Build down for garage?

[justinking060310]

So I am in the process of purchasing a house with a 2 car attached garage. It also has a "boatshed" with an 18x30 "office" above it. The boatshed is 18x30 but it has a ceiling height of 5'. Makes me wonder WHY, but anyways. It has a dirt floor in it and 16' double wooden doors for access. I guess the intent is to be able to park your jon boat in there and maybe your lawn mower. The interior is unfinished and looks just like a regular unfinished garage.

My question/debate is this -- Can I dig the dirt bottom down 2 or 3 feet and put in a floor, finish the walls, and perhaps a garage door(or some type of inconspicuous door). I do not know anything about how far the support beams are sunk, or anything about the footers. Do you guys think this would be possible? I am thinking that I could "build back up to the bottom of the walls with concrete blocks. Any ideas?

J

 

[Kevin54]

If it is only 18 x 30' with 5' ceilings, I would raise the complete building up and put footers and foundation underneath. Or build the footer and foundation off to the side and have it set on top of the new. You would be surprised as to what two Bobcats can do with forks. I moved a 16 x 20' shed with 7' ceilings from one side of my property around a pond and over to the other side of the property (total distance of probably 500') in less than an hour. If I was home instead of work I'd post the pics. All you would have to do is brace the bottom across to keep it from spreading. You can do that by tieing in from the rafter to the base at an angle at different intervals. Now all of this also depends on how well the structure is originally made. Or another alternative it to rent screw jack or heavy duty telepost like they use for support in basements only stronger and start jacking and bracing until you get it up to height and put the foundation in underneath. If it was braced right a crane could even pick one up that size and reset it. You have many alternatives. But the only way you can dig down is that if it is on a hill to begin with. If you go "down" you need to consider the way the water will run. Three feet is quite a bit of slope.

Kevin

 

[justinking060310]

OK, here are some pictures - I know you guys would be thinking of the same thing here.... someone has to have an idea based on these pictures...

 

[justinking060310]

**Added pictures**

 

[flesburg]

I would jack the garage up about 6 feet, and have a new footer put in and 5' high block walls, and then set the building down on the new foundation. After a poured floor I would go for a minimum of 9' inside.

I think it has all kinds of potential. Someday you could add a 30 x 30 building along side it and have a great shop with a hobby room upstairs.

 

[justinking060310]

This whole jacking up the structure buisness it starting to sound a bit pricey -- maybe I should remove 20' of the second floor, put a 14'x14' door on the front, lay some concrete - and call it good.

Then it would have an 18x10 loft - i.e. ManTown

 

[snorvet]

Maybe there is a height code restriction on detached buildings and thats why the previous owner built it the way he did. I would check the codes before jacking it up.

 

[Franz©]

The why is probably something you'll never know, so why worry about it?
IF
You can drain the "boat shed" floor with it 2 or 3 feet lower, and have a ramp leading into it, take a Texas Teaspoon and find out what the foundation is under the supporting wall. IF the foundation is good there is no reason you can't come in a foot from the wall, dig out, add retention into the walls and pour a new wall and floor as a monolyth. IF you are dealing with shifting soil it will be a whole different ballgame, but it can be done.