Wooden Garages

Expand your living space indoors and out. if you need more room, with a sundeek-carport addition. The carport doubles as a sun-deck—a secluded area adjacent to second-floor rooms for sunbathing and relaxation.

Build the structure on a concrete slab, with footings for the posts to suit local frost conditions and building codes. Use 4-b\ -6-inch posts at the house wall and front of the structure, with 4-by-14 beams across. At the center. 6-by-6-inch posts support a 6-by-14 beam. Joists are 2-by-6s and extend past the beams so that the 2-by-4 railing uprights can be nailed to them. Along the other two sides, these uprights are bolted to doubled joists as shown in the side section. Be sure the roof has adequate pitch for drainage.

Before the roof area is used as a deck area, it must be made “traffic-proof” so that wear w ill not cause leaks. Since most flat-type roofs that would be used for deck purposes are usually already covered with a webbing of impregnated felt, tar, or asphalt and gravel, or simply a layer of 90-pound felt rolled roofing, an additional built-up arrangement must be provided to withstand the traffic.

Where the roof slope exceeds a 1/4 inch per foot pitch, to provide the necessary drainage you can use anything from 2-bv-2s up to 2-by-10s cut on a diagonal across the face to form long wedges or shims to level the deck floor. The “shims” should be spaced at 16-inch intervals, the usual spacing for floor joists. The decking boards—spaced 3/8 to 3/4 inch apart—are then fastened to the shims, or the shims may be used to support square decking platforms. The advantage of the latter is that they may be lifted up at will for roof repairs underneath or for recovery of lost items that may have fallen through. In either case, the outer end of the shims is closed w ith a fascia of the same material used for the flooring boards. Use an outside railing material and design that will blend the sundeck into the house.

Exterior-grade plywood, special fiberglass deck panels, or fiberglass cloth, as well as specially designed roof decking materials, may also be used as coverings for roof-top decks. These should be installed as directed by their manufacturer. In addition, if your roof is covered with roll roofing, there are several so-called deck coatings that can be painted or sprayed over the surface. While these products will convert the average roof into a suitable deck for sunning, they are not applicable for heavy service.

Deck and post details for the carport/sundeck.

A carport and covered patio shelter can be attached to the rear or side of the home. An addition like this will keep your car out of the weather and provide shelter and storage for your patio and garden equipment.

Various ways to locate the carport/patio shelter on your property. The carport/patii shelter can also be built as a freestanding unit at the rear of the yard.

To lay out the slab, follow the general procedure described earlier in this chapter and in Chapter 3. When slab layout is considered square, dig a 2-foot wide trench to a depth below the local frost line for the foundation wall along the rear and right side. Dig 2-foot square holes at each post footing location. Now set batter boards approximately 2 feet out from the corners and the intersection of the post line with the rear wall and the front edge of the slab. Stretch strings to locate the outside face of the foundation wall and the post line. Check for square again by taping the diagonals to the corners where the strings intersect. Then, stake the 2-by-6s on edge for the footings along the rear and right side. Build the wall forms for the foundation to the required height with 2-by-4s and plywood or shiplap. Set the outside form panels on the top edge of the 2-by-6 footing forms and nail them into position with the inside face lined up with the batter board strings. Set the inside form panels so that the forms are 6 inches apart. Install one row of form ties about halfway up from the top of the footing and nail the wood bracing on 2-by-4s across the top where required. Install wood spreaders between the forms as needed. Build bottomless boxes for the post footings from 2-by-6 scrap lumber. Assemble 6-by-6-inch plinth forms from scrap shiplap and nail them to the 2-by-4s fastened across the post footing forms. Pour concrete into the forms and then insert a post base clip into the concrete foundation at each post location. Insert the plinths into the clip at each post footing. The 2-by-4 plates should be pressure treated with a water repellent.

Using a carpenter’s level, set the plates on top of the freshly poured wall with 20d nails driven into the bottom side to act as plate anchors. Remove the formwork after the concrete has sufficiently hardened. Cut 4-by-4-inch posts to length; fasten with 1/2-inch lag screws to the metal clips. Also, position and fasten the posts to the straps from the footing plinths. Now nail a 2-by-4 continuous plate across the posts on the right carport wall. Cut 4-by-10-inch beams to length and fasten to the top plate with metal joist anchors on both sides of each beam. Use galvanized metal tie straps and nails in other locations where the beams are connected directly to posts. Keep the beams aligned with temporary bracing across the tops. It would be well at this stage of construction to apply two coats of stain to all the beams, posts, and plates.

Prime both the sides and the edges of the exterior plywood wall panels with a suitable primer before installation. When the primer is dry, fasten to the posts, plates, and beams with 8d noncorrosive box or casing nails, 6 inches on center along all edges. After applying a coat of primer to the “A” face and edges of the 3/4-inch exterior plywood roof panels, fasten them to the tops of the beams with the end edges staggered. Use aluminum panel clips at 16-inch centers and fasten the panels with 8d common nails 6 inches on center along the edges at the bearings. Install 2-by-2-ineh blocking between the beams at the outside edges to provide nailing for the l-by-3-inch fir fascia which should be back primed before installation.

Roof layout and slab details of the carport/patio shelter. When applying the plywood sheathing over the wood beam, be sure to stagger the joints over the bearing surfaces.

Application of the built-up roof is the next step. Call in a professional roof applicator for this job. He can recommend the best and most economical roof to meet the requirements in your locality. Have the roofer or a sheet metal shop make up and install the shop-primed galvanized gravel stop to insure a neat installation.

The slab and posts are set in the same manner as for the shed roof construction. The back two posts should fasten to the house with nails, lag screws, or lead anchor bolts. The 4-by- 12-inch beams on the sides and front of the carport should be placed on the posts and held by heavy-metal angles, using screws or bolts as fasteners.

Simplified construction drawing of an attached gable roof carport. Note that this has a ridge board which is constructed in the same manner as described.

A l-by-8-inch ridge board is fastened to a 2-by-6 cleat, fastened to the studs in the house. It is also held by a 2-by-4 support connected to the front beam. The rafters, which are usually spaced 24 inches on centers, can be cut to length with the proper angle cut at the ridge and cave, and with notches provided for the side beams. The desired roof pitch—which should be the same as the house or at least complement it—determines the eave angle at which to cut the rafter ends. The pitch also determines the angle of the notches to get 3-inch contacts with the beams. Put up the back rafter first, fastening it to the house studs wherever possible. The front rafter is installed next. The top edge of each rafter should be level with the top of the ridge board. Toenail each rafterto the ridge board with 8d nails, then secure the other end to the beam w ith 16d nails. Put the remaining rafters up a pair at a time, checking the ridge board occasionally as you go along to make sure it remains level. Nail 2-by-4 cross ties to every other rafter to prev ent any tendency the beams may have to move inward or outward.

After the sheathing is applied, place a layer of 15-pound felt over it. Follow this with a double-thickness of shingles as the lowest course. Overhang the shingles 1/2 inch at the eaves and 1/4 inch at the front gable to form a drip edge. Be sure to use flashing between the old and new structures to keep the weather out. Drive 1-inch galvanized roofing nails 1/2 inch above the slots in the shingles and 1 inch to the side of each shingle’s centerline. The bottom of each course should just cover the ends of the slots in the previous course. A metal cap strip covers the ridge.

A carport—whether attached or free-standing—is the easiest home to build for your car. If you’ve converted your garage into an attractive livingspace or a good-size workshop, it’s often possible to locate a carport in front of the old garage. This makes it possible to use the in-place driveway. Or, you may place the carport on the side of the house and make the cover an extension of the existing roof lines. This makes it possible to use the in-place driveway. If this isn’t feasible, a frequent solution is erecting a shed-type structure against a wall of the house.

Either way, construction procedures can be minimized by viewing the carport as a husky frame that is there to support a roof. Actually, there are three major phases in building a carport: laying a slab, building supporting posts, and adding a roof.

Laying a slab.

Lay out the edges of the slab with string lines as described on page 34; check for square by measuring diagonally across from corner to corner. When dimensions are the same on each diagonal, the slab will be square. Remember that the slab must line up with the walls of the existing house, and if it is to be poured against the foundation, the slab must be secured to the old structure as discussed in Chapter 3.

Level the edge of the slab against the house, 4 to 6 inches below the siding or top of the foundation wall. Slope the front end of the form down and away from the house for drainage, 2 inches for each 10 feet. Dig a 1-foot wide trench to a depth below the local frost line on three sides of the slab to act as the footer; the house’s foundation will perform this task on the fourth side of the slab. Excavate the remaining area of slab to a depth of 4 to 6 inches and fill with pit-run gravel or crushed rock. In areas where the ground freezes, reinforce the concrete w ith 6- by-6 welded steel mesh or 3/8-inch reinforcing bars crisscrossed on 12-inch centers.

Proper way to set forms and pour the concrete for a carport slab The slab should be tied into the house foundation as described in Chapter 3. The "U" strap shown in detail above may be used in place of the hold-down bolts or post base clamp.

Fill the form with concrete (1 part portland cement, 3 parts sand. 4 parts gravel, and minimum water) and strike off the level with a straight-edged 2-by-4 across the top of the form. As soon as the concrete begins to set, finish the surface with a wood float first. A smooth finish is desired; then steel trowel the surface. Work from the plank bridge across the floor area. Use an edger around the sides and a groover to make a rectangular pattern, if desired. Insert 1/2-inch anchor bolts or post base clips into the concrete slab at each post location. Application of the built-up roof is the next step. Call in a professional roof applicator for this job. He can recommend the best and most economical roof to meet the requirements in your locality. Have the roofer or a sheet metal shop make up and install the shop-primed galvanized gravel stop to insure a neat installation.

Prepare for the pouring and finishing of the patio and carport slab by setting 2-by-4 cedar screeds in a 4-by-4-foot pattern. Set the screeds to effect a slope of approximately 1/8 inch: 1 to 0 inches from the rear to the front of the carport and the same from the front of the storage cabinets to the edge of the patio slab. The edge of the slab at the storage cabinet fronts is deepened, and reinforcing steel is installed at 24-inch centers to keep the slab from cracking at this point. To finish the carport and patio slab, use a broom finish, which is accomplished by carefully dragging a stiff broom across the surface as the concrete begins to set. If a pebbled texture is desired for the patio, brush the concrete with a stiff broom approximately 4 hours after pouring and hose off the top surface of cement particles using generous amounts of clean water.

A double garage with a porch that can be used for a recreation center in the summer and foi storage in winter (Courtesy of Weyerhaeuser Co.).

This double garage provides easily accessible storage for garden and recreation equipment.

A double garage and boat port keeps all rolling and floating stock under one roof. Convenient storage unit divides space.

A double garage with optional storage area can be built with the storage space along the sides or back, or both (Courtesy of Weyerhaeuser Co.).

This double garage and playhouse has two large built-ins for tools or household items, plus a children’s playhouse.

A single garage with optional storage permits you to select the size requirements that will tit your storage needs.