New Garage - Old Car!

[Jeff Moffo]

Good Morning,

I was hoping to get some feedback and/or ideas from fellow BIG Cadillac car owners.  I may be moving into a home where the detached garage is 16.5 feet deep.  My '76 Coupe is 19.5.  Do the math, right!?  Obviously, I need to do something to the garage to house the car and wondered if anyone has also faced such a dilemma.  My current garage is 22 feet long, so this has not been an issue for me.  Without doing any major construction to the garage, I was thinking along the lines of putting a small "bump-out" along the back wall with a small, steep-pitched, simple roof - more or less to keep the car covered and protected.

Not sure if anyone can point out some ideas, pictures, or anything else they may have done.  If so, I would gladly appreciate it!

[TJ Hopland]

The bump out would likely do the trick.  How old is this garage?  Must be fairly old?  You should probably have someone with engineering / building experience to make sure you won't need some significant beams and posts to support things.   Some designs the wall is the only support for the roof.     

[Brad Hemingson CLC #18437]

The outer wall of that garage is 95% likely a bearing wall - meaning it's holding up the roof. You need a beam made of 2 x 10's or 2 x 12's nailed together or microlam or steel. It bridges the opening you make. That beam has to be help up by posts usually 2 x 4's or 2 x 6's nailed together depending on what the framing is. The strength of the beam is directly related to what it's holding up i.e. how big a roof and how big an opening relative to the garage size. If you have a friend in construction he could frame that for you in half a day. The biggest issue for time and cost is  what kind of floor extension you'll be making. I'd pour a new footing and concrete floor. Bigger is always better with Cadillacs 

[76eldo]

You will have to install a header from the inside at the point you are going to open it up.

Is the back wall covered with sheetrock, pegboard, or something else, or is the framing visible?

Before I build a detached garage, I added on to mine by bringing out the door 4 feet.  There is a roof added on and side walls, and some concrete work added, but my garage was too short and there is a laundry room at the front wall so I could not go in that direction.

A bump out in the back will be the most economical, but if you need a new door at some point and you have the room, you could bring it out in the front too.

Good luck,

Brian

[jaxops]

If you had a preference, a 24' depth is better as you can walk around the car and open the hood without standing out in the weather in front of it.  If you can't manage that much then at least 22'.  That is a pretty big bump-out though....five and a half feet.  Do you have that much room?  I would do the whole back wall, bracing it, and then extending it.  A good point about the concrete floor.  Why don't you run your options and see what the rework would cost with a few options/sizes, and then what it would cost to pull it down and drop a modular or kit building on it after resizing the concrete pad? 

Just thinking out loud.

[59-in-pieces]

Jeff,
TJ is correct.
The roof is supported by the studs in the rear wall.
If you chop out the studs, the roof will surely sag in that area - collapse might follow.
Like the front of the garage, there is an opening, but above that opening there is a header - large thick beam - which carries the roof load, so it doesn't sag.
If you do put a hole in the rear wall - with or without a header - you should also install diagonal bracing across the stud walls - lower left to upper right (floor to ceiling).  Additional bracing should be placed - if not already in place - about 5 feet out across each of the corners of the garage at the ceiling level.  These added fixes will help stabilize the compromised structural integrity of the remaining building.

Another thought - the cost of some steel buildings can be pretty cheap.  Perhaps not as cheap as the shed roof approach, but doing it right with a header and diagonal bracing - close.  You could replace your currently designed structure with one that could house your Cad, and a future collection.
IMHO, Have fun,
Steve B.

[gary griffin]

My observation is that all garages are too small for car lovers. I built a 30 by 52 foot garage and it ended up being too small. 

If you modify the garage you have make it long enough that you can walk around the car with the garage doors closed.

A friend built his dream garage detached from the house where he has a two car garage so the dream garage but then he bought a 1956 Lincoln continental which is 3 inches longer than his garage.  He ended up jackhammering out a niche in the back foundation wall. He put a rubber bumper in the niche and parks the car hard against it, leaving about 1/2 inch between the front bumper and the garage wall

I notice all of the comments are addressing the lengthening of the garage by modifying the back wall. If you choose to do this remember to put in diagonal bracing.  The framing has to withstand horizontal forces in addition to vertical forces. Without more information I can not comment any further but if you have insufficient experience to design this please get professional help. I would hate to hear that your garage collapsed sideways.  I am sure there are many of us in this forum that have the experience to design a safe modification. If I can help please let me know. garygriffin@Q.com

[76eldo]

If you are just trying to gain a few feet in the front for the nose of the car to fit, you can accomplish that by mimicking the header over the door, and having a roof added at a lower height coming off of the back wall.

I would double up on the studs and support the header exactly as it is done in the front.

Any competent carpenter can do this, it's not a big deal.

Whether the rear wall is a bearing wall depends on which way the roof is peaked.

If it's peaked side to side as you look at the garage door, the side walls are the "bearing walls".  There is weight on the back wall too, but in this configuration, not as much.

If it is peaked front to back, then it's more involved.

It needs to be looked at by a contractor to be done safely.

Brian

[Bobby B]

Jeff,
  Hi….I'm in NJ, Morris County, if you need some advice. I'm a Licensed Electrician (37 years) and have extensive building experience. Have constructed many homes for friends over the years. Can always stop over and point you in the right direction if you need a hand with something. Always working in Bergen, Essex, Somerset, Union, etc. Counties. PM me if you want to talk.
                                                                                                                                Bobby

[Smedly]

I was in the same situation with a car port I wanted to close in and make a proper garage. I was about 1' short of being able to park my 73 sdv in it if I had put doors on it. So I bit the bullet add 6' and built proper walls. poured a new section of floor and insulated. It cost a bit more than just adding 1' that I needed but much nice inside having all the extra space.

[Jeff Moffo]

Bobby,
May take you up on your offer come the spring IF we get into that house!
Garage was built in 1929.  No sheetrock.  Simply built with 2x4's and tongue and groove siding.  Hip roof.

I only need enough space to house the old girl...nothing big - and walking around the entire car is not a big issue.  I just want it out of the elements.
Was thinking about building a header as in the front, and simply going out 4 feet on a concrete platform, and boxing that section in along the back.
Was hoping there was a magic potion out there, but most likely there isn't...

[Gene Beaird]

Heck, if that's the case, adding a lean-to, or bump out to the back of the garage may be doing it a favor!!  You can take advantage of the construction to add bracing where it's needed.  Many garages in old homes like that are built on rubble, or have dirt floors. 

[Bill Hedge CLC 14424]

Jeff:

If you decide to add a "bump out" it is essential that you check your local zoning laws to insure that your "bump out" or whatever modification you propose to make to the garage does not need a zoning variance or is maybe flat out prohibited.  If the garage is located in a subdivision (even an older subdivision) there may be covenants or set back requirements that must be met.  Additionally, many jurisdictions require the issuance of a building permit to make the the modifications that have been suggested. 

I know that it may be more convenient to make these changes without following the above procedures, but it only takes one neighbor to complain.  You do not want to find yourself in the position where you are ordered to remove the modification and are fined.  You are much more likely to obtain the necessary permits if you approach the appropriate officials before you start construction.

The first house I purchased had a "bump out".   My current home is located in a town and is over 150 years old.  When we purchased the house the garage was an old barn.  My wife asked whether our 74 Eldo convertible would fit inside the garage.  My response was of course it will - its a barn.  To make a long story short, I wound up obtaining a variance to add four feet to the front of my garage.  I was fortunate I made the modifications when I did since my house and garage are now located in a historic district, and I am not sure I would be given the permission to make the modifications now.  I did the work myself, so if you possess some basic carpenter skills you can probably do the contruction yourself.

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

You might wish to reconsider the whole nine yards. Unless this is your wife's dream home, schools, churches, shopping, etc; it might be a bear to resell later. Adding a makeshift wall might be something that would be hard to be attractive...I.E, making the alteration blend in with the rest of the home.
You notice I mentioned "your wife's..." Regrettably, even in the best of marriages, something like this can rapidly deteriorate into every time your spouse looks or refers to your old car, she prefaces it with "damn."
Personally, there are way, way too many houses and cars, (both) out there to start a thirty year contract with this hanging over your head. I think you have thought out just about all of your options which was admirable on your part. But keep in mind that several people who responded mentioned that no matter how big they built their garage, it was always too small. And makeshift is always going to look that way. Best of luck.

[Bobby B]

Barry,
   AMEN…..My garage is bigger than my house. Still NOT big enough…….
                                                                                     Bobby

[Walter Youshock]

My garage was built sometime in the '50's.  The owners always had some smaller car.  I think the last car they had was a '64 chevy.  As time went on, it housed early '70's chevy station wagons.  Then we got a '77 Chrysler Newport.   That was a squeeze.  Now it's an envelope for the '57 cdv.  It fits but barely.

I'd need a double lot to build a decent garage.  But,  it's nice to be able to take parts off the car and work on them in the basement.