Next year after selling the house here in San Diego,I'm leaving,can't aford to buy another one here.My ideal house/garage set-up would be a 100x100 square foot metal building with a measadeen (upstairs livng quarters)with a big stainless steel pole that came up into the living quarters to where I could slide down into my building/shop or what have you....*smiling*.....I'd have doors on both ends of this building to where I could just drive in one end and out the other.I'd definately have some acreage so I would not have to deal with any neighbors(40 acres sound about right),anybody out there on the same wave length as me........Frank
OKay, So I have been looking at property out in Ok & Tx (w/in 75 mile commute of Dallas) and the big steel building issue is one that i have been also contemplating. I have been looking at the 40x60 with thought of living qtrs above, and the 60x100 building sizes. One question I have is a pit. If you had the ability to build a shop from scratch, what would you do for the pit (Heat lighting depth, length etc.) Jim
As far as your existing garage, add it to the air ducts so it is air conditioned/ heated space as the rest of the house & cover the exposed wood (if your garage is unfinished) with the appropriate surface. That should satisfy the code. (You can always disconnect the duct work later to keep wood dust out of the house . . . )If your bus garage adds to the neighborhood on a cosmetically, they way grant you an exception or code variance. It will cost more up front, but will be nicer to look at & cause fewer problems in the long run. Consult with a architect to find out what is possible. interview several to get the best ideas.
20 x 50 x 16 high and a pit would be min you can have a bench all down one side and have the door slightly off center that would be my minimum.