Apartment over Garage vs Slab building?
8 years ago
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- 8 years ago
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Build a Garage Apt to live in while building home?
Comments (22)Hi all, Just wanted to chime in on this thread. I am starting my 3rd self-built home project. (Yes, I need to have my head examined) I run a remodeling company so it's not completely insane. Previous comments about kitchens and baths being core expenses are right on the money--- so to speak. They are expensive. Building one in an apartment and then a new one in your finished house is really shooting yourself in the foot. Try this instead. Build with the foot print of a 3 car garage, say 38 x 25, but only utilize the space a two car garage would generally take up as garage space--- 25x25. Use the 25x10 part to put your permanent stair, a foyer and your permanent kitchen in. Now you can think of the space over the garage as a second story of your finished home. You can get 2-3 bed rooms and a bonus out of the space with a hall bath. Unless you really need an apartment this approach can save a bunch of cash. Someone was asking about standing seam metal roofing. If you use the commercial folks you see on TV expect to be asked to pay $65 a square foot. I had one come out and give me a quote just to check it out. It was a real manipulative "hard sell" with all these "bonuses" and "programs" available "if you sign today." Be very careful. No matter how you slice it it's a rip. Either HD or Lowes will special order metal roofing for you. Its's not hard to install. (Be careful, wear sneakers and don't bend down on your knees, it is really slick.) If this is your forever house, install 40 year architectural asphalt. It looks nice and will likely outlive me. Good Luck and Be careful out there! Bruce...See MoreBuilding detached garage over tree roots
Comments (1)When the ground is excavated for the slab and footer, they will also have to remove the remnants of the tree. Roots that are deeper than they need to excavate won't be a problem....See MorePlease help -- Building a shed over an existing concrete slab
Comments (13)You could build you shed right on top of the concrete slab, just like they do with a house on a slab. You didn't say want you wanted to use this shed for but you might want to consider "the lay of the land". Sometimes when slabs are poured for sheds they aren't quit as high above grade as they should be. You don't want to find that the floor of your sheds ends up under water after a heavy rain. To connect the base plate of the wall to the concrete youÂd need to use an expansion type anchor. There are a couple of variations  a wedge type and a sleeve type but they all do the same thing  expand in the hole to make a secure connection to the concrete. Generally speaking things like powder actuated fasteners and "Tapcon" type screws arenÂt sufficient. A hammer drill makes drilling holes in concrete much easier. You can rent one for $20 or so. Any wood that comes in contact with the concrete must be pressure treated. IÂd also run a heavy bead of construction adhesive under the wall base plate to form a seal. A "jack hammer" is generally used for destruction, not construction. You didnÂt mention anything about permits. Many communities require permits for this kind of construction and you local building department can be a useful resource if youÂre less than sure of your carpentry skills. Certainly the inspector isnÂt going to help you drive nails but he can make sure you donÂt get into too much trouble. Good luck! Mike...See MoreBuilding in Maine - basement, slab, or crawlspace?
Comments (27)"Basements Vs slabs", Practically all basements have slabs and most of them have plumbing underneath, same for 99.99% of commercial buildings. Not building a slab (or basement) for plumbing fears is typical for DIY types unfamiliar with concrete work. Designed and built right, there should be no reason to tear up the concrete in one's lifetime. If it does need to be redone, it's still light construction and not a problem for professional contractors. Building a basement or crawlspace below variable water tables can be appropriate if there is enough topography to daylight the drainage. Relying on pumps is a recipe for eventual failure. The wetter the site, the bigger the concern. Daylighted drainage that works by gravity, should be designed well, with plenty of clean gravel, silt protection and cleanouts. If your builder or grader shows up with corrugated, single wall PE, better call in an experienced civil engineer. It sounds like your lot is ideal for a stemwall slab, basically a crawlspace filled with compacted fill or better yet clean gravel and topped with a slab. This elevates the slab and provides gravity proven drainage below. Worthy's FPSF suggestion is also worth a look if your lot is really that flat. Slabs have better building science fundamentals being a well defined boundary (drainage, air barrier, insulation) between the elements and living space. Crawls are more confused. Vented crawlspaces in humid climates (east of MS) should be illegal, and if you decide to go unvented, ensure the entire crawl floor slopes to a daylighted drain. With a good design team, forced-air ductwork does not have to go in a basement, crawlspace or attic....See More- 8 years ago
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