need advice re: garage expansion

[Bruce]

Will you use roof trusses? If so you could likely have them vaulted a little to make room for the 10' garage doors.

Will you use double top and bottom plates for the 6" rise?

The trusses are going to run parallel to the garage doors so I believe you can avoid placing a load above them eliminating the need for a large header.

 

[Speedling]

Single bottom and double top plates.
I do plan on using trusses although, I have one carpenter saying to build it so I can get more storage up top, whereas the other guy says it will be cheaper to do trusses due to labor costs, and better for strength. I get both ideas. I also think we are gonna revert back to a single door both for financial reasons, and just in case I get anything wider than 10' that I want to put in there. So, I'm going to look for a 9'x16, or a 9'x18' door.

A 9' door shouldn't need a huge header but I have the room anyways. I would like to have the hip roof style I think so prebuilt trusses are probably a waste.

Who do I talk to about making sure about my area's easements rules?

 

[Murf'n'surf]

Contact your local city, county or municipality about easements. Whoever issues the permit should know the setback regulations. If you are looking for a variance of the easement you may need to deal directly with whatever utility has the easement.

 

[soggyshoes]

I am using Chief Architect.
@jet-r-done is correct about many zoning regulations being more relaxed on detached garages especially if they are set-back to rear of the property. The big issue around here is the percent of non-permeable coverage or the percent of total footprint. Speedling's property looks big enough that this may not be an issue. Or maybe it is just a NW thing.
With 10' studs and the top and bottom plates a 9' door should be no problem for the track transition. A 16 foot wide door is going to be more common but going to the 9 feet (or whatever an additional panel is on a 7'door) is going to be more custom. An 18 foot door is more custom but make the space a whole lot easier to use. I would go with the 18x9 door. That extra 2 feet may not seem like much but I think it will make a big difference in ease of use. I have used Overhead doors ( http://www.overheaddoor.com ) locally for nearly 30 years. I have had them do some pretty exotic and fully custom stuff and they have always taken care of me. They are a national chain (I think a franchise) so type in your zip code to find your local dealer.
As far as a cut roof vs trusses. Trusses a re going to be less expensive. Material cost on 2x4 is so much less that the larger dimensional lumber needed for a cut roof that there is no way to complete especially if you have to pay for labor. Your local permitting center will also give you less trouble with an engineered truss (the engineering should be included). The same local lumber yard that can help you with trusses (a real lumber yard not a Home Depot) will be able to calculate (and give you the engineering stamp) on your span requirements for the headers (for free) if you buy the materials form them.
One thing to consider if you want more height is using a footing instead of slab on grade. I was seeing the news of the ice covering the great lakes and some video of a wall of ice invading someones home. Pretty scary. If you get lots of snow and it is heavy, slab on grade could present some problems with hydrostatic pressure causing seepage through the slab and the sill joint. Local zoning or permitting may also have issues with just a slab in that environment with the potential of frost heave. You could put a footing that went up to 3' above grade sealing it with a elastomer and covering it with sheathing that extends down from the stud wall and gives a continuous surface for the lathe and brick. This would mean there would be an exposed ledge in the interior from the footing to the stud walls but for a dry secure garage I think it would be worth it.
Attached are a single garage door one 16x9 and the other 18x9 along with a plan view comparison.

 

[Speedling]

I do plan on a foundation wall over slab. I am in the masonry business and we already figured for a trench pour and 5 courses of block and have it come above the floor height a few inches for water control. I hope to brick it all, so it will be a 10" block all around for a brick ledge. We played around with cultured stone instead but it wouldn't match the house at all until we start doing the courtyard and such. In any case it would give us the flexibility for later if desired. This means walls are actually 10"or more thick!

 

[Speedling]

Just so you don't think i am dropping the ball here, i was out of town for a month but drew a lot while at the hotel!
Also, i took some of the 2x6's and laid them out for garage area space and boat location, and then told my wife to find a spot for cabinets. I then told her to walk through it, because she had to put the board less than a foot from rear of boat!

In any case, a large problem we are fighting for the whole project is the pool. So now i am looking to move the pool over, which would allow for a 24x40' garage easily.

This would possibly kill a tree or two as well, however which means she will want new ones, adding to cost.

In any case, this is the "boat" mod i want in order to start working on a tower etc.

 

[Speedling]

Just so those of you that posted don't think I am dropping the ball or something, I have a little update.
I got all the info from the building commission and started getting paperwork together. In the meantime I have been dealing with Nipsco. I have a gas line that runs through where I want to put the garage.
working with an engineer on it we are looking at a few options.
Move the line: $1750
I cut out the concrete where needed then they move line: $1450
Move meter to side of the garage expansion: $900
we explored the idea that I could be over my btu limit of the line and meter but apparently I have a 800,000 btu meter. Typically around here they are 400,000 and my house is currently at 420,000 so that was a no go.

Engineer is coming out today or tomorrow to look at things and go over options again.

If I move the meter, how the heck do I move it to a garage that doesn't exist, and run the gas line back to the house without interfering with the construction? Thinking of burying my own line from meter to old spot going into house (which I can do out of the way easily enough) but I need to find outhow I have a meter in the middle of my yard until I get a ffoundation.

 

[David D]

Just so those of you that posted don't think I am dropping the ball or something

Any update?

 

[Speedling]

Lol yeah, like 5 redesign.
That is why I am postponing!
I also hit a good number of financial difficulties this year and making sure that #bimini2016 is a reality.

 

[Speedling]

This is what I am working on currently with it. a 40'x40' addition. It adds to master bedroom by 5', adds a walk in closet, and adds an office. We had the walk in closet at the previous house and really liked that, so we hoped to someday do that. The office is something I have wanted since we had kids and I got kicked out of the bedroom at the old house. The 5' at the back of our bedroom would be used as a laundry room that is accessible by the garage only. We don't know if that is a good, or bad idea. Still working on that and may change something with the closet to move it around. Currently, we like it because I have to change in the garage before I am allowed in the house, and this way I would have my clothes right there ready to go in! We first drew it out as the full 10' there being part of our bedroom, but we really didn't like the idea of a sitting room sized area in our bedroom. The office would be accessable via the door next to the fireplace so you can walk a full circle around the house and we can access bedrooms, or front door easily enough. The garage addition would then be 30' x 40' out of the 40' x 40'. Huge, I know, but we have a 24' x 24' now and so much stuff that I have to keep it off site. I would love to get rid of the stuff, but my wife tells me otherwise.
The stuff in question is mostly kids toys. She babysits like a ton of kids (or so it seems) and loves doing it. So we have a ton of extra toys. I try and shove my tools in there somewhere, but it's hard. In the winter, the boat will get in there, but it's hard to get it in there with a 21' boat and a 23' wall to wall clearance PLUS the garage bars inset from that!
The plan is that the new garage is boat storage, my truck, and my work shop. The old garage will be her truck and the kids toys and nothing more.
The current plan accommodates for the pool to stay, but hey, maybe someone will want to buy it for the $25,000 i need to build a garage? One can dream.
The rules are much more lax for attached garages and additions, but the living space will require a seperate inspection. Not too worried.

Gonna get all the ducks in a row before I go on this one for sure!!! It's bigger than most of my friends' houses just for an addition!
This would bring my total square footage up to about 3000! And essentially 5 car garage.
Another aspect to consider is that I am on a corner lot and this would mean I have two driveways. This driveway would allow people to come to the front door, because currently they park in the driveway and you have to walk to the opposite end of the house through the yard to get to the front. Bad design when you have people coming and going so much.
This would also keep me, my toys, and my projects seperate from children!!!
Wish me luck with it all!

 

[txav8r]

wishing you luck!

 

[Speedling]

LOL ok, changed plans again. It seems to always get bigger.
So, like, a 30x35 garage and 13x30 house expansion now. Not even gonna post the picture. Is it REALLY like $100 a square foot? I'm figuring about $25,000 in materials. OUCH. Don't worry, that's with about a 20% markup for my mistakes.

 

[Brad_Ct]

Sounds about rite, I had a 28X38 garage added on to my house last year and came in around $35,000 with labor. Then of course I had to have the house reroofed and resided to match the garage and then since all the old siding was ripped off I had new windows and doors put in. $70,000 later it's all done and hopefully will last the rest of my life.

 

[Speedling]

OK! Progress in all my plans!
1. Going to attach to the current garage.
2. First need to replace culvert, which will happen this year.
3. Next will be moving gas line, which will be next year. Also next year will be HOPEFULLY moving the door on the existing garage to the other side and putting stone down for the driveway.
4. I currently have a courtyard in the middle of the house. I will be closing it in most likely!!! Kinda sad because it is the coolest part of the whole house. BUT, for adding 400 sq ft I won't need a footing, foundation, or even the walls. Just need to add some rafters and shingles. Hope to have the new living room be center of the house and it will be quite awesome indeed. Big beams run across the courtyard now and someone wrapped them in tin over the years. I need to rip the siding off in there and redo some door headers anyways. So now it will be taking the doors out, siding off, adding rafters and sheeting it. Permit should be simple and rewards are awesome!
So here's where I am stuck now. The master bedroom is kinda small. Smaller than we had at our last house that was only 1540 sq ft. This house is over 2200 sq ft before the courtyard addition which brings it up to 2600 sq ft. We would love a walk in closet. The problem is the location of the awesome fireplace. Put it in the bedroom, or a den, or whatever and it's just.... awkward. Or off to the side, or etc. etc. I really really love having a fireplace but am trying to figure out how to make this work for this thing.
So, I present 3 different variations I have come up with that you guys can mess with.
The point of this whole thing:
1. Better master with walk in closet
2. Better bathroom setups which creates more storage
3. Office