Detached garage

[hwydave]

Greetings,

This is a wonderful site and I have been learning a lot from the posts, especially from the posters’ experience on flooring.

I just moved to Midwest from California (job related) and I am curious why many garages are separated from the house itself. Isn’t it a drag to park the car away from the house and walk in the snow back to the house (especially when you have loads of grocery)? For the folks doing heavy duty welding or so, I can understand the reasoning building garage away from the house (noise, fire hazard, etc.). But how about the other reasoning?

 

[BowtieNut]

For me it was mostly the cost due to the footings. Our frost line goes down pretty far, and the footings have to be 4ft below grade. And anything that is attached to the house has to have the 4ft footings as well. If it's detached, it can just be a slab on grade = MUCH less concrete. I'm guessing IL would be about the same as around here.

On a related note, that's why we all have basements too. They're already digging down pretty far anyways, so might as well make it useable. When I was growing up I though everyone had a basement, until I went down south.

 

[Stuart in MN]

The slab on grade construction is probably the most common reason. I live in an older neighborhood where most houses were built before automobiles even existed, so virtually all garages here are detached (in fact, there are still a few carriage houses and horse barns around here that were converted to garages over time.)

There is one advantage to having a detached garage in snow country...mine is only ten feet off the alley, so I have a lot less driveway to shovel.

 

[DaveL.]

I had no choice at my old house. The only place it could go was out back. When I had the new house built I definitely wanted it attached the house for some of the reasons you brought up. I actually had a house designed to accomodate my large garage.

Dave

 

[carb454]

IMO you should have both... One attached for daily drivers to park in and a more shop related working garage where-ever the space and funds permit...

 

[RARE-ASC]

IMO you should have both... One attached for daily drivers to park in and a more shop related working garage where-ever the space and funds permit...

hey i resemble that remark

 

[RonBou]

My detached garage is 80 feet from the front door of the house. I have to shovel and or snow blow to the house anyway so it's not a big deal. Actually both my garages are detached and I have a shed also. I guess I am a country boy at heart, living in the city. I like the idea of outbuildings all over my little 3/4 acre lot. It gives me plenty of hiding places.

 

[bmwpower]

And if, God forbid, a fire starts from some flammables in the detached garage, you won't lose your house too.

 

[carb454]

My detached garage is 80 feet from the front door of the house. I have to shovel and or snow blow to the house anyway so it's not a big deal. Actually both my garages are detached and I have a shed also. I guess I am a country boy at heart, living in the city. I like the idea of outbuildings all over my little 3/4 acre lot. It gives me plenty of hiding places.

Boy I can relate to that , My wife would love for me to come start "The inside projects" But I just like doing the Outside projects better!!

This is more for storing tractors and mowing equipment for the property, But the upstairs is more of a shop for restoring old furniture or other projects and the loft is for storage of all types (stuff you wouldn't want taking up space in your garage)
That is why I have a separate Garage/barn from the house...

 

[MMiller]

Its easier to get past code, as far as fumes, fires, etc, when building the garage away from the house. I also wonder if it has anything to do with more room to build here, cheaper land prices?

Another plus is, the wife does not come out to see me much since the garage is not attatched to the house. I have a hard enough time keeping the 440 quiet enough after dark for the kids to sleep, I can't imagine doing anything in the garage if it was attatched to the house.

Michael

 

[RonBou]

Another plus is, the wife does not come out to see me much since the garage is not attatched to the house. I have a hard enough time keeping the 440 quiet enough after dark for the kids to sleep, I can't imagine doing anything in the garage if it was attatched to the house.

Amen to that..... Not much worse than not doing a project because you don't want to wake someone....

 

[DaveL.]

I have a hard enough time keeping the 440 quiet enough after dark for the kids to sleep, I can't imagine doing anything in the garage if it was attatched to the house.

Michael[/QUOTE]

My wife loves when I fire up the vette and all the dishes and nick nacks in the kitchen start rattling away!

Dave

 

[Der Bugmeister]

In my case, I built a detached garage for most of the reasons mentioned:

- Noise isolation
- Fumes away from living spaces
- Mitigation of potential fire damage

One other reason is that there really wasn't any place I could attach the garage to the house without it looking real bad.

 

[car guy]

Hey guys. I'm new here. I just wanted to add to this one. I also built my garage away from the house. It is 10.5' away. Just enough to drive through if I wanted. I also did it that way in case of fire or trouble. It give enough time to control the problem before it hits the house. Also my compressor is pretty loud, so it quiets it a little so the kids don't hear it. There is a fire dept at the end of my street, so the time shouldn't be too bad to respond to fire.

 

[car guy]

Another note- in regard to MMiller- I actually installed a wireless doorbell in the garage. I put the button in the house inside the basement door, so when thwe wife wants me, or the kids, I tell them to press the button, and I will come in. She got tired of yelling out the window at me, and me not hearing her over the compressor or the tunes. Maybe it was just my selective hearing that she says I have. Hmmm

 

[Der Bugmeister]

My wife got me a pair of FRS radios for Christmas...so now she just calls me on that when she doesn't feel like yelling out the back door. Working good so far...

"Sorry hon, didn't hear the radio with the compressor going..."

 

[car guy]

See- so you already have that one figured out. Good. Eventually they just won't bother us when we are working in the garage. They will learn. HA!!

 

[Der Bugmeister]

As long as they don't bother us when we're just playing in the garage as well!

 

[RonBou]

I tell them to press the button, and I will come in.

My wife wanted me to install an intercom but I chose to wear my cell phone when in the garage and the wife can call me when I am needed. Works for me.