Garage builders and what they need to know

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Garage builders and what they need to know

• OUTBUILDERS

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Garage builders and what they need to know

• If youre looking to build a garage on your land
  whether its a standalone or a lean to, there are
  a few things you need to know before you hire the
  right garage builder, especially if you live in a
  rich elemental environment like Central Oregon.
  You simply cannot build anything you want any
  time you want because of licensing, safety, city
  and county regulations and/or requirements. Lets
  take a look at what you need to know before you
  bring garage builders over to look at your place
  or when considering doing it yourself.
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• Car Storage
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• How many cars do you have? The typical Oregon
  family has 2. In Central Oregon, its wise to
  store both of your cars in a garage because of
  the elements. The size of your current cars may
  not be the issue. As we get bigger, so do cars!
  Cars are slowly getting wider and wider so
  calculating for your current cars may not be such
  a good idea. Give it some thought before you make
  your final decision.

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Garage builders and what they need to know

• Storage Space
•  
• This is a no brainer. Every garage is used for
  storage so while you are considering the length,
  width and height, also consider what you are
  going to be storing between now and in the
  future. Think about your regular routine and how
  much stuff you have stored over the years.
  Calculate what you may accumulate. A rough guess
  is ok but you will be happy in the future you
  really thought about this. Storage space is a
  must.
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• Ventilation
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• Exhaust, paint and fumes are going to be
  permeating throughout any garage from time to
  time. Gas (propane and gasoline) and paint will
  be spilled so you need to account for this when
  deciding on a design or before building. Consider
  a window or vents above near the ceiling walls so
  fumes can exit without problems.

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Garage builders and what they need to know

• Heating and Cooling
•  
• If the garage is made for cars and storage, no
  need for insulation. However, if you are going to
  be working in the garage, you definitely want to
  insulate and sheetrock it. Without it, you will
  be in the extremes and uncomfortable. Make sure
  you give it a lot of thought and budget for
  insulation. Even with cars and storage, you never
  know what you may do in the future and you will
  be glad you did it.
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• Workspace
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• A garage with a workspace must be accounted for
  during the winter if you plan on keeping the cars
  indoors while you are working. A workbench and
  room to reach around tools, shelves and cabinets
  should be considered during the winter. Give
  yourself a few more feet in length to account for
  fixing things and tinkering around.

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Garage builders and what they need to know

• Electrical
•  
• What devices will you be plugging into the wall?
  Welding machine? Shop Vac? Industrial heaters?
  Compressors? Electrical hydraulics? Give it a lot
  of thought here because you may want to install
  220 volt outlets for certain items. If youre
  going to build a garage or have us do it, make
  sure you request the 220. You will be happier
  knowing you can plugin to both types of outlets.
  Also consider installing outlets on all sides and
  in strange places, You would be surprised where
  you could use an outlet. Also, consider Ethernet
  for internet modems and routers.
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• Tool Storage
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• Everyone who is building a garage has tools. If
  one is building a garage, they naturally would be
  a homeowner and homeowners have tools. Its a
  must! Close your eyes and act like you are
  walking through your new garage. See if you can
  imagine the cars and plenty of room to get around
  them along with getting to your tools. Your
  imagination is a must for a project like this and
  the garage builders will appreciate the time you
  spent putting your specs together.

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Garage builders and what they need to know

• Concrete Sealant
•  
• After concrete is poured, there will definitely
  be cracks where fluid can leak to the ground.
  Consider sealing it with paint (epoxy) or any
  type of sealer so that when something does leak,
  the cleanup is a snap.
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• Licensing / Permit
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• All construction, except one and two family
  dwellings and their access structure are subject
  to the requirements of the Oregon Structural
  Specialty Code. Exemptions are listed here. This
  means you need a permit to build a garage whether
  it is a lean to or not. Why do you need a permit?
  Because according to the City of Redmond,
  Building permits are usually required when
  building safety might be affected. You will need
  a permit to construct, enlarge, alter, move or
  demolish any one or two family dwelling or
  related structure. Its all about safety. If you
  build the garage by yourself and it falls on
  someone else, the state does not want to be
  responsible for your mistakes so it takes
  precautions like this in order to protect itself
  and others. How do you get a permit? Oregon makes
  it really easy. They have a simple online form
  you can fill out here.
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• We hope this guide helps you make a good decision
  about building a garage on your property. If
  youre interested in a free estimate, please
  contact Kirk Sandburg 541-923-5064 or
  kirk_at_outbuilders.com

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