Hi Guys, the info on this forum is outstanding! This is my first build thread so please bear with me. It will be a slow one, as I am not very handy, and don’t want to spend a ton of money. Also, with the cold temps and potential snow, I will be slowed down. This is something that I will tackle mostly in the spring.
I received bids this year to demo and build a 30x40 garage but it about floored me when I saw the cost. I love working in the garage but I’m not what you would call a mechanic (I can change brakes and oil), so really I don’t NEED a new, bigger garage. I’m mostly doing it so I can detail my car and do odd projects in the winter.
As you can see from the pics of my current garage, it may be somewhat unsafe, and it is not insulated. It is approximately 22x22; walls are cinder block, with a joist roof. I am guessing it was built in the 50s. The ceiling height is 7’8”. I am in SLC area and as far as I know, the garage is on a foundation, but I have not confirmed this. Could it be on a slab only? Part of the slab is sinking (left side near the garage door as you look at the door from the street). It’s a small corner of it. The rest of the slab is in decent shape.
In addition to strengthening the joists and insulating, I need to improve my power situation. It has two outlets, one of which is on the celling for the opener. It has two regular bulbs for overhead lights. I am running extension cords to power the shop lights and whatever else I need (chargers). There are additional outlets but they do not work and the wiring appears to be old. There is not a panel in the garage. It appears it gets power from an overhead drop from the house.
My goals, not particularly in order are:
1. Run electrical to increase outlets and lights, hopefully 220v so I can weld someday.
2. Reinforce roof/joists, and possibly increase ceiling height, in at least some spots.
3. Insulate at least the roof/ceiling.
4. Run a beam out the front of the garage so I can fashion a lift/hoist to remove the roof top tent from my vehicle.
More info to follow. I am looking for advice on the joists at this point. As you can see, I need to reinforce the bottom of the one that the garage door opener is attached to, as it was cut out to accommodate the chain drive. I am thinking that sintering some 2.x4s to this may help but I’m wondering if this is just putting a band-aid on the issue.
I received bids this year to demo and build a 30x40 garage but it about floored me when I saw the cost. I love working in the garage but I’m not what you would call a mechanic (I can change brakes and oil), so really I don’t NEED a new, bigger garage. I’m mostly doing it so I can detail my car and do odd projects in the winter.
As you can see from the pics of my current garage, it may be somewhat unsafe, and it is not insulated. It is approximately 22x22; walls are cinder block, with a joist roof. I am guessing it was built in the 50s. The ceiling height is 7’8”. I am in SLC area and as far as I know, the garage is on a foundation, but I have not confirmed this. Could it be on a slab only? Part of the slab is sinking (left side near the garage door as you look at the door from the street). It’s a small corner of it. The rest of the slab is in decent shape.
In addition to strengthening the joists and insulating, I need to improve my power situation. It has two outlets, one of which is on the celling for the opener. It has two regular bulbs for overhead lights. I am running extension cords to power the shop lights and whatever else I need (chargers). There are additional outlets but they do not work and the wiring appears to be old. There is not a panel in the garage. It appears it gets power from an overhead drop from the house.
My goals, not particularly in order are:
1. Run electrical to increase outlets and lights, hopefully 220v so I can weld someday.
2. Reinforce roof/joists, and possibly increase ceiling height, in at least some spots.
3. Insulate at least the roof/ceiling.
4. Run a beam out the front of the garage so I can fashion a lift/hoist to remove the roof top tent from my vehicle.
More info to follow. I am looking for advice on the joists at this point. As you can see, I need to reinforce the bottom of the one that the garage door opener is attached to, as it was cut out to accommodate the chain drive. I am thinking that sintering some 2.x4s to this may help but I’m wondering if this is just putting a band-aid on the issue.
