Carport into an enclosed garage...

[sti491]

Tomorrow morning I am looking at a unique property in Greensboro, NC. It has this unusually nice carport. My issue is I need an enclosed, secure garage. It's 24x24, so it's decent size, and has a room above it.

I'm thinking the easiest and least expensive way to turn it into a garage is to instal a garage door on each end. Any pro's and cons to having a garage door on each end other than easy to get to back yard, and less energy efficient?

Any rough ideas what it might cost to have the doors with openers installed?

Any other thoughts on this conversion? I'm wondering about the slope and water drainage. I can check that out tomorrow. Thanks in advance for any ideas, rough cost estimates, issues or concerns you might want to share.

 

[Cyberbear]

Judging from your picture it looks like some style of roll-up door may be appropriate for your needs. Check Online for the design you want and see if that door can be easily installed in your building.

 

[CombatNinja]

You are either looking at custom roll-up doors in order to accommodate that arch and tight ceiling clearance (even then I don't think you have enough room for the door to completely 'disappear' above that header)--which will be big money, think $2500ish per door installed or 'normal' garage doors with jackshaft openers (like a lift master 8500). That would be cheaper, probably around $1500 per door installed. One potential fly in th ointment is if that opening is a real oddball size and your local garage door installer does not have doors off the shelf in that size. It looks like about an 18' opening from the pic.

Last thing to consider is if you want an insulated shop or not. If you do, start now by getting insulated doors instead of deciding the shop is too hot in the summer 3 years from now and ripping them out. This will of course increase your upfront cost. One thing to consider is that, being a carport, there is little chance that the walls are insulated. However it really looks like someone intended to close that up so you never know. Also keep in mind that unless you really want a drive-thru shop, that peace in back could be closed as cheap as installing a garage door. Personally I think the drive-thru concept is neat.

 

[CombatNinja]

Oh yeah, one question: where are the stairs to the second floor?

 

[captain14]

Please keep us updated on this project.

 

[James-W]

How tall are the sides of the openings, not counting the top of the arch, just on the sides of the opening? It MAY be possible to enclose the arch on each end of the structure and then frame the openings so that you can install regular garage doors.

 

[CombatNinja]

That is one method but that arch is on par with what I see built around here and they all use regular garage doors. I guess that just have an additional panel at the top? His biggest hurdle will be the height of that arch relative to the height of the ceilings.

 

[gunguy]

You lose a lot of wall storage with the drive-thru. Does it have to be that big?

Not that I don't like it, just adding another perspective.

Jim

 

[timewarp]

You'd save some money by walling in part of the back wall and putting a smaller door to one side or the other, the big door wouldn't gain you anything with the big tree right in the middle of it.

 

[fourjeepin]

Looks very nice. My place came with a 22x24 carport - 3 sides open. The door side, I framed in to make it two standard size doors - 8x10s. I bought insulated carriage style doors with windows and metal on both sides. Installed with openers, it was like 1800 4 years ago.

On yours, I think I would enclose the back side opening. Front side may or may not need reframing. I would get a few quotes from door installers.

 

[sti491]

Thx for all the great input. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow !

 

[James-W]

That is one method but that arch is on par with what I see built around here and they all use regular garage doors. I guess that just have an additional panel at the top? His biggest hurdle will be the height of that arch relative to the height of the ceilings.

It is difficult to tell from the picture but it appears the ceiling is just above the arch. If that is the case then it would be virtually impossible to install an overhead door. But if the sides of the arch are low enough to give sufficient clearance then a normal overhead door would work. But from the picture it isn't very clear so you can't really tell. Depending on how high above the floor the sides of the arch are, it may be possible to lower the entire opening and still maintain a normal garage door height. But again, you can't really tell from the photo.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Very strange they built that nice structure without any provision for closing it in.

 

[pmiranda]

A folding or trackless door might work with that tight ceiling. Hate to see that nice arch lost. If you do close in the back wall, I'd put in at least one window back there to let the breeze and view through.

 

[mpire]

This is garage journal. I seriously doubt this is a challenge beyond our members.

Why not a set of sliding barn doors as an option?

 

[barnee]

Check with zoning. Sometimes you can have a carport and not a detached "garage" and that may be why you have this situation. Do all of your neighbors have carports or are there garages as well?

Awfully strange to build something like that on purpose.

 

[sti491]

Well, we didn't buy the house. Beautiful lot but the house just didn't work for us. That is the nicest carport I ever saw. It did have like a 6" or so curb/footer all the way across the back floor arch opening, so it was never intended to be used going the direction for anything. It was raining, and dry inside, so the slope was correct. The walls were 2x4 construction guesstimating apparent thickness. I doubt they were insulated. The upstairs "room" had an attic type pull down access. Typical MLS somewhat misleading description of "room" above carport. It was floored, but I wonder what the weight rating was.... my guess is not much. It was a nice architectural element to the property. Just not what we were looking for. I do appreciate all the comments and advice. It may come in very handy if we run into another carport property.