My neighbor has been talking about selling his house. It comes with a separate garage that's 24x48x10. If he actually sells his house and my parents buy it. Their wanting to raise the garage walls 2' more. The reason is to put a taller overhead door that's 10' tall. To have 12' ceiling that way I can open the engine hatch in my boat all the way up.
cost to raise the walls 2' more?
- Thread starter NES
- Start date
Architorture
Well-known member
At this point I'd suspect those 2' would cost as much as the 10' below since you are adding them after the fact.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Hiring it out would be expensive, if you could find anyone to take the job, because you would likely have to have engineered plans approved by your building department. DIY might not be as bad as it sounds, if you have a few jacks.
If it is built with a trussed roof, the trusses won't be strong enough to raise the walls by lifting on the bottom chord unless all of the trusses have hurricane strap installed. When jacking, use a 12'+ 4x4 to spread the load across as many chords/joists as possible. Same when placing it on temporary posts.
There are 2 basic approaches. Building a 2x4 (2x6?) knee wall under the existing wall or build a poured concrete or brick/block wall underneath. Both ahve some issues.
With the wood knee wall, you really should replace the outside sheathing so that it spans the seam. Or, possibly, skip the seam. Cut the nails that hold the studs to the bottom plate before lifting. Once in the air, put a 2' 2by under each stud and "sister" on a 4'-6' long 2by, with construction adhesive and nails.
With concrete and/or brick/block the problem is installing hold down bolts that run from the original floor though the new knee wall into the bottom plate.
If it is built with a trussed roof, the trusses won't be strong enough to raise the walls by lifting on the bottom chord unless all of the trusses have hurricane strap installed. When jacking, use a 12'+ 4x4 to spread the load across as many chords/joists as possible. Same when placing it on temporary posts.
There are 2 basic approaches. Building a 2x4 (2x6?) knee wall under the existing wall or build a poured concrete or brick/block wall underneath. Both ahve some issues.
With the wood knee wall, you really should replace the outside sheathing so that it spans the seam. Or, possibly, skip the seam. Cut the nails that hold the studs to the bottom plate before lifting. Once in the air, put a 2' 2by under each stud and "sister" on a 4'-6' long 2by, with construction adhesive and nails.
With concrete and/or brick/block the problem is installing hold down bolts that run from the original floor though the new knee wall into the bottom plate.
HoosierMark
Well-known member
Watched a guy do this with an older barn. He cut the roof in sections and jacked up each portion. He added his extra height at the top of the wall. It seems to me that the new portion would be a great place to add some windows or clear fiberglass sheating for light. I would google raising the roof, I would bet there is a video out there.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
First off, is it a pole barn, or is it a stick build? And do you have any pics of it? Is it bare stud walls inside, or is it finished off. Metal siding or wood?
There is a lot of different ways to attack it. You can raise it from the top, or you can raise it from the bottom.
There is a lot of different ways to attack it. You can raise it from the top, or you can raise it from the bottom.
gregtwojeeps
Well-known member
Wow, a major task and expense to do regardless what method of getting the needed height is used. May want to consider a smaller boat ? 
Better check with your local building code enforcement also before spending big bucks, some have restrictions on height from grade to the top of roof depending on the location of the garage. good luck jmo
Better check with your local building code enforcement also before spending big bucks, some have restrictions on height from grade to the top of roof depending on the location of the garage. good luck jmo
astroracer
Well-known member
Will it take a 10' door to get your boat inside? Some pics would be nice.
info2x
Well-known member
Similar dilemma for me. I was going to just raise the roof but I figured that would create a hinge point in the wall. If I can get the town to buy in my plan is to lift from the bottom with bottle jacks and build up the foundation wall.
Dustball
Well-known member
Jack the garage up and add three rows of concrete blocks under.
Bondo
Well-known member
Ayuh,.... Ditto,.... Jack it up, 'n put a block knee wall under the existin' walls,...
Ross/Kzoo
Well-known member
X3 Pour or lay block.
volleyball
Well-known member
I agree with going up and if you can, go more than 2'. Don't hear of many boaters going smaller. They go big until they can no longer afford.
Won't be much more to do 6 rows vs 3.
And if you cannot go up, maybe you can go down.
Won't be much more to do 6 rows vs 3.
And if you cannot go up, maybe you can go down.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
fury9
Well-known member
Brace all exterior walls. Tear off entire roof. save ceiling joists. cut top plates in necessary locations to sister longer 2x4s to the existing ones. add new top plates. sheet new taller walls. frame new roof install ceiling joists. add sub fascia. sheet new roof. call roofers. side new taller walls. raise header for taller door add taller kingstuds and cripples to new header. reframe gable ends. sheet and side them too. easy right?
volleyball
Well-known member
cliff notes, build new garage.
fury9
Well-known member
^ What he said
What are the building codes like in your area?
How old is the garage / shop building?
My father and I looked into doing just that, turns out the permits were going to cost more than starting over for a detached garage.
Part of the problem was the shop was built in '70 (or thereabouts) so we would have had to bring the wiring and structure up to current (2012) code.
For us that was going to include a rewire, bigger studs (2X6 standard now) and roof truss reinforcement, hurricane straps, etc.
We were going to have either a block wall built to re-mount the building to, or have a poured in place pony wall built (a local company has forms up to 3' tall for those).
Hopefully you don't have these same issues.
But it does make the point, if you build new, build it bigger than you think you need as it will pay off in the long run (with only very rare exception
).kerr
Well-known member
I just did this last year . I added 6 ' to the top of my shop and added a 20'x 16 ' bay . Tear the roof off rent a manual material jack to se the trusses down and put back after you add to the walls . Not near as bad as it sounds , just some work is all . I would go higher if I went to the trouble . I went 16' walls with a 14' door to get my 352 Peterbilt in without touching the stacks . Its a tall order , but nothing that cant be done with two guys and a grandson or two for gophers ! LOL .
Architorture
Well-known member
detach the trusses from the top plate, brace all bottom cords horizontally, build a 48' ridge beam from 2x12', attach a couple big eyebolts through the ridge...
Build all your short walls on the floor, rent crane, lift roof in 1 piece, lift walls into place, drop roof, nail back together.
Build all your short walls on the floor, rent crane, lift roof in 1 piece, lift walls into place, drop roof, nail back together.
The reason for a 10' tall garage door is that I might want a bigger offshore boat. For right now I have a 25' Baja. Maybe like a 38' Cigarette down the road which would be a little over 9' tall on trailer. The reason for the ceiling to be 12' tall so I can open the engine hatch all the way up. Typically with an engine hatch their typically 2' higher than the top of fairing. It would be a little over 11' tall with the engine hatch up.
kerr
Well-known member
Go 16' tall , you wont be sorry in the long run .I was told to and thought they were crazy too , nope , they were right again, lol . Storage on top of office , lift , a-frame crane , wild Ping-Pong balls !