Must haves in a new shop?

[snoluver1]

don't need any piers or thicker concrete... just dont put it too close to exspantion joints or cuts

Depends what you want to lift. If your only ever gona lift a 4-5k# car, you can probably get away with standard thickness. If you want to put in a heavy duty lift and think you may have the need to lift a 12k# truck/tractor/skid loader etc, you need thicker concrete. It would be a lot less hassle now to go 12" thick under the lift, than repairing the concrete later!

 

[indy_500]

I am putting in a 36x52 foot garage. This place is my place to design totally the way I want. My cost for the in-floor heat was $11,500(price includes everything needed from start to finish by a plumbing and heating company). This is a lot of money and I am on the fence if I want to do the in-floor heat since I really won't be using the garage really all that much and is crazy expensive. Any input on this is welcome.

WOW i always thought in floor heat was a great idea but 11.5k? yikes

 

[dj2muchjunk]

if you can't justify the cost now just put the hose in the floor which is fairly inexpensive and you can possibly do that yourself, then you can install the expensive part later. A12 foot ceiling is perfect for a hoist, but if you do the infloor and want a 2 post hoist which is bolted to the floor you need to not have heat lines anywhere close to the base of your hoist,and may want to have the concrete thicker in that area.Consult an equipment salesperson and he can contact a hoist company to provide the facts.

 

[luke_duke]

I might look into running the pipe but I think there is still quite a bit of expense doing that like 2" Styrofoam and various other things. I might just put an 8" floor in the one side and worry about the hoist later...it would be used just for a car or pickup.

 

[polarisrider1]

I might look into running the pipe but I think there is still quite a bit of expense doing that like 2" Styrofoam and various other things. I might just put an 8" floor in the one side and worry about the hoist later...it would be used just for a car or pickup.

I did my own heated floor. simple setup. plug it in in the fall, unplug in spring. I used a Powervent hotwater heater instead of a boiler. Menards has preplumbed setup for connecting tubing to hot water source for around $1100, pd. $750 for fancy pants gas hot water heater, you can do electric for less $$, tubing and styrofoam is not that muck money. Bet for $3000 to $3500 in parts and do it yourself. I love it. heat regain is fast when doors get openned, consistant heat and where you want the heat at the floor. snow melts fast ads some humidity and large drains take it away.

 

[xcr440]

I might just put an 8" floor in the one side and worry about the hoist later...it would be used just for a car or pickup.

That hoist would be used for A LOT more than a car or pickup. ANY time you work on the sled, trailer, lawn mower, etc etc, it would get used.

Go find a 12" diameter 12' long piece of heavy steel, (Find a demolition site, they'd probably give it to you) and set it 4 feet below the floor surface, leave a little space around it for extra cement, and have the main part in NOW. Put it just inside the garage door, just off the side, and then anytime in the future you can put the pivioting hoist in.

If you are going to be building a garage that big, you plan to be there a while, you won't regret it. If you are debating floor heat cost vs. hoist, do the hoist.

 

[dj2muchjunk]

would recomend the 2 inch styrofoam anyway,with our without infloor heat

 

[polarisrider1]

would recomend the 2 inch styrofoam anyway,with our without infloor heat

Do the in floor heat. if you plan to stay a while, it is money well spent. give up the 16 tap kegerator system, you can add that later. never met a un happy heated floor customer once they get past the cost. Been doing this awhile trust me on it and thank me later!

 

[fcat700]

A lot of great ideas...thanks for the feedback. My father had a great idea too, an outside hydrant, so I can wash up the toys on those sunny warm winter days.

 

[blkhwkbob]

Everyone mentioning floor drains, where are you draining them to? In good ol' Illinois, floor drains are a no-no, unless they dump into triple-trap basins. Also, urinals are pretty nasty things when they get plugged up. I would just go with a toilet. That's from 25 years in building maintenance experience.

 

[polarisrider1]

Everyone mentioning floor drains, where are you draining them to? In good ol' Illinois, floor drains are a no-no, unless they dump into triple-trap basins. Also, urinals are pretty nasty things when they get plugged up. I would just go with a toilet. That's from 25 years in building maintenance experience.

How do you plug a urinal?
Floor drains can get tricky now days. I had to put in a "dry tank". A 55 gallon barrel buried outside to catch solids. Kinda mini septic tank.

 

[luke_duke]

My garage is going in mainly for a storage and to wrench on cars, sleds, and 4-wheelers. They are digging the footers today. To answer a few replies: I am not putting the floor heat in, its not worth the money to me. I will not use the garage that much...any large projects or heavy repair will be done at our new building/workshop at our family's farm operation which is about a quarter mile down the road and being built as I type. That structure is 180' by 70" with the heated floor in the shop being 90' by 70'. Since I won't be using the lift for anything heavier than a car or pickup, I am told by the construction company a 4" floor is good enough since the stone underneath was packed in with a vibrating roller. That in itself is harder than concrete. With that said I am pouring the floor 5" thick and plan on digging a couple 4' by 4' piers where the lift will be. This garage will be insulated to the greatest R value as possible.

I am using 2 floor drains. I will be hooking into the field tile that drains the 120 acres I own behind the garage. I sit on the edge of a little hill...The drains will be 4 plus feet higher than the tile so I won't have to worry about water backing up into my garage. I know our county has some major stipulations for drains but mine are going in.

I plan on taking dj2muchjunk's advice and using the 2" Styrofoam between my stone and concrete floor but before I do I want to make sure there aren't any negatives to this....like cracking or splintering of concrete. I assume not since they use this in the in-floor heat so any input here would be great since I have some time before I do the floor.

 

[luke_duke]

Not sure if we are talking about the same thing. I plan on putting this in "2 Post Asymmetric Hoist"

That hoist would be used for A LOT more than a car or pickup. ANY time you work on the sled, trailer, lawn mower, etc etc, it would get used.

Go find a 12" diameter 12' long piece of heavy steel, (Find a demolition site, they'd probably give it to you) and set it 4 feet below the floor surface, leave a little space around it for extra cement, and have the main part in NOW. Put it just inside the garage door, just off the side, and then anytime in the future you can put the pivioting hoist in.

If you are going to be building a garage that big, you plan to be there a while, you won't regret it. If you are debating floor heat cost vs. hoist, do the hoist.

 

[xcr440]

I thought I had some pics, here is what I am talking about. I'm pretty sure that post goes about 4 or 5 feet under the surface of the floor. Pretty much indestructable, and was just scrap steel.

 

[blkhwkbob]

Over time, the trap inside the urinal gets full of nasty solids/hair, and little pieces of the "pink puck" if you use them without a basket(don't). Especially if there isn't an auto-flush valve or if the flush is one of those great "water saving" ones.

 

[blkhwkbob]

How do you plug a urinal?
Floor drains can get tricky now days. I had to put in a "dry tank". A 55 gallon barrel buried outside to catch solids. Kinda mini septic tank.

Over time, the trap inside the urinal gets full of nasty solids/hair, and little pieces of the "pink puck" if you use them without a basket(don't). Especially if there isn't an auto-flush valve or if the flush is one of those great "water saving" ones.