New Garage...looking for thoughts

[Vt_k9]

I have been checking out the site for a few years now and it is go time. I have been digging/hammering since May. Only to find out last week the location I would have liked to put the garage is not going to work out. Too much heavy ledge and blasting is not an option for me. The cost for a heavy excavator with a hammer is more than I want to spend.

New plan...build the garage just off the deck and use the deck as "breezeway" to the house. Orinigally we were going to build an attached garage. Then things changed and I put of a decent deck and really enjoy it (although smaller it serves a few purposes). The idea came to place the garage inches from the deck so we could enter the garage floor from the deck (near even surface elavation).

I keep trying to slim the garage down for costs (I know turn my man card in), but I have to keep them in check. I am stuck at a 32' x 48' foot print. The garage space probably could be 28' in depth, but I really need to have the 16' x 16' work shop sizes on the end. By the time you deal with corners the costs are not worth a varying size. So 32 x 48 it is. I personally would like bigger, but my wife is concerned that it is bigger than our house (24 x 40) and will be awkward.

The garage rood will be sloped with solar in mind (35 degrees) and face nearly due south (maybe 5-10 degrees off). It will be heated with radiant heat and a modine for the super cold days when I want to work out there on the vehicles. I have an outdoor wood boiler and will have a back up unit in the garage. I will have water and septic run to the garage (to wash my greasy hands before going inside).

I plan to have 14' walls to accomodate a vehicle lift. I had thought about shorter walls and scissor trusses, but I could use some storage space so I am going to use attic trusses. I am looking at a 12k 2 post lift by Atlas or Bendpak to model the deminsions after. I plan to place footings below the area of the lifts and still make the concrete 6-8" thick in that area. Otherwise the concrete will be about 5-6". I am looking at putting my air compressor in the attic truss area to minimize noise and give space for other tools. I am going to run a drain line down to the main floor so I can drain it easier. Has anybody put their compressor in attic trusses or is this a bad idea?

I am putting this up now as I am hopeful I can still get the concrete work done this year (I busted my tail trying to working my way through the ledge, but now I am realizing it is too much for my excavator and hammer and other options put the cost up there). What is everyone's opinion about pouring concrete at this time of year (eastern central Vermont). I am willing to build shelter and provide heat for the curing. I am hopeful the concrete work will be done in two weeks maybe three max.

I have attached a jpeg of my plan and thoughts. If you have ideas or concerns let me know.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[matt_i]

Whats up with the heavy ledge, I'm guessing its solid rock more or less under the topsoil.

Can you rent a tow-behind air compressor and a jackhammer?

I think there are provisions for footings which can't be built to full depth if they are built on solid rock.

What sort of cost is associated with the excavator service?

I ask all of these questions as it seems like you have just made a long list of compromises above, and that's not the best formula in my opinion.

 

[cdestuck]

Not too sure I'd do the compressor in the attic. While your pouring concrete and if you'd have a small area at the rear or far side outside of the garage, I'd put it outside. Easy to put some sort of small roof and enclosure around it.

 

[Vt_k9]

When I say heavy ledge it is solid, but you can see changes in grain on a larger scale. I have a hydraulic hammer for my excavator, Kubota KX057. I have a friend who owns an excavation company and I asked him to take a look at the ledge. He said the excavator would need to be much larger and the cost of the machine rental would be about $2500 a day. He esimated it would take a little more than one day to finish the hammering.

I had one rock which was very large and I spent quite a few hours with the hammer. I rented a drill and due to my shoulder having some issues I was limited on the number of holes I could drill. I was looking to use Dexpan. Instead I began hammering on the holes and it worked out.

In the end the compromise was trying to put the garage where we did. We are now back to being next to the house, where we initially wanted it.

As far as the air compressor goes...I don't think it will last very long if it has to function in cold weather. I was hoping to use floor space for other tools.

I was able to hammer most of my way through the ledge today. I just have to hammer down to try to get a good footing in place.

Here's a picture of the initial area I tried to put the garage. It is not back to the ledge, but you can see the boulders I had to go through to get to the ledge. I'll post more later.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Vt_k9]

Footing forms are in today. Had to make a few changes due to hard ledge. Here's an image of the current status.

 

[Vt_k9]

It's been awhile since I have had the luxury of surfing the site here and posting an update. The floor is being poured in the morning. It is going to be 6" thick. I have attached a picture of the current status. The visible depressions are for a little extra concrete for the futrue vehicle lift and anchor pots to be installed during the pour.

 

[RickP]

Nice work getting that poured before winter. Those boulders look brutal - I can't believe you were able to get all the earthwork finished with a small excavator - nice job!

 

[Vt_k9]

Thanks Rick. It was quite a long process getting as much work done with the excavator. I have a KX057 and it worked quite well for the work I was asking it to accomplish. I did have a local excavation company help out with a CAT 320, which was challenged with a few rock and limited by the ledge. The 320 was used to cut in the footings and place the stone for the footings.

The floor was poured on Friday and here is an image after being finished.

Mike

 

[matt_i]

Good job getting the concrete in place before winter. Not sure if you are going to continue or shelve it until spring but at least you have that option.

 

[RickP]

Nice looking slab. Now there's nothing stopping you from making great progress on the framing. I hope you can get most of the structure done before the snow flies!