Garage Design - Old house

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

OK, I'm looking for input. Next Monday I will be closing on a house that was built in 1845 and will be in the market to build a new attached garage.

I want to put something on it that will look like it belongs and not totally out of place. I would like to start with something like this:

http://www.behmdesign.com/garageplans/1476-3.html

it will be attached with a breezeway / laundry / mudroom. I will most likely put doors on it that look like the old carraige doors when down but function like the new ones.

Input on garage is welcome. I do have a 1 car detached for lawn equipment and bikes and stuff so this one will most likely be for 2- Daily drivers (Chevy Silverado & Chevy Astrovan) deep freeze & a work bench or two along the front. The upstairs will be unheated storage space for seasonal stuff.

Thanks
Keith

 

[ehjorten]

The only thing that bugs me about attached / semi-attached garages in this day in age is that they have somehow become a major portion of the front facade of a house, and they have become the main entrance to the house. Whatever you do I would make sure that it is not visible as you drive-up to the house (at least not the double-doors of the garage. I think it is a huge detractor from old homes and quite frankly, new homes. This all depends on if you have the space to make a more unique entrance. The garage of course doesn't need to be hidden. I also think that you should carefully match the garage to the house to make it look like it is original to the house (i.e. siding, roofing material, architectural details).

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

That is exactly what I plan to do. The Garage will be behind the house so not visible from the road or the drive unless you drive in and around the house. The "front" of the garage or the doors will face the back of the property where only the corn and beans will see it on a daily basis. Part of the house has lap siding on it so I plan to use the same style siding and also box in the eaves like the house including the trim and detail. I will then match the pitch of the roof and it will all be re-roofed with an architectural slate look alike asphalt shingle.

Once we close on the house I will post a picture of the existing one car that is there that will come down to make room for this project. It will have a simple 12' x 12' breezeway connecting the house to the garage that will enclose a wash room with washer & dryer. This enters the house in the kitchen so it will flow very nice from the garage / laundry area.

I have decided that I will probably utilize about 1/2 of the bonus room above for my home office, the remainder will be for storage.

Now all I need is my father-in-law to give me a deal on building it for me.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

OK, I think I have a design picked out, the siding will be matched to some on the house and the soffits will be also built to match the trimwork on the house.

I would like some input on the size and layout, this will be for daily drivers and my office / storage above. Down the road I plan to build a pole building south of the house for my "Shop" and storage.

Picture of House:
http://www.mypicshare.com/z3sf5km8pic.html

If you look to the left of the picture you will see what is currently attached to the house, the garage will replace that structure which is behind the house. The road is to the right in this picture, you are standing in the driveway that circles around the pool and detached garage to the entry to the proposed garage.

Garage Design:
http://www.mypicshare.com/8wzdzfl0pic.html

Attachement to House w/ MudRoom / Laundry:
http://www.mypicshare.com/p3q80r5dpic.html

Floor will be a 4" floating / floor w/ 24" deep "rat walls" around the parimeter, ceiling height will be increased to 10' and doors will be 10' wide.

Thanks in Advance for your input.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Can you attach a garage with a floating slab to a house that has a conventional foundation? I'd think it would be a problem, since the garage is going to move up and down as the ground freezes and thaws.

Strictly speaking, an attached garage usually doesn't work well design-wise with a house that old, but the way you're connecting the two with a mudroom is a good idea - I think it'll look more like something they would have done back then to connect the house to an outbuilding.

 

[JMURiz]

Great looking old farm house! Just be sure the wiring in the old place is up to snuff...there was a post on here about an extensive wiring job needed to rid the house of fire hazards.

I think the design will work with the house, just be sure the match up the siding plank sizes.

 

[ZRX61]

The only thing that bugs me about attached / semi-attached garages in this day in age is that they have somehow become a major portion of the front facade of a house.

That's the main thing that boils my piss about newer homes.

 

[autoist]

Into what room of the house will that hallway open? If its the kitchen, you could widen the hall a bit & have a neat pantry!

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

To address a couple of the things commented on.

Yes the mud room connection is very similar to what is currently on the house and the existing one car garage that is falling apart. However it is smaller and is purely an entry, 4 doors - Side Yard - Back Yard - Garage - House. The garage / breeze way is currently what looks to be a brick footing/structure.

The house does have a new 200 amp service into it, I will be running a home run from there to the garage so no worries about pulling off existing wiring to the new garage project.

As mentioned above this is on the back side of the house and unless you drive in and around the pool you will not even notice it is there. The structure to the left in the picture is a one car garage and it almost gets lost in the layout, so I'm sure a properly designed two car will blend in nicely.

The entry is into the kitchen, however I have a large hallway that goes to the basement entry just to the south of this that has floor to ceiling cabinets already in it for a pantry. If that was not already present your idea would definitly be worth the extra couple feet, however not needed for this house.

If you were not going to do a "floating" floor would you pour walls for the garage and breeze way, then add the concrete garage floor inside? This would be an easier way to get my 10' ceilings with this design. I'm looking for suggestions as I have never done an attached garage, only freestanding ones, and have always used a "floating" floor.

 

[JMURiz]

You can have a stem-wall come out of the ground 2 feet, then put 8' studs on top of them to get your 10'

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

That sounds like a good Idea, I will have to raise the breezeway upto the existing floor level of the house anyways so this way I can do the same around the garage just maybe lower or keep it the same and have a 12' ceiling.

Who knows at the beginning of this post it was stated that we were to close on the property on the 9th of July here it is the 24th and we still have not closed, Darn lawyers screw things up everytime.

 

[NWOhioChevyGuy]

Well just to update you all on this.

We have been in the house since October and boy did I wish I had this garage now that the weather her in Michigan has turned ugly.

I have talked to the building inspector and I need to take my footers for an attached garage down below the frost line, 42" here. Also stopped into the local Carter's Lumber to have some material quoting done. I will more than likely go to a 8 x 12 pitch to more closely match the house roof. This will result in not a full cieling in the attic room but will give the same floor space.

I have also decided I will more than likely do a reverse backboard siding design similar to rbgarage http://rbgarage.googlepages.com/siding as seen in a post on here. I think this will complement the house well with the older siding style. The gable ends will be sided with hardie board like the back of the house so it will look like it was always there.

Now just have to sell the other house, move the existing garage & wait for the weather to break to do the footers and concrete work in the spring. Just a short list to get started....LOL