OT - garage slab and footing question

Concrete sawing is not a big deal and what you describe is straightforward. $4 per foot around here with a $250 minimum. Whether you can get away with a 6" strip and then undercutting it in the dirt, or need to saw out the full footing width, I don't know. Sure would be prettier to not to re-pour part of the slab.

If I was stuck with that, would strongly consider a loft that is not "structural" - anchor it to the walls but support it primarily from the floor, like a giant shelving unit.

If you're talking about raising the roof and making a full height room, that's different and what the inspector says is the true path.

Bob

Do something silly and put your 6" footing on top of the slab, or dont tell them you want a loft just a flat roof

First of all..does the city have to know?

Secondly..what if you make it free standing?

Gunner

"Gun Control, the theory that a 110lb grandmother should fist fight a 250lb 19yr old criminal"

It's much easier to put in 1 or 2 load bearing posts resting on what ever footing pad the inspector wants. 18" or 24" square is usually approriate. Use a doubled or tripled 2x whatever for a beam and hang the wall. Cut the slab with a masonary blade in a circular saw (diamond blade is nice, abrasive works). You only need to go 1/3 to 1/2 the way through the slab to get a nice cut, break out the underside.

Around here we do this except that the hole has to be 48" deep. Dig an 18" diameter hole, flat bottom, dr> I have a 3-car garage that has a 2-car bay

I get the feeling that you think the footing only has to be 6" wide. The inspector means a footing 6" thick, probably 18" or so wide, and as deep as the frost line. But since it's an interior wall, maybe the footing doesn't have to be as deep. Ask about that.

Bob

That is the question. Brother in law lives in Cleveland. Built a 24 x 30 foot garage, not one permit, not a word from the city. May have a problem if there is a fire (insurance) or when he sells the house.

Your wall should be no problem.

However if I were you I would build the wall in accordance with code and put in a footer and not tell anyone.

Is that a 6" wide of 6" thick footer? 6" wide sounds a bit narrow.

I would rent a concrete/ pavement saw (the kind on a carriage) and cut at least a 18" wide slot. Digging it out would be no problem if you have the right tools (same as anything).

You may be farther ahead having a contractor do this for you. After saw rental, disposal of the concrete and dirt, getting gravel and mixing concrete (mixing sacks of concrete in a wheelbarrow gets old quick), and the possible need to buy tools you'll only use once, it may be worth it for you to hire out the footing.

LOL

Cut the garage floor with a skil saw ... :o) Rent one and cut it a foot wide , drop in the inspected rebar and pour it full of concrete 4500# per in. To hold up what over your shop?

The way they have codes , I wouldn't want to be under anything approved. Jack hammer out a couple of holes and dig down and set some steel pipes with junk welded to the under concrete part and an I beam. Weld with 45 degree cross members and it will be the last thing standing ! Fill them with concrete if your worried about it.

I've built a number of solar trackers and set them with durt, LIGHT mix of sand and cement, and concrete. They are a bitch to get out or move in any way.

I pity if they ever had a bad earth quake here. Bolting down boards and one to two nails to hold the house is just asking for trouble in my view. They just started putting on 45 degree straps on buildings and they still won't help . :o)

Its best not to ask and just over do it and say nothing, it was always there. I'd rather be in my shop than my house in any bad happening. I guess the machines could fall on me, but the building would still be there.

That's a good idea , like fork lift racks...

It seems to me that you are selecting the wrong side of the 2:1 bays :-) Martin [ wishing I had another bay to spread into ]

One problem with non-standard building - has to be fixed or the county forces a variance and taxes and normal mortgages may not buy in to the house.

The new owner may have to pay to fix at a later date also.

This is what I learned around here - many home jobs done undercover that the agents shudder when they hear the issue and warn the buyers (off).

Martin

A husband has got to know his limitations.

You should be able to put in a center support post, a 1/2in thick metal plate under it on the concrete 12 x 12 in rectangular or so will probably distribute the weight onto th floor jus fine.

Then the wall is non load bearing.............

I'd forget about the footing,slab,wall,etc.... I just place a W8-21 beam onto the front and back headers of the garage,with extra 2by4s or 6's or 8's posts under where the beam rests. I've done this twice this year to my rental shop to get extra bays. The loft will rest on 2by6 'sill plate' on the beam. I used 1by3 on the edges to keep the 2by6 from moving off. Screw the 2by10 joists to the 2by6. Screws are better than nails.Easier to remove 'if' required. The loft I built this way last year has not moved and is loaded with 'stuff' including 8by12 Pine timbers 20 feet long. The big bonus doing this, aside from NOT cutting into the concrete floor, is that you now can add a 'non load bearing' partition between the two sections, again using screws. If you ever need to, you can 'undo' what you did. This beam will weigh 21# per foot, I used a section of scaffolding on wheels to place it.two guys,easy and safe. Just another way of getting what you want, and it should exceed any reasonable building codes( if you actually tell them ).

hth jay

This is his house, not some back yard fort. Building codes are there for a reason. Consider the devastation of a 6.5 quake in Iran and one in CA.

If you get a permit and comply with the building code then when it comes time to sell the buyer is not going to have a problem with insurance or finance companies.

The weight will still be supported by the 3 inch slab. Strong foundations are a good idea.

Yes, this is indeed his house. Not the cities. Or are you indicating that only the city can build an adequate structure?

And the permit and building code ensures that the engineering will be proper? Ive got a contractors license..you must have some interesting codes in your area. Mine are largely a joke.

Yes they are. Now about weight distribution....

Gunner

"Gun Control, the theory that a 110lb grandmother should fist fight a 250lb 19yr old criminal"

Ive got a contractors license..you must have some interesting

You have a *building* contractor's license? A current one?

You could do it that way. But I'd suggest supporting the loft with a beam and pillars. Then the wall is just a curtain wall. If the existing footing is deep enough (24 inches here), the pillars could be located at the existing walls without any excavation, and the beam could be a composite beam across the whole span.

That's how I support the second story of my shop. A 24 inch composite beam spans the entire 34 feet from front to back. I don't have a curtain wall there, because I wanted the large open area on the first floor, but I could put one in, and it wouldn't be considered a load bearing wall.

Gary

Could you tell me a little more about this composite beam? What is it made of, how much does it weigh and cost?

foundations