New garage

[AbbeyLehman]

We will be tearing down our detached one stall garage either next year or the year after and putting up a new one. I want to collect rainwater off of it, house chickens and rabbits in it (when they're not on the raised beds!), work in it--do everything *except* park a car in it! We will be using the same concrete pad, so it's limited to a space about 16 X 25. I want to be able to call it a garage and be able to use it as such in case we ever sell the house, but *I* won't be using it that way!

Please give me ideas to add to my list that will make all of my uses more streamlined, if that's possible!

Here's what I would like to squeeze in so far (oh yeah-- I have electricity out there, too):

1. Hooks for rabbit cages OR enough space around edges to place free-standing hutches
2. Some kind of set up for chickens

(side note--I want to be able to put the animals inside for various reasons, like predators, protection from summer heat, somewhere for them to live when I need to have plants in my raised beds)

3. Built in shelving everywhere
4. Pegboard or nails in the walls for tools?
5. I have a bench built already for potting.....
6. What about a thermostatically controlled ventilation fan for the animals?
7. Loft storage or not?
8. ??????

TIA!!!

[Ani]

I've never had a garage so take my thoughts/advice with a grain of salt ;) I do have a great storage unit that we built shelving/workbench/ etc into.

The way to make sure your design will be useful is to think about what you plan to use each area for, and then build for that. How big are your rabbit hutches? Built in work tables around the outside edges may be really useful and if you size them correctly, they can hold your animal hutches when they're not outside. If you're going to put shelves elsewhere, think about the height they should start at as well as their depth in regards to what will be stored there.

Will you be wanting a sloped roof to match existing architecture? In that case you might as well put some kind of storage in the top..

I'd also put on a metal roof to collect rainwater and avoid any toxicity with asphalt.

I don't know anything about temperature control for animals. You probably will want to make sure to put it lots of outlets thought so you don't need to break out the extension cords if you need to use a power tool.

[gardengirl72]

I am still thinking about this one. (my office building was thirty two garage bays that I rebuilt and I made a few mistakes along the way.) This is big.

[AbbeyLehman]

Ani, thank you for your insights--I still have SOOO many ideas, it's hard to rule anything out at this point! Thank you for the tip on the metal roof--I didn't know about the asphalt thing.

Patti, I wait with bated breath for your input!!!

Just FYI, I don't actually HAVE rabbits or chickens yet, so I can build to suit.....

Thanks and TIA!!

[AbbeyLehman]

I am still thinking about this one. (my office building was thirty two garage bays that I rebuilt and I made a few mistakes along the way.) This is big.

Are you going to give me hints on what to avoid and what to include???? I don't have 32 bays, unfortunately....I do want to make the most of what I have, though. I have tools and would like to keep the majority of them inside the garage instead of in the basement. I want to build in shelving, although how to do so is still up in the air. I am seriously considering insulating it for the animals and for winter escapes for me.

Ani, when you talk about toxicity from an asphalt roof, does that apply to using the water strictly for garden watering? I had planned to divert the house spout into a barrel for the garden....Wonder if I could use the metal garage roof for watering animals???

Thinking with my hands here.....

ETA: What about solar panels for electricity???? It would be small-scale and just for the garage, but what a neat idea! How expensive would that be????

[gardengirl72]

This one could be special. Still thinking. This is going to be the Urban Sustainable Showplace!

[Ani]

Ani, when you talk about toxicity from an asphalt roof, does that apply to using the water strictly for garden watering? I had planned to divert the house spout into a barrel for the garden....Wonder if I could use the metal garage roof for watering animals???

Thinking with my hands here.....

ETA: What about solar panels for electricity???? It would be small-scale and just for the garage, but what a neat idea! How expensive would that be????

Popping in quickly tonight -
I would use pretty much any rain water for garden watering - it wouldn't be any different than stream water that's come off someone else's roof, yk?. I just wouldn't drink it long term without some super filters. I do think animals should be provided water that I would drink myself, so I'd go with the metal roof for that one too.

Solar is pricey. In a small scale like that there may be a single/supplemental panel that could charge/operate certain devices, but you wouldn't be talking grid tie-in, so you'd have a DC circuit/battery to deal with. I know a writer who tried a bunch of the smaller solar options recently and wrote an article on them. I'll try and find it for you. Solar is coming down in price every day though so I wouldn't totally rule it out.

[AbbeyLehman]

Awesome, Ani, thanks!

[plantoneonme]

I would consider putting in some "greenhouse" panels on the roof and part of the side. On our shed (at our old house), we used a corrigated type material that was translucent which let in lots of light. (They look like the corrigated metal you put on the roof.) You could then use it as a greenhouse and your animals will get lots of natural light. On the ends I would also add automatic vents so it would not overheat. I had a planting bench along the "window" side for my plants and had lots of storage underneath...this would be a great place for the bunnies I would think. Also it would be easy to recycle the bunny manure right back to the plants grown above them.

We only had the panels on the side but if they were on the roof as well, I could have added lots of hanging plants as well. I live in Michigan where the temps will get below zero in the winter at times and was able to keep leaf crops year round in an unheated shed. The plants had to be well established and protected with blankets when the temps were too cold at night but we did get fresh salads a couple times a week.

Oh yeah I almost forgot...I was reading on a forum of another group I belong too that bubble wrap works really well as insulation inside a greenhouse. People staple it to the insides on the studs. It helps keep them warmer and still lets in plenty of light.

[AbbeyLehman]

Neat ideas, PlantOneOnMe! What a way to reuse & recycle bubble wrap! Does it still work as well after the 7 year old gets a hold of it???? I will have to add the greenhouse idea to my list of wants....Ay, ay, ay--DH is going to pop when he sees the list of stuff I want to cram in there!!! :D

[plantoneonme]

Just tell him that a greenhouse is desirable to a lot of people on resale :) I have never tried the bubble wrap idea myself as I just found out about it on a greenhouse forum I was reading...but I have to admit it is just not 7 year olds that love this stuff :)

Kim

[plantoneonme]

I saw the picture of your current garage (if I am correct it has a flat roof). I would consider the classic barn style roof (not sure what it is called). This will actually give you a room on top for storage or maybe even that little hide-a-way. Hummm, thinking, thinking, you already have electricity...add a little water and a composting toilet...now you have a guest house too!

Sorry but if I keep this up your dh may never let you come out to play here again LOL.

Kim

[gardengirl72]

Abbey, I think greenhouse too. You can keep livestock in there in the winter and they will provide C02 and heat for the plants. Are you into the idea? If you are I will rethink my thinking.....

[AbbeyLehman]

Abbey, I think greenhouse too. You can keep livestock in there in the winter and they will provide C02 and heat for the plants. Are you into the idea? If you are I will rethink my thinking.....

Absolutely! I'm all for a system that is more self-sustaining. Now to just cut down the 2 huge trees in the back there and replace them with smaller ones.....Wonder how that's going to affect the stream bank if I remove the trees' root systems.....

Sorry I've been out of action for a few days....Been canning and working my 2 days...Will be back on tonight and tomorrow...

[gardengirl72]

Abbey, is this a super low budget project? Better yet, how much do you want to spend?

[AbbeyLehman]

Abbey, is this a super low budget project? Better yet, how much do you want to spend?

Well, the more it's going to cost, the longer it will be until we can do it. I would prefer to spend as little as possible, and I'm all about re-purposing. I will probably be doing most of it myself, too, although I do have a couple of friends who could help once or twice for things that need more than one person. DH is NOT mechanically inclined, so it's best if he stays out of the way :) He's useful when I need something heavy moved, but not with a hammer in his hand.

[gardengirl72]

Abbey, I want you to check out these sites and tell me where you are leaning. Some are very affordable, and some are not. But use this to start getting the juices flowing and let me know where you are leaning.

www.farmtek.com (http://www.farmtek.com)

(http://www.texastinyhouse.com)www.tinytexashouses.com (http://www.tinytexashouses.com)
www.tumbleweedhouses.com (http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com)
www.jamaicacottageshop.com

Thanks,

Patti

[Sinfonian]

Boy, this has gone on a while. Is it built yet or are you still working on ideas? Hehe. I was going to suggest solar til I saw it. It's still worth checking to see the rebates and tax credits you could get.

Otherwise, how big is your stream? Water power is also free. Think water wheel. Hey, while we're brainstorming, hehe.

Well, you've already got water collection. That's all I got right now. Good luck and let us know how it's going.

[AbbeyLehman]

I'm back, finally, but I want to think on the links Patti posted.....I will post again Saturday night at work!

[maricybele]

My dream garage space would have

a coiled hose on top for an outdoor shower with natural hot water

a sink area with the water pipe going to garden

a counter area

A space for small music player

Shelves to store veggies, canning, squash.

A root cellar space to store veggies, winter squash, potatoes etc.

Indoor plant starting station, lights for plants, if there was a garage door, I would buy a clear garage door so more light would come in.

[Lynn]

I've been to a farm that has a gift shop. They added on a room which has a gravel floor, about 3 large windows. It gets sooooo warm in there and loads of light. I think the gravel holds the heat and they use it like a greenhouse. They made it lool like a barn. It has to be at least 12 x 20 and is south facing. I don't know what it's like in the winter though.

Should you ever want to expand you would not need to pour concrete. You sounded like you were limited for space because of the concrete floor.

Lynn - zone 5
Western PA