The Garage Plan Shop Blog

If you are building a new garage, there are many things to consider. One of those items to ponder is the type of garage doors you plan to use. Garage doors are available in various materials with the main ones being steel, aluminum, vinyl and wood. Wooden garage doors have been around since attached and detached garages have become part of family residences. They remain a popular choice in today’s market due to technical aspects, durability, longevity and visual appeal. Below is a list of the pros and cons of wood garage doors to help you determine if they are a good choice for you.

Pros of Wood Garage Doors

• They are custom built to fit any size or shape garage and can be created or adjusted to accommodate non-level garage floors.
• Their custom-built nature ensures your garage door will have a one-of-a-kind look.
• Natural material treatments are available to increase the longevity of the garage door by protecting against bending, rotting and distorting.
• They do not crack or dent like vinyl, aluminum and steel doors.
• Should the garage door become damaged, it can be repaired easily by replacing the damaged portion or panel rather than replacing the entire garage door.
• They can be operated manually or automatically with a garage door opener just like other varieties.
• These garage doors can easily be repainted in the future giving them a whole new look.
• Wood can withstand drastic temperature changes and it serves as an insulator against heat and cold.
• Wood cuts down on noise pollution dampening the sound of noisy neighborhoods better than other garage door materials.
• Wood is a renewable resource and therefore wood garage doors are earth-friendly.
• Wood garage doors blend well with homes featuring an exterior made of natural materials such as wooden siding, cedar shingles, logs or stone.

Cons of Wood Garage Doors

·    Wood garage door manufactures are hard to come by.

·    These doors are more expensive to build than their manufactured competitors.

·     Due to their custom-built nature, wood garage doors are not readily available at a lumberyard or home improvement store.

·     Regular maintenance is necessary to prevent damage and rotting.

·     Wood garage doors are heavy requiring a properly sized garage door opener and springs to move the weight of the door.

Before you choose a garage door for your new detached garage, The Garage Plan Shop recommends you carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages of every type of garage door including aesthetically pleasing and durable wooden garage doors.

Tags: Detached Garage Plans, Garage Doors

The Garage Plan Shop is pleased to announce PDF garage plans are now available for purchase! New this spring, we are now selling electronic versions of many of our garage plans and adding more new designs every day. Because the PDF is an electronic file of your garage plan, it can usually be emailed to you within 24 hours of placing your order during regular business hours Monday-Friday. PDF garage plans are especially convenient for people who want their blueprints right away and don’t mind taking the electronic file to a local print shop to make copies. Furthermore, receiving your floor plans by email eliminates shipping costs! Plus, the PDF allows you to print blueprints in various sizes depending on your needs. You may only need a small version (11”x17”) of your garage plan to obtain material estimates while you’ll need full size (usually 20”x24” or 24”x36”) copies of the blueprints for actual construction. Please Note: PDFs cannot be altered electronically and cannot be returned once the designer has emailed the garage plan to you because it can be copied.

Tags: garage plans, PDF files, PDF garage plans

If you are considering building a detached garage, this checklist will be a handy tool for you. It lists many of the items, features and topics of concern that you should consider or research before choosing a garage plan and/or beginning construction. Review the below list and make note of the items that you need to think more about, make decisions about or research with your local building department and or builder.

Does your city/municipality have any restrictions on the size, height or roof pitch of the detached garage?

Do you need building permits?

Where do you apply for the building permits?

How much will the permits cost?

What size garage will your yard or lot accommodate?

How much space do you need for parking and/or storage?

Do you need extra storage space, a workshop or a loft?

What items do you wish to accommodate? Cars? Boat? RV? Riding mower? Other items?

Do you have an oversized vehicle? How deep must the garage bay be to accommodate it?

What roof style do you prefer?

What architectural style blends best with your home?

What ceiling/wall height do you need or prefer?

What type of wall framing do you prefer? Or does your city/municipality require a particular type of wall framing?

How many overhead garage doors do you prefer?

What style garage doors do you want?

What size overhead doors do you need? (Note the size of vehicles and other items you want to store.)

Do you want windows?

Will one or more service entries be handy or necessary? How many? Where should they be located?

Will you need extra electrical outlets or lighting inside the garage? For what purpose?

Could you use a half or full bath?

How do you plan to use the garage several years in the future? Will your needs be the same or will they change?

While there are many more things to consider before building a detached garage, this handy checklist will help you get you started and point you in the right direction when it is time to purchase your garage plans.

Tags: building a garage, Choosing a Garage Plan, Detached Garage Plans

If you are planning to add a new garage to your home, there are many reasons why you should consider a detached garage rather than an attached garage. Consider the following:

1.       A detached garage offers extra parking in addition to the attached garage of the home, ideal for a family with multiple cars and drivers.  Or, it offers sheltered parking for a smaller home that may not have an attached garage.

2.       Detached garage plans come in a wide range of sizes and styles offering plenty to choose from and ensuring you’ll find just the right one to match your home, satisfy your needs and fit your lot/available space.

3.       A detached garage can be positioned at an angle to the house, beside the home or tucked in the backyard giving your lot and home dimension.

4.       A detached garage is a more visually pleasing option for smaller homes. An attached garage may dominate the façade of a smaller home.

5.       Detached garages offer safer storage options for items that you shouldn’t store in your home or in your attached garage such as pesticides, gasoline for the lawn mower and other hazardous chemicals and materials. The detached garage offers storage space away from the home.

6.       By situating a detached garage in the backyard, think of what you can do with the space beside the home where an attached garage would ordinarily be located. This space might works well as a vegetable or flower garden, a patio or a deck  for your enjoyment.

7.       If you are in need of extra storage space or finished living space, sometimes it is easier to add these areas with a detached garage. Consider a storage loft above for all of your basement or attic overflow, or a garage apartment design for guests or the in-laws. Some detached garage plans provide the perfect place on the second floor for a home office or game room that you may not have space for in your home.

8.        Some home owners prefer a detached garage with a nicely landscaped walk connecting the garage to home. Nothing like starting the day with a quick walk from the house to the car with beautiful flowers and shrubs to view.

If you are planning to add a garage to your home, take some time to consider the benefits of detached garage and browse this collection of garage plans. You’ll be pleased to discover the flexibility you will have with a detached garage.

Tags: building a garage, Detached Garage Plans, detached garages

If you are thinking of building a new garage using stock blueprints, it is important to take a time to educate yourself about building codes. Each architect or residential designer puts great care into ensuring the blueprints conform to the national building code in place at the time the garage plans are created. However, this does not ensure that they will meet all of the local building codes for your area. In addition to the nationally recognized building codes, each city, county or municipality follows its own set of building regulations and codes based upon specific qualities of that area or region. It is extremely important that you contact your building official to learn more about what is required for construction in the area where you plan to build your new garage. Furthermore, it is possible that you may need to work with a residential designer, a building official, an inspector or your builder to make modifications to your garage plans ensuring they will meet additional building codes required by your geographic location.  

In addition to your garage plans, you may need to supply a few other documents when you apply for a building permit. The building department will provide you with a list of the items you will need. The list may include the following:

·         Energy Code Compliance – A form that must be filled out verifying the materials that will be used to construct the garage are energy compliant.

·         Septic System Design – A diagram showing the details of the septic system. This is not necessary if your lot is served by a sanitary sewer system or the garage does not require plumbing.

·         Site Plan – A drawing or sketch of the lot reflecting the location and positioning of your future garage as well as locations of other structures presently situated on the lot such as a house, barn, etc. Your builder will be able to help you with this.

Some areas of the United States and Canada have very strict engineering codes. Keeping this in mind, it may be necessary to hire a local engineer to review your garage plans and provide additional details, drawings and calculations required by the building department. Some examples include Northern areas with snow load and 2×6 wall framing requirements, wind load and wind strapping requirements for hurricane-risk areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and the earthquake-prone areas of California that follow seismic zoning regulations and demand additional structural elements.

If you are unsure about any of the items mentioned above or have further questions about local building codes, be sure to contact your local building official for more information regarding the requirements in your area.

Tags: building codes, garage plans, local building codes