Thoughts on my garage

[ODH]

Hello all. First time posting on here. Been reading and getting ideas off this forum for awhile now and a lot of good folks on here. So here’s my diy home built garage I did the summer of 2024. Built new house that year and I built the garage myself with some family help when I needed it. 24 x24 with 9 foot side walls. Everything is good except my mistake was the corner to left of garage door … I apparently did not get it plumb all the way before it was sheeted and sided. Of course I caught it after the fact but it’s been in my head ever since. I hate being a perfectionist, but what are you guys thoughts on this. Leave it or somehow pull that corner in somehow? I think I know what I did wrong. Where bottom wall plate sits on top of 2x8 seal plate, I accidentally let it kick out 3/4 or more to left, inevitably allow that wall to kick to left making it off to right if that makes sense? Here’s some photos for reference. This was my first garage build and I am overall happy with it. But I am NO WHERE near a pro just a diy homeowner. What’s everyone’s thoughts. Thank you

 

[ODH]

Here some more pictures

 

[larry4406]

Looks like you are in the bubble to me...

I would leave it alone. Many will see, few will notice.

Welcome aboard!

 

[Stuart in MN]

Does it affect the safety or lifespan or functionality? Is anyone besides yourself able to notice it? How much labor and effort (and how much money) would it take to correct it? Those are the things that would be on my mind. It looks very nice in the building photos, I think I'd leave it alone.

 

[JuncleJohn]

Looks nice. Most will never notice. Now enjoy your garage.

John

 

[ODH]

Does it affect the safety or lifespan or functionality? Is anyone besides yourself able to notice it? How much labor and effort (and how much money) would it take to correct it? Those are the things that would be on my mind. It looks very nice in the building photos, I think I'd leave it alone.

Everything functions perfectly. No safety concerns. It’s just that one corner to the left of the overhead. You can kinda see it’s out of plumb. Plumb bob at 9 foot is around 1-1.25 inches out everything else is dead on

 

[nitroracer20]

Seems like your too committed now to pull a wall in. But it Looks great! Id leave it alone.

Hows the bottom plate anchored? How long is that level? Is the inside sheetrocked? Plumbimg on exterior walls?

 

[ODH]

The amount of labor would be a ton. Would have to pull siding and sheeting around that corner. Cut nails that go to seal plate and come along/winch bottom to the right and hope nothing else moves or messes up. It’s my first garage build and overall I’m happy with it just ***** when you built everything you realize everything you could’ve done differently

 

[ODH]

Seems like your too committed now to pull a wall in. But it Looks great! Id leave it alone.

Hows the bottom plate anchored? How long is that level? Is the inside sheetrocked? Plumbimg on exterior walls?

Bottom plate is 3 inch hot dipped with framing nailer to 2x8 mud seal plate. Layed on new block foundation that both perfectl

Seems like your too committed now to pull a wall in. But it Looks great! Id leave it alone.

Hows the bottom plate anchored? How long is that level? Is the inside sheetrocked? Plumbimg on exterior walls?

Bottom plate is nailed with 3 inch hot dipped from framing nailer to 2x8 mud seal on top of new block foundation. Foundation are both square and level. Once you get maybe 3 feet away from that corner on wall side it’s back to plumb. On overhead door side it’s back to plumb at the overhead door and the right corner is dead on. Inside is full insulated with osb walls and prorib ceiling. No exterior plumbing

 

[Twisted Sid]

Id modify the level so the bubble was dead nuts on before taking that whole wall apart.
Garage look great

 

[BillK]

What’s everyone’s thoughts. Thank you

My eyes usually catch stuff like that but I honestly can only tell because you said something. If you had vertical groove siding it would probably show up more but the way your is I honestly doubt that 99% of the world would ever notice it. Short of tearing it all down and rebuilding there is not going to be a real easy fix,

Stop worrying about it and start using it

 

[Atlascycle]

1-1/4" over 9 feet is .6 degrees, only you know if it is worth the trouble

 

[Notgrownup]

Move on to some other problem in your life. This is just a minimal F&#k up. Enjoy your garage.

 

[ODH]

Thanks guys I appreciate the feedback!

 

[NUTTSGT]

If I'm seeing what the mistake is, do you have extra siding to finish after framing ? How does the O/H door seal up ?

 

[WildBill]

I'll let the ghost of my dad, who was a carpenter, answer -

It looks great from my house.
Its good enough for the girls we hang out with.
I can't see it when I do this. (proceeds to turn the other way)
Good enough for government work.
Perfect! (said in a dumb voice while holding his thumb up at it like its a level and squinting, sometimes with his tongue stuck out)

 

[andyvh1959]

I'm for leave as is and just use it. As long as the door shuts properly don't worry about it. When I built my 24x28 shop I hired out the slab, masonry (two rows of 8" block) and framing just enough to get the trusses on the top plate. I took it from there. When I installed the pre-hung man door I just slid it into the rough framing, leveled it assuming the wall was plumb (hinge side), but couldn't get it to close right, like it was binding.

Damnit I thought, what did I screw up. After taking many measurements I found the front wall was out of plumb due to the west wall being 1.25" longer than the east wall. Damnit, I paid for the work and got an out of square building, 1/4" to 1/2" off over the diagonals I could live with, but 1.25" off? Damnit. So I re-installed the man-door to get it plumb and level and it works fine, I just hid the out of plumb wall with the brickmold and siding. No one knows but me.

1st garage I built was my 1st house, I was 20 yrs old and never had built anything. So my father in law, his dad and brother (all experienced framers) helped me. When we set the frame to pour the slab, FIL and grand-FIL argued over which end of the 16' 2x6 got the 1/2" shim to determine the pitch to drain out the OH door. FIL said the shim goes at the east end, grand-FIL said "no ya dumb *** the shim goes under the west end!" I just watched since I didn't know squat, let the argument ensue with interesting swearing and FIL won, shim went under the east end. The slab got poured and while wet, we set two rows of 8" block to get the sill higher. Late that night it rained hard, and the morning showed the proof that grand-FIL was right. At the west end of the slab was a large 2" deep puddle because the slab sloped BACK into the garage from the OH door. At least the labor was cheap.

 

[Codyboy]

Are you talking about the bump out in the back?
I would not be able to sleep at night.
Lol, just kidding.

However , I do have this thing where I line stuff up like looking through gun sights or a scope.
Pick any object or point and line it up with another point or object to see if parallel or plumb or a 90° angle.
No idea why I do it other than a habit.

 

[ODH]

If I'm seeing what the mistake is, do you have extra siding to finish after framing ? How does the O/H door seal up ?

I have 2 pieces left. The overhead door seals perfectly

 

[ODH]

Are you talking about the bump out in the back?
I would not be able to sleep at night.
Lol, just kidding.

However , I do have this thing where I line stuff up like looking through gun sights or a scope.
Pick any object or point and line it up with another point or object to see if parallel or plumb or a 90° angle.
No idea why I do it other than a habit.

I do the same thing that’s how I originally caught it. The 3 foot stick out on the house corner is obviously plumb so u can see that corner of garage isn’t plumb. It drives me nuts if I stare at it. I’m gonna take everyone’s advice and leave it alone.

 

[fourjeepin]

If you stuck around here long, you will discover you need to tear it down. Not because of the supposed imperfect wall, but because you built the garage at least half as big as it now needs to be.

 

[M.Brane]

It's OK to strive for perfection just don't expect to achieve it.

 

[bugnut]

I would leave it alone. Put a pencil shrub there, blocking the view and keep my mouth shut as no one else will see it till you point it out to them.

it just ***** when you built everything you realize everything you could’ve done differently

This is life when doing things, if you do nothing, you'll never make a mistake.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I have 2 pieces left. The overhead door seals perfectly

Is the siding enough to fix your issue ? If not, you will have to buy a full box unless someplace sells it individually and locally... this might influence a person's decision...or leave it be.

 

[racecougar]

Put a pencil shrub there, blocking the view and keep my mouth shut as no one else will see it till you point it out to them.

That's the winning idea, IMO. Plant it in the mulched area to block the view of the kickout, and that will take away the vertical visual reference point.

 

[CraigStu]

I would be quite proud to have built that!

 

[ODH]

Is the siding enough to fix your issue ? If not, you will have to buy a full box unless someplace sells it individually and locally... this might influence a person's decision...or leave it be.

I would have to buy from place that we sourced for the house to match. I think I’m gonna leave it alone

 

[danfromsyr]

when I framed my front porch on an 1800s house I struggled with plumb/level and settled on straight and flat
when we did the tile in the new shower, again I struggled with plumb/level
then I found out my level, to be out of level.. 0-o

was a 'discussion' with Msfromsyr as the tiling was 'her' job that 'I' was assisting on..
walked in it's visually crooked.. told her and checked with the level..
didn't figure it out till after we had a bit of back and forth 'discussion' as each time we passed the level back and forth we essentially switched sides and the line went in and out of level depending on whuch side of the level was held to the wall.
by out of level.. I mean the bubble was still in the lines either way. just one direction was good other wasn't..

and no it isn't a drain/plumbing level.

anways.. I would NOT lose much sleep on that..
but I'm an old man who lives in a very old crooked house.
My buddy says trees don't grow straight.. and certainly didn't settle straight.

 

[mattthemuppet]

I would leave it alone. Put a pencil shrub there, blocking the view and keep my mouth shut as no one else will see it till you point it out to them.

just what I was about to write. Another option would be a trellis and some kind of non-destructive (ie. not ivy) climbing plant like jasmine.

As my father would say, "a blind man would be glad to see that"!