garage lift installation questions

[AW10]

I'm interested in installing a car storage lift in my garage. It's a single brick skin double garage built about 30 years ago. I'm starting to look into what's required to see if it's feasible.

The electrics will need upgrading. The garage is fed off of a fused spur on the downstairs ring and the lift will need at least a 16A feed so I either need to extend the ring into the garage or provide a dedicated feed in which case I might as well install a 32A feed.

I need to understand if the floor is strong enough to support the weight of two cars and the lift itself. I have no idea how thick the slab is and/or if there's any reinforcing steel within it. Any thoughts here?

And then there's the roof. It's constructed of trusses with about 8 ft clearance so I will need to contact either the truss manufacturer or a structural engineer about what truss mods are possible to give perhaps 10-12 feet of clearance in the centre of the roof area. Stripping the roof and installing new scissor or raised tie trusses would be a last resort.

Has anyone done similar?

[227bhp]

AW10 said:

I'm interested in installing a car storage lift in my garage. It's a single brick skin double garage built about 30 years ago. I'm starting to look into what's required to see if it's feasible.

The electrics will need upgrading. The garage is fed off of a fused spur on the downstairs ring and the lift will need at least a 16A feed so I either need to extend the ring into the garage or provide a dedicated feed in which case I might as well install a 32A feed.

I need to understand if the floor is strong enough to support the weight of two cars and the lift itself. I have no idea how thick the slab is and/or if there's any reinforcing steel within it. Any thoughts here?

And then there's the roof. It's constructed of trusses with about 8 ft clearance so I will need to contact either the truss manufacturer or a structural engineer about what truss mods are possible to give perhaps 10-12 feet of clearance in the centre of the roof area. Stripping the roof and installing new scissor or raised tie trusses would be a last resort.

Has anyone done similar?

Some of that is building related so you'll get a better response in that section on those, but what is this thing exactly?
Checking floor thickness is simple; stick a drill through it a few times and see what happens.

[AW10]

Good thought - have posted in homes and DIY section. I'm thinking of this sort of lift - http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-4t...

[SMB]

I originally wanted a 4 post lift but had to change my plans after considering the changes required to the floor and the roof structure. I ended up with a 7530.

Floor needs to be solid reinforced really min 8inches thick, on investigation my floor was block and beam so that was a no. Are you sure it's solid vs b&b?

Electrics - it needs its own feed as the breaker type will likely trip a standard household rcb. The type needed has a different rating. Automotech can advise.

Roof, this really needs a structural engineer to advise

[AW10]

Not sure about the floor - as the house is block and beam I suppose the garage floor could be as well.

[SMB]

AW10 said:

Not sure about the floor - as the house is block and beam I suppose the garage floor could be as well.

Roll a heavy jack over the floor, you may hear a hollow sound that would indicate b&b, but you need to check to be sure

[227bhp]

Do the above tests, but I wouldn't be unduly worried with a four poster, if it was a two then you have to be a lot more careful.

Think about it, if it weighs a ton you've only got an extra 250g sat at each corner than there is now when your car is there and the contact patch is twice as much.

[SMB]

227bhp said:

Do the above tests, but I wouldn't be unduly worried with a four poster, if it was a two then you have to be a lot more careful.

Think about it, if it weighs a ton you've only got an extra 250g sat at each corner than there is now when your car is there and the contact patch is twice as much.

Op needs to clarify but he talks of 2 cars, if this is for stacking cars it's not just 250kg extra a corner. It could be 1300kg+ per car plus probably 800kg + for the lift itself.

[AW10]

It would definitely be 2 cars and the lift in the space where there was once one car. I suppose lift and 1 car its on one set of contact points and the car underneath sits on a 2nd set of contact points inboard from the other set.

[SMB]

AW10 said:

It would definitely be 2 cars and the lift in the space where there was once one car. I suppose lift and 1 car its on one set of contact points and the car underneath sits on a 2nd set of contact points inboard from the other set.

Again you need to have a structural view, b&b has a max floor loading per m2 the top screed and reinforcement spread the load but ultimately the density of the beams determine max load potential.

[227bhp]

SMB said:

227bhp said:

Do the above tests, but I wouldn't be unduly worried with a four poster, if it was a two then you have to be a lot more careful.

Think about it, if it weighs a ton you've only got an extra 250g sat at each corner than there is now when your car is there and the contact patch is twice as much.

Op needs to clarify but he talks of 2 cars, if this is for stacking cars it's not just 250kg extra a corner. It could be 1300kg+ per car plus probably 800kg + for the lift itself.

Yes that's true. I think he's edited his post as it said something about parking his wheelbarrow under it.

[wuckfitracing]

I have the very lift you are thinking of installing. Any questions just ask..

[toddygti]

SMB said:

I originally wanted a 4 post lift but had to change my plans after considering the changes required to the floor and the roof structure. I ended up with a 7530.

Floor needs to be solid reinforced really min 8inches thick, on investigation my floor was block and beam so that was a no. Are you sure it's solid vs b&b?

Electrics - it needs its own feed as the breaker type will likely trip a standard household rcb. The type needed has a different rating. Automotech can advise.

Roof, this really needs a structural engineer to advise

I've just ordered the 7530 - Can you tell me what air supply it needs and fittings?

I'm trying to establish if a small 8L compressor with 5cfm is enough to operate the pneumatic locks or if a 24L one with a higher flow might be needed?