Carport conversion

[mendozer]

I bought a new home and the original garage was renovated into storage/laundry. The previous owners built a carport instead. What I would like to do is enclose this so I have a garage again. The carport construction is simple beam and post (one giant gluelam beam each side). I plan to construct basic 2x4 walls in place then clad with appropriate tyvek and hardieboard siding (what the house has).
The current slab of concrete isn't exactly square to the beam frame, so one side will need a long triangle shaped concrete slab to be poured. I will of course drill into the current slab (if it's even deep enough) to tie into it.

Since these won't necessarily be load bearing walls (aside from say cabinets for tool storage and such) I don't anticipate needing to do more than secure these walls to the concrete slabs at the bottom and up into the beam at the top.

Aside from the obvious construction tips, any advice before undergoing this project?

 

[jmarkwolf]

Do a search on this forum, and on Google for that matter.

There have been a few accounts of guys doing this on the forum.

 

[Voi]

I bought a new home and the original garage was renovated into storage/laundry. The previous owners built a carport instead. What I would like to do is enclose this so I have a garage again. The carport construction is simple beam and post (one giant gluelam beam each side). I plan to construct basic 2x4 walls in place then clad with appropriate tyvek and hardieboard siding (what the house has).
The current slab of concrete isn't exactly square to the beam frame, so one side will need a long triangle shaped concrete slab to be poured. I will of course drill into the current slab (if it's even deep enough) to tie into it.

Are the posts connected to the slab or is the slab poured around the posts (as in post frame construction)?

If the latter I'd prefer to use girts and keep the walls off the slab.

This has been discussed many times here but I suspect will be a difficult subject to search. I'll summarize by saying that in many cases enclosing these isn't as straightforward as it seems.

Besides drilling near the center of the slab I'd also dig around the edges and see if there is a thickened edge, piers below the posts, etc.

 

[bad_idea]

Carports have close to no foundation. Garages are required to have a foundation (exact specs contingent on local codes based on local soil and freeze depths). Long story short, you will not be code compliant if you close in what you have. You may not care today, but if you get caught or when you go to sell you may.

Search youtube for underpinning a slab. That is an option. You can dig out the sides of the slab and pour a footer. Lot of work.

I looked into doing the same thing last year as I bought a house with a carport. After doing my research I decided to rip out the carport and build a garage from scratch.

 

[mendozer]

Are the posts connected to the slab or is the slab poured around the posts (as in post frame construction)?

If the latter I'd prefer to use girts and keep the walls off the slab.

This has been discussed many times here but I suspect will be a difficult subject to search. I'll summarize by saying that in many cases enclosing these isn't as straightforward as it seems.

Besides drilling near the center of the slab I'd also dig around the edges and see if there is a thickened edge, piers below the posts, etc.

The current "slab" under the cars is what presumably was a driveway before the garage. Then they poured additional footers for the vertical posts for the front the carport to support the beams tying into the house. I haven't dug under the side of the original slab to see if it is a footing or just a 3" level surface yet. I'll try to get a picture up here soon

 

[mendozer]

Carports have close to no foundation. Garages are required to have a foundation (exact specs contingent on local codes based on local soil and freeze depths). Long story short, you will not be code compliant if you close in what you have. You may not care today, but if you get caught or when you go to sell you may.

Search youtube for underpinning a slab. That is an option. You can dig out the sides of the slab and pour a footer. Lot of work.

I looked into doing the same thing last year as I bought a house with a carport. After doing my research I decided to rip out the carport and build a garage from scratch.

My contractor buddy did say something about supporting the bottom of the slab. This must be the term he was referring to "underpinning". I don't recall if he used that exact word but now I know.

 

[fourjeepin]

The only think I can think of that you didn’t mention was to lay a course of block or pour a short wall to place the new walls on top of.

I did this at my house and it was a very fun project. Not difficult or expensive and so satisfying.