"Raised Rancher" Attached RV Garage/Workshop

[Kevin_b_c]

2 Years after my introduction post, I finally decided on the plans for my Garage.
Here is the attached carport & location of the new attached garage.

After almost 3 years of kicking around different ideas/designs for a Garage, I finally settled on a design that I think will work the best for it's intended usage.
My original plan was to go detached, but I'm on septic, and re-doing our prefectly fine septic system was going take a huge chunk of our budget.

The Plan:
Here's what I've decided on!
The plan is to build it to the setback limits of my city's bylaws. As far forward as I could build (23' to front lot line), as close to the fence/side lot line as I could build (5'). In the back, as close as possible to the septic line and tank (3').
Keeping within these restraints, I ended up with a 14' 2" wide by 40' long garage.
Seeing as it was going to be so narrow, and I didn't want to block the drive thru design of the garage, I decided to add a second floor for my workshop space.

Bottom Floor: (It's a pic of the plans, so ignore the wavy walls

Top Floor:

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Step 1: Remove the carport. November 2013

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Next to go was the large Fir tree that was behind the carport. I got it cut down in sections and made it into firewood. Even built a little firewood shed to start seasoning. I repurposed the roof from a shed i took down that was behind the carport. It's temporary...

The remaining stump was ground down and chunks of it had to be removed while we prepared the site for footings.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

September 2014, ready for footing & foundation forms.
Where the piles of dirt and road base are sitting is going to be the RV pad for behind the garage. There will be 10'w x 12'h garage doors on the front and back of the attached garage to allow me to back our trailer through and park it in our backyard in the winters.
There'll also be the option of parking it inside the attached garage if I need to do any work to it, or store it out of the weather.

Forms complete!

That grey electrical box in the back corner of our house is a 60amp service. I had it added while I was upgrading the electrical service to the house.
It should be sufficient for my needs.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Concrete for the footings and foundation wall has arrived!
September 2014

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Forms removed. I can finally see the footprint of the addition.
You can see the bump out for the new washroom, that wraps around the side of the back of the house.

Late September 2014

The stump you see in the ground is actually covering the septic tank hatch. I'll eventually put a riser with a manhole on the top to make pumping it out easier.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Late September 2014

Forms backfiled.

Time for some framing!
The interior height of the garage is 13' 6".
I went with 4, 60" x 30" windows down the side to let light in. The bottoms of them start at 8', so they'll be hard to look into from the outside.

Here you can see the upper 10' x 14' back deck taking shape.

 

[3bay]

Looking good so far, will be a tight squeeze getting your RV in looks like.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Looking good so far, will be a tight squeeze getting your RV in looks like.

Thanks. Yep, you're right about that!
The RV is 8'3" wide, and the garage door opening is a hair under 10' wide.

 

[3bay]

My middle door is 10'x14' and I get a 8' 9 1/2" RV in it, I have to remove the mirrors however, what I wouldn't give for a 12'x14' door, hind sight is for sure 20/20! LOL

 

[Bib Overalls]

Hopefully the septic pumper truck will be able to back through your garage when your tank needs to be refreshed. Looks like you have a difficult site to work with. I like your plan.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Early October 2014.
They finished the front second story wall, and the posts and beam on the back patio and got the Trusses up. I went with sissored trusses to give me extra height in the upper workshop.
Trailer is now parked in the backyard for the winter.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Hopefully the septic pumper truck will be able to back through your garage when your tank needs to be refreshed. Looks like you have a difficult site to work with. I like your plan.

The last guy I had pump out the tank had enough hose to reach all the way to the back when parked in my driveway, so that shouldn't be an issue. No way I'm letting them drive that heavy truck through the garage. Haha.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

We had to change the plans for the back patio. The old plans called for a multi-level deck.

We simplified the design by continuing our existing deck all the way across to the new addition..

 

[sean Buick 76]

Good job being creative with a tight area to work... This should turn out very functional for you....

 

[Kevin_b_c]

The new addition towers over the existing roof by approx 6'. With the scissored trusses, it gives me a maximum height inside my upper workshop of just over 11'.

Upstairs.

Here's a pano from the top of the roof.

 

[Onewolf]

Is the only entry to the upstairs workshop from the exterior stairs from the 2nd floor deck? You'll be getting a lot of exercise if you're working on something in the workshop and need something from the garage (or vice-versa).

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Is the only entry to the upstairs workshop from the exterior stairs from the 2nd floor deck? You'll be getting a lot of exercise if you're working on something in the workshop and need something from the garage (or vice-versa).

Yes, unfortunately, that was the main drawback of going with this design. I am going to have all my automotive tools downstairs, and woodworking stuff will be upstairs.

 

[Cummins01]

looking good so far! I too had the issue of a septic system limiting what I could and couldn't do for a shop so I went attached as well. I like the drive through feature that you have though.

 

[Onewolf]

Yes, unfortunately, that was the main drawback of going with this design. I am going to have all my automotive tools downstairs, and woodworking stuff will be upstairs.

Given the space limitations I think you've done a great job.

Edit: 2 words -- Fire Pole

It took me 10 years to come up with a design for the detached garage/workshop we are currently building that met all my requirements.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

I missed a few pictures of the upper side walls being built.

Plywood sheeting is now up.

Late October:

 

[ADSR]

Looks awesome!! Nice work!

 

[volleyball]

Looks good. With that septic, I'd make sure I kept it cleaned out. You won't be able to easily replace it. Is the deck now going to be over the tank?

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Looks awesome!! Nice work!

Thanks!

Looks good. With that septic, I'd make sure I kept it cleaned out. You won't be able to easily replace it. Is the deck now going to be over the tank?

Thanks, the new deck does stick over the corner of the existing tank as you can see in the drawing below. It's actually about a foot more than the drawing shows.

If it ever needs replacing, they usually put a new tank in a different location, then deactivate the old tank by breaking it up in place.
Going to keep pumping it every 3 years whether it needs it or not.

 

[iadubber]

If you can't go out, go UP! Looks good!

 

[Kevin_b_c]

If you can't go out, go UP! Looks good!

Yea, that was the thought. haha. Thanks.

Early December:
Stripping the old vinyl off the original deck and old railing removed.

Early December:
New Vinyl decking complete on both decks.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

Completed the rough-in drain plumbing for the new bathroom. It's tied into the septic line that goes from my house to the tank. In this photo, the house is on the left, and the tank is on the right. You can see the new foundation wall at the top of the photo. Sorry, it's taken on a wierd angle.

Early January 2015:

 

[Styx]

Thats a great build Kevin. good use of a narrow space...

 

[Kevin_b_c]

I'm installing the railing on the deck. I decided to go with facia mount railing, so that I didn't have to make holes in the new vinyl decking.
I'm about halfway done at the moment.

Windows also showed up last Friday, so they'll be going up ASAP also and I then I need to finish up the Tyvek.

 

[ADSR]

Looks great. We had good weather today, but we're going to get 3 days of wet coming up.

 

[sunsation288]

subscibed

 

[scheu]

Any updates on this build?

 

[JustinS]

Any updates on this build?

Yeah,I was wondering what happened to this one!

 

[Kevin_b_c]

It's been a long time since last update. I'll try to bring this up to current.

Here are photos of concrete floor, front and rear aprons were completed January 16th, 2015. Note the trench drains at the doorways.

Back Apron:

Front Apron:

Floor:

Bathroom Area:

 

[Kevin_b_c]

I finished up the railings & glass on the decks near the end on March 2015.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

I finished the rough-in electrical in May 2015.
I previously ran a 60A curcuit to the back corner of the house. It came out of the house on the wrong wall, so I relocated it to the proper wall (luckily I had left some extra cable in the wall) and connected it into a new subpanel.

For electrical the upstairs;
I ran 4 separate 20A 120V circuits for outlets. 2 circuits feeding 5 outlets inside running down each long wall and one outlet outside on either side of the french door.
A separate 15A 120V curcuit for lighting & fans upstairs and also one 20A 240V circuit for the baseboard heating.

For electrical downstairs in the garage;
I ran 2 separate 20A 120V circuits down the new garage wall feeding 6 outlets.
One dedicated 15A 120V circuit for the garage doors & lights that came with the openers.
One for the front outside lighting, plug and Christmas light plugs that I added to each soffit overhang at the front of the house.
One 15A 120V circuit for the back outside lights, plug & Bathroom light & Fan.
The 20A 240V circuit also feeds the bathroom heater.

Here's a picture of the side clearance of my trailer. It's tight, but it's been easy to pull through the garage. Just need to stay as straight as possible!

 

[Kevin_b_c]

I found an almost exact match to our existing house aluminum siding that was installed in 1978.

Now, finding a company to do the aluminum siding to match the siding on the house was a bit of a pain. It seems no one installs aluminum siding anymore!

Soffits were done with white aluminum also.

 

[Kevin_b_c]

I'll try to update my posts with more detail and photos as I find time.

 

[sbd4de3]

Looks really good Kevin! Good job!!

 

[C_F]

It makes your neighbor's garage look like a shoe box.

So, in the shot of the trailer in the doorway, I noticed long 2x4's along the left wall that appeared to be bracing the upper floor. Are they, or are they merely leaning there?
And in the upper workshop, the area of the wall where it meets the attic of the house appears to be partially open. Are you going to open up a portion of that for storage room?

Thanks for updating your build thread, it looks great!