Messages and Online Forum Q&A

Re: Expanding Family Room into Garage

From: newu@mtco.com
Category: Interior Design
Remote Name: 207.179.241.12
Date: 21 Jan 2006
Time: 06:35 PM

Comments

Question: We do not use all of our garage and want to expand our family room into the garage. The floor of the family room will be about 3 steps up of off the concrete garage floor. How do you seal and insulate the bottom of the family room floor since there will be air space between the cement floor and the the family room floor?

Builders Websource® Answer: Before you expand your living room into your garage, you should first consider whether you'll be violating any local building codes or ordinances that require you to have a garage. To keep vehicles off the streets, many cities prohibit conversion of the garage into living space. Furthermore, depending on your lot and home size, you could inadvertnetly violate the maximum conditioned square footage limitations for your property. Just as a good carpenter knows to measure twice and cut once, a homeowner should always check twice, and build once!

Now, assuming there are no regulations that prohibit your expansion, consider also what impact this could have on your home's resale value. Many people value a spacious garage for two or more cars, tools, junk, and whatever else people stick in their garages. If you're still convinced this is a good idea, you'll need to consult a building designer or architect to draw up plans, keeping in mind all structural aspects of the project. Normally, any crawlspace below a raised foundation must be minimally accessible with at least 18" of clearance between the bottom of the joists and the top of the grade (in this case, the grade would be your garage slab). Assuming you receive approval from the building department to build over your existing slab, you may need to use special moisture-treated lumber or other techniques to avoid premature decay of your joists -- particularly if any lumber comes into contact with the slab.

 Whatever you do, always follow the codes as minimum guidelines,  get appropriate building permits, and never cut corners. When it comes time to sell your home someday, you'll be glad that everything is "legitimate."

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