Opinions on new garage wall section

[GeorgiaHybrid]

OK guys,

I'm looking at starting my new garage soon (32x48 3 bay) and the builder has come back with a cheaper option to use a monolithic floor slab/footing with 14' stud walls built on top of that (similar to a slab house). I was leaning towards a footing/stem wall or a footing with block and a separate slab poured inside of that.

With a 2' stem wall and 12' studs on top, there would seem to be a built in advantage for washing out the garage without any problems of water seepage under the wall. The main disadvantage appears to be cost and finishing the stem wall on the inside.

With the monolithic slab, the costs would be lower, no interior seam between the slab and stem wall to worry about and possibly easier to drill into if I want to add another inside wash bay later for those winter days (I'm not a spring chicken anymore)

Any thoughts out there?

EDIT:

Has anyone ever used a monolitic slab and then added 3 runs of block on top as a hybrid wall section? I'm wondering if that would be the best of both worlds...

 

[Strouty]

I have the cheaper style wall directly on the floor, I wish I had it with a 2' concrete wall. I get water that comes under the wall when the rain and wind are just right. I worry about knocking the wall down with my forklift. In my Dad's shop, we used the ledges to help brace shelving, it can give you a serious mounting structure for the vertical supports. It is nice to make benches and attach them to it as well. You don't have to worry about getting the drywall wet, same for the insulation. I had to cut my drywall short of the floor and make a kicker so it looks good, (except I still haven't made the kicker so it looks like ****!). The biggest downside I can see besides cost would be if you ever want to change a door location, you would have to cut the concrete. If you are concerned about floor finish, you could have the contractor pour the floor first, with rebar and a 2x4 keyway along the perimeter where the exterior walls will be, then once the floor is done to your liking you can add the 2 foot walls.

 

[ConCretin]

Slab is fine if soils are good and new garage is not connected to another structure that is on frost walls of foundation (differential movement)

I built a 32x28 on a 5" slab with a 7" haunch around perimeter. I used #4 bars @ 12" OC EW in the slab w 2, #5 bars in the bottom of the haunch. Maybe overkill but solid as hell and no cracking.

You definitely want the stem wall if for no other reason than to keep your framing and siding above the exterior grade.

I ran 2' wide modular form panels around the perimeter. I placed the floor against the bottom 12" then came back and ran a 12" form around the interior for the stem wall.