Building residential garage

[vapours]

I can send you the plans if you like, Carriage house with three car garage, hybrid timber frame, 2x6 construction lower with timber frame on top for loft with dormers. Lofted at the entrance and first garage.

Like the insight into the in-floor heat, without air circulation you can have humidity issues good insight there thanks!

Cost to build to lock-up approx 160k, not including alot of stuff, pad/foundation, interior finishes and siding. Prob 200-220k depending how you want to finish your garage. But at least you have a nice place to store the sleds right.

 

[doorfx]

My 2cents on garage heaters....

Always had hanging forced air furnace and it was okay... Usually left temp around 5*c and when working in the garage, would crank to 20*c and would heat quickly and was perfect. Floor was a little cold, yes, but it was okay....

New garage had mach 1 on this site install a radiant tube style overhead heater, and it works perfectly. I leave the temp at 22*c, and it is way cheaper than the forced air furnace to run, but best of all is the floor stays warm, and i can walk on the "man cave" side in my sock feet(it's that warm)... It is awesome. It does take more room, as the tube & radiating shields run across the front part of the garage, but that is about the only downside.

X2.... everything he said^^^ I love mine and Mach1 installed mine as well. I’ve had to lay on the floor a couple of times and yes it was nice and warm. I keep mine set at 12 and it’s plenty warm.

 

[Lunch_Box]

Started looking into this infrared radiant tube heaters instead of infloor, anyone know if there are any restrictions with the system? My garage will be fine as the ceiling height is 11' and 800 sqft, but my shop is 1600 sqft with almost 17' ceilings. The shop is attached to the garage and from the front looks like a triple car garage, both will have underslab insulation and built on an ICF foundation.

 

[52weekbreak]

I've seen them in warehouses with 21 foot ceilings. Seem to work fine.

Started looking into this infrared radiant tube heaters instead of infloor, anyone know if there are any restrictions with the system? My garage will be fine as the ceiling height is 11' and 800 sqft, but my shop is 1600 sqft with almost 17' ceilings. The shop is attached to the garage and from the front looks like a triple car garage, both will have underslab insulation and built on an ICF foundation.

 

[Toyboy]

Code requires the tank/pump crap to be in it's own little room

Where is that from?? Never heard that before. 18" off the floor but not in a separate room??

 

[Couch]

Really depends on intended use.
Go infloor if you can. Far better than forced air esp if in a working garage as any forced air system moves a lot of dust around.
If you plan on point loading (lift) then you need a deeper / bigger pad anyway.
Our building is 40 × 80 and thermostat is at 70 year round. Leave garage door open in winter for hour or two and no problem - close door and everthing is warm almost immediately.
BS on costing more - all thing being equal it is more efficient and therefore less expensive in long run.
Otherwise a mini split or two + forced air heater for really cold days would be 2nd choice assuming you want constant heat.
If you need heat only occassionally then hot air or shop heater. One of our buildings (25x30 two story) can be kept comfortable with a single construction heater -cheapest install option.

 

[250mark1]

underfloor heat you would have to use a boiler by code unless you pull domestic hot water as well then you can use a hot water heater

 

[armascott]

Garages / Shops with a bit higher ceiling height, just add a couple ceiling fans and run them at slower speed. It works great to push the heat down.

 

[S.W.A.T.]

I'm going to play devil's advocate here and say NO to in-floor heat. Not sure why this has become such a popular thing in garages. When I built my previous house, I built right next door to a buddy. We both built 30x30 garages...mine was 9', his was 10'...everything else similar. He did in-floor, I did hanging forced air. Over the course of 7+ years of living side by side, I can tell you his cost more to heat. There's the argument that "oh the floor is so nice and warm to work on in the winter when you're under a car". If you leave your forced air furnace at 15-16 C all the time (as I did) the floor stays warm...non-issue. Also, when you decide to have a garage gathering, takes 3 min to warm the place up to 20-21 C....not possible with in-floor. Then there's the lost floor space. Code requires the tank/pump crap to be in it's own little room. Then there's the moisture, dripping windows and moldy walls (if you park in there in the winter). None of that with forced air. Just so happens I'm buddy's with the NEXT owner of that house (RZR101). He ended up hanging a forced air furnace to try to get rid of the moisture. Finally he decided it really wasn't worth running TWO heat systems and pulled out the in-floor stuff. Gave him enough space back to put a big compressor and a few other things.
At my current place we have two garages, both insulated and finished/drywalled/painted....mine and hers. Both heated with hanging forced air. She goes in and out every day with a drippy SUV and no mold issues. The man's garage doesn't get wet, except for spilled booze, more of a toy cave. Our neighbor's house next door with in-floor garage heat where they park every day has black mold everywhere. Both places 4 years old.

As for height...go 10' or taller. Nice so you can build a big shelf down one side and get the crap off the floor. As for lofts...you'll have to check local code for height restrictions. In the city there are rules.

Indoor requires a moisture fan of some kind or hvac system. That's all you need for mold issues. Even a simple bathroom fan does the trick. Reason for it is because there is no air movement. Our entire house is in floor heating and wouldn't change it for the world. When we go to build the shop. Probably 60x40 minimum it's too will be in floor heated.

There definitely some draw backs though. We have the ability to tap into our outdoor boiler system for multiple out buildings and the cost is very minimal. If your going to heat with electric boiler I would suggest using geo thermal if possible to help reduce energy cost as electric boilers are extremely expensive to run or use natural gas/propane. And yes as stated make sure you have good airflow. Or if possible just use a wood stove

 

[Lunch_Box]

After doing some research I think im going to stick with the infloor heat in the basement, garage and shop. The temperature will remain constant in the garage/shop and having no cold spots and equal heat across the area will be ideal.

 

[skegpro]

After doing some research I think im going to stick with the infloor heat in the basement, garage and shop. The temperature will remain constant in the garage/shop and having no cold spots and equal heat across the area will be ideal.

That's my setup and I love it.
Only thing I might add is a hydronic fan coil off the boiler in my shop. That way when I open the overhead doors the temp rebounds faster.

 

[Mach1]

I agree with radiant units over boiler in shops/garage and would be a cheaper options, love the heat....hi Ric when in edm next trip I will stop in a seal the vent. I can do them for as big as you want or as small like duplex buildings, goodluck ��