garage conversion

[jewozzy]

I posted up a while back about how to do this but i've now decided how i want to try and get it done. I would like keep my garage door up and build the wall infront of it kinda like using the garage door as the outside wall. The other reason im wanting to do this is so that when i goto sell the house all i need to do is tear down the inside wall throw the door back on the tracks and convert it back. I read that you can just build the inside wall and insulate and be pretty much good to go. Is it simple as that? Anyone have any advice? Thanks!

[bullet]

I posted up a while back about how to do this but i've now decided how i want to try and get it done. I would like keep my garage door up and build the wall infront of it kinda like using the garage door as the outside wall. The other reason im wanting to do this is so that when i goto sell the house all i need to do is tear down the inside wall throw the door back on the tracks and convert it back. I read that you can just build the inside wall and insulate and be pretty much good to go. Is it simple as that? Anyone have any advice? Thanks!



How are you going to stud a wall up and still keep the garage door tracks functionable ?

[Fox466]

He would have to remove the tracks while afixing the door to the wall. It's maybe possible to separate the tracks at the curve but I don't know.

As for your wall, it is possible to do it as you wish. Use 2x4x8 studs and put them on 18" centers (meaning 18" apart). One across the bottom as your plate and one across the top as your top plate. Use concrete plate nails on the bottom to afix your wall to the concrete. You can probably use L brackets of some sort to attach the wall to the existing wall prior to insulating and sheetrocking.

Don't forget to use a level when you stand your wall. If you pick the proper spot you could drive 18D nails through your new studs into the existing studs, though that would make removal a good deal more difficult and possibly scarring your old sheetrock a bit more.

[line-em-up]

I posted up a while back about how to do this but i've now decided how i want to try and get it done. I would like keep my garage door up and build the wall infront of it kinda like using the garage door as the outside wall. The other reason im wanting to do this is so that when i goto sell the house all i need to do is tear down the inside wall throw the door back on the tracks and convert it back. I read that you can just build the inside wall and insulate and be pretty much good to go. Is it simple as that? Anyone have any advice? Thanks!

Another reason to keep the appearance of a garage is for insurance and tax purposes. If the tax asses and ins. co. realize you've converted it to living space, they will charge you more taxes and insurance.

[bullet]

Lot of variables come into play. Most garage are not insulated. Pretty good chance you exterior garage wall is not. If you don't insulate it do not expect it to stay cool in summer and warm in winter. You will probably need to blow in the ceiling insulation as well. Are you going to tie the room in to your existing HVAC ? What size do you have now and what is the house's current heated area ? I see what you are trying to do, and yes the track should unbolt near the arc so that you can leave it in place. As far as anchoring the new wall plate down, buy some 3 inch tap con blue screws and just screw it down, if you try to use nails odds are it will chip the concrete when they are shot in to the exsiting old slab. As far as anchoring the wall level, normally blocks are placed between the studs so that you have a nailer for your wall. To avoid that you could probably just use toggle bolts as a temporary fix to hold it so all you would have is a few screw size holes to patch once you take it down.

[jewozzy]

Lot of variables come into play. Most garage are not insulated. Pretty good chance you exterior garage wall is not. If you don't insulate it do not expect it to stay cool in summer and warm in winter. You will probably need to blow in the ceiling insulation as well. Are you going to tie the room in to your existing HVAC ? What size do you have now and what is the house's current heated area ? I see what you are trying to do, and yes the track should unbolt near the arc so that you can leave it in place. As far as anchoring the new wall plate down, buy some 3 inch tap con blue screws and just screw it down, if you try to use nails odds are it will chip the concrete when they are shot in to the exsiting old slab.

Yeah i was planning to put insulation in the wall to help with heat/cool. It already has ceiling insulation up there. I was planning to put a window unit or something similar in there instead of tieing it into the HVAC.

As far as anchoring the wall level, normally blocks are placed between the studs so that you have a nailer for your wall. To avoid that you could probably just use toggle bolts as a temporary fix to hold it so all you would have is a few screw size holes to patch once you take it down.


Im not so much worried about the drywall being messed up in the garage should i choose to tear it down. Thats something i can patch up pretty easily if i wanted to sell the house.

Would you attempt doing the above method on your own or have a pro do it? How much do you think materials would run on something like that? The way you described sounds pretty easy for the most part but at the same time i dont want it to look like shit.

[wesman]

Lot of variables come into play. Most garage are not insulated. Pretty good chance you exterior garage wall is not. If you don't insulate it do not expect it to stay cool in summer and warm in winter. You will probably need to blow in the ceiling insulation as well. Are you going to tie the room in to your existing HVAC ? What size do you have now and what is the house's current heated area ? I see what you are trying to do, and yes the track should unbolt near the arc so that you can leave it in place. As far as anchoring the new wall plate down, buy some 3 inch tap con blue screws and just screw it down, if you try to use nails odds are it will chip the concrete when they are shot in to the exsiting old slab. As far as anchoring the wall level, normally blocks are placed between the studs so that you have a nailer for your wall. To avoid that you could probably just use toggle bolts as a temporary fix to hold it so all you would have is a few screw size holes to patch once you take it down.

Then there's the trick of making that space livable. It needs air/heat, are you gonna have someone tap into the existing system or go with a window type unit???

--wes

[jewozzy]

Then there's the trick of making that space livable. It needs air/heat, are you gonna have someone tap into the existing system or go with a window type unit???

--wes

Yeah window unit and probably install a door going to the backyard along with a putting a window overlooking the back yard. Its really going to be more of a game/drinking room.

[wesman]

Yeah window unit and probably install a door going to the backyard along with a putting a window overlooking the back yard. Its really going to be more of a game/drinking room.


Very cool...much cheaper that way, and much easier to convert back if needed later on.

--wes

[jewozzy]

Do yall think this is the best way for me to do the conversion without the fear of dropping my home's value? I figure it is hit or miss whether someone would want the extra room and if they did then it would bring me money if not then i can change it back.

[bullet]

Heated living area will always bring more value than standard garage space. Some people may not like the house because it does not have a garage though. Just make sure when you go to sell it you make it known that the garage can be converted back to any potential buyers.

[Doug Hatton]

I think "functional" is the word you're looking for... :p

How are you going to stud a wall up and still keep the garage door tracks functionable ?

[uwishuknew]

My parents converted the garage to a craft room for my mom. However, they still left a 4ft space for "garage stuff". So they built the new wall, with a door for access to the garage, 4ft from the garage door. And to make the garage door still functional they basically built a box around the tracks. When you walk into the "craft" room, there is a drop from the ceiling enclosing the tracks. It did have a electric garage door opener, so they took that out and now you just lift it. But my dad still has a garage and my mom now has a room.

They insulated the new wall, the exterior wall, and the ceiling (attic directly above). They had issues with the AC years ago and the tech basically said that the unit was to big for the house and there weren't enough vents for the amount of air that was being pushed out. So they installed new air ducts for that room and now the ac works the way it is suppose to.

[Blue90LXSupercharged]

I did this to my house. Made a nice utility room 9ft deep and a 13ft deep garage. Even with all of my tools and work benches I can fit a Mustang in sideways!

[whitetrash]

My parents converted the garage to a craft room for my mom. However, they still left a 4ft space for "garage stuff". So they built the new wall, with a door for access to the garage, 4ft from the garage door. And to make the garage door still functional they basically built a box around the tracks. When you walk into the "craft" room, there is a drop from the ceiling enclosing the tracks. It did have a electric garage door opener, so they took that out and now you just lift it. But my dad still has a garage and my mom now has a room.

They insulated the new wall, the exterior wall, and the ceiling (attic directly above). They had issues with the AC years ago and the tech basically said that the unit was to big for the house and there weren't enough vents for the amount of air that was being pushed out. So they installed new air ducts for that room and now the ac works the way it is suppose to.
my parents did basically that same thing except the moved the tracks up so the door just opened up over the ceiling with no drop downs

[jewozzy]

my parents did basically that same thing except the moved the tracks up so the door just opened up over the ceiling with no drop downs

Like they basicly had the garage go into the "attic"? or how do you mean?

[whitetrash]

Like they basicly had the garage go into the "attic"? or how do you mean?
the door would basically go into the attic space yes

[jewozzy]

the door would basically go into the attic space yes

interesting... i hadn't thought of that. only problem i would see is if the motor malfunctioned.

[whitetrash]

interesting... i hadn't thought of that. only problem i would see is if the motor malfunctioned.
we didnt have a motor just lifted by hand, and we had a door to go into the extra space that we used for storage from the new room

[whitetrash]

i could probably gets some pics of it if you want

[jewozzy]

we didnt have a moter just lifted by hand, and we had a door to go into the extra space that we used for storage from the new room

any idea how much it ran them? did they do it all on their own?

[jewozzy]

i could probably gets some pics of it if you want

if you want that would be cool im trying to find some different things i can do because i have a lot of people over at times and if i had it the way your describing then i could open that up and have the door go outside for bbq's and whatnot.

[whitetrash]

any idea how much it ran them? did they do it all on their own?
i wanna say it was done for around 1500 bucks by someone, i dont remember who though its been awhile. if you can do it yourself it would be pretty easy. we didn't have anything ran through the new wall so if we wanted it could just be knocked down and made a garage again

[whitetrash]

if you want that would be cool im trying to find some different things i can do because i have a lot of people over at times and if i had it the way your describing then i could open that up and have the door go outside for bbq's and whatnot.
yeah thats pretty much what we did

[whitetrash]

if you want that would be cool im trying to find some different things i can do because i have a lot of people over at times and if i had it the way your describing then i could open that up and have the door go outside for bbq's and whatnot.
i need to go by there in the next couple days anyway so i'll try to get you some pics then

[jewozzy]

i need to go by there in the next couple days anyway so i'll try to get you some pics then

awesome thanks.