leeklm
Well-known member
Yes, those words from my wife still echo in my mind from last June. What can I say, it was a beautiful Saturday, and the cement guys were available!
Although the following is somewhat of a build thread, it is more of a look back at the build... What did I like, what would I do different, etc.. I am by no stretch a carpenter or garage expert, but thought I would share my experience, and if you first time builders out there can pick up an idea or two, then great!
The largest slab allowed in my area is 1,300 sqf, so I decided on a 34x38. I actually had the plans for 12 years, but finally decided to put them to use. My original plans called for 12ft walls, 10ft drs, and even a rear door so that you could pull a trailer straight through. But, I wanted to scale back a little, and felt that something back to "standard" garage size was sufficient. Here are a few shots from the beginning...
The one thing i decided not to skimp on was floor heat. I spent a winter working in a buddies garage with radiant heat and was hooked! The floors were so warm I was too hot in my work boots, and had to wear sneakers!
As seen in the picks, 2" XPS and 6mil poly was used under the slab. I also ran 2" foam up along the slab and 8" block. In hindsight, I should have dug out along the forms and install foam down about 4ft before the pour. I started to dig down along the slab afterwards, but did not like how the dirt would fall out from under the slab footings (very lose and sandy soil). Figured I would do more damage than good if I kept digging. So for now, the foam only goes the depth of the slab.
I worked with Radiantec.com for the pex supplies, heat analysis, etc. The plans called for a single zone with 5 runs of approx 240ft each. I used staples to hold pex to the foam, then put down rebar & risers. The complete package from Radiantec (less boiler) was $2,300 incl shipping.
And yes, the cement guys did show up on the morning of my daughters grad party, but they were out by noon, and I really did not participate, so all went well with party prep...
Although the following is somewhat of a build thread, it is more of a look back at the build... What did I like, what would I do different, etc.. I am by no stretch a carpenter or garage expert, but thought I would share my experience, and if you first time builders out there can pick up an idea or two, then great!
The largest slab allowed in my area is 1,300 sqf, so I decided on a 34x38. I actually had the plans for 12 years, but finally decided to put them to use. My original plans called for 12ft walls, 10ft drs, and even a rear door so that you could pull a trailer straight through. But, I wanted to scale back a little, and felt that something back to "standard" garage size was sufficient. Here are a few shots from the beginning...
The one thing i decided not to skimp on was floor heat. I spent a winter working in a buddies garage with radiant heat and was hooked! The floors were so warm I was too hot in my work boots, and had to wear sneakers!
As seen in the picks, 2" XPS and 6mil poly was used under the slab. I also ran 2" foam up along the slab and 8" block. In hindsight, I should have dug out along the forms and install foam down about 4ft before the pour. I started to dig down along the slab afterwards, but did not like how the dirt would fall out from under the slab footings (very lose and sandy soil). Figured I would do more damage than good if I kept digging. So for now, the foam only goes the depth of the slab.
I worked with Radiantec.com for the pex supplies, heat analysis, etc. The plans called for a single zone with 5 runs of approx 240ft each. I used staples to hold pex to the foam, then put down rebar & risers. The complete package from Radiantec (less boiler) was $2,300 incl shipping.
And yes, the cement guys did show up on the morning of my daughters grad party, but they were out by noon, and I really did not participate, so all went well with party prep...
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