Reinforce Old Garage Framing To Convert To Living Space

justinae

Hi all. This is my first post.

I'm converting a garage into a living space. Here are the specs:

• 2x4 vaulted roof w/ 24" o.c. rafters (no collar ties) w/ 1" ridge
• Roof is cedar shake underneath composite.
• 2x4 walls at various spans. Also, the studs don't go from plate to plate. The original builder cut them about 3" short, then used long sections of pressure treated 2x4 to sister and contact bottom plate.
• A few (5) random 2x6 joists holding the walls together spanning 14'
• Garage is 27' x 14'

My concern is what weight the roof can support. We want to keep it vaulted and drywall it.

Here is my initial plan:

1. Use Simpson brackets to tie rafters to walls and also ridge. A35 I believe. Should i do both sides (4 brackets per rafter)?
2. Use spray foam in roof to maximize insulation, minimize moisture problems and eliminate the need for a ridge vent.
3. Install collar ties if necessary.
4. Install more joists if necessary.
5. Although clunky, I think the wall structure will be fine with the sistered studs. I plan to reinforce with more galv. nails.

Thoughts?

Thanks much!
Justin

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KentWhitten

You will need an engineer to give you those answers. No one here should give you structural answers nor should you accept structural answers.

BTW, doesn't look good IMO.

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Meetre

Like Frammerman said, get an engineer. some of that lumber looks pretty old, it's tough to tell if the discoloration is age or rot. how does the roof look now? any bowing or saging in the rafters? you might end up spending more time "fixing' the framing than it would take to re-build it the right way. just a thought.

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justinae

Thanks for the thoughts so far. I'll look into getting an engineers opinion. My friend has a super tight budget so a rebuild isn't possible.

The wood is actually in good shape, no rot, just old. The roof doesn't sag either.

thanks,
Justin

neolitic

Where are you?
If I were to try and get my detached
garage approved for occupancy,
it would then require plumbing,
which would then run bang into
a dead end of regulations.
Has your friend looked into this?

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mickeyco

I suspect regulations and such are not of concern for this particular project.





.

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neolitic

Ya think?

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genecarp

take it one step at a time, obviously there are no plans or permits, just make it safe, if you take out the 2x6 joists, you will lose the building, with what you are describing you will need a complete set of collar ties, maybe even with plywood gussets. get the wall framing to 16'' oc. the simson ties you are talking about will do nothing for the structure, they will however keep the roof from blowing off in a hurricane.

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Snobnd

You cannot remove the ceiling joists.
2x4 rafters are not sufficient enough to support the weight.
24in oc makes it even harder to complete your task !

If you order trusses you might just have to remove the roof, but you still, have the water leaking into the living space to deal with!

Doesn't look good!

My $.02

Double-A

I get the strong impression this is a DIY project or that you're not an experienced remodeler.

If you're not in the trades, you're not welcome here. Please post an introduction in the Introductions forum and tell us a bit about yourself and your business.

Consider rebuilding this garage rather than putting a band-aid on what you have.

I didn't read anything about the foundation or footings.

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justinae

Thanks again for those who have offered suggestions.

Neolitic we are located in Portland, OR. You are exactly right, we did pursue the city and the complete official route but as we anticipated it was a dead end and essentially a tear down and rebuild.

Genecarp, that's what I was thinking. Make it as safe as possible. I was thinking of adding in studs in the walls to get 16" o.c.. Much safer, but less R value in the walls.

Snobnd, we are diggin a french drain around the structure. The rear of the garage has negative slope.

The foundation is a garage slab with a 3" lip that the bottom plate (PT) sits on. There are no tie downs, but I plan to retrofit with wedge anchors.

For the record, I'm not the homeowner or a do it yourselfer. I'm a paid contractor (though much less seasoned than yourselves) and the client happens to be my friend and my first solo project. Thank you so far for the seasoned suggestions and experience.

Justin