Building a Barn For Cars

[Rick Dill]

I've built four garages, sheds, and/or barns over the past 45 years. All
were different and based upon the current need .. usually two older
cars. Before that I had a couple of rounds of rental space.

When I was single long ago, I had a raised ranch built in rural NY. It
had a two car garage underneath which was somewhat supersized to
accomodate two cars, motorcycles, etc. The 'playroom' at the same level
had my small machine shop. The house had hot water baseboard heating
with a separate zone for the garage which had its own thermostat. That
got a lot of use, although that was before I came to realize the
necessity of owning a 356.

My next house 25 miles away had a one car garage, which was
unsatisfactory. I knocked out the side of the house and added a 'family
room' for my own study (electronic and machine shop) and enlarged the
garage to two-car. The family room had heat, but I put none in the
garage. Even in the coldest winter days, I could get it warm enough to
work in with a couple of 1500 watt radiant heaters. It was insulated.
That was fine, but after I got the Porsche (came to my senses), it was
very tight with two old cars and my wife's car in winter. My bride just
didn't like to scrape the snow and ice off her car in the morning. That
was BAD because a wet salty car came in and dripped on the floor.

So I added the "garden shed" which was one car garage in width and long
enough for my two old cars. That was frame construction with the floor
up off the ground. It was NOT satisfactory as a workplace, but it did
store the cars away from the damp and salt in th winter.

Then I moved west and "downsized". A 1200 sq foot, four room house with
no garage was a poor start. We had the land, so I had the 'barn'
built. It is 33% larger than the house and has four rooms. I put high
efficiency gas heat in the entire building with a vent to shut off the
garage space unless I wanted to work there. I got a scissors lift
because I'm tired of lying under my cars and have a high ceiling. I put
a six foot deep balcony on one end for parts and storage with my own
version of hoist on a track to lift things like engines up there.
Currently the space is NOT WORKING because it is shared with my active
wood shop. The other large room in the barn is a family room with a
storage loft. It still is overwhelmed with the unopened boxes from our
move here several years ago and by use as my daughter's weekend retreat.

The other two rooms (approximately 9 x 12) were set as studies for
myself and my wife. Both got overwhelmed by the move, but there is good
news on the horizon. We've finally restored the old house next door and
moved in leavin my son behind. I've moved most of the contents of my
study to the attic there. My wife's study will follow later when I get
the basement slab poured. That is where the woodworking tools will go,
so the old car space will get back to what it is intended for. CA
winter cover for daily drivers is in a carport under the house we've
just restored, as soon as the driveway gets done. Then I will have the
long needed old space again.

I guess I'm old fashion. Heat doesn't have to be to optimum comfort
level. Having some in the cold damp weather does help keep humidity
down, though. Radiant heating has been largely abandoned in many places
because it puts so much of the energy into heating the ground and is
hard to repair is something goes wrong. There are lots of very
efficient options, from the radiant electric heaters to vented gas or
propane room heaters. Insulation is a "must" if you are going to heat,
as are competent windows and good doors. It's a good idea even if you
don't heat. You need to be able to easily turn down the heat for when
you aren't using it for comfort unless cost doesn't matter.

Rick Dill
62 B coupe .. waiting for me to stop contructing and get working on cars
59 Berkeley .. waiting even longer for the same

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[John Lindstrom]

Build to minimize humidity, rodent exclusion and temperature stability.

[Erik Thomas]

I have come to understand that cars and wood projects must be separated. Right now the 356 is covered with sawdust. Yuck.

[Dan Kalinski]

Put a garage door between the car storage space and the wood shop. Have a great cyclonic dust collection system with automated blast gates. Shutting the door between the two spaces helps greatly to reduce dust on the cars.

Hydronic in floor heat and love it. If we could redo this building, would have made the entry/entertaining area larger.

[Jim Nelson]

Doesn't look like you are suffering, Dan....nice digs !

[John Lindstrom]

Is that a 911E?

[Dan Kalinski]

Doesn't look like you are suffering, Dan....nice digs !

Thanks, Jim. A very comfortable space.

When we have groups over, we pull the cars out and set up the lifts for lunch. Can seat 16 at each lift:

[Dan Kalinski]

Is that a 911E?

A ‘71 T that needs some love:

[Adam Wright]

Doesn't look like you are suffering, Dan....nice digs !

Thanks, Jim. A very comfortable space.

When we have groups over, we pull the cars out and set up the lifts for lunch. Can seat 16 at each lift:

I agree it's nice to be able to entertain in a space, but you have to keep it sort of clean to do that.

[John Lindstrom]

Dan your 71 T looks like it’s in pretty good shape. She looks like she wants to go out for a drive.

[Dan Kalinski]

Dan your 71 T looks like it’s in pretty good shape. She looks like she wants to go out for a drive.

Thank you, but not just yet.

Last part of October is my goal to have it on the road, assuming the engine/transaxle is worthy of another of another 20K miles, which will take me maybe 20 years to do unless my '59 A Coupe is retired and the 911T is the "new" DD!