable setup)
2. Refrigerator for cold refreshments
3. Flat screen TV with Blue-ray/DVD so that I can watch instructional videos on tuning engines, and play PS3 Gran Turismo to hone my driving skills, etc.
4. In-floor lighting. Excellent way to illuminate the underside of your vehicle when it's up on a lift. These lights are flush with the floor and have break resistant lenses.
5. Cordless phone and speaker phone for conferences - you can tell that the list is a bit dated... but I would still like a wired phone for emergencies... just the other day we were completely without mobile service (we got rid of wired phones at home about 4-5 years ago)
6. Two nice big tool case with wheels on it (in addition to the ones that are fixed) for moving the tools, under use, around easily
7. Wash-up area with deep stainless steel sink. An NSF-rated stainless sink with two sinks and a drainboard. There are two sinks so one can be converted to be a parts washer, using an aqueous solution that is EPA-rated to just be flushed down the drain. No solvents, no headaches, and no permanent parts washer to use up space
8. Computer area with digital camera, manuals on CD-ROM, and internet connection
9. Air line reels hanging from the ceiling and in the side walls
10. Electrical line reels hanging from the ceiling and in the side walls
11. Low temp work lights ( LEDs)
12. Mig/Tig welder and cutting torch
13. Oscilloscope, digital multimeter, digital micrometer, digital calipers, diagnostic computer, and temperature probe/sensor
14. Fireproof cabinet for cleaning chemicals
15. HUGE fan (to cool down engine, exhaust, etc and to get fumes out of garage
16. Hose to use to expel exhaust gases from garage when doors are closed
17. Milling machine, Lathe, Drill press, grinder, cutter, polisher/buffer, drills, electric saws
18. Engine stand
19. Engine lift/hoist
20. Powder coating equipment
21. Tools cabinets with stainless top
22. Oil drain unit (on wheels to move under the car when on the lift)
23. Pneumatic sit-on creeper
24. Keys cabinet
25. Stools for the workbench
26. 2’x3’ white board (sometimes I just want to make sketches and the floor or walls are not the place to do this…)
27. Washer and dryer to clean oily rags and dirty towels so they don't mix with the regular clothes
28. Fire-suppression system
29. Central vacuum system
30. Non-skid tiled floor

Miscellaneous
1. Carpets/rugs to check for leaks and keep mess off of tiled floor
2. Soap and towel dispenser

a. In bathroom
b. In each wall
c. Next to computer desk to avoid greasy keyboards

3. A TON of sport cars/bikes posters, flags, toys, etc
4. EVERY garage MUST contain at least ONE "pinup" calendar that the wife/girlfriend/significant other does not approve of! This is a MUST! No respectable garage is without one! These are the rules and we as car enthusiasts must adhere to them! It does not have to be Playboy or something like that, but bikini-clad women in/around/near sports cars or on beaches is a requisite. This is age-old tradition so don't question it! Ok, ok. I will be the first one to admit that my garage does not have this because the last thing I want is my daughter to ask me why I have that in the garage... thus I will have it inside the tool box until she is 40 )


Keep the ideas coming... I am starting to plan again!!!

[sheakev]

A few years ago we decided to add a stand alone building. Our house is relatively small and did not have a garage. I do have a metal shed but this was already filled with tractors, lawn mowers, horse trailer(s), and a skid steer.

So when we began our design we had no idea that we would eventually own an AI. We did think that we might want to park a horse trailer in it. So it was designed with a high bay door and two regular garage doors.

The scope expanded and we decided to use spancrete planks and since it was built on the side of a hill it has a full lower level with 10' ceilings and 80% underground. It is accessed by a staircase internally and a garage door which is in the back of the building. We also added an upstairs for a party room.

Also there is an office are on the main floor (in reality a ham shack -- amateur radio).

The building is 40'X40'. It is fully insulated and with a small propane heater in the basement it keeps the entire building above freezing here in Wisconsin. In the summer the building stays relatively cool and dry.

I have a 30 amp receptacle on the wall adjacent to where the AI's plug is - this was sure luck!

It is a great place to work on the AI and could not be more perfect for storing it.

I have attached some pics, and yes the garage (technically an Ag Accessory Building) is larger than the house.

[wachuko]

EDIT: Kevin, that is a very nice setup you have there ^^^ Thank you for sharing!


With the AI in mind I would add one of those ladders that have a platform and wheels... so easy to roll into position next to the AI and it comes down under weight... that would be so much better and more stable. And with the pulley system I could work on anything up there...

I would have to think on changes to the lift... something that can lift 5 tons...

[sheakev]

Originally Posted by wachuko

EDIT:
With the AI in mind I would add one of those ladders that have a platform and wheels... so easy to roll into position next to the AI and it comes down under weight... that would be so much better and more stable.

That is a great idea. I am up there quite a bit and a step ladder is not ideal.

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by sheakev

The building is 40'X40'. It is fully insulated and with a small propane heater in the basement it keeps the entire building above freezing here in Wisconsin.

and yes the garage (technically an Ag Accessory Building) is larger than the house.

KEVIN - Very nice! I grew up in Chicago up until I graduated from UIC. Spent many summers in Madison with friends who live up there & Appleton. If I still lived in the midwest, I absolutely would build a separate Ag Accessory Building for the cars and AI. It's the way to go. 40'x40' (1,200-1,600 sq. ft.) is also the ideal size for me, not too small & not too large. Reason I say not too large is we all know most of us can fill up any size space if we had it, so the 40'x40' size is a good way to 'limit' the 'stuff' to manageable size. Otherwise, it just becomes a warehouse.

[LB_3]

I want to be adopted by Wachuko. Only real change to your list would be to add an extra 100A of 220v for charging an electric car or two.

I dream of converting an 8-10 stall horse barn into a work garage. Lifts and hoists in the aisle and dedicated workstations in each stall.

1) Lawn care storage with an exterior door
2) Woodworking
3) General storage that doesn’t belong in the loft.
4) Metalwork (welding/grinding)
5) Painting and finish
6) Electrical (soldering station, scopes, meters, power supplies)
7) Parts prep (blasting and parts washing)
8) Clean-ish room for engine assembly and automotive tool storage
9) Restroom/shower
10) And a space for IB’s sewing and other misc projects.

[wachuko]

Originally Posted by LB_3

...10) And a space for IB’s sewing and other misc projects.

Oh shuts!... I forgot!!! Yes! Same here! Mara's area for her sewing and embroidery machines... but she wants a room in the house for that, not in the garage... hey baby !

[Alex AVI]

Originally Posted by wachuko

4. EVERY garage MUST contain at least ONE "pinup" calendar that the wife/girlfriend/significant other does not approve of! This is a MUST! No respectable garage is without one! These are the rules and we as car enthusiasts must adhere to them!

WACHUKO - I almost thought you missed insulated garage doors , what was I thinking? See pic below.

Ummm, my wife approved all of my pinup calendars. The only rule was they can't be of former girlfriends. And my 2 daughters are over 30 & both married, so calendars no longer hidden (until grand kiddos get older) Sigh!

You did forget 2 things:
1. Man couch with Ultra Leather so it's easy to clean
2. Foosball table (World Cup), no pool table, that belongs inside the house

3. Slot machines (yes, I said 2 things because in Vegas you can't own slot machines without gaming license unless you jumped through major hoops & used up many silver bullets to get them). Had to remove them from their proper cabinets to make more room for . . . (see below)


OK, you did forget 1 more thing. In a shameless plug to gain more points from wifey so she allows me more allowance to buy more AI 'stuff' I have to plug her stake in the man-cave:
1. Beauty parlor chairs - what? Yes, that is her observation deck to tell me what she wants done to her minivan. It's a minivan, for crying out loud. It ain't an AI


Detailing her minivan today, getting ready for inspection when she flies in from Chicago. Had to wake up at 5am to wash it before it got too hot.

2. Additional space for more shoes - what? coz she ran out of room in the original bank of closets. I told her, no more, last cabinet I am not giving up any more garage space for her shoes Yeah, right!