Shop Build - How Tall Is Too Tall ?

[DieselDennis]

Getting ready to start building what will be my shop.  It's essentially a 24' x 32' detached garage.  Siding will be cement board and roof will be architectural shingles (to match the house of course).  Stick built framing with a 12/12 roof pitch.  

I was originally planning on building 10' sidewalls.  I found out today that at my lumber yard, a 2x6x12 is the same price as a 2x6x10.  So it seems I could have a building 2' taller for just a little more siding.  

Will I regret this?  I see some negatives already.  First, it will be very tall.  24' from the ground to the peak.  Possibly as tall as the house.  Second, the space I gain will be in height, and may never be realized unless I add a room upstairs, which is a distinct possibility.  Third, it will be that much harder to install the roof.

Would you do it?  Initially I think " Ofcourse! ", but then I start second guessing myself and thinking maybe not.

[JGrout]

Getting ready to start building what will be my shop.  It's essentially a 24' x 32' detached garage.  Siding will be cement board and roof will be architectural shingles (to match the house of course).  Stick built framing with a 12/12 roof pitch.  

I was originally planning on building 10' sidewalls.  I found out today that at my lumber yard, a 2x6x12 is the same price as a 2x6x10.  So it seems I could have a building 2' taller for just a little more siding.  

Will I regret this?  I see some negatives already.  First, it will be very tall.  24' from the ground to the peak.  Possibly as tall as the house.  Second, the space I gain will be in height, and may never be realized unless I add a room upstairs, which is a distinct possibility.  Third, it will be that much harder to install the roof.

Would you do it?  Initially I think " Ofcourse! ", but then I start second guessing myself and thinking maybe not.

IMO 12'  framing lumber is the worst framing lumber on the planet.

10' is more than enough in most shops

[Robert Adams]

As long as the lumber is decent I'd say go for it. 2x6 construction isn't done here so I'm not as familiar with the quality of the long stuff as JGrout is. I will say though that the 2x4 stock 10' and longer that's available at the borgs here is better than I have seen in years. It's extremely straight and very few knots. However 8' 2x4s when available in SPF are quite ugly lumber. Often all depot stocks is yellow pine 8' lumber at many of the stores here. I usually end up buying 16' and cutting them in half to get better lumber.  

         My shop has 10' walls at the outer edge and for me it's too short. It's a steel building ie 2x2 steel welded steel frame with 2x2 welded trusses. I have to be careful when flipping long stock around the shop as I will smack a truss or the ceiling.

[Snipe Hunter]

Make sure you have lots of real strong friends over when raising those walls. They're going to be pretty darn heavy.

[barnowl]

My brother in law's 24x40 garage used 10 foot wall studs.

That's cavernous tall once completed....

[fixtureman]

I have 10 ft walls and wish they were 12 ft

[ronlaughlin]

Eleven foot ceiling is not, not too high.  This i know.

[TDKPE]

If it were me, I'd do the 12 ft walls, but I'd cut back on the 12/12 roof pitch, unless you're trying to match the style of the main house, of course.  Or need the space for a room, a la Cape Cod style.

Or, if no room above is needed, you could do 10 ft walls, and use scissor trusses to gain more headroom at all but the perimeter. I don't usually need the headroom at the walls - it's the middle, where I'm smacking lights and denting sheet rock, that needs more height for my needs.

[frigator]

My last shop I built was built out of 12ft 2x6 and I loved the high ceiling. Could stack long lumber vertically. Only negative was the lights had to be stronger or hung on chains to get them lower. 

Also  when we went to order the trusses we found for only a little more I could add another 1000ft upstairs...added a exterior walkup to the second floor and had 1000ft of storage for not a whole lot more money.

[WaterlooMarc]

It's also 20% more volume to heat and cool. May not matter but something to consider.