Code Issues Putting Garage in Walk-Out Basement?

[HPSF99]

Hello all - new to the thread here. I've done some searching but cannot find my issue anywhere so please bear with me if this is a repeat.

We recently purchased a home with a 3 car garage, but with a project muscle car, power equipment, toys (four wheelers, snow mobiles), machinery etc space is a big problem. We want to put the project car in the basement and create an area of the walk-out for long term car storage and a workshop for the car. From what I know there are issues with home insurance because the vehicle is a fire hazard and if we had a fire the insurance would be void if the vehicle was in the basement. Has anyone done something like this before and what are the building regs or insurance regs that need to be followed? We would blow out the door wall and put in a single garage door on the back of the house. We would wall off the area and really create a separate space in the basement for this purpose. Can anyone point us in the right direction?

Thanks!

H

 

[Joe in PA]

Codes and insurance are going to be different depending on where you live and what home owner coverage you have. I'd suggest giving your local gov't and insurance agent a call and asking them for answers. What folks here may say really doesn't matter too much unless they can speak to your specific situation.

 

[HPSF99]

Good point. I assumed it would vary by location etc and will make a few calls this week. I'd love to see photos from other's who have done similar projects and get any pointers or lessons learned the hard way wrt the differences of putting such a garage in a walk-out basement VS in a standard garage space.

Thanks,

H

 

[mmhouse]

Check you local building codes. There are a lot of 2-story homes with garages on the lower story with common walls/ceiling with the living areas. Many of these are built on hillsides with the bottom story only partially exposed. It will come down to the proper isolation of the area with fire walls/ceiling and proper placement of fuel burning appliances (if there are any). You will, of course, need the proper permits before doing the work. I don't think it's likely to be a big deal just a matter of covering your bases. If you are good with the building officials you should be good with your insurance carrier.

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert on anything so don't trust anything I say...do your own research.

 

[Mike in Ohio]

When I built 8 years ago I put a single garage door in intead of a man door coming out of my basement. I don't store anything motorized down there because my wife is extremely sensitive to gas fumes. The code was the same for the attached garage, drywall on the ceiling and the walls that weren't cement block. I had no problems with either the inspectors or the insurance co. Check with yours before you do anything though.
Mike

 

[irishtom]

Where you are located will depend on which code you will need to follow, national, state or local. I'd talk with your building inspector first, then tell the insurance co. what you're doing and get their sign-off. I've found that the insurance guys don't always know what the code requires.

When you get your permit, document everything. Take before photos and photos of each step. Fire caulk any openings (pipes, electrical runs, etc.) between the floors, especially holes drilled thru the sill plates. Use fire-rated insulation, like Roxul, and fire-rated drywall. Depending on the rating (1-hr or 2-hr) that the code requires, you may need to install multiple layers with specific screw size and pattern requirements. A U.S. Gypsum manual will spell all that out for you and the building inspector will probably have a copy.

Good luck, let us know what you find out.

 

[beltfeed]

I have a four car attached garage with a stairwell in the garage that goes to the basement. I had this home built from new. The home owner insurance didn't car one bit about a basement entrance. You will need to have a self closing door on any exterior home door going into the garage. To meet code the stairwell ends up about 4" ABOVE the garage floor. Then there is about a 3' square riser pad which you step onto then DOWN to the garage floor. That creates a spill dam so fluids can not roll down the stairs.

 

[May Pop]

Also so the possible fumes dont become egnited by the furnace or cold water heater.
Ron

 

[tdkkart]

This is one of those places that I'll never understand. There's hundreds of stupid-*** things that ARE against code, supposedly for fire, safety and health issues, yet we have no problems parking our cars, trucks, lawnmowers, boats etc inside the same building as our living space.
Better yet, we put the garage, the space most likely to have a fire, under the bedrooms, the space where you are most likely to not be paying attention(because you're dead asleep). WTF kind of sense does this make?? Why is this kosher with the codes people and insurance underwriters??
Maybe because 1/2 of them are idiots??

I like my attached garage for the convenience of it, but I hate it when we open the inside service door all the smells come in. My shop isn't even in the garage, I can't even imagine dealing with that.

 

[Ron Lombardo]

Can anyone point us in the right direction? - Yes you need a copy of the Bldg Code in your area. From my experience where I have a warehouse below 3 residential apratments .. I needed to sheetrock 3 layers on the cielings and walls, install a fire sprinkler / alarm system and all the doors were 3 hour fire rated and needed automatic closers.

Ron

 

[beltfeed]

Can anyone point us in the right direction? - Yes you need a copy of the Bldg Code in your area. From my experience where I have a warehouse below 3 residential apratments .. I needed to sheetrock 3 layers on the cielings and walls, install a fire sprinkler / alarm system and all the doors were 3 hour fire rated and needed automatic closers.

Ron

He is in a residential property NOT commercial. Apples to oranges. But getting a copy of your local building code would be the place to start.

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

I'm putting my m/c shop in the basement of my house. I wanted to install a garage door to make riding in and out easier. A set of french doors would work fine for motorcycles, but I want a regular door. I contacted our local building authority and inquired about getting a permit to remove a window and install a walk-through door and remeove a walk-through door to install a 8X7 garage door. I was told that I didn't need to get a permit. I asked "why not" and was told because the house already had an attached garage the basement area was considered storage. I don't really make any sense to me, but I'm not going to argue with them...

 

[irishtom]

He is in a residential property NOT commercial. Apples to oranges.

I was going to say the same thing. There's a big difference between separating Hazard- or Storage- use from apartments in a commercial building than separating a garage from living space in a home.

 

[Mike in Ohio]

I'm putting my m/c shop in the basement of my house. I wanted to install a garage door to make riding in and out easier. A set of french doors would work fine for motorcycles, but I want a regular door. I contacted our local building authority and inquired about getting a permit to remove a window and install a walk-through door and remeove a walk-through door to install a 8X7 garage door. I was told that I didn't need to get a permit. I asked "why not" and was told because the house already had an attached garage the basement area was considered storage. I don't really make any sense to me, but I'm not going to argue with them...

It is the same around here, you need a permit for anything new. No permits needed for remodeleing existing structures. I built the shell for my shop got it inspected, now I am remodeling it to what I want. Your area might have different rules. It pays to know before you start spending money. On the other hand if the neighbors can't see that part of your house and it can't be seen from the road I might just do what I wanted and not worry about it too much. Good luck, Mike

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

When I was a kid, a dentist built a house behind us, it was a ranch, but partially exposed on the side. He had what was the equivalent of a 6 car garage in the basement. Roll up door, second driveway. He restored, raced and collected Jaguars, the XKEs. The house also had a 3 car attached garage in front. It was slick, he built it, with the basement shop in the plans.

Funny thing, he had dozens of expensive cars, he was also into 1930s Nash's, anyhow, he drove a 1971 Olds Custom Cruiser Wagon. You'd never know he had money if you met him, or that he was educated and had his own practice. He came across more like he was homeless, or minutes from being there. Just what I remember as a kid. He was a great neighbor, I could borrow any tool from him I needed. My old man didn't have tool number one, so I liked going over and watching him work.

 

[HPSF99]

If we could have a pole barn we would! but was forced to live in a subdivision and can't have any dettached structures. Lost out on the houses with the 4 car garages. So now trying to figure out the next best thing. So I can be happy with where we live.

 

[blkhonda1991]

im almost positive there is no code against this as others have said its done all over the country having living space over a garage. the only thing you need to be aware of is fire ratings between the living spaces and garages, should be as simple as putting 5/8" type x drywall on the ceiling and walls of the garage area you create