A garage can add value to your house and provide extra work and storage space. Even if it’s smaller than a house, a garage requires just as much skill and knowledge to build. It's a difficult and time-consuming project that may require the help of professionals to complete. Here is a guide on how to build a garage.
How to prepare for the building of a garage?
Before you proceed with your project, you have to make some preparations. You have to understand the zoning rules of your area and obtain the building permits from your town council. Planning the design is an important process that you are better off doing in collaboration with an architect and designer. You can plan your garage yourself if you have extensive experience in design, architectural planning and construction.
Before starting the project alone, make sure you have the needed skills, knowledge, and enough time to dedicate to your garage building. If you are inexperienced, it's better for you to hire a professional team to complete the project reliably and safely. If you have the needed abilities but you lack time, an alternative for you would be to hire a team to do a part of the project and do the other part yourself. For example, you can run electricity to the garage, install the lighting and hang the drywall.
The heavy job can be left to the contractors including building the foundation and walls, installing the windows and building the roof. You can find below the steps of building a garage.
1. Lay the foundation
First and foremost, you have to build the foundation of your garage that would be strong enough to support its weight as well as the weight of your vehicles. You will start by placing the foundation footers. Once they cure, install the rebar, and pour the concrete slab. The rebar will strengthen the concrete, making it more resistant to breaking and cracking. Leave the concrete to dry and cure.
2. Build out the framing
With the help of professional contractors, lay out and assemble the wall plates. Then, build out the walls with the corresponding openings for doors and windows. Place each wall section on the garage foundation and secure them together with nails and corner braces. Lastly, install the headers for the garage doors.
3. Install the exterior sheathing
The next important step is adding the sheathing, which is normally made of plywood or OSB board. The team will secure the sheathing to the garage wall plates, making sure to leave space for doors and windows. Then, they will cover the sheathing with house wrap that acts as insulation and protects from air leaks and water damage.
4. Build the roof
The pre-made roof trusses will be transported to your place by truck and installed over the garage frame with a crane. Then, the team will nail the trusses down and install the roofing membrane. Next come the shingles. The roofing contractors will place the shingles from bottom to top in overlapping rows.
5. Place the windows and door
If you have building experience, you can position the windows and interior door yourself. The help of an assistant may be needed. Or, you can leave this task to professionals. The interior door, connecting your house to the garage, must be solid and resistant to fire. When it comes to the exterior door, your best bet is to ask professionals for help because the door is heavy and dangerous to install alone.
6. Do the electrical and plumbing work
Once the garage structure is complete, electricians and plumbers can jump into action. While electrical work is indispensable as you will need lighting and power outlets to charge up your appliances, plumbing is not a dire necessity. You can call in the plumber only if you need to make a laundry area in your garage. Also, you need plumbing work if you want to install a sink to wash your hands after a dirty car repair.
7. Install insulation and drywood
Insulation will make your garage more resistant to weather elements and pests. If you install any plumbing, insulation will prevent the pipes from freezing. At this stage, you will also put drywood on the interior side of the garage.
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