Expanding a Double and adding a Boat-Port in Calgary

Hey GJ members.. I've been a member now for a few months and have learned a wealth of things. It is somewhat amazing how much time and money one can save by just hanging out on here for a few months. (I just wished my wife understood it that way!)

Note: If you are reading this and discover all the images don't work and show up with a Photobucket 3rd party sharing image, just install an add-in to your browser to resolve. The one I use is called "Photobucket embed fix" on Chrome. There are ones for Firefox as well.

Before proceeding, I've added an Index: (December 2015)

The thread has grown pretty long, so I thought I would add an index if you want to jump to certain sections. There is some cool stuff in the thread:

Page 1 - 5: Design, Planning and Permitting
Page 5: Preparation and Concrete
Page 8: Rolling Gate construction and installation
Page 11: Lifting the garage off the ground!
Page 12: Framing and Construction of Garage and Boatport
Page 14: Siding and Roofing
Page 16: Interior Servicing, Insulation and Drywall
Page 28: Furnishing and Finishing
Page 50: The Day of DONE.
Post 1020: **Build Video Link**

And here are some forward looking drawings to give you an idea where this is going:







.... and now back to the beginning.

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I have a decent sized urban lot in Calgary, Alberta. It is roughly 55'x110' with a slight pie shape. On the lot is the house, a 22x24x8 detached, double, heated garage, a 16x10 shed, and a ~16x24 pavement parking pad.

Here are some pictures of what I'm dealing with:











As for what I need, I have two cars, a truck and a boat which need to find their way in to this space. I also have a growing work shop which I use for basic carpentry, and auto-work. The issue is that I just don't have enough space to do what I want to do, AND leaving my boat out in the elements is giving it a rough ride.

So here are my desires:
- Have a tall enough shop to park the boat and raise the tower (such that I can work on it)
- Have a lift to work on vehicles and optionally store my Trans Am through the winter months
- Have a secure and covered storage space for the boat, with an option to move it indoors in the winter for work.
- Have enough space to work on projects and enjoy a cold beer and a hockey game.

I pondered these requirements for quite a while, and with a bank account of about $20k I decided on a complete replacement triple garage. You can see those meanderings here on my first thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=270427&highlight=johnniemo+dream+garage

Throughout that thread I bumped up against a few problems I just couldn't cope with:

#1 - I was throwing away a completely good double garage
#2 - My best case price was $35,000 and that was without a lift, flooring or furnishings. I just couldn't justify spending that kind of coin when I would far rather spend it ON my toys, rather than my garage.
#3 - Doing most of the work myself meant that I would be spending every free minute this year working on the garage (and angering my wife in the process)
#4 - The building process would eliminate all my parking options for several months, and that was a significant problem with 4 vehicles.

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So I went back to the drawing board to find a better compromise. I was inspired by two other threads on here, where guys were getting the most out of the work-spaces they had.

Ainsley's Single Car - Multipurpose Shop

In this small shop, Ainsley as able to lift the entire structure, thus creating far more ceiling height. This had never occurred to me before. He was doing it to prevent water ingress, but it could serve me well (and cheaply) with my existing double.

Secondly, I found a LOT of inspiration from Denwood:

Woody's Works Garage

This 50 year old single car garage is a masterpiece of how to work smart on a budget and create a terrific workspace - even in the stunning cold of Canada. I took a lot away from this thread.

RickP originally suggested a Boat Port in my other thread, and I wrote it off for these reasons which I think I've mitigated... so Rick, you were right:

- Existing garage is too small for auto-work (now I'm expanding it up and out)
- We don't have enough storage (ever) (going to add a lot of external storage cabinets under the boat port)
- Can't fit a lift in the existing garage. (I can now by lifting it and moving all the side cabinetry and tools to the front)
- Existing garage is sloped terribly and fills with water every winter (add rib-trax flooring)
- Boat storage (will be covered outside and I proved it can get inside with some effort)
- Want to store all 4 vehicles indoors. (this is just a nice to have, but not worth the cost)

So armed with new-found wisdom, I have started on a new design which should minimize the cash outlay, get me 90% of what I am after, and give me more options across the board.

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Here are my designs as it stands today.

Step #1 - Raise the existing garage by 21". This will give me 9'10" height (max eave height allowed in Calgary).

Step #2 - Cut down the trees in front of the garage and grow it forward by 6 to 8 feet.

Step #3 - Build a covered Boat-Port to the north of the garage which can keep my boat out of most of the elements. Also build in an automatic sliding gate for entry/exit.

I will keep updating this thread as I make progress. My initial numbers put this project in the ballpark of $10k to $12k. So I am excited to be saving some time, money, yet still having a sweet space to play.













Oh and here are some pictures of the toys:







And we can't forget this one will need a home also:

I like the new plan - especially how you designed the new roof over the existing roof. Hopefully that means the current roof won't need any major work and you can avoid some of the permitting hassle. The best part about this build is you can do it yourself pretty easily and still have time to play with your toys this summer!

The only thing I saw on your plan that jumped out at me was the carport post in front of the garage - it just looks weird there. Any way you could redesign the carport roof structure to move that post to the side of the garage? You might be able to keep the carport roof size as you currently have it designed and add a cantilevered beam over the front of the garage to pick up the load at the corner of the carport roof.

When you raise the current garage, are you going to lift the roof or the whole building? Are you planning to add a few courses of cement blocks under the existing walls?

When you start pricing the automatic gate, get ready for some serious sticker shock! I was shocked at the prices, compared to normal garage stuff - like gate openers that are 4-8 times more expensive than garage door openers. It must have something to do with how complicated the electronics are for the safety features (wire loops in the concrete, etc.), but I think a sliding gate might be a little cheaper - especially if you decide to do some of the fab work yourself.

Good luck with the design, and I'm looking forward to seeing your progress photos.

JohnnieMo said:

And we can't forget this one will need a home also:

Click to expand...

This was the best shot of all! Think about all the time you guys will get to spend together this summer playing with all the toys. And I have a feeling he's going to be Dad's number one helper on the new build...

Johnnie, it was great to see my thread gave you some ideas. Thanks for the mention I had read through your financial musings in the original build vs add thread and was impressed that you shared your thoughts about real costs, quotes and goals.

Your budget and plan forward reflect a lot more thought that many would give to the project, and I suspect it will not only save you $$$, but in the end you'll have your needs met. With respect to my own project, the thought had occurred several times that it would be better to just build a bigger garage..but like you, the numbers were a bit scary. Keeping your boat under cover but outside makes a lot of sense. I have two 40ft storage containers offsite, one of which is turning into my storage garage for seasonal.

I really do like your idea for extending the boot port roof over existing. I need to add some storage for construction materials in a similar manner, but am looking to do it in a visually interesting way. The typical lean-to is not so cool to look at.

If you get chance, look up the "Not so Big House" series by Sarah Susanka: http://www.notsobighouse.com/ and http://susanka.com/books/default.asp

My wife gave me the three book series as a gift, and it really was helpful in terms of ideas on building smaller, but more efficient. This allows you to also invest more in the space with respect to quality. Not so much a garage reference, but applies everywhere.

This weekend was the first I seriously put the shop to use..and it was amazing to be organized, bright and clean. The small space has never felt so big . Subscribed.

RickP said:

I like the new plan - especially how you designed the new roof over the existing roof. Hopefully that means the current roof won't need any major work and you can avoid some of the permitting hassle. The best part about this build is you can do it yourself pretty easily and still have time to play with your toys this summer!

Click to expand...

I expect the old roof can remain untouched, outside of a shingle job that is already pressing. I'll do it at the same time most likely. I think I can build the one support post right into the new wall build-out so it will become part of the permit regardless.

RickP said:

The only thing I saw on your plan that jumped out at me was the carport post in front of the garage - it just looks weird there. Any way you could redesign the carport roof structure to move that post to the side of the garage? You might be able to keep the carport roof size as you currently have it designed and add a cantilevered beam over the front of the garage to pick up the load at the corner of the carport roof.

Click to expand...

I'm not sold on this design by any means, but the reasoning was for the gate. I wanted the gate post to be the same post as the boat port. It also gives me coverage right out over the bow of the boat. I'm not sure what you mean by a cantilevered beam though...??

RickP said:

When you raise the current garage, are you going to lift the roof or the whole building? Are you planning to add a few courses of cement blocks under the existing walls?

Click to expand...

I would lift the whole building a put a new wall segment underneath (Ainsley's idea). On the inside I would refinished with insulation, electrical and drywall. The outside would get stucco on the bottom 21". There is a garage in my alley done the same way and it looks quite sharp.

RickP said:

When you start pricing the automatic gate, get ready for some serious sticker shock! I was shocked at the prices, compared to normal garage stuff - like gate openers that are 4-8 times more expensive than garage door openers. It must have something to do with how complicated the electronics are for the safety features (wire loops in the concrete, etc.), but I think a sliding gate might be a little cheaper - especially if you decide to do some of the fab work yourself.

Click to expand...

I think this might be one of my last upgrades. However my existing gate was damaged on Halloween last year by a (likely) drunk driver. So the gate as it exists now is missing a key structural support. Either way, I think I'm going to fabricate my own sliding gate and motor. I have an old garage door opener that should work. If I fail I'll spend money on it. I have a thread on my ponderings here:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279315

Denwood said:

Johnnie, it was great to see my thread gave you some ideas. Thanks for the mention I had read through your financial musings in the original build vs add thread and was impressed that you shared your thoughts about real costs, quotes and goals.

Your budget and plan forward reflect a lot more thought that many would give to the project, and I suspect it will not only save you $$$, but in the end you'll have your needs met.

Click to expand...

Thanks Denwood. I'm actually even more excited for this build than the "dream" build. The dream build was such a major undertaking and required all kinds of city exceptions and permits. On top of that it would be a monstrosity for the lot. It would have been very nice, but this will have a cool feel to it also.

There is something to be said for working smart rather than just throwing money at something. It requires ingenuity. I could also box in the boat port at a later date and add a basic heater. I don't always work on the boat in the winter, but in Calgary we get a lot of warm days in the winter and I could work on it with just a touch of extra heat.

Well a little progress to report. I ordered some sample floor tiles (just because I like putting the cart before the horse). This are Swisstrax Ribtrax.



Tiles are 16" square. Price is about $3.75 CAD per square foot. Colours are Royal Blue, Pearl Silver, Slate Gray, and Arctic White. I basically just picked all the colours of my car. I must say they are gorgeous. Very impressed.

Why not Racedeck?? Well mostly because Swisstrax had an easy to reach Canadian distributor and Racedeck was cryptic.

Here are a couple of designs that inspired me:





As for the garage design - I'm fighting over 12". My original build out was 6', up to 30x22'. But upon reflection I want 8'. My wife is allowing 7'. Negotiations are proceeding at the highest levels.

Trees are scheduled for coming down on Easter weekend.

One more question for those who may be in the know. Is my carport too big for 4 6" posts? Or do I need 6? It is 26'x16'. 6 posts would kind of ruin my design but it may be structurally required. I intend to use an extremely lightweight roofing material called Suntuf (or equivalent) so it's really only snow that I am concerned with.





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JohnnieMo said:

I'm not sold on this design by any means, but the reasoning was for the gate. I wanted the gate post to be the same post as the boat port. It also gives me coverage right out over the bow of the boat. I'm not sure what you mean by a cantilevered beam though...??

Click to expand...

Gotcha - that makes sense about doubling up the post for both roof and gate. Personally, I'd want two separate posts, but I'd have to see it mocked up to know for sure. (Also, if someone hits the gate again, I wouldn't want it to bring down the roof...) Either way would work, and you have some pretty good design skills, so I'm sure you'll get it just the way you want it.

For a cantilevered beam, I just meant you could support that corner of the carport roof without a post directly under it. Instead, you could put the post several feet from the corner, next to the garage gutter. Then, you could run a long beam from the back of the garage to the front of the garage. That beam would support the top edge of your carport roof. When you get to the post at the front of the garage, you could just extend the beam several feet past the post (that's a cantilever). I'd think it could easily extend several feet past the post, depending on the size of the beam.

JohnnieMo said:

One more question for those who may be in the know. Is my carport too big for 4 6" posts? Or do I need 6? It is 26'x16'. 6 posts would kind of ruin my design but it may be structurally required. I intend to use an extremely lightweight roofing material called Suntuf (or equivalent) so it's really only snow that I am concerned with.

Click to expand...

I think your post design will depend on what kind of beams you use to support the rafters. You could probably design it with 4 posts, but you'd need some really strong beams for that span. You'd probably need to use engineered lumber or steel I-beams. If you choose the lumber, you could use wood I-joists or parallam PSL beams. If those are too big or too costly, you could always tie the upper beam into the roof of the garage (although that brings up waterproofing issues around each of the supports).

I've used those Suntuf corrugated plastic sheets over temporary sheds and woodpiles, but I'm not sure they could handle the snow load up north in your area. Maybe they could handle it, but I start to worry whenever we get more than 6 inches of snow. I live pretty far south, so that doesn't happen too often here. Also, I don't store anything valuable under them, so it's worth the risk to me. The bigger problem for you is how brittle they get in the cold. If you even touch them with a pole or a 2x4 in the winter, they will shatter. I've patched a lot of 3-inch holes like that!

For the roof material, have you thought about using a very thin gauge of standing seam metal roof instead? If you ever sell your house, you could just take the shed down before listing it. The building materials would make a great carport for for the boat at your new place.

Interesting on the Suntuf. They hold all the Canadian permits for use anywhere in Canada. I read through the documentation. However their 10 year hail warranty is a bit odd. Depending which one you read it differs from full 10 year replacement down to 5 year depreciating. However they are careful to state they only cover impact from hail and not impact from anything else.

We get very severe hail here so that is my major concern. We can also get a lot of snow but it doesn't stay for long. However when we do get hail it is quite cold.

Suntop is actually on sale at Home Depot. Stronger, thicker, but in gawdawful colours. It is about half the price. My goal was for a transparent roof for light but I could always just put in light fixtures also. Metal would be okay so long as it didn't dent in the hail.

For the beams I intend to get engineered ones. I likely need to engineer the whole thing for what I'm trying to do here. It may be my undoing.

I had thought about the what-if scenario.... but it would be no different than my garage getting hit. It is an extremely rare event. I can't even fathom how in a straight, paved alley, that is 28 feet wide, you couldn't keep it down the middle on a nice fall evening.

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how much more could it realistically cost to enclose the boat?

cashishift said:

how much more could it realistically cost to enclose the boat?

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Depending on how nicely I did it, not that hard. This is a case of boiling the frog. Once my wife sees how pretty the boat-port is, she won't even notice the walls going up

One issue I have to deal with is the City. They consider a carport to be a structure, hence I have to meet the requirements for a structure. In this case, since my overall secondary structures will exceed a pre-determined size, it means I need a development permit. (this takes a while, costs some money, and involves getting neighbourhood permission). So I'm considering JUST doing the garage for now and tackling the boat-port next year. I don't want them to cancel my garage build because of the boat-port.

JohnnieMo said:

Click to expand...

Impressive parking of the boat.

zkling said:

Impressive parking of the boat. [emoji106]

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Lol. That was a complicated affair. I used a winch attached to the back wall. Once inside I put it on dollies and pushed against the wall.

The issue was the garage was just barely big enough and the furnace was in the front corner. So I thought 'why not put it in backwards???'







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It looks like a great well thought out project.

I like your projects, but, these popped into my head. Have you checked on taxes especially on the boat area? The boat area will be considered a structure and I think require a building permit. Does the shed have the required setback for your district? Are LVL beams rated for exterior use?

Could you take a picture of the boat dollies you used? Thanks.

Here are the dollys. I bought from Princess Auto here in Canada. They also sell them at Harbour Freight. The brand is Merrick.

http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/2-pc-standard-auto-dollies/A-p8487787e



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@RancherBill - thanks for the kind words.

Taxes here are based on assessed property value. I've done permitted renovations in the past and it has never noticeably affected my property tax. The boat port will require a development permit which is about $560 and has some rigour to it. I have to assume those types of things are relevant when it comes to property tax, but again, I'm not sure it will be a deal breaker.

The shed is not a permanent structure so it doesn't have the same positioning requirements as permanent structures. However it does count against the percentage of lot used for structures and that number is the one I'm up against. (why I need the dev permit)

As for LVL beams- I don't know. That is a question I will have for the manufacturer. I'm leaning towards getting a designer/ engineer for the boat-port as I am parking an $80k boat under it. (and I'm not overly confident in my 4 post design skillz). Beyond the beam/load bearing question I'm also curious about how to pour footings for the posts and the required roof slope.

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Have you thought about putting up a temporary carport for the boat while you work on the garage? You wouldn't need a permit for a temporary structure, right? In the states, Menards sells a 12' tall round top tent with fabric sides for $849. If you do decide to build the carport in the future, you could just take it down and store it.

I've thought about those fabric structures back when I first got the boat. At the time I was looking for winter storage. However now I am content that I can safely wrap the boat in winter. The carport is largely for rain. I find the cover just isn't designed all that well and the boat gets very wet. The boat port would allow me to leave the cover off and let the boat dry out. After a day on the lake it gets wet enough already.



Here is what I did last winter.



I just need summer to arrive so I can get started. All this waiting just has me changing my mind all the time.

Those temporary structures are much more expensive up here BTW. I couldn't find many that would accommodate my boat tower. And a custom one costs as much as the boat port.

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Okay - that makes sense. I was mostly thinking about it because of your permitting hassles. You could almost buy a tent for less than the cost of the permits and the lumber...
I've used the really cheap carport tents before, but they don't hold up in the snow. Maybe you could find a stronger one made in China that would ship to Canada?

Ahh I get your point. Yes it would prevent the permit hassle. One issue with those is that they need to have an extremely wide door to permit backing in from an angle. To get such a large opening I would need one at least 16' wide. At that width it would block the door to the garage.

Here is one that is close. The boat would fit in it, but would be impossible to back it in.

www.canadiantire.ca. To view it, please visit http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/a...-124-x-10-ft-peak-style-shelter-0372072p.html.

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Yes, that's exactly the kind I was thinking about. Do you need the walls if you're only using it during the summer? The only potential issue I see with that one is the diameter of the posts: 1-5/8 inches. I had one with posts that size ($59 on sale at the local auto parts store), and it failed after the first big snowfall. My current one has 2" posts with four walls and wire rope truss supports ($299 at Costco), and it's made it through two winters so far. Although the smaller posts might be fine if you really only plan to use it during the summer.

Check out the ShelterLogic website - they have a few models 12' - 18' wide. Their msrp prices look a little high to me, so you might be able to find them cheaper online. Also, if you could set the tent back a few feet from the alley, you might be able to straighten out the trailer enough to use a more narrow tent. If you can't take up that much depth into your yard, you might be able to remove one post each time you need to move the trailer... kind of a pain, but it'd work.

I realize a tent isn't an ideal solution for you, but it might work temporarily. For me, it got my tractor out of the rain while I worked toward building a shed. At the very least, a simple roof over your boat this summer might do the trick until you can get the carport permitted.

Okay, a little more progress to report here.

I talked with the City today and got some answers:

#1 - I will require a development permit if my structure exceeds 75m^2. With the garage alone I'm at 63m^2. Adding the boat-port takes me well beyond the limit.

#2 - I will require an engineering stamp if my structure exceeds 55m^2. (this includes structure and slab)

#3 - I cannot build a car-port as a part of the fence. All structures need to be no closer than 2' to the rear property line. As a result, I need to build the fence (and gate) right on the property line and the carport itself back a couple feet. (So my design has to change). A 6" eave is allowed. (so the cantilevered roof doesn't really fly)

#4 - I have to be very careful that I don't exceed 45% total lot coverage. This is tabulated as the size of all roofs on the property totaled together. I know I am close, but I'm not sure how close.

--

So in order to continue, I may as well do it ALL in one shot. That means get an engineer and get him to certify the whole thing. Once that is done I can apply for my development permit.

The costs on this whole endeavor just shot up. Not too happy about that. This was supposed to be the budget approach. I know a development permit is about $570, and the engineer will be $1200 plus. I don't mind the security that comes from that engineering stamp though, so that is not money wasted at least.

Johnie, thanks for the update. I hope you'll continue to chronicle costs as there are very few threads that do this...and many questions on the topic.

JohnnieMo said:

That means get an engineer and get him to certify the whole thing. Once that is done I can apply for my development permit.

Click to expand...

Just two tips.

Engineered means something different nowadays. It used to mean getting a P.Eng stamp. The Professions Act was changed several years ago. Technologists, SAIT grads for example, can if they have applied for P.Tech certification, 'stamp' drawings as Engineered.

Secondly, the 45% is not written in stone. I live in the Foothills MD south of Calgary. If there is a COMPELLING reason, the staff can make up to 10% variances. Wanting something is not a compelling reason. Squeezing something and ending up with a 27.5' dimension is a compelling reason to allow you to use a 28' dimension. You must comply with the spirit of the Bylaw.

@Denwood - I have a complete spreadsheet with costs. I need to make a few updates based on engineering costs, and the final carport design. I will post once that is complete.

@RancherBill - I am intimately aware that the regulations have changed. I am a P.Tech myself. I, however, have a Bachelor of Science - just like an engineer. I don't believe that the piece of paper on the wall has much effect on the quality of the work. It comes down to individual knowledge, experience, and ultimately how seriously they take their liability. I just want a carport that won't fall on my head. I trust anyone who has gone through the process as certified by APEGA. For what it's worth, the guy I'm working with is a P.Eng.

As for the 45%, based on my initial designs, I'm sitting at 41.5%. That will change a bit as I didn't account for eave overhang.

Nice build!

Well a snafu has been encountered. Here is my new site plan with overall roof coverage area.



Lot is 5837 sqft (as reported by city)

Max lot coverage of 45% would be 2626 sqft. My total right now is 2687. This means I need to start trimming.

Rats.

Sorry to hear about your costs escalating... it seems like that's the nature of construction these days.

You could probably get pretty close to 45% by just trimming the carport back a few feet from the end of the garage - it might even look better from the alley that way too.

JohnnieMo said:

@RancherBill - I am intimately aware that the regulations have changed. I am a P.Tech myself. I, however, have a Bachelor of Science - just like an engineer. I don't believe that the piece of paper on the wall has much effect on the quality of the work. It comes down to individual knowledge, experience, and ultimately how seriously they take their liability. I just want a carport that won't fall on my head. I trust anyone who has gone through the process as certified by APEGA. For what it's worth, the guy I'm working with is a P.Eng.

Click to expand...

I 100% agree.

As I was reading this a story popped into my mind.

A friend was doing a reno on his house. He told me about it and showed me a quick sketch of how he was doing something to his foundation. It was well thought out and a little over designed in my opinion. The inspector showed up and it was beyond his training and experience. He wanted to see an engineer approved drawing. Gary went in the house, sketched it up and stamped it. The inspector was happy and left.

The only problem was Gary was an Electrical Engineer. Knowledge and experience are the key things. BTW, one of my son's in an CTech and a rep for ASET and the other is taking his P.Eng final at the next sitting.

LOL... maybe I need to order a stamp [emoji14]

Well in running the numbers the eave overhangs really add up. I've got three of them. I made some fixes to the drawing and spelling it out pretty clearly.

2626 is the magic number for 45% coverage. After you subtract the house, new garage, and shed, I'm down to 252 sqft for the boat-port. That sure isn't much.

I hope you are right about the leeway with the rules. Seeing as I'm already filing for a development permit, why not? I think the ideal boat-port would be 15'x24'. That is only an extra 108sqft. Comes out to 46.8% lot coverage.

The engineer told me he had the city reject a plan at 45.1%. I guess I need to bring in a box of doughnuts when I go.

So this is getting more and more goofy. The city doesn't even know their own rules.

So apparently lot coverage is calculated by the building "footprint" and not the "roof coverage". That is unless the eave is considered "unreasonably large". They classify "unreasonably large" as over 2'. Well the only place I have that is one half of the front of the house. So the coverage is now tabulated to include that section, but ignore the rest of the eaves on the property.

So running the new numbers I get substantially reduced lot coverage.



The new problem now is that the secondary structures cannot exceed the size of the primary structure. Given that the house coverage has gone down, it is now smaller than the secondary structures. I ended up exceeding the house size by 33 sqft.

Nonetheless, I'm going to start my development permit with the design as is. They say 8 to 10 weeks to hear back. Time to get moving on it. I'm sure I am better prepared than 99% of applicants.

Take a recip saw and cut the shed in half! If it's like mine it is full of junk. I have trouble getting in mine and in the next while I am throwing out the accumulation.

I actually think I can massage the numbers a little bit and make them work. It really comes down to a sweet spot in how I declare the sizes. In this case I need to keep the house size bigger than the secondary structures, yet the total underneath 45% of the lot.

This is do-able. Just need to bust out my slide rule.

I plan to submit my development permit as soon as possible. Then I can get around to waiting.

Alright. Change of topic for a while. I'm dreaming of Sketchup lately....... it's too much

So in planning out this build I wanted a light weight and translucent roofing product for the boat port. I keep running in to Palram products. Reviews seem to be hit and miss. I mostly like the transparent Suntuf products however I saw this stuff at Home Depot for 50% off.







It is called Suntop. I'm sure the ugly colours are the reason it's on sale. Castle Grey is the only one that looks nice. It's not a perfect colour match, and I lose my light transmission, but it is less than half the price of the Suntop. Also no plywood needed as would be the case with metal.

I'm leaning towards buying it and returning it if I don't want it later. At this price I can't see it lasting long with the weather warming up.

The other reason it's on sale is because it's junk.... but I just don't know.

I would need 24 panels for about $350. Not bad for the whole roof.

Sent from my Passport

JohnnieMo said:

Alright. Change of topic for a while. I'm dreaming of Sketchup lately....... it's too much

So in planning out this build I wanted a light weight and translucent roofing product for the boat port. I keep running in to Palram products. Reviews seem to be hit and miss. I mostly like the transparent Suntuf products however I saw this stuff at Home Depot for 50% off.

It is called Suntop. I'm sure the ugly colours are the reason it's on sale. Castle Grey is the only one that looks nice. It's not a perfect colour match, and I lose my light transmission, but it is less than half the price of the Suntop. Also no plywood needed as would be the case with metal.

I'm leaning towards buying it and returning it if I don't want it later. At this price I can't see it lasting long with the weather warming up.

The other reason it's on sale is because it's junk.... but I just don't know.

I would need 24 panels for about $350. Not bad for the whole roof.

Sent from my Passport

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I was going to suggest you not go with a transparent roofing material for your boat storage. If there is no wind it can create a greenhouse effect underneath them, and after a few years in our elements they start to yellow and etch and don't look very nice.

JohnnieMo said:

Well a little progress to report. I ordered some sample floor tiles (just because I like putting the cart before the horse). This are Swisstrax Ribtrax.



Tiles are 16" square. Price is about $3.75 CAD per square foot. Colours are Royal Blue, Pearl Silver, Slate Gray, and Arctic White. I basically just picked all the colours of my car. I must say they are gorgeous. Very impressed.

Why not Racedeck?? Well mostly because Swisstrax had an easy to reach Canadian distributor and Racedeck was cryptic.

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Its too bad you didn't have good luck getting finding a RaceDeck distributor, I don't have any experience with the Swisstrax but I can tell you that the price you've posted is more than what RaceDeck costs per sf.

If you have a vendor with price, please post it. So long as it is in Canadian dollars I'll look.

Palram has a warranty against yellowing but I do agree that it's impossible for them to stay perfect.

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Well I've got the plans I'll be taking to the city. Here is an excerpt. Plan to apply for my development permit tomorrow. With luck I can start building in 8 to 10 weeks.



Total coverage comes in at 43%.







The design doesn't need to be perfect. This is just so they know what I intend to do. Once it is approved it need to get my design stamped.

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JohnnieMo said:

Alright. Change of topic for a while. I'm dreaming of Sketchup lately....... it's too much

So in planning out this build I wanted a light weight and translucent roofing product for the boat port. I keep running in to Palram products. Reviews seem to be hit and miss. I mostly like the transparent Suntuf products however I saw this stuff at Home Depot for 50% off.

It is called Suntop. I'm sure the ugly colours are the reason it's on sale. Castle Grey is the only one that looks nice. It's not a perfect colour match, and I lose my light transmission, but it is less than half the price of the Suntop. Also no plywood needed as would be the case with metal.

I'm leaning towards buying it and returning it if I don't want it later. At this price I can't see it lasting long with the weather warming up.

The other reason it's on sale is because it's junk.... but I just don't know.

I would need 24 panels for about $350. Not bad for the whole roof.

Sent from my Passport

Click to expand...

I'd go for it - that's a great price for the whole roof, and I agree with Ben that using all clear panels would be too much light. You could always use one or two clear panels and the rest grey - kinda' like skylights. It might help to avoid some fading in the boat's cockpit as well.

Your design looks good.