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subject: Tips For Garage Transformation [print this page]

The question that is most commonly encountered when

thinking about converting your garage for a new use is

the warmth of the floor. Whether you are choosing to convert

your garage into a spacious home office or to convert it into a

gym room, you have to take into consideration some

improvements for your floor.

Since the garage has a concrete and uninsulated floor you

should focus on making it warmer and more resilient. Furring

up the floor with wood and plywood can accomplish both

tasks. As a warning, you should use pressure-treated wood or protect

the wood which is in contact with the concrete by placing a

layer of felt paper between the wood and the concrete.

First of all measure and determine how much you want to raise the

floor. All garage floors have some amount of slope from the

back wall to the wall with the garage door in it to allow the

water runoff. To achieve a level floor you will have to adjust

the joists, for this if you are placing the joists perpendicular to

the slope in the floor each of them would have to be ripped

down or shimmed up and if the joists are parallel to the slope,

you can rip them on a taper or use shims to level them.

Ok, you finished remodeling the floors, now it time to

examine your walls. You might be surprised to find out that

your walls are not even with the foundation they sit on. They

may be set back from the foundation or maybe overhang it in

other areas. Only one step will solve these problems: selecting

a lumber size that is deep enough to extend the framing past the

concrete. By notching each end of the furring strip and

attaching one strip to the face of each wall stud will result in an

even wall that completely hides the foundation. Also it will be

deep enough for the R-21 wall insulation, this type of

insulation being the most common code requirement.

When remodeling the walls and the floor several obstructions

may appear. Obstructions like pipes, ducts, wires and other

impediments to smooth walls may exist. For small obstructions

such as wires or small pipes you could adjust the furring strips

enough to accommodate them. The solution for larger

obstructions is to box around them. If the obstruction is a water

heater or something that you will need access to, you can frame

it in and enclose it on three sides and then provide a removable

access panel for the fourth side.

A building permit may be required for a garage make over.

Of course all the methods presented here are purely theoretical

and only for guidance. All garages are different and some

adjustments to the used methods or materials may be required

in order to accommodate to your garage.

by: Robert Pera

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