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10-09-2008, 05:36 PM
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#1
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Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 8
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Garage Foundation "Tilting?"
My wife and I are currently looking at purchasing an older home (1928) from within our extended family. One of the issues we'll be facing is a leaning garage. It looks like when it was originally built, the only concrete used was just under the walls to build a foundation, and I imagine it had a dirt floor to begin with. At some point, someone filled in the area between with concrete. Well, it appears that water must have gotten between the poured slap and the wall foundations and caused the wall foundations to "tilt" outwards due to expansion in the winter, causing the garage to tilt. It has gotten to the point where the garage doors are very difficult for the opener to open due to the tension. Is there a way to pull the wall foundations back plum? Otherwise I don't imagine the garage standing up in 5-10 years. I currently am five hours away from the property and do not have images of the issue. I can draw up something in photoshop if there is confusion as to what I am dealing with.
Thanks!
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10-09-2008, 08:01 PM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Welland, Ontario
Posts: 2,031
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Garage Foundation "Tilting?"
Garages aren't that heavy. Probably best to support the garage one wall at a time and remove and replace the foundations.
Or even lift it a foot or two and pour a wall a bit higher so the walls are higher away from the surrounding dirt.
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10-09-2008, 08:25 PM
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#3
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 1,187
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Garage Foundation "Tilting?"
Consider tearing it down. Sometimes it is easier and cheaper just to start over. Garages cost little money to build compared to kitchens or bathrooms.
Just give it a long hard look to see if it worth saving. There is nothing like spending a lot of money and time into something and find out that it should have been torn down and rebuilt.
If you do decide to try and pull it back it is rather easy to do on a garage. If there are trees on the opposite side it is leaning towards then a come along with several anchor points would do fine. I just pulled my garage up a few years back to keep it standing for a few years till I get the time and energy to rebuild it. It was off by 4 inches and I used my truck as an anchor point.
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My idea of a perfect day: No where to go and all day to get there.
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10-09-2008, 08:31 PM
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#4
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Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 8
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Garage Foundation "Tilting?"
Yeah, we are looking at this as a temporary solution until we have the funds to put up a new garage. What are the more expensive aspects of putting a garage together? I have zero experience with the foundation, so that would be done by someone else. I haven't done much framing besides helping my father with projects here and there, but I could probably handle it. However, time is money and if contractors can throw it together fast for a decent price, I'd let them. I imagine shingling labor makes up the bulk of the cost? I have laid down shingles on a few roofs before and would have no problem doing that (my back and knees probably think otherwise). I can do electrical (ie: force my father to come up at some point to help me -- he spent several years as an electrician). What else is there that is recommended to contract out versus DIY?
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10-09-2008, 08:42 PM
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#5
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 1,187
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Garage Foundation "Tilting?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shane N
Yeah, we are looking at this as a temporary solution until we have the funds to put up a new garage. What are the more expensive aspects of putting a garage together? I have zero experience with the foundation, so that would be done by someone else. I haven't done much framing besides helping my father with projects here and there, but I could probably handle it. However, time is money and if contractors can throw it together fast for a decent price, I'd let them. I imagine shingling labor makes up the bulk of the cost? I have laid down shingles on a few roofs before and would have no problem doing that (my back and knees probably think otherwise). I can do electrical (ie: force my father to come up at some point to help me -- he spent several years as an electrician). What else is there that is recommended to contract out versus DIY?
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There are some basic components that need to be done.
Foundation.
Floor which can be joists or on a cement slab.
Walls.
Roof.
Covering. sheeting, shingles and siding
Electrical for lights and outlets.
Plumbing if you want water or toilet.
Insulation if you want to heat it.
That's about it.
They don't cost much. My guess is about 2k for supplies on a double car garage if you do it yourself.
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My idea of a perfect day: No where to go and all day to get there.
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10-09-2008, 09:08 PM
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#6
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Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 8
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Garage Foundation "Tilting?"
Marvin, thanks for the broke down list! People actually have a floor in their garage other than the tried and true cement slab? 
I know these questions are usually difficult to answer, but do you know a rough estimate per square foot subcontracting out the foundation costs on perfectly flat ground? (house is in Grand Forks, ND) It seems like one of those things that the cost would vary a ton across the country, but I could be dead wrong (and probably am). I'm pretty sure that is the only part I would for sure subcontract.
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10-09-2008, 09:31 PM
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#7
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 1,187
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Garage Foundation "Tilting?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shane N
Marvin, thanks for the broke down list! People actually have a floor in their garage other than the tried and true cement slab?
I know these questions are usually difficult to answer, but do you know a rough estimate per square foot subcontracting out the foundation costs on perfectly flat ground? (house is in Grand Forks, ND) It seems like one of those things that the cost would vary a ton across the country, but I could be dead wrong (and probably am). I'm pretty sure that is the only part I would for sure subcontract. |
Yea, I by sister in law has a wooden floor for her garage. It is suspended over a bank with the river running below.
If you already have a good slab you are halfway there to a new garage.
__________________
My idea of a perfect day: No where to go and all day to get there.
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10-09-2008, 09:39 PM
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#8
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Newbie
Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 8
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Garage Foundation "Tilting?"
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin Gardens
Yea, I by sister in law has a wooden floor for her garage. It is suspended over a bank with the river running below.
If you already have a good slab you are halfway there to a new garage.
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There is an existing slab, however, when we build a new garage, we would like it to be slightly larger (it barely fits two small sedans). I'm pretty sure whoever built it was assuming it would fit a couple VW Beetles in it. And the footings are what are causing this whole issue, so they would have to go. I'm assuming the current floor doesn't have proper support for walls as they are on separate footings. So we will have to remove the entire existing footings and floor.
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10-10-2008, 11:13 AM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 577
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Garage Foundation "Tilting?"
dig out the foundation area rom the outside and leave the slab alone. It probably is poured on TOP of the ground,,dig it down to frost level,,,probably yoou will be required to do that by permit enitys anyway. Most of this proect will be labor anyway,,,dig it out yourself and pour a footing,then use block etc to go up from footing. You can stack the blocks (with spacers)and slush the holes,then backfill
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