I have just moved into a new home with a double garage. The area past where
the door opens (19ft x 10ft) has a 13ft high ceiling. I would like to
construct a floor with an access stairway over this area for storage. It
should be able to carry a load equal to normal household floors (whatever
that is, I live in Ontario, Canada). One 19ft side must span the garage. The
other three sides can be attached to load bearing walls or supported from
the foundation. Is there a way to build this without a pole that is not
cost prohibitive?
TIA, John.
Not in any particular order:
1) Architect/structural engineer
2) Local building dept
3) Get a quote from a contractor, and then just do it yourself.
(Although, I feel guilty if I do that).
I would assume (and remember this is Usenet and you don't know me) that
at LEAST, you are looking at a good sized parallam. Steel would do it
easily, but it can be costly. Is your roof strong enough to drop a
supporting cable to that long side? Some of the weight the storage floor
would be transferred to the roof, and then throughout the walls. Just a
thought....
Mark L. (not pretending to know anything about engineering)
John Wilson wrote:
> I have just moved into a new home with a double garage. The area past where
> the door opens (19ft x 10ft) has a 13ft high ceiling. I would like to
> construct a floor with an access stairway over this area for storage. It
> should be able to carry a load equal to normal household floors (whatever
> that is, I live in Ontario, Canada). One 19ft side must span the garage. The
> other three sides can be attached to load bearing walls or supported from
> the foundation. Is there a way to build this without a pole that is not
> cost prohibitive?
>
> TIA, John.
>
>
Thanks for the input everyone, I must say I had not considered what may
happen to the new home warranty, I shall check into that.
John.
<GJP> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
"John Wilson" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> I have just moved into a new home with a double garage. The area past
> where the door opens (19ft x 10ft) has a 13ft high ceiling. I would
> like to construct a floor with an access stairway over this area for
> storage. It should be able to carry a load equal to normal household
> floors (whatever that is, I live in Ontario, Canada). One 19ft side
> must span the garage. The other three sides can be attached to load
> bearing walls or supported from the foundation. Is there a way to
> build this without a pole that is not cost prohibitive?
>
> TIA, John.
>
>
John;
Best visit your local Building Department..they will tell what is
possible and what is not for free.(G)
If they say it can be done, then you hire a Arch.Des./Architect/Engineer
to design it...that will cost you money unless you know one of these
types.
In Ontario any additional structure in or attached to a residence
requires a building permit...it also might effect your New Home Warrenty
if you have just moved into a "new" home rather than a resale.
Best be safe than sorry.(G)
GJP
"John Wilson" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> I have just moved into a new home with a double garage. The area past
> where the door opens (19ft x 10ft) has a 13ft high ceiling. I would
> like to construct a floor with an access stairway over this area for
> storage. It should be able to carry a load equal to normal household
> floors (whatever that is, I live in Ontario, Canada). One 19ft side
> must span the garage. The other three sides can be attached to load
> bearing walls or supported from the foundation. Is there a way to
> build this without a pole that is not cost prohibitive?
>
> TIA, John.
>
>
John;
Best visit your local Building Department..they will tell what is
possible and what is not for free.(G)
If they say it can be done, then you hire a Arch.Des./Architect/Engineer
to design it...that will cost you money unless you know one of these
types.
In Ontario any additional structure in or attached to a residence
requires a building permit...it also might effect your New Home Warrenty
if you have just moved into a "new" home rather than a resale.
Best be safe than sorry.(G)
GJP
John Wilson wrote:
> I have just moved into a new home with a double garage. The area past
> where the door opens (19ft x 10ft) has a 13ft high ceiling. I would like
> to construct a floor with an access stairway over this area for storage.
> It should be able to carry a load equal to normal household floors
> (whatever that is, I live in Ontario, Canada). One 19ft side must span the
> garage. The other three sides can be attached to load bearing walls or
> supported from
> the foundation. Is there a way to build this without a pole that is not
> cost prohibitive?
The obvious solution is to make either a truss or a box-beam on the side
facing the garage. Actual details have to be worked out depending on code
requirements--plan on doing a load test. Any engineering text used in an
"introduction to structures" course should tell you how to design it--box
beams and trusses aren't that hard--you can almost "common sense" them.
For construction details (what kind of fasteners to use and how close to
space them and whatnot to get the sheer and tensile strengths you need and
how much force particular woods can support and whatnot) see
<http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/FPLGTR/fplgtr113/fplgtr113.htm>--you
might want to buy a paper copy of it.
> TIA, John.
--
--John
Reply to jclarke at ae tee tee global dot net
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)