Had to have a place for daughter's car, yard toys ie tractor, snow blower etc. Started it beginning of October 03, will finish in a couple weeks. Particulars: 18X24x11H, cost about $8000, labor free(me and friends) except for excavating and cement slab pouring. Ball busting job but worth it. Check it out.
MikeG

www.mindspring.com/~mgambini/

I'm still waiting for my ground breaking ceremony, but I'll have my shop up next summer, for sure.

Particulars: 32 wide x 40 long with 14ft ceiling (had to be high enough to install the hoist). I'll have a mezzanine along the whole one wall, with the office & tool room below.

Aim is to have a ramp to bring the items I need stored above like lawn mower, bikes, etc. I was going to hinge one of the sections of the mezzanine, and be able to lower it to the ground to act as a ramp.

Can't wait until it's done! Then I'll have "fun" stuff to do next winter. :grin:

Are you going to get a permit? - I have a neighbor that would turn me in - he turned my Afghan in the day I brought him home for howling!!! He didn't howl since I showed him the letter!!

I need a permit for anything over 100 sq ft around here.

Since the garage is going to be on a floating slab, I need engineered drawings for the floor, as well.

Any engineers in here? :???:

My garage is built on a floating slab also. 18" deep all around(grade beam) 12" thick, rebar all around, reinforcing wire across slab, 5-6"slab. No engineer needed where I live-covered by building codes. Yes, I do have a permit. Although they are a pain in the a$$, they ae a necessary evil protecting your insurance and ability to sell your house.
MikeG

Are you going to epoxy/poly coat the garage floor?

I Put the sealer on right after the slab was poured. I sealed and painted my cellar floor and I'm not convinced it was worth it. Not worth doing a garage IMO.
MikeG

Nice! I really wish I had done my basement floor. That's where my shop/bike garage is. I was just thinking today that in my next house I'm gonna epoxy all indoor slabs. :idea:

Great looking garage Mike. :lol:

I really like the center piece on the middle of the roof line.

I built an 18' x 30' x 10' garage in the spring/summer of 2000. I had never built a thing before in my life. I went to Lowes and bought a book on house framing and read all of the chapters that I needed to read, that pertained to what I was going to do. I contracted out the concrete work and I took over from there. I was very careful to pick shingles, siding, OH garage door, entry door, and gable end vents that completely matched my house. When it was done, it looked like that it had been constructed at the same time the house was built. I've had many comments on the quality of the construction, and feel very proud of what I accomplished mostly by myself. Pics to follow later.

Yeah, we need pics. I've been looking at a garage addition, but don't know if it would be too close to the property line.

Your way of approaching it is a good one. I think sometimes we do a better job than pros because we take care to follow every little step. Every pro job I've ever seen had shortcuts in it. My house's framing, for example, is a clusterfuck.

I have plans in at the county office, waiting for permits w/i the next 10 days. The begginging of Dec. I will pour the slab and hopefully have it built by years end. I plan on running air in 3 walls, 3-1ft windows on the south wall 7' high and 2 large window on the north wall facing the back yard. Double rolling door with windows. Total cost I estimate $5k

24x36 shop with a 9ft ceiling. :grin:

I start building 3 br/1bath/deck in the spring and a new livingroom/4car garage in the summer/fall.

Hey BDAZ, just make sure you don't have any bird baths in your concrete... :roll:

...stick too a 4 to 6 slump and a 2% fall out the door.

My Dads a General Contractor and I grew up working in it as well, so we shouldn't have any problems with "bird baths". :grin:

Garage is done minus paint and the door-check it out
www.mindspring.com/~mgambini/

Looks awesome Mike.

Looks great Mike, one of these years I'm going to biuld one in my back yard...... one of these years.

But, I have to ask a question, What is the purpose for biulding the Toe walls out of Cinder-block, why not pour them in with the footers? Around here everybody pours them in, is it just a code thing or mabey a money thing? Just curious. :grin:

Looks to me like it's so the frame will be above final grade, but what do I know? :roll: :grin:

The floor is poured as a 1 pc slab with 18 " deep walls around the outside. I wasn't sure that the cement would stay in wall forms if I tried to elevate the walls above the slab all in one pour. The wood has to be 8" above grade so you either have to pour a wall above grade or build up the slab with blocks. Most foundations are 3 pc, footings, walls, then floor, done sequentially. I saved about $1000 by doing just one pour.
MikeG

......ok, feeling real smart right about now. I went back and looked at your pictures again, and then noticed you did a monolithic pour on your slab and footers. Somehow I missed that the first time I looked at the pictures.
Most of the time it is done in a three step prosses (footers, walls, slab) around here as well.

Are you going to put anything on that floor to seal it or just leave it?

Nice job Mike!

I start on my 24x36x9 shop w/i a couple of weeks, I cant wait! I am having a new septic installed this Thurs/Fri (12-4/5) and pick up my building permits the week after. :grin:

I put a clear sealer on the slab the next morning after they poured it. Not only seals the floor but makes it take longer to cure, resulting in a stronger slab. We'll see.
MikeG