Lifting a Garage from the foundation
- Thread starter sledmods
- Start date
NWOhioChevyGuy
Well-known member
Sledmods, don't know where to direct you for information but my father did something similar many years ago. He moved a 2 car garage from the neighbors to our property and set it down on the pad he had prepaired.
If I remember correctly it goes something like this.
A) Brace
B) Support (Brace)
C) Detach existing walls from pad
D) Place Cribbing
E) Jack evenly to new height
F) Build block wall under
G) lower onto new wall and fasten
I helped do something similar when working for a contractor as a summer job, however we did a VERY large old barn. Picked it up cut off bottom 3', framed and poured concrete walls, then lowered and fastened the barn back down.
With the proper, Bracing, cribbing and screw jacks a 2 car garage should be very simple if your not moving it.
If I remember correctly it goes something like this.
A) Brace
B) Support (Brace)
C) Detach existing walls from pad
D) Place Cribbing
E) Jack evenly to new height
F) Build block wall under
G) lower onto new wall and fasten
I helped do something similar when working for a contractor as a summer job, however we did a VERY large old barn. Picked it up cut off bottom 3', framed and poured concrete walls, then lowered and fastened the barn back down.
With the proper, Bracing, cribbing and screw jacks a 2 car garage should be very simple if your not moving it.
We have talked about this before.
Do a good search.
Basically you triangulate every corner first.
Sill plate to sill plate.
Top plate to top plate
“X” brace the door openings.
You don’t want the building to go out of square on you while it is up in the air.
Nail a 2x6 about 1 foot above the sill plate with 3 16d at every stud.
Get some 6 inch pieces of bed frame angle iron. One for every jack.
Get your new block stationed inside the building.
Using at least 2 high-lift jacks per wall, place the angle iron between the jack and the 2x6 so you do not crush the wood.
Un-bolt or cut all the hold down bolts.
Make sure any and all from the ground up utilities are cut.
(Electricty, gas, telephone, whatever.)
Get as many guys as possible, but I would say 5 is the min.
One guy for the jacks on each wall, and one to slip some new block under the wall for temporary support as it goes up. This is a “just in case” thing.
Pick a calm day.
If your sill plate is not at slab level, you will want to lift the jacks up so their base is equal to the base of the wall.
You can use block with a 2x6 on top to do this.
DO NOT tip the block on their side so you can skip the piece of 2x6.
Block is only strong when the holes are vertical.
If you can have the block mason there while you are lifting, he can start on the block work as you go up.
If he isn’t there lift it at least 4 inches above the top row of block and set it down on temporary stacks of block and 2x6 so he has room to work the new block in.
Make sure he can do the corners. They are the critical points.
Then when you set it down on the new wall he will have to come back and fill in the holes where the temporary supports where.
Like anything big, it is all in the preparation.
Get everything in place, check it out twice, and then call in some one to double check you.
The actual lifting is anti-climatic.
You can do a 3 block high lift in an hour.
Do a good search.
Basically you triangulate every corner first.
Sill plate to sill plate.
Top plate to top plate
“X” brace the door openings.
You don’t want the building to go out of square on you while it is up in the air.
Nail a 2x6 about 1 foot above the sill plate with 3 16d at every stud.
Get some 6 inch pieces of bed frame angle iron. One for every jack.
Get your new block stationed inside the building.
Using at least 2 high-lift jacks per wall, place the angle iron between the jack and the 2x6 so you do not crush the wood.
Un-bolt or cut all the hold down bolts.
Make sure any and all from the ground up utilities are cut.
(Electricty, gas, telephone, whatever.)
Get as many guys as possible, but I would say 5 is the min.
One guy for the jacks on each wall, and one to slip some new block under the wall for temporary support as it goes up. This is a “just in case” thing.
Pick a calm day.
If your sill plate is not at slab level, you will want to lift the jacks up so their base is equal to the base of the wall.
You can use block with a 2x6 on top to do this.
DO NOT tip the block on their side so you can skip the piece of 2x6.
Block is only strong when the holes are vertical.
If you can have the block mason there while you are lifting, he can start on the block work as you go up.
If he isn’t there lift it at least 4 inches above the top row of block and set it down on temporary stacks of block and 2x6 so he has room to work the new block in.
Make sure he can do the corners. They are the critical points.
Then when you set it down on the new wall he will have to come back and fill in the holes where the temporary supports where.
Like anything big, it is all in the preparation.
Get everything in place, check it out twice, and then call in some one to double check you.
The actual lifting is anti-climatic.
You can do a 3 block high lift in an hour.
chadincolo
Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2007
- Messages
- 16
Is this Chris? 
Your handle, sled and truck look familiar.
You can do it yourself. A typical garage isn't too much weight, not terribly tough to do. I would estimate it will cost 3-4000 to hire it done. I can give you a name of the guys who lifted, poured a foundation, and moved my Mom's 75+ year old 35x50 barn that are topnotch if you want to hire it out.
Your handle, sled and truck look familiar.You can do it yourself. A typical garage isn't too much weight, not terribly tough to do. I would estimate it will cost 3-4000 to hire it done. I can give you a name of the guys who lifted, poured a foundation, and moved my Mom's 75+ year old 35x50 barn that are topnotch if you want to hire it out.
ha.. hey
Somebody on SW sent me to this site and now the obsession is almost as bad as SW.
I'll probably do it myself but would like to talk to some experts also. Doesn't seem that complicated and it would be nice to have a place to park the truck
Somebody on SW sent me to this site and now the obsession is almost as bad as SW.
I'll probably do it myself but would like to talk to some experts also. Doesn't seem that complicated and it would be nice to have a place to park the truck
hidollartoys
Well-known member
It is easy to do. Just take your time. Be sure that you really really really really brace it like KBS said but i would attach the braces and lifting pionts with framing/deck screws.... easier to remove and with little damage.
I have to advise against the deck screws idea.
They will be easier to get out, but they are too brittle in shear.
(You know how easy it is to just break one off flush with the surface.)
Nails are tougher, and will bend, but still hold, before they break.
If you want professionals, look under "house movers" in the yellow pages.
They will be easier to get out, but they are too brittle in shear.
(You know how easy it is to just break one off flush with the surface.)
Nails are tougher, and will bend, but still hold, before they break.
If you want professionals, look under "house movers" in the yellow pages.
Mr_fixit
Well-known member
Lifting a roof would probably be a lot simpler, since you'd be dealing with a lot less weight.
Or how about dissassembling the roof completely, adding a short wallsection on top, new sheeting, and then re doing the roof?.
If you raise the building, the entrance door & big door(s)doors would be too high, and the windows(if anY).
I suggest you look at both options, keeping in mind the siding, soffit, the electric, lights, the doors and windows, to see for yourself, which would be less work and/or less money....
It probably depends on your particular building , on which would make more sense.
Or how about dissassembling the roof completely, adding a short wallsection on top, new sheeting, and then re doing the roof?.
If you raise the building, the entrance door & big door(s)doors would be too high, and the windows(if anY).
I suggest you look at both options, keeping in mind the siding, soffit, the electric, lights, the doors and windows, to see for yourself, which would be less work and/or less money....
It probably depends on your particular building , on which would make more sense.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Is the garage finished out on the inside or not finished? What is the size of the garage? Do you already have a stem wall or is it on a slab? What is the outside of the garage sided with? Standard 4/12 pitch roof or taller pitch? Second floor in garage or not? How much do you want to raise the garage?
The taller the roof pitch the more weight. If it is finished off inside, you will have more weight PLUS you can't see how the structure is put together. Rafters and ceiling joist can weigh more than trusses. If it is on a slab, you may not have the proper footing to put a block wall. Two skidloaders can lift quite a bit of weight depending on the design of the structure. And depending on the design it MAY BE more cost effective to add to the top and not the bottom. If the garage has trusses it may be easier to remove the shingles, sheathing, and trusses and add up, then reassemble. Quite a few years ago, I had a basement put under a house that only had a stone foundation crawlspace. The guy that dug it out had post jacks (like a heavy duty telepost for basements with a screwjack on top) He used 2x12' stacked for footings (in dirt) and 4x4's across the floor joist. He could go around and turn each one a few times to raise what he needed to, to level the house up. But you would have to rent a few to do that. Skidloaders can raise quite a bit of weight (I had two that moved a 12'x16' shed across my property and it was not light) You would have to have supports at each corner, raise a little at a time, and support across the corners, then use jacks and boards in the middle for extra support. It may also be easier to remove the roof and trusses, cut the garage at the corners, then rebuild it once the foundation is built. Bottom line is....A garage can be raised but there are many variables. Construction being one, is it a DIY project or do you want to farm the work out for two, and thirdly...the amount that you want to spend.
If you want to do this for $5000.00 or less, then more than likely it is going to be a DIY project with a lot of calling around for equipment. If money is no limit, then there are many house movers that can use cribbing and hydraulics to raise it to the height you want. But that will not come cheap. I would imagine $10,000.00+.
Do you have any pics as to what the garage looks like now? It would make it a little easier to brainstorm some ideas.
chadincolo
Member
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2007
- Messages
- 16
How big is the garage? Shouldn't be too bad to do it yourself, just make sure it's braced and have plenty of cribbing around.
I usually poke my head in here once a day or so...SW it's a bit more often...and your site once in a while.
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
You didn't mention where you live so it's hard to make recommendations, but look in the Yellow Pages for 'Garage Movers."
Or at least for house movers.When I built my garage, there was an old single car garage that had to be removed. I called a company that specialized in moving garages and they came and hauled it away for me, which was a lot easier and cheaper than tearing it down. They bolted some 2x12s to side walls, then put in some beams crossways underneath the 2x12s, and used jacks under the beams to lift the garage. In my case, they just backed a flatbed truck into the garage under the beams, dropped the garage on the flatbed and then drove it away, but the same procedure would work to raise the walls.
Kevin54
MEMBER EMERITUS
Ahhh the things you find on the 'net http://www.oldhousechronicle.net/archives/vol02/issue09/projects/garage1.html
In my experience, the big thing has been the amount of existing “improvements” to the existing building.
I like lifting the whole building because all the work is done a ground level.
And that does a lot for fixing unforeseen circumstances.
Instead of running around trying to fix things 10 feet in the air.
But if you have a lot of underground utilities coming in then the high work may make sense.
One thing I do like about raising the roof is the opportunity to put in a row of windows for a skylight type effect without the problems of holes in the roof.
Even one foot of on the wall windows at the top of the wall will do wonders for inside lighting without any worry about security.
I like lifting the whole building because all the work is done a ground level.
And that does a lot for fixing unforeseen circumstances.
Instead of running around trying to fix things 10 feet in the air.
But if you have a lot of underground utilities coming in then the high work may make sense.
One thing I do like about raising the roof is the opportunity to put in a row of windows for a skylight type effect without the problems of holes in the roof.
Even one foot of on the wall windows at the top of the wall will do wonders for inside lighting without any worry about security.