Community Forums

LindyT · 02-07-2011, 01:52 AM

My wife and I are relocating to be closer to the plethora of specialists and doctors my son will be following up with.

We've found a beautiful house on 10 acres. It has a brand new 50x30 garage/shop - matches the home with hardiplank, windows, etc. 200A service, already wired with 50A for RV. The problem? It has 10ft doors! Gah!!

Before making an offer, I'm trying to decide what the best approach to the garage is as that is a selling point for me -- we won't be traveling much for a couple of years and I'd like to protect my investment.

Does anyone know what, if anything, can be done and any idea whatsoever a ballpark figure for doing so? Raise the roof? Raise the entire structure and place it on a block foundation (that seems like a lot of work with the windows and doors)?

Thanks in advance for any insight!

Route 66 · 02-07-2011, 04:43 AM

I would think that raising roof would be preferable and the cheapest.

Also raising the whole building would put the windows too high.

You need a 14' high door.

p.s. great looking building!

RustyJC · 02-07-2011, 04:55 AM

OK, here's a crazy, off-the-wall thought. Will the terrain allow you to take a loading dock approach to the problem? Can you chip out a section of slab, excavate a gradual approach that would wind up 4' deep at the garage and then pave the bottom and seal the walls of the excavation? You would need a sump pump to keep it dry, but could replace the 10' door on the excavated section with a 14' door.

It's early in the morning and I've only had 2 cups of coffee, but the thought came to me that, if you can't raise the building, lower the ground.

Rusty

Seajay · 02-07-2011, 06:14 AM

One thought....... From the photos it appears that there is at least three feet from the top of the door to the ''peek'' of the roof inside the structure. If the ''studs'' are on two foot centers I would guess you have close to four feet from the top of the door to the ''inside peek'' of the roof. You need to measure this to be sure but if you have this much room (?) you may be able to put ''swing barn doors'' on the structure and increase the door height to the ''peek of the roof'' and be able to just ''squeak'' your coach inside if you get dead center in the middle of the structure.
In my garage the ''roll up door'' takes out about two feet distance to the ceiling of the garage. Go look and measure carefully and if this works you will have to pay me ten cents for the good idea and if it dont work .. I NEVER KNEW YOU...

God bless our troops..

Seajay · 02-07-2011, 06:17 AM

Upon closer inspection of the photo, that is a push button door, I can tell by the light on the back of it. You probably have at least two foot and probably more from the top of the door to the peek of the roof inside the structure. I could tell you for sure if I knew the centers of the studs because I could use that as a ''guage'' to measure the height of the peek of the ceiling ...... good luck

haulinhazmat · 02-07-2011, 06:19 AM

Lower the ground would be my advice.

hondo122 · 02-07-2011, 08:22 AM

With some engineering it may be to cut out a section of the bottom cords of the trusses. It would take some careful engineering carpentry but it may be possible. Cheapest solution if all checks out.

doc · 02-07-2011, 08:38 AM

With this being a stick built structure, you would have a huge job raising the entire building, not to mention the cost. I have raised a metal garage successfully, but wood and siding might cause it to fall apart. Taking the roof off would be a huge job as well, but might be easier if you are able to reuse trusses and some of the decking.
Hondo has the best idea if the trusses can be re-engineered and remain strong. You sure as heck don't want a bunch of snow piling up on a weakened roof with your coach inside.

62Morgan · 02-07-2011, 08:40 AM

You don't need 14 feet of continuous headroom; just at the doors. Solely for roofmounted antennas do you need this & a backing-in will allow you to keep the 14' headroom confined to the first 6 feet (4 trusses) area. I believe you can modify the trusses to allow this room.

Since it has 12 ft. studs...the trusses bottoms are at approx. 12'-3" off the floor. My motorcoach with roof air needs 12'-7 as a minimum heatpump clearance. Therefore you need mere inches. Air-dumping of bags might gain you a few inches; but I'd want to be safe and not rely on this method. You could saw-cut the concrete floor to obtain 4 inches. But water vapor intrusion would require you repave the removed portion...giving you a tripping hazard unless you ramp the sides and excavate, say, 12 inches and repave 6 inches.

Alternatively, you might notch the bottom chord member of the trusses [only to the extent needed to clear travel to the rearmost a/c unit. A new horizontal chord member & gusset connections could be worked-out by any truss fabrication engineer. The bottommost member is in tension and a 12" vertical cut-out (properly reinforced) is not unreasonable.

RedneckExpress · 02-07-2011, 05:46 PM

Get a couple of big Glue lam beams from a building salvager and run them parallel to the door opening with a steel or wooden post set every so many feet as needed to support the trusses, then anchor them to it, and then reinforce the middle area and cut out the original center truss piece. Then raise the door height .

mikron · 02-07-2011, 05:54 PM

Build a dormer at the door and install and outside roll up door.

Half Dimes · 02-07-2011, 06:01 PM

I'd contact a professional house mover to give you a price to raise the entire structure, put in a new foundation wall all around, so the building would be high enough for a 14' door. Then bring in dirt to grade the front and put steps up to the walk-in door. With some landscaping, the structure and windows won't look unduly high. The high part will likely be the price.

Pusherman · 02-07-2011, 06:07 PM

I built my barn without my current motorhome in consideration. Made the ceilings 12'1" in height. Original door was 11'3". No Joy.

Luckily, my Journey is maybe 11'6" in height. But here's what I did:

I added a roll-up door which fits in between the ceiling/roof trusses. And if it doesn't, move a truss.

I now have full 12'1" clearance on the door. My roof pitch accomodates the roll-up door. Check it out. It may be your cheapest option, depending on the interior height of the barn.

bldrbob · 02-07-2011, 08:00 PM

It looks like you have 12 foot walls. I think a building mover could support the roof structure ,cut it free and raise it. Then add a kneewall whatever height needed for your motorhome.Reframe the overhead door for your needs.The wall would need some angle braces to stabilize from old wall to the raised trusses.Cutting the bottom chord of a truss is not a good idea.Another option would be remove the roof entirely and have a mansard or dutch colonial roof truss designed to give higher ceiling height in center.