Finishing Garage

RizzoMaryland

Client wants to finish off attached 3 car garage. 2 of the overhead doors will become bow windows and the center will be french door out to driveway. We will be building up the interior of the garage with 2 x 8 floor joists and plywood deck. Therefore there will need to be a step inside the exterior french door.

I have proposed to create a sunken ceramic tiled "pad" just inside the french door to soften the transition and create visual awareness of the step down. Has anyone had any experience with this type of "step down/up" in a finished garage area or any pictures as I am not crazy about the look. I imagine I would need some sort of handrail as well so people dont accidentallly fall into this sunken area.

Thanks

We Fix Houses

I don't think you would need a handrail. You are taking up at least 3 ft of interior floor space for door swing.

Why not build a brick landing on the exterior of the opening and raise the entry that way ? Build the brick pad to a depth of 3' - 4' and add a decorative iron railing on each end.

wink

IMHO we fix houses has the idea, if the floor is concrete, could you do something like fasten pt sleepers and put your subfloor on them? that would lesson your rise, and maybe give you enough room in your middle door openning for your french doors at floor hieght. you may end up with a step into the main house or 3 or 4, i can imagine my friends trying to get to the door after the ball game i don't know if this helped good luck with it

EasTnBldr

Unless you need the 7 1/4" pocket to run plumbing ... I don't see the reason for putting a sub-floor down over the concrete that high. The 2x4 purlins ramset down on the flat is a good idea. If the floor is uneven, heavily cracked, or sloped for water drainage ... I can see the need to raise it. Don't forget to put a vapor barrier down regardless though.

I would make the step up/down happen outside the room rather than inside unless the customer is making the call. If it has to be in the inside ... I think you have a pretty good solution.

Again, I'd minimize that rise/fall as much as possible ... even if it meant pouring a skim coat of concrete to level and fill and then using purlins & sub-flooring.

Just my opinion though ~

Chris Johnson

Has anyone taken into consideration the need for parking? You have just eliminated three parking spots with this conversion, how does the municipality feel about this? I ran into this issue over 10 yrs ago and the job became a no go because of this. Just something to look out for.

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Chris

RizzoMaryland

To make a long story short, this is a 5000 sq.ft. house with an additional 5000 square foot addition breaking ground this week. It is being converted into church/daycare and will eventually have a parking lot to accomodate approx. 40-50 cars on the 2 acre property.

The "pastor" appears to be flying under the radar a little with the local permit and planning commission here. I dont believe it has been made clear that it will be a church at this point. Interesting tactics to say the least. Im not the GC on the addition so I'm minding my own business but will follow the project's progress regardless.

Another note....the "pastor" lives next door in the $1.3 million house...God is good!

tgeb

Hi Rizzo, I am in MD also.

I would follow with some of the above advice and keep the interior at the same level, but I would talk the "Pastor" into a ramp outside the entrance to the french doors.

That will get him some handicap accessibility as well. He will need it when he converts the "house" into a "Church".

I would also advise him to let the permitting services know his intent....he can pay now or pay later, but when you open up a building to the public the way a church or daycare is, it falls into commercial code standards.

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Tom

www.gebcon.com

A W Smith

or he can pay now and pray later.