New Garage Workshop Build

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Delphinus

611 posts

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#249176 29-Apr-2019 15:10

I’m looking at building a separate garage/workshop for parking a car (including charging for a future EV), motorcycle, bikes, freezer, washing machine, storage for various sports gear (climbing, surfing, diving), workshop/tools/powertools, and in the future install some battery pack (thinking from a recycled EV battery), with PV on the roof.

Floorplan I had in mind was 9x9m, standard gable roof, with a good steep surface to get close to the best angle for PV. 2.4m Stud.

Based on previous threads I’ve read, will make sure trusses and roof support the weight of the PV, and storage on an attic floor placed on the trusses.

Will run power cables and a couple of network cables from the house.

Any other tips and suggestions? Not sure whether to go for a kitset from someone like Versatile or Ideal, or do up my own plans then send them to a company to make prenailed frames/trusses. Have been involved in building projects in the past, and have experienced family assistance here too. What are the pros and cons of using a company like Versatile/Ideal kitset for a simple build like this?

Floorplan: Entrance from the left, north to the right.

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3885 posts

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#2227482 29-Apr-2019 16:18

Consider if you would ever want to park a van or SUV in the garage. If so, then you might need to go to 3m or so stud height.

Install the biggest power cables that you feasibly can to the garage. At lease 32A single phase. And if your house has 2 phase or 3 phase, then definitely run that to the garage. Some EVs already support 3 phase charging, or at least 32A single phase charging. And it would also be useful for the solar panels. And gives you the option of running large welders etc.

The kit set garage companies would likely be far cheaper. As they use engineer designed framing systems. So they can use less material than a garage built to NZS3604. Main disadvantage is if you want to extend it later. As the extension would probably also need to be engineer designed.

trig42

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#2227489 29-Apr-2019 16:28

That is a massive garage, nearly bigger than my house (3 Bed initial, 90sq m).

Jealous.

Delphinus

611 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2227491 29-Apr-2019 16:32

trig42:
That is a massive garage, nearly bigger than my house (3 Bed initial, 90sq m).

Jealous.

Yeah sometimes I wonder if I'm going overkill, but I live on a lifestyle block so there are all sorts of things that need storing in there. Plus when I built the house (134sqm) I didn't put enough storage in here, so plenty is going into the garage!

Aredwood: Will definitely be going big cables. Only single phase to the house.

Good to know about framing designs.

mdf

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#2227501 29-Apr-2019 16:42

If you've got experience and family assistance, I'd build bespoke.

That said, my personal experience is that every garage looks more like this pretty quickly:

Senecio

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#2227502 29-Apr-2019 16:42

You have a washing machine so you're obviously plumbing the garage. I would recommend adding a laundry tub next to the washing machine. It's incredibly convenient to be able to wash up paint brushes and the like in the garage and not have to bring them back into the house. I don't know how close your garage will be to the main house but adding an external tap on the side of the garage may also be a good idea for a hose to clean vehicles and sports gear.

PolicyGuy

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#2227511 29-Apr-2019 16:59

I'd put the freezer at the door end, not the far end.
You'll curse the extra seven metres walk each way(!) when you just have to nip out for a packet of frozen peas 😉
Or your kids will ... "But Daaaad, the freezer's at the other end of the shed" 😂

Your ridge-line will need to run roughly east-west, i.e. parallel with the door, which is not the 'usual' arrangement, but there are plenty of counter-examples on the Versatile website.
IIRC, you'd want your PV panels pointing at NNW (337degrees) rather than due North (0/360 degrees), but this will depend to a small extent on where you are on the east-west direction. I think they need to be pointing at where the sun will be at solar noon (not clock noon, these may be different) on the winter solstice (June 21st / 22nd), so the PV panels are getting the best sun in the middle of winter. Since it's a new build and on a lifestyle block, presumably you are not too tightly constrained and can tweak the orientation a few degrees either way for best solar gain

wellygary

8331 posts

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#2227513 29-Apr-2019 17:06

Senecio:

You have a washing machine so you're obviously plumbing the garage. I would recommend adding a laundry tub next to the washing machine. It's incredibly convenient to be able to wash up paint brushes and the like in the garage and not have to bring them back into the house. I don't know how close your garage will be to the main house but adding an external tap on the side of the garage may also be a good idea for a hose to clean vehicles and sports gear.

This, Double This, ( probably also a small HWC) being able to wash up after a long day with dirty or greasy hands is a huge thing......

It also means you can make coffee while you are there too :)

Also, I'm assuming you are insulating the place,??

I can't tell you how many steel garages I have been in that are colder than the outside air until mid morning in winter. - not fun places to work...

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Aredwood

3885 posts

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#2227519 29-Apr-2019 17:15

If the roof is too steep, it makes roof maintenance harder. And as for solar. You need to decide if you want the highest total power generation over a whole year. Or if you want to optimize power output to a certain time of day or season.

As my understanding is that optimizing for winter output. Will mean lower total output over the whole year.

Also check with the lines company in your area first before you design the solar. You need to find out what the max KW of export capacity they will approve is. Actually apply for it, so you will get a binding answer.

As if you only get approval for a low amount. Then you might instead want to have 2 or 3 groups of panels, all pointing in different directions. Since each group will peak at a different time. It is a way of exporting more power, while still being restricted to a low export capacity.

sootyandsweep

16 posts

Geek

#2227526 29-Apr-2019 17:25

mdf:

If you've got experience and family assistance, I'd build bespoke.

That said, my personal experience is that every garage looks more like this pretty quickly:

This is EXACTLY my problem no matter how many times its cleaned........ Love it.

Tracer

343 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2227528 29-Apr-2019 17:26

Delphinus:

Will run power cables and a couple of network cables from the house.

What are people's thoughts on fibre for this? No isolation between the buildings seems like a good way to blow up your switches.

DarthKermit

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#2227556 29-Apr-2019 18:36

My garage is like a reverse TARDIS. Definitely a lot smaller on the inside than the outside.

Dratsab

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#2227572 29-Apr-2019 19:48

DarthKermit: My garage is like a reverse TARDIS.

Would that be a reTARDIS?

nickb800

2721 posts

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#2227599 29-Apr-2019 20:07

The usual kitset garage companies may not let you change the roof pitch or have ceiling storage - there's limits on what customisation you can do within their 'system' . This might drive you to a custom build

mclean

581 posts

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#2227769 30-Apr-2019 09:52

Whole books have been written on workbenches but if you're going to spend a lot of time at it or enjoy woodworking then a free-standing bench is really nice. If you're into DIY then space for basic machine tools, eg small drill-press, bench grinder. Beer/wine fridge, decent waste bin.

Delphinus

611 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2227985 30-Apr-2019 14:42

Senecio:

You have a washing machine so you're obviously plumbing the garage. I would recommend adding a laundry tub next to the washing machine. It's incredibly convenient to be able to wash up paint brushes and the like in the garage and not have to bring them back into the house. I don't know how close your garage will be to the main house but adding an external tap on the side of the garage may also be a good idea for a hose to clean vehicles and sports gear.

Good point about tub, have added to the list, will do exterior taps too, they are always handy.

PolicyGuy:

I'd put the freezer at the door end, not the far end.
You'll curse the extra seven metres walk each way(!) when you just have to nip out for a packet of frozen peas 😉
Or your kids will ... "But Daaaad, the freezer's at the other end of the shed" 😂

Good point, better to use that corner for shelving or something.

PolicyGuy:

Your ridge-line will need to run roughly east-west, i.e. parallel with the door, which is not the 'usual' arrangement, but there are plenty of counter-examples on the Versatile website.
IIRC, you'd want your PV panels pointing at NNW (337degrees) rather than due North (0/360 degrees), but this will depend to a small extent on where you are on the east-west direction. I think they need to be pointing at where the sun will be at solar noon (not clock noon, these may be different) on the winter solstice (June 21st / 22nd), so the PV panels are getting the best sun in the middle of winter. Since it's a new build and on a lifestyle block, presumably you are not too tightly constrained and can tweak the orientation a few degrees either way for best solar gain

I've actually been rethinking this and will probably re-orientate to put North straight up. Just have to shift it around a bit to allow easy drive-in access. Then you're not having to drive in under eaves, which means more height to play with. Might move to a 2.7 stud too. And yes can move orientation a few degrees.

Red square is where I was thinking of putting it (square is not oriented, just a location placemark):

wellygary:

Also, I'm assuming you are insulating the place,??

I can't tell you how many steel garages I have been in that are colder than the outside air until mid morning in winter. - not fun places to work...

I hadn't planned on insulating right away. I will eventually, but thought to leave off the lining and insulation to start with to save money at first, and means if I want to move power plugs as I start using it I can get that right before putting on lining. I'm in Dunedin so it's going to be cold through winter regardless, even with insulation....? Planning on timber framing and plywood cladding, so it won't be a steel garage.

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