Garage Lifts

If you're like many auto enthusiasts, you have more cars or, rather, you wish you owned more cars, than you have garages to house them. There simply isn't enough space, one laments. But, marvels of science and technology and the beauty of competition are readily available to solve the dilemma.


The answer? Get a lift. It's a perfect way to store another car—safely and carefully—and a lot cheaper than building a new garage.

Ceiling Considerations
Initially, the focus must be on deciding which lift best serves your purpose. Naturally, there are limits to this expansiveness, such as ceiling height. The lift needs a wee bit of headroom to accommodate the vehicle that will sit on the top bunk; some manufacturers' requirements state that the buyer must add the height of both cars plus another six inches to get minimum clearance.


Most lifts will rise up 70 to 85 inches, but in order to accommodate that much height with a car on top, a conventional ceiling is too low. And that electric garage door that retracts along the ceiling will most likely need to be replaced since it can't roll up with the upper shelf car in its way. However, a swing-up door might work, connected to springs rather than a chain-driven motor attached to the ceiling or crossbeam with the majority of the door swinging outward and not into the garage.


Many of today's lifts are manufactured to fit within a standard garage. Assuming the cars to be stored on and below the lift are relatively low in height, this should not pose a problem. Most lifts come with lockable operation switches that prevent unauthorized raising or lowering, ensuring that the lift stays in place. This is important from a safety standpoint as well. Additionally, several lift companies' websites offer up a ceiling lift guide, which would be good for any prospective buyer to study, in order to ensure his or her garage's ceiling height can accommodate a stacking of cars.