Converting Garage into Living Space

[HPRifleman]

Have any of you converted an existing garage into living space? I'm mostly curious how you handled the floor. Did code in your area specify that you had to build up the floor above grade? If so, how was that accomplished?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Never have but my FIL talked about it at one time. I suggested setting the floor joists on top of the bottom plate and add some blocking between the joists.


Their floor was sloped and not flat.

 

[steve308]

Sacrilege!

 

[twistedstang]

My daughter turned her garage into a guest bedroom. Nice epoxy floors with a huge rug over it and the garage door was replaced with a doorwall.

 

[nadogail]

Not allowed in some jurisdictions, check with your local authorities.

 

[CombatNinja]

Sorry, this is the Garage Journal. You might want to try Better Homes and Gardens forums. Just kidding. The best start point is generally your local code office. They are not experts on anything per se but they always have the gist of what general requirements are in terms of setbacks, maximum square footage, how to finish a basement, and how to convert a garage into a room. Basically, they know all the basics of the common home improvement/addition/modification questions for your area. 50 guys from all over the web giving you their $0.02 is not going to get you any closer to an answer to your questions. Good luck with your endeavor!

 

[HPRifleman]

I understand that the codes in my area may not match those of other jurisdictions. This is allowed in my area and the building codes will be checked and followed.

That being said, I was just trying to see if anyone else has done this and how they handled the floor. Just trying to gain some insight into construction methods.

And before anyone panics, there will be a separate garage that is built as part of this project.

 

[laser3kw]

here at Garage Journal, it's the other way around - turning living space into garage space!

 

[kaymccampbell]

Depending on code, I've set moisture barrier, sleepers and plywood, or glued down those OSB tiles with moisture barrier and standoff on the back. Code has never allowed using the slab on grade directly.

 

[warweapon762]

To be fair, I have never seen a conversion that didn't look terribly half-assed. They also can be a negative on the inspection/appraisal when you go to sell.

Sent from my moto g stylus using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[p00p]

here at Garage Journal, it's the other way around - turning living space into garage space!

If I could, I would. I'll never understand why there's a ratio/percentage requirement of house to garage & the house being larger of the two?

 

[driftpin]

A big one in southeast Florida is the # of parking spaces. A SFR (single family residence) by codes here usually has to have two parking spaces. The zoning code says what that size has to-be, there are variations. Common ones are 10' X 20', 9' X 19', 9' X 18' and there may be others. When homes were built in the 1950's and '60's, it was common in higher-density (smaller lots) zoning districts to have a single-car garage, and a single-car driveway. Parking on the swale or on the street in the right-of-way does not count towards providing required parking.

Enclose your carport, or convert your garage to living space, and you just eliminated one of your required parking spaces. If you only had a single-car driveway, you are now in-violation of minimum number of parking spaces required. Front yard setbacks are often 25 ft., so a single-car width driveway only has parking for one car. To be allowed to convert your garage to living space, you would also have to supply a plot plan/site plan showing another driveway parking space, sized to meet code. There are limitations on the size of curb-cuts for driveways, where they enter the roadway right-of-way.

It's easy to spot illegal conversions of garages or carport enclosures to living space, they only have a single-car driveway, and no carport or garage. Also, some types of driveways previously-allowed, like concrete two-track driveways for a single auto, gravel driveways, even asphalt driveways (where zoning now requires concrete or paver driveways) cannot be duplicated to provide the missing parking space.

 

[laser3kw]

If I could, I would. I'll never understand why there's a ratio/percentage requirement of house to garage & the house being larger of the two?

just for perspective:
My house = 600 sq ft (not a typo)
my garage = 1200 sq ft.
I am happy with both.

 

[glentre]

To be fair, I have never seen a conversion that didn't look terribly half-assed. They also can be a negative on the inspection/appraisal when you go to sell.

Sent from my moto g stylus using The Garage Journal mobile app

I agree. Buyers, at least in my area, frown on obviously converted garages or car ports. If you are going to do it, the expense should be made to make it look like it was designed without a garage when the house was built.

Glen

 

[CombatNinja]

Yeah. My area is plagued by half-assed conversions that still have a driveway leading right up to the new bedroom and you can plainly see a garage door-sized portion of brick that doesn't quite match the rest of the house. A lot of them just put flooring down on the slab so that you still have to go up 2 or 3 stairs to get out of that bedroom. And then there is one random bedroom with 10' ceilings when the rest of the house is 8'. Horribly half-baked.