Home Garage thread....door openers, lifts, storage, flooring etc.

General Discussion
#1

I’ve started a home garage project and by request I’m starting this separate thread to discuss. Instead of making it just about my plans I figured it would be best to make a more generic thread that everyone could discuss their past/current/future setups.

(Unfortunately) my attached garage is quite typical for many homes being built today. It’s 19.5"x19.5" (plus ~7ftx16" bay window) with (2) 8ft wide doors that are 7" high. Fortunately, my ceilings are a little taller than typical at 10’2" on the high side and 9’10" at the low side (due to the floors slant for run-off). The garage is used for storing both of the family vehicles ('09 Avant and '11 Volvo XC70 T6) and NOT a junk pile :slight_smile: Although it would be incredible to have a much larger garage this space meets my current needs.

However, the last few years I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a summer “fun” vehicle that my wife and I could enjoy on weekends. It will be something we’ll drive in the nicer weather and will want to take good care of. This sounds great in theory but where to park it in my two car garage? There is no way my Avant would be booted outside and my wife wouldn’t be very happy (or agree to the third car :wink: ) if she was expected to walk to her car every morning in the rain/snow.

After considering off-site storage options the only answer was a storage lift. My ceilings are higher than “normal” but still not optimal for stacking two cars. I’ve done many calculations and it will be quite close with the cars I’m considering (Boxster/Cayman/Carrera Cab), even on-top of my lowered Avant. Fortunately, if it doesn’t quite work I have many feet above my garage to expand the ceiling, but it would take considerable re-engineering (and cost) of the current trusses.

To get optimal use of the height I started by getting high-lift garage door tracks and Liftmaster 3800 jack shaft door openers installed. This allows the doors to go way up to the ceiling and out of the way. Instead of the tracks being at ~7ft-8ft above the ground they are now at 9.5-10ft above the ground and don’t extend into the garage nearly as far. The 3800 lifters are mounted on the end of the jack shaft (on the wall) and eliminate the middle tracking and main unit which is typically installed over top of your car, which also has the advantage of no lubrication dripping on your roof :frowning: The 3800’s also include an automatic deadbolt so the doors can’t be pulled up from outside.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/7499/garagelifts.jpg

video of 3800 w/ deadbolt
http://youtu.be/R0aOYSoXkH0

This is pretty much where I’m at now. I’m considering my flooring and storage options before I have the lift installed.

Flooring I’m considering…
Racedeck …mix of diamond and free-flow patterns to allow rain/snow to pass through and drain out.
http://www.racedeck.com/freeflow-garageflooring.html
Polyaspartic Coatings…expensive shit, but “should” last forever…or at least until Dec. 2012 :wink:

Storage I’m considering…
MonkeyBar storage …I like this stuff a lot and seems to fit my needs/space perfectly.
http://www.monkeybarstorage.com

Here is the link to the lifts I have my eye on…
http://www.liftsuperstore.com/products/4-post-lifts/item/3-4-post-lifts/50-restomod-xl-9000lbs

I’ve been down to the “showroom” in Oakville (Ontario) a few times and I like the design and the dimensions seem to work well for my space. It’s a little wider and longer than their DX model which seemed tight on width for my Avant…or a future Murcielago ::slight_smile:

‘bangoman’ …to answer your question they charge $650 for delivery/installation.

#2

cool thread. I’ll post up later on. My garage could use the following

  1. better storage
  2. a coat of paint (it’s all drywalled and painted white, but I’d like something more interesting)
  3. a floor coating - I can’t seem to settle on what to do here.
  4. quieter opening/closing of the door. Not the door, but the whole process. I have a belt driven ‘whisper drive’ something or other opener x 2. If that’s a whisper, I’d HATE to hear a garage door opener that shouts!
#3

  1. Sometimes part of the answer to better storage is less stuff…getting rid of a bunch shit goes a long way and makes the space feel so much better.

  2. I’m in the same boat (white painted drywall). I’ve been thinking about this as well. It would be nice to have some colour on the wall that doesn’t scuff-up and show marks when you accidentally bang it with a rake or shovel.

  3. I hear you…I’m still trying to decide between tiles and a proper coating…not epoxy.

  4. I had a liftmaster whisper something before the 3800. There are lots of mechanical parts and friction with a traditional belt and overhead track system. Short of lubrication and ensuring it’s working properly there isn’t much to do. Possibly an installation issue?

#4

Interesting stuff, thanks for starting this. I’m looking for a new garage door opener - mine’s only a 1.5 car garage but I like the setup of the 3800 and its high position.

Regarding the car lift - do you have to do anything strength-wise to your floor/foundation of the garage to support the 4 points of contact of the lift?

My garage floor is a POS (I think it was DIY two owners ago) and I think the cement cracked when I put the 4000lb S4 on jackstand for the skid plate install.

#5

Generally you need to have concrete that is rated at 3000psi or higher. There are some lifts that don’t have that requirement but all of the real sturdy ones do.

#6

I have seen some people whose concrete floors didn’t qualify, so they poured a qualifying section in where the posts would go.

#7

^ as mentioned 4" depth and 3000PSI concrete are the typical minimum requirements for a pad but I would be much more concerned with meeting these if you’re installing a 2-post lift rather than a 4-post.

#8

yeah, I think I was referring to that portable lift system. It doesn’t raise the car all the way up…maybe 3-4 feet off the ground. just enough to get you under with a chair.

Anyway, lifts are over-rated. Cory, you just need some 2x4 and plywood.

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll33/Jaguar_Fan_1/cobra_ramp1.jpg

http://i284.photobucket.com/albums/ll33/Jaguar_Fan_1/cobra_ramp3.jpg

#9

^I like that lol, would be great for exhaust work, weighted down so you can get the alignment dead on

I’m hoping whatever house I buy/build will have a garage but its not looking terribly promising at this point

#10

Hey, I’ve been watching Big Tuna, set in Gloucester. Bad season this year, so lots of homes should be for sale for cheap!

#12

Big Tune is great. That tuna.com guy is a d-bag.

#13

I hate hate hate the guy who is the captain of Bounty Hunter. Nice old guy, but OH MY FUCKING GOD…his attitude makes me want to slit my wrists. He worries about everyone else, blames everyone…but doesn’t realise he’s a total pussy who wakes up late, goes home early and doesn’t fucking work on the boat. He just plays with the radio. He wonders why he doesn’t catch anything? WAKE THE FUCK UP FATSO! Then he hires that guy Paul (who is awesome by the way) and after they don’t catch anything in the first 5 minutes, he’s all blaming Paul and saying ‘I thought he was going to show us tuna.com’s secrets’. THE SECRET IS WORKING LONGER AND HARDER THAN ANYONE…THAT’S IT!

OK back to Cory’s garage thread lol.

#14

You summed it up right there lol.

I will take pictures of my brothers garage door opener. It is SILENT. No overhead motor, it mounts next to the door. Thing is eery quiet, not sure of the brand or how much but I’ll get details tomorrow.

#15

Check my first post…by the description it’s the same one I have…Liftmaster 3800.

#16

Looks similar, might be it or a slightly different model but very similar.

#17

I got two of those Liftmaster 3800’s sitting in a couple of boxes in my garage waiting to be installed. Also going to raise the doors as close to the ceiling as possible. Then, hopefully getting some in-ground scissor lifts, cutting up my floor, putting in the lifts, and race-decking everything so it is hidden.

Lots of plans lots of plans.

Not enough time or money hahaha.

I also want another Audi…

#18

I have a pretty high ceiling in my garage (around 9-10 feet) I’d love a lift just for simple car jobs (oil, wheels, and to get the engine bay up a bit closer to my world (I’m 6’5")

Here’s some pictures. I guess to paint I will have to wait till it’s warm again (although it’s very well insulated and warm in there…maybe it would dry fine in the cold fall/winter?)

http://i375.photobucket.com/albums/oo193/sakimano/untitled-29.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2611/3876746106_69e42fd3af_z.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2764/4074038974_2f12bf7144_b.jpg

#19

Cory, that race deck stuff looks pretty cool. Not sure I’m into the checkerboard pattern though.

What happens with all the grime and salt and dirt? Does it just fall through and sit on the concrete floor underneath?

http://www.racedeck.com/images/free_1.jpg

#20

No, you can either hose it off or blow it out with a blower. Some garages have built in drains which is nice. Most are designed with a slight grade towards the garage doors so you can hose down your garage and not get puddles.

#21

mine is graded. No fancy drain. I live in the ghetto.

Hey, anyone know the cost of http://www.racedeck.com/freeflow-garageflooring.html