MOTIONSPACE ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN PLLC
3104 Western Avenue #107 Seattle Washington 98121
P: (206) 204-0490 F: (206) 219-5682
Seattle Garage Additions
Most people think of garages as utility space: either a space to store their car, or, more likely, a space to store all their stuff. But a well designed garage has a better chance to be both a place to keep the car and to organize your belongings
Most people think of garages as utility space, either a space to store their car, or, more likely a space to store all their stuff. But a well designed garage has a better chance to be both a place to keep the car and to organize your belongings.
If you have the space, you may decide to accommodate extra storage by adding another garage bay. So instead of a two car garage, you may decide to construct a three car garage. The advantage to this strategy is that when you sell your home you can list it as having a three car garage. The downside is that often a garage bay is not the best use for storage space because nothing can be stored easily on the garage door wall. It is often better to dedicate additional space that either makes the garage deeper, allowing for storage in front of the vehicles, or add space on the side of the garage that is dedicated to storing tools or other belongings.
Try to Make the Garage Space Column Free
Often garages are constructed with columns in the center or between each car. If possible we try to avoid this because columns get in the way and reduce the flexibility of the use of the garage space. It is often worth either upsizing ceiling joists, using trusses, or adding beams to get rid of columns. A clear span garage will be a much more useful space.
For garage doors consider both the doors that vehicles enter and doors that people enter. If a person size door is not necessary, we tend to recommend the installation of an electronic key pad near the exterior of the garage door to open the door for access. This generally makes the garage more secure, because the vast majority of break-ins are through regular garage doors that are often left unlocked. If security is an issue, consider installing a steel door with no windows in the garage (if you want light, install skylights instead, which are much less likely to be broken to gain access).
When choosing garage doors, choose a size large enough to park a car easily. If you can enter your garage straight forward, the minimum width for a single car door is 8’-0”, but if you have to turn into the garage door, a 9’-0” wide door is much easier to confidently maneuver into. For materials, consider maintenance requirements and longevity. A steel or aluminum door will last a long time, is often insulated, and won’t require painting. But often the color choices are limited. Some wood doors are beautiful, and often don’t cost more than a well made metal door, but do require refinishing to be sure they don’t rot. If you want a wood door consider deeper roof overhangs to protect the door and using a very good quality exterior grade wood finish to protect the wood from the rain and sun.
Determine What Needs to Fit in the Garage
The first task in garage design is to identify what items need to fit in the garage. Obviously cars need to fit, but we’ve also designed garages for boats, RV’s, and other larger vehicles that require special doors and large, column free interiors. Along with cars, people generally need a place to store gardening equipment, tools, and sporting equipment. With your list of vehicles and items to fit into the garage, you can then begin to figure out how large the garage should be.
Add another Garage Bay for Storage?
If you have the space, you may decide to accommodate extra storage by adding another garage bay. So instead of a two car garage, you may decide to construct a three car garage. The advantage to this strategy is that when you sell your home you can list it as having a three car garage. The downside is that often a garage bay is not the best use for storage space because nothing can be stored easily on the garage door wall. It is often better to dedicate additional space that either makes the garage deeper, allowing for storage in front of the vehicles, or add space on the side of the garage that is dedicated to storing tools or other belongings.
Try to Make the Garage Space Column Free
Often garages are constructed with columns in the center or between each car. If possible we try to avoid this because columns get in the way and reduce the flexibility of the use of the garage space. It is often worth either upsizing ceiling joists, using trusses, or adding beams to get rid of columns. A clear span garage will be a much more useful space.Garage Door and Security
For garage doors consider both the doors that vehicles enter and doors that people enter. If a person size door is not necessary, we tend to recommend the installation of an electronic key pad near the exterior of the garage door to open the door for access. This generally makes the garage more secure, because the vast majority of break-ins are through regular garage doors that are often left unlocked. If security is an issue, consider installing a steel door with no windows in the garage (if you want light, install skylights instead, which are much less likely to be broken to gain access).
Garage Door Sizes and Materials
When choosing garage doors, choose a size large enough to park a car easily. If you can enter your garage straight forward, the minimum width for a single car door is 8’-0”, but if you have to turn into the garage door, a 9’-0” wide door is much easier to confidently maneuver into. For materials, consider maintenance requirements and longevity. A steel or aluminum door will last a long time, is often insulated, and won’t require painting. But often the color choices are limited. Some wood doors are beautiful, and often don’t cost more than a well made metal door, but do require refinishing to be sure they don’t rot. If you want a wood door consider deeper roof overhangs to protect the door and using a very good quality exterior grade wood finish to protect the wood from the rain and sun.