Garage Drama Update

Well 4 months into this build I have a new gravel driveway to the new garage area and 20 added width to the front driveway, footer is poured and ready for block, have some drainage in because of low area where I am building. So far I have had to lay out almost 10 grand. But there was at least 2 -3 grand of work that wasnt related to the garage.

Well I have been waiting almost 3 weeks for the block layer to stop by , have called him twice and he was suppose to come by friday week ago, but never showed or called. Well he is out of the running, My neighbor gave me and name and number for a guy he worked for during his high school summers and he has been in the business for 20+ years. Well I got in touch with another guy who is a preacher, and he showed up last night to look at the site and said he would take the plans and put some numbers together. Well I just got the call and the block & labor, grading and level rock, concrete pad & slick finish(26)yards. This doesnt include the rock. Well this work is going to be close to 8 grand, so the total just to get the pad ready for the lumber is going to be close to 15 grand.
It wouldnt be this bad except for the area where I am building, we had to go down 2+ feet to get to solid soil.

I think I have decided to go with 10 foot walls and put scissor trusses (about $30 more than standard truss) over the area of the 2 post lift. This will save some money on the siding and studs. I can even save more by going to 24oc instead of 16oc with 2x6 studs. If someone nows something bad about this configuration chime in.
Robert

 

Ever consider laying the block yourself? Laying block is pretty easy. I never did it until I built my garage and got prices. Didn't like them so I read up on it and ask a lot of questions to anyone that would listen. Laid it all myself. Was not hard at all and the quality is way better because I was not in any hurry. In my back 30 x10ft wall, when all was said and done, it was only out by 3/8". PLus my garage is embedded in the side of a hill so I had to do a lot of reinforcing to keep the dirt from pushing it in. Was a good experience.

 

Sounds like it is going to be an awesome garage.

 

what roofing are you using?

...Frank...

 

shingles seem to be the cheaper way, it will be around $1200 bucks for the materials. I havent checked on metal but from what I have heard is metal has gone up.
Robert

 

sounds sweet!

 

If you do 24oc with the trusses make sure you use at least 5/8" plywood for the roof sheaving 3/4" is the ticket, I have seen builders use 3/8" and 1/2" and the first heavy snow you'll get some sagging between the trusses. Now if you use a metal roof you don't have to worry about that.
For the walls 2x6 on 24s is not a problem and scissor or tray trusses is the way to go if you have a lift.

 

that's where i was going with my "roofing" question....
by the time you get it strong enough for shingles, 24" centers might not be the cheapest way. also the roof pitch will be a factor... what does the ...building code...require?

...Frank...:Handshake

 

I would go with a metal roof. All of my garages have metal roofs. I think that is the only way to go. The money you save with shingles will be spent in 10 years putting more shingles back on. The metal roof will last your lifetime and mine.

 

According to my code book you can goto 24oc on the wall studs of 2x6 if all you have is live and dead load roof, no second story and no attic storage, otherwise the studs have to be 16oc. of course the steeper the pitch the more load it can handle. I called the local truss company today and told them what I was doing and he suggested the sicssor trusses over the lift bay, and that the pitch might be 6 or 7 which he said I could still walk on and it would give me over 12 foot in the center with 10 foot walls.

the roof trusses will be 24oc either way. with the studs on 24oc every other one will land on a stud and ever other one will land in the middle.
Robert

 

Robert, If you go 24'' oc for the wall studs make sure lay the walls out the same as the trusses, so you have a stud under each truss.

 

Yep your are correct, I mis-spoke the ever other one is for the 16oc not the 24oc. they land on top of the studs on 24oc.
robert


Just called the metal roof place and 50yr warranty stuff to cover my roof is going to be right at $3000 bucks.

 

well on the way home from work the 1st guy I talked to about the concrete and block work called me and he was in my back yard measuring
and said he would start tomorrow afternoon. so I had to call the other guy and cancel him, he wouldnt be able to get to me for 2 weeks at least, so this will put me 2 weeks ahead and tony(1st guy) is cheaper and if I buy the rebar he said he would lay it in and not charge me labor for it. of course I can lay that in, not brain surgery
Robert

 

I would check the local code but alot of places let you still use 16 oc walls and 24 oc rafters, it was popular in the 80s-90s homes and prefabs. With a double plate on the top of the wall its fine, it all depends on where in the country you live and what the local code allows.

 

Another option that also works is a tray ceiling, I had my pole building with 10ft walls done that way and it gives me 12' 3" with a 6/12 roof pitch 26ft wide building. The only thing I screwed up on is I didn't get the rear garage door track run up to the ceiling for clearence in case I wanted to put a lift back there.