And so it begins..... my new garage

[tallhair]

I loved reading through this garage build thread Devon. One question I may have missed the answer to.

Why are there so few windows?

 

[Brandy]

lol...he's shy.

 

[PRND21]

I loved reading through this garage build thread Devon. One question I may have missed the answer to.

Why are there so few windows?

I'm guessing one of two reasons, less places to break in, or he likes to work on his cars naked.

 

[747mopar]

I loved reading through this garage build thread Devon. One question I may have missed the answer to.

Why are there so few windows?

Haha, not shy and definitely don't work naked. Easy question to your answer though. On the west side I'm 5ft below surface with a huge boulder just outside (no view), the east side is where the 24X24 addition goes (again no view unless you want to look into another garage but I did put a window in the side door), the south side is facing my drunk neighbor's run down home (don't want to look at it) and then the north side has a nice view which is why there's windows in the garage doors.

 

[747mopar]

Started the drilling, got about half of them drilled in minutes then I snagged a rock. It caught bad enough that it lifted the tires off the ground until it bottomed the gearbox out, couldn't pull it out and had to back it out with a pipe wrench..... 1 hole for the spud bar! Dad's picking up a load of premixed sand and gravel, I'll get a form built and get started pouring the holes this weekend. We're cutting popular at the mill right now so I'll get the lumber ordered and it will be go time.... funds are tight so I have no idea how long it will be before it gets sided but as long as I get a roof before winter I don't care. With the amount of fill I have I'm in no hurry to pour the floor anyways.

 

[747mopar]

Go freaking figure.... dug the holes... poured down the rain and now I have wells! All the loose dirt is now soup that I'll have to dig out! I knew this would happen, piss on it I'll wait till July or August when it's blazing hot.

 

[747mopar]

Good news, other than adding some character threw stripes and artwork the garage is all painted inside. Just put in my order for the lumber so the addition can begin as well. I'm not waiting on the weather, I'll just pour every hole as soon as I dig it from here on out.

 

[747mopar]

Got something I've been pondering that I could use some insight or suggestions on. If you look at this picture you can see where the addition is going to go and where the side door and garage door are. Here's what I'm thinking, I'm going to pour concrete in front of the garage doors and am thinking I'd like to put in a block wall in front of the man door so the slab can wrap around the garage to the door? Big question is how deep should a footer be for something like that? I know it's 3-4ft for footers but this is basically a retaining wall with a slab poured on top.

 

[HT413]

youre basically just taking about a sidewalk at driveway grade level... so I'd build the retaining wall as you normally would... bury the first course or so of retaining wall block and go from there. Obviously an expansion joint between main slab and sidewalk...

Key to avoiding frost heave is the sub slab drainage so plenty of stone should do it. Though keep in mind that if lots of water permeates, it can bring surrounding subsoil with it, clogging the stone and creating little sink holes and even undermining the sidewalk / slab.

 

[747mopar]

youre basically just taking about a sidewalk at driveway grade level... so I'd build the retaining wall as you normally would... bury the first course or so of retaining wall block and go from there. Obviously an expansion joint between main slab and sidewalk...

Key to avoiding frost heave is the sub slab drainage so plenty of stone should do it. Though keep in mind that if lots of water permeates, it can bring surrounding subsoil with it, clogging the stone and creating little sink holes and even undermining the sidewalk / slab.

Thanks, that's what I was hoping to do. I learned years ago that drainage is everything as far as long term goes. There's actually a footer drain already running under it that I could easily open up to assure that it stays dry.

 

[moparnation74]

Dev

Looking great and I like the rafter support beam you made...Nice detail....Charger has a great home!

Justin

 

[4mayhemi]

I think you're talking about a parallel retaining wall separating the (future) higher driveway from the lower addition. Yes drainage as discussed but standard CMU will bow/lean eventually if not using interlocking retaining blocks, even if its only 16" high. If you're still going to use standard CMU with a footer then form an extra wide 3-4' footer with the extra under the high side, and rebar the block to the footer and L into the slab.

 

[747mopar]

I think you're talking about a parallel retaining wall separating the (future) higher driveway from the lower addition. Yes drainage as discussed but standard CMU will bow/lean eventually if not using interlocking retaining blocks, even if its only 16" high. If you're still going to use standard CMU with a footer then form an extra wide 3-4' footer with the extra under the high side, and rebar the block to the footer and L into the slab.

You lost me, I'm just an average guy that doesn't know the lingo? CMU???

As far as the retaining wall goes yes and no. There's no real need for a retaining wall as the grade is gradual but since typical steps would fall in the way of the lower garage entrance it made more sense to me to make the upper apron wrap around the garage. The wall is only needed to hold the fill (gravel) to bring the height up. I'll leave the wall 4" short so the top gets capped and anchored and pin the blocks to the footer. I'll be using left over rebar block that gets rebared and poured solid. Thanks

 

[4mayhemi]

Sorry for that, concrete masonry unit (shout out to "cinder block" to the old fellas!).

I was thinking the wraparound upper slab being level to the garage apron, with maybe 16" grade level change to the lower future driveway, and you were going to use the same extra blocks sitting by the steps + some more.

I guess if you raise the new addition enough and the wraparound slopes down like the gravel is doing, where you just need 1 (riser) step down from the man door, a retaining wall is moot then. But if the slab is level and you find you need one, retaining blocks done like HT413 described could be done til your concrete at a later date, or a single pour slab with a "trench" footing style wall could work as well.

 

[HT413]

Sorry for that, concrete masonry unit (shout out to "cinder block" to the old fellas!).

I was thinking the wraparound upper slab being level to the garage apron, with maybe 16" grade level change to the lower future driveway, and you were going to use the same extra blocks sitting by the steps + some more.

I guess if you raise the new addition enough and the wraparound slopes down like the gravel is doing, where you just need 1 (riser) step down from the man door, a retaining wall is moot then. But if the slab is level and you find you need one, retaining blocks done like HT413 described could be done til your concrete at a later date, or a single pour slab with a "trench" footing style wall could work as well.

Good point, May, when I said build the retaining wall 'as you normally would' that was way too vague... I was just going on how Dev built the right and I think rear walls that are partially retaining the slope.

I'd agree though, avoid building it at all if ya can. It's really easy to miss or forget about those short retaining walls. And it'd be one less thing to break your neck over when walking back to the house after a late night or carrying an armload of stuff.

 

[747mopar]

Good point, May, when I said build the retaining wall 'as you normally would' that was way too vague... I was just going on how Dev built the right and I think rear walls that are partially retaining the slope.

I'd agree though, avoid building it at all if ya can. It's really easy to miss or forget about those short retaining walls. And it'd be one less thing to break your neck over when walking back to the house after a late night or carrying an armload of stuff.

The idea was to bring it up level to the apron or at least close enough that there would be nothing to trip on. If I go this route there will be hand railing to prevent accidents. The other option is stairs, I hate stairs for a garage entrance but 1 step down would be fine. I guess I'll do some measuring and see what makes the most sense. Thanks guys

 

[747mopar]

Started the bridge. This may take a few, cutting one piece a night! I've got 8"X6"X15' beams and let me tell you handling them by yourself is about enough to make...... well bad things happen. With my back the way it is I'll just do one per night and by the weekend I'll have them done. Debating getting them blasted or just knocking the rust off and coating them with an appropriate coating. With any luck I can get some footers put in for it this weekend and move forward on it.

 

[747mopar]

Built my permanent ladder, elevated for easy sweeping with handrail height extension for when I build the handrail. Work was throwing out a bunch of old used 1"rigid conduit so I butt welded some together and coped the rungs with a hole saw... an hour of welding and voila!

Stairs would be nice but floor space is everything and the bridge is next so this makes the most sense. This side is to access the upstairs, storage on the other side will likely get stairs?

 

[747mopar]

While Larry was up last weekend for the Nats he gave me a hand measuring and cutting the legs for my bridge so I could finally get going on the bridge...... then the ball got rollin. My Dad and brother both helped get the beams set and tacked, from there it was hours of burning 7018 in the blistering hot sun. I'll be adding a center beam as well but need to weld 4 drops together to get enough materials.

Change in plans.. I've decided to build the deck out of 3X6 White Oak, it does great outdoors, is super strong and best of all I can get it for $.30 a ft... Unfortunately since I was planning on using treated I missed my opportunity to get White Oak, we won't be cutting it again for a month so it looks like I've got plenty of time to paint.

 

[conv67bdere]

While Larry was up last weekend for the Nats he gave me a hand measuring and cutting the legs for my bridge so I could finally get going on the bridge...... then the ball got rollin. My Dad and brother both helped get the beams set and tacked, from there it was hours of burning 7018 in the blistering hot sun. I'll be adding a center beam as well but need to weld 4 drops together to get enough materials.

Change in plans.. I've decided to build the deck out of 3X6 White Oak, it does great outdoors, is super strong and best of all I can get it for $.30 a ft... Unfortunately since I was planning on using treated I missed my opportunity to get White Oak, we won't be cutting it again for a month so it looks like I've got plenty of time to paint.




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No, no, no . . . it wasn't my fault . . . really ? ! ?

Dang, get Devin started and make sure you get out of his way , he's moving along with that project at light speed !

Looks awesome . . .