A second-story room addition of a second story over an existing garage could significantly change your house’s curb appeal and provide an extra living space. But, in any remodeling project, the process of adding a story comes with many different levels of complexity and issues.
Despite its complexity, one of the most straightforward second-story additions is building a new living space over an existing garage. Most garages with two cars in our area range from 500-440 square feet. It is enough for a charming master suitor few bedrooms for kids, and a full bathroom or a bedroom and laundry room that is nice or a combination of the rooms.
Here are some difficulties of building a second story over the Garage
1) A most apparent problem will be aligning the newly constructed garage floor to the second floor.
It can be a challenge and usually involves reducing or raising the height of garage walls and making changes to the door and window headers. To ensure that the old and new floors are aligned correctly.
2) Blending the new exterior with the current one so that it can’t get seen from the perspective of fit and finish and an aesthetic standpoint.
A garage is a vast structure, and the architect or designer should be cautious to ensure that the garage does not distract attention from it. The exterior finish on the garage and primary residence could be over 20 years old. Finding shingles, siding, or bricks that fit the house’s current design is challenging. The new addition can blend in with or enhance the old house when a second story gets added above an existing garage.
3) Making a solid flooring with the wide gaps of the garage beneath.
Garages typically range between 20 and 24 feet from front to rear and side to side. The long spans of open space can make it challenging to create a sturdy floor. The design of a floor system that can accommodate the rooms and people above and not hinder parking for cars below can be challenging. The foundation should be strong enough that it conforms to the guidelines, doesn’t bounce, and tiles do not break. The stronger the floor, the less bounce, and the fewer posts get required in the garage. The problem is preventing your new feet from blocking the garage door when it opens and being in line with the second floor.
4) Making sure that there is a balance between heat and relaxation in this new area.
A balanced heating and cooling system for the new space is vital and may be a challenge.
The HVAC system’s task is in the comfort of the people living there, energy efficiency, and keeping pipes safe against freezing. The majority of HVAC units in our region get located in basements, which makes them ineffective and inefficient for providing adequate heating and cooling over the garage. A different design for the system is often needed. The good news is there are plenty of great options to complete this task.
5) Smoothly transition from the current interior living space to the newly created area above the garage.
Moving from the area of living to the space above the garage could be a challenge. There are times when opening in a bedroom or bathroom must be sacrificed to gain access to the area to the garage’s roof. In contrast, some homes require only a tiny modification to the interior, like removing an existing closet at the end of a hall to gain access to an additional space.
6) The extension of drainage pipes in the new bathroom or laundry room over garages can be highly complicated and affect other home rooms.
The location of the current household wastewater drainage system can considerably increase the complexity. Suppose the drain’s connection gets situated in the middle of your home. In that case, it could significantly damage the drywall, framing reconfiguration, cabinet removal, or moving the duct to connect the new drain over the existing one.
The challenges associated with building a second story above a garage could be significant. However, suppose you own the perfect house in the ideal neighborhood and require additional space. In that case, this is a method to increase the size.
Ottawa Home Pros provides home addition services within the Ottawa region. Please contact us at (613) 288-9145 or email us at info@ottawahomepros.com to request a quote.
