Garage with a lift: types of equipment, manufacturing recommendations

As a rule, the height of the garage is calculated for a specific type of car. If you have a passenger car, then the height from floor to ceiling should be at least two meters. However, convenience and functionality have not been canceled, so saving money on the height of the building is not worth it. It happens that the owner of a garage, having designed a building for the dimensions of his own car, later begins to look for ways to increase the height of the gate opening and the ceiling itself. The reason is the purchase of a new vehicle with larger dimensions or additional equipment, which also requires some space.

Garage door height

The height of the garage door is an important aspect when building a garage because it determines how big a car can fit into it. The most optimal ratio from the point of view of spaciousness is that the ceiling height is equal to the height of the gate opening. However, if swing gates are provided, and the garage is too high, then opening them is significantly more difficult due to their total weight.

There is no standard gate height - their height depends on the preferences of the owner. You can choose the sizes in the price lists from manufacturers; usually the height ranges from 180 cm to 300 cm, and the width from 200 cm to 500 cm. If the customer wants to choose a non-standard solution, then such a product is most often made to order.

The gate level is calculated based on the following factors:

1. Vehicle height + reserve for the possible purchase of a taller vehicle for operation. It must be borne in mind that the average height of a passenger car is 154 cm, a light truck is 194 cm;

2. The slope of the entrance to the garage, since it happens that when entering the gate the car tilts significantly (observed in garages located under the house or located in uneven terrain).

3. If there are automatic gates, additional space in the opening for the mechanism. It happens that over time the owner decides to replace the swing type of gate with a lifting one. In this case, the height of the opening may not be enough, since such a design takes up about 20-30 cm of the upper part of the opening;

4. Often there is a threshold at the entrance to the garage, when crossing it the vehicle is raised to its height;

5. Possible icing of the entrance to the garage, ice or snow deposits average 5-10 cm;

6. Additional car parts, roof rails or roof rack;

7. The height of the vehicle when the trunk is open, which, together with the protruding gate mechanism, threshold, vehicle speed during entry, and the entry slope, gives a noticeable blow to the open trunk door if the opening is not high enough.

When calculating the height of the gate, all these factors are taken into account and an additional 20-25 cm of margin is added. Some garage designs, when expanding the opening, are a very labor-intensive process, so it is better to provide additional dimensions in advance. For a gazelle minibus, the sufficient height of the gate is 300 cm.

Types of lifting devices

Today, manufacturers offer a wide range of lifting equipment for garages and car repair shops.

• Depending on the installation method, devices for servicing vehicles can be stationary, mobile or portable.

• Floor and pit lifts are available.
• Based on the type of drive, the units are classified into several categories: mechanical, pneumohydraulic, hydraulic.

The most affordable are electromechanical devices, which are easy to operate and maintain.

For those who want to have equipment in their garage that runs smoothly and quietly, you should pay attention to models with an electro-hydraulic drive. Their installation is not much more complicated than their analogues, but their operation is much more pleasant. In addition, the speed of work significantly increases.

Important! If the unit is equipped with two motors, it is recommended to pay attention to the synchronization program. If the software fails, the effectiveness of such technology will drop sharply. And equipment safety too.

Depending on the type of racks, there are several types of lifts.

Single column units

The main part of the design of such a device is a single supporting rack, which is equipped with powerful brackets for lifting loads. It does not require a large space to install. In some cases, this is the determining factor for acquisition.

Single post lift model

Lifts can be mobile or permanently fixed. They are usually designed to lift equipment weighing up to 2.5 tons.

Two-rack devices

It is no longer possible to move such equipment. It is fixed to the floor surface using anchor bolts. Two racks allow vehicles weighing typically up to five tons to be lifted for maintenance.

Two-post model with hydraulic drive

Four post lifts

These units are a platform mounted on four supporting posts. They are designed to lift any equipment, even heavy ones.

Four-post lift model The price of such equipment is the highest, but its reliability is also at the highest level.

Scissor equipment

Lifts have both mechanical hinges and hydraulic cylinders, which are designed to raise and lower the platform.

Scissor lift

Most often, such models are built into the floor. Scissor lifts are characterized by reliability and their operation is quiet.

Plunger

This hydraulic design is equipped with plunger cylinders that can be recessed into the base or located on the surface.

Plunger type lift model

• Plunger lifts are great for saving space in the garage (when folded) and provide access to the car from all sides. The number of plungers can be different - from one to four. When operating multi-plunger technology, synchronization circuits are used.
• For personal use, one- or two-rack units are usually purchased, most often of the electromechanical type. The characteristics of such equipment are quite sufficient for the repair of passenger vehicles. It is not difficult to maintain, and a small garage box with a ceiling height of 3 m is sufficient for installation.
• Units of a higher category are usually installed at service stations.

Heavy duty model for service stations

• An interesting option for a private garage, characterized by its simplicity of design and affordable cost, is a mobile lift-lift. Such models are adapted to work with most types of passenger vehicles and even minibuses. This device is of the mechanical type. It is driven by a drill or hammer drill.

Car lift for lifting cars

• Such a device for lifting vehicles is very convenient and does not take up much storage space. There are no requirements for the dimensions of the garage when placing such equipment, including the height of the ceilings. It takes a couple of minutes to install the lift under the car and raise it.

Of course, the scope of application of such a device is quite limited. With its help, you can perform only part of the maintenance work on the iron horse.

How to properly increase the height of the gate

Sometimes it happens that purchasing a new machine with large dimensions creates additional difficulties - inevitably there is a need to increase the height of the gate:

• With swing gates, the opening in the garage increases to the required height. They are removed from the hinges and additional steel sheets are welded on top. To camouflage the seam, it is sanded and painted several times; if desired, the outer side is covered.
• With sectional doors, like roller shutters, it is necessary to move the entire mechanism higher. To do this, disassemble the mechanism, first enlarge the opening, move the mechanism higher, reassembling the guides, box and opening system. It is advisable to immediately make the door leaf longer.
• For overhead gates, the entire lifting mechanism must be replaced as the weight of the gate will increase significantly.

There is one more point that should be taken into account when increasing the height of the gate - whether it has automatic opening. For example, in the presence of swing gates, after increasing the height, the effect of windage increases, so it is necessary to change the automatic opening mechanism to its more powerful analogue.

What to consider when choosing ceiling height

The ceiling height inside the garage is calculated directly from floor to ceiling. It is also necessary to provide for the presence of flooring in the garage. Perhaps at the moment there are funds only for a gravel covering, and later there are plans to convert it to another covering, then the height to the ceiling in the garage will decrease.

• When calculating the ceiling height, the presence of a lift and lamps inside the room is taken into account, since these circumstances significantly reduce the ceiling height in the garage, especially when the trunk is open;
• The optimal ceiling height in a garage intended for cars should be at least 2 meters. If you plan to store freight vehicles in the garage, the height automatically increases to 3 meters.
• If possible, it is better to increase the ceiling height by 30 cm, just like the garage door.
• The ideal solution for covering a garage is a single-pitch or gable roof without an overlap; it can significantly increase the ceilings in the room.

Garage ceiling height with lift

Progress does not stand still and now garages with an inspection pit are no longer as wildly popular as before. Currently, the overwhelming number of motorists prefer lifts. There are many advantages of this choice:

• no need to huddle in a cramped and often damp niche in the garage floor;
• the lift guarantees an excellent overview of the mechanisms located below the car;
• thus, repair and replacement of parts is greatly simplified;
• When using a lift, in particular an overpass type, there is an additional advantage - placing cars in two tiers.

When installing a hydraulic lift with claws in a garage, a ceiling height of 340 cm to 390 cm will be required on average.

How to calculate the height of ceilings in a garage for parking an average passenger car? Take the average height of the car (154 cm), add the maximum height for lifting the car using a lift (190 cm), subtract the distance from the floor to the car frame, since this type of lift grabs it by the frame (35 cm), plus the net ceiling reserve (30 cm) . The result is the required ceiling height - 339 cm. To lift a medium-sized jeep, another 50 cm is added to the desired height, after which the ceiling height will be 389 cm. The height of the lift itself is 210 cm.

An elevated lift operates as follows: a car drives onto it, after which the platform rises. The dimensions are no different from a hydraulic lift, since the machine is raised in the same position and to the same height, just not by the frame.

The ceiling height in a garage with a lift is calculated without taking into account the open trunk, by introducing into the formula the maximum height the vehicle can be lifted by the mechanism. The maximum lift is 190 cm, and the type of lift must be taken into account. For an overpass type, the full height of the machine is added to the formula; for a lift with retractable legs, the height between the bottom of the machine and the floor level is removed, which is conventionally taken as 30 cm.

Making a lift

For those who like to make with their own hands various tools and devices useful in the household, we offer the option of making a lifting device. In addition, independent production will save significant money, since the equipment offered by manufacturers is quite expensive and for personal use its purchase is not always justified.

There are many design options. The presented pit unit is simple. To carry out the work you will need a small amount of metal, a jack, an angle grinder, a grinder and a welding machine.

Pit lifting device for garage

Table. Parts and fixtures required for manufacturing:

All metal elements must be thick-walled (4 and 5 mm thick).

bed

Lift stand

The frame is welded from a 100 mm wide channel and corners measuring 63 x 63 and 50 x 50 mm.

Carriage dimensions (they are selected based on the requirements for the lift and the size of the pit):

• height: 350 mm;
• length: 350 mm;
• width: 800 mm.

The distance between the rollers is 280 mm, but this size is not of fundamental importance.

It is very important to fix the pipe section (50 mm cross-section) along which the guides will move without distortion. Their movement must be free.

This unit is fixed in a square cutout made in the corner and welded from below to the channel and along the upper perimeter to the corner.

Lift stand

It is better to use rollers for moving the carriage with an eccentric. This design will compensate for various unevenness of the base and small deviations in the linearity of the structure.

Overall garage height

Since legislative acts define restrictions on the construction of any buildings, the height of the garage is also regulated. The total height of the garage is the height from the foundation to the highest point of the roof. The maximum permissible height of the garage above ground level is ten meters. Often this figure changes downward, depending on the presence of various factors:

• the location of the garage is outside the city or within its boundaries;
• distance from the garage to the neighbor’s property or house.

Thus, if you retreat 30 centimeters from the border with the neighboring property, then the maximum height of the garage building at this point cannot exceed 3 meters. Different situations are allowed, so the permitted denominations are determined based on the situation. If a neighbor disagrees with the height of the garage, a claim may be filed against them. The final decision is made by the judiciary.

To avoid such conflicts, before constructing a garage building, you should check the maximum permissible height with local authorities.

Step-by-step installation of a lift with your own hands

Having chosen the right car lift, you do not get a guarantee that it will work properly. For comfortable operation, the device must be installed. The main condition for successful installation is the high reliability of the garage foundation.

Installation of a solid base

The area of ​​the garage in which the car lift will be installed using fastenings must have a thickness of concrete material of at least ten centimeters. In addition, when pouring concrete, the layer of material is additionally reinforced. Without reinforcement, the foundation may be pushed through. In such a situation, it will be necessary to dismantle the car lift and re-fill the foundation.

Calculation of the minimum height of paw lowering

When installing the lift, you need to determine the minimum height for lowering the legs. The plane below should be level. The minimum height to which the arms of the equipment can be lowered depends on the specific model of the device.

However, there is a standard: the maximum height is 11 centimeters, the minimum is 9.5.

Assembly of the structure

The equipment must be positioned according to the length of the machine. On average, the bumper of all cars protrudes about two meters from the center of the lift holders.

At the next stage of installing the car lift, it is necessary to install its frame and fix it. Next, the solution is poured. Before pouring, you need to check whether the frame is symmetrical. After the solution has hardened, you need to tighten the bolted connections. This will allow the frame to be securely fastened.

The bolts are installed in the grooves of the risers. The minimum length of bolts is 22 centimeters. After tightening the bolts, tighten the nuts. Attaching the stands to the frame is carried out in accordance with the instructions supplied with the equipment.

Preliminary height adjustment is necessary for screw car lifts. If the lift operates hydraulically, the cable must be pulled. Then all the chains are installed, and the quality of tightening of bolted connections on the frame floors is checked.

If, when tightening bolted connections, the frame is displaced and the symmetry of the racks is disturbed, metal plates are placed under them. Metal plates are usually supplied with the car lift.

Electrical connection

After assembling the structure, electrical cables are connected and emergency switches are installed. To do this, it is advisable to call an experienced electrician who will carry out the procedures according to the wiring diagram. If you know how to build electrical circuits, you can do it all yourself. Whether the lift drives will work properly depends on how correctly the electrics are connected.