Steel garage

Parking garages are the backbone of any family home. Along with being extremely essential to house your cars, for most families, garages serve a range of purposes. You have to choose each element precisely, make every decision, and land on the right layout for your prefab steel garage to deliver maximum efficiency and optimum utility.

Whether you wish to add extra storage-oriented areas or a workshop within your garage is up to you. However, you should always ensure that your cars are properly parked and that there is enough space for you to carry out other activities.

Primary Considerations To Make When Building Pre Fabricated Garage

As garages are significant investments, you obviously want the highest possible return out of them. This is why you should be futuristic when planning to install a garage. Especially in the case of growing families, you should always think about getting a slightly larger structure than required or choose a structure that offers ample expansion possibilities. To ease things for you, let’s look at a few considerations that will go a long way.

  • What is the purpose of building the garage?
  • How many cars do you expect the garage to house?
  • Do you need additional space for storage or a workstation?
  • What is the finish and trim that you prefer?
  • How many garage bays do you require?
  • What is the width, length, and height of the garage that you need?
  • Would you require a service door?
  • What is the local climate like?
  • What is your budget?
  • Do you prefer an attached or detached garage?

Asking these questions will clear up a range of things for you and help you make an informed decision about building the ideal garage for you and your family.

First Things First: What Garage Size Will Be Ideal For You?

Garages come in different sizes based on the number of cars you plan to park within them. You can customize them to add more space for keeping your personal belongings or outdoor gear, as well as for setting up a hobby or DIY corner.

Typically, garages come in a wide variety of dimensions, majorly categorized under 1-car garages, 2-car garages, 3-car garages, and 4-car garages. A prefab steel garage begins at 12 feet wide, and commercial structures can go up to 300 feet wide, which means there’s always room for expansion for your family.

Standard garage dimensions are:

1-car garages 2-car garages 3-car garages 4-car garages
12 feet wide and 20 feet long 20 feet wide and 20 feet long 32 feet wide and 22 feet long 40 feet wide and 20 feet long
12 feet wide and 25 feet long 20 feet wide and 24 feet long 34 feet wide and 24 feet long 24 feet wide and 45 feet long
14 feet wide and 22 feet long 24 feet wide and 25 feet long 36 feet wide and 25 feet long 30 feet wide and 40 feet long
16 feet wide and 24 feet long 20 feet wide and 30 feet long 36 feet wide and 28 feet long 48 feet wide and 20 feet long
18 feet wide and 25 feet long 30 feet wide and 24 feet long 38 feet wide and 26 feet long 54 feet wide and 20 feet long

Depending on your utility needs, you can opt for smaller garages for just parking and larger ones for multi-purpose uses.

The size of the metal parking garages should be such that you have ample space to carry out every activity. Make sure that you do not have to squeeze yourself in and out of your car or worry about hitting other vehicles or garage walls.

When designing custom garages, you can measure your vehicles and the required additional space. Make sure that you leave at least 2 feet of space between each car as well as the structure on all sides.

Top Tips For Efficient Use: Factor In For An Ideal Garage

While dimensions are of considerable importance, you cannot just depend on the perfect length, width, and height of your structure to ensure the garage is perfectly suitable for you. Here are a few tips that will keep you afloat for a long time:

Location: Mapping the site before installing your garage is always advisable. This will enable you to ensure that you have enough space and height clearance. You should also check the following:

  • The site should be leveled appropriately
  • The location should have electrical and water line extension potential
  • There should be enough area for proper drainage

Design and Layout: No matter how much space you have, if the layout of your parking garages is messed up, you’re never going to be happy with it. Hence, you should focus on designing the layout in a way that makes everything accessible without interfering with the parked vehicles.

Arranging storage units, tool kits, and furniture should be strategically done.

Enhanced Comfort: To improve the efficiency and comfort within your garage, you should focus on installing the following features:

  • High R-value insulation
  • Multiple windows
  • Additional access door
  • Focus lighting
  • HVAC systems

Multi-Purpose Use: Based on the uses you plan to put your garage to, there are several customization options that can be easily integrated. For instance:

  • If you plan to set up a repair workshop within the prefabricated garage, you can add a car lift and mobile tool cart.
  • If you plan to set up a woodworking space, then consider utilizing items including hooks, shelves, pegboards, and slatted walls to store tools.
  • For storage purposes, you can add wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted storage solutions, such as bike racks, shelves, containers, and more.

You can also set up an art studio or hobby station within the prefab steel garage.

Garage Doors: Ideally, the garages should have as many doorways as the number of cars parked within. The average height of a garage door is about 8 feet. However, their widths differ and you can choose the right garage door for you in terms of number as well as size.

Garage type Garage door width
1-car garage One 8 feet to 10 feet wide door
2-car garage Two 8 feet to 10 feet wide doors or one 12 feet to 16 feet wide door
3-car garage One 8 feet to 10 feet wide door and one 12 feet to 16 feet wide door
4-car garage Two 12 feet to 16 feet wide doors

Adjust For Climate: Another crucial aspect is to be prepared for the weather conditions in your area. A prefab steel garage allows for several integrations to make your structure sturdier, including:

  • 12-gauge frames
  • 26-gauge sheets
  • Vertical roofs
  • Proper insulation

Perfect Garages Don’t Exist, They Are Built

Metal parking garages are diverse, and multiple customizations make it possible for you to design a structure that is specially tailored for you. Investing in a garage is a journey that involves a lot of decision-making, which is where you can seek professional help. Contact a metal garage builder near you and make your dreams come true!