 | Art Bryan
is president and owner of Southwestern Remodeling Contractors, Inc. Art started Southwestern Remodeling Contractors in 1970. Southwestern is a fully-licensed residential and commercial licensed general contractor in Wichita and the surrounding counties. Art has been a member of the Wichita Area Home Builders Association and the National Remodel Council since 1974. In mid-2000 Southwestern received the distinction of being named one of the "Top 25 Most Diversified Remodeling Companies in the United States.” Southwestern is listed as the 84th Top Remodeler in the country by Qualified Remodeling Magazine. Art can be contacted at his office at (316) 263-1239, fax at (316) 263-6230, or you can e-mail him at ARTSWR@aol. Com |
Home Improvement
2001-09-01 11:37:00
Converting a garage
Question: We need more living space. It appears our only answer is converting our garage. Is it possible to do so without it still looking like a garage from the outside? Can it blend seamless with the rest of the House?
Answer: Yes it is possible for your conversion to blend, if it is done properly.The largest challenge a professional contractor faces when doing garage conversions is that when they drive away from the completed project there is no appearance of work having been done. We would remove the driveway. We recommend removing a minimum of 6' to 8' of driveway and reconfiguring the approach sidewalk if necessary.The first thing to consider is the use of the living area. Will you be incorporating it into the existing Living Room, making it into a Family or Recreation Room, or using it as a Bedroom and Bath?All of these may be considered but remember, in most areas of the country, there are different building codes pertaining to the use of an area as a bedroom. A window must meet certain "exit" requirements. If a bath or wet bar area is to be installed, the concrete floor will need to be removed. A crawl space must be excavated for installation of plumbing and HAVC requirements. In most cases the electrical will have to be upgraded to codes for Living Area versus garage area.Most professional contractors have state of the art design systems. This gives them the ability to generate computer printouts and drawings, allowing you the opportunity to "see" your conversion. Changes can be made with prior to beginning the project. The next step in the process of incorporating your garage area into the home begins with closing the garage door area. A footing and stem wall is poured and the opening is framed in. This is the ideal place to install a window or set of windows. A floor system is installed to bring the floor level of the garage up to match the floor level of the existing house. A vapor barrier and treated wood are required on concrete. This is accomplished with the floor trusses. A floor decking is then glued and nailed down. Your choices of floor coverings are practically unlimited.The doorway size between the garage and house can be changed to accommodate any number of door selections. Also, you may want to have the opening cased and left open to the interior of the house.The electrical wiring, and heating/air ductwork can be installed before the walls are closed.Insulation is installed and then the walls and ceiling are sheetrocked. There are any number of finishes that can be applied to the walls and the ceiling. Now it is time to finish the exterior of your room. Here lies one of the biggest challenges for the contractor. This should have been discussed with the homeowner at the very beginning of the project. The homeowner would have a choice of blending with the existing material on the house, or to make changes. If the contractor is unable to locate material to match the existing structure and cover the garage door opening, there are still a number of options.If matching siding material can not be found, you may want to incorporate a brick wainscot, or update and change the front exterior by rebuilding it from corner to corner. New and different siding may be selected or you may want to change the look completely. Some of your choices include, brick, stone or drivet.Last but not least, the contractor’s final step will be to bring in topsoil and back fill the area so that the ground will be ready for the homeowner to handle the landscaping, You will want your home and new garage conversion to be aesthetically pleasing to you and your surrounding neighborhood.
