crazy idea, but looking for suggestions

Discussion in 'Architecture & Engineering' started by missing, May 26, 2007.

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  1. missing Registered Member

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    i have a cmu or cinder block garage, 25x20 two openings, hip roof, comp shingles, i would like to raise the roof and put another story on top.

    anybody ever attempted this feat. or is it just crazy? if so how would you raise the top or how did you raise the top of your building to add a story.

    thanks
     
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  3. phonetic stroking my banjo Registered Senior Member

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    Depends on your local building regulations, I'd have thought.

    Even if you do a perfect job and it's safe, if you haven't asked permission, you might be told to knock it down or restore it to original height.

    Is it a proper concrete block or the lighter variety? I'm sure you've put some thought into it and hope you're not that silly, but if it's lighter stuff then it might not take the weight.

    You'll need some steel supports for the second storey. Not too sure how you'll mount them into the blocks.. concrete maybe?

    I think the best way to move the roof would be to take it apart and rebuild it in its new place. If you have access to a crane you might be able to get it off in one go, but most people don't or wouldn't want to pay to hire one.

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    I'm no builder, but it does sound a little crazy. Especially if you've never tried anything like this before.

    If you do go for it - make sure you're allowed to do it and plan everything in advance.
     
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  5. redarmy11 Registered Senior Member

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    What kind of story were you thinking of putting on it? It'll need to be quite short - I'd say 2000 words or less - otherwise no-one will bother to read it, and you'll just be completely wasting your time. I'd also recommend that you use something sturdy for the materials - paper will tend to blow away in high winds, leading to missing pages, and no small degree of confusion and annoyance on the part of your readers.

    Good luck!
     
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  7. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    You're not giving us the whole idea here. First, you can't just take the roof and "raise" it up into the sky ...the damned thing will fall apart and/or fall over.

    Okay. Take the old roof off, take out the rafters and ceiling joists. Add a course of CMU bond blocks to the existing CMU wall. Then fill the cavity with concrete and rebar and set the appropriate anchor bolts for the wood plate. Then build the second story walls and floors of wood. And a 20 foot span for floor joists will be pretty damned expensive - probably 2x12's at 12", or prefab joists would be better. Then add a new roof structure and you're done.

    See? Understand? If not, ask.

    Baron Max
     
  8. missing Registered Member

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    thanks, yes, i have given it some thought.

    hereis the long and short of the idea. old style cmu blocks. built 1946. jack roof up run i beams either on twenty span or across 25 foot span. cables to crane lift up or jack up. have wall spans pre built. say six foot tall. put on corners. attach via existing bolts in cmu. while the top is off inspect and see if more fill is needed in top of cmu blocks. this will be the sub floor, on top of this floor, deck for sub floor or new story added to structure. then go up another ten feet or so. pre built wall units go up, bolted and nailed in place. lower top to wall headers, bolt on. at this point i dont have to re roof and rebuild complete roof, repair holes where cables went thru. that is the general idea of this project. yes permits will be pulled and all legal so structure may remain. just looking for input if someone has attempted such a plan. the reason is that i have a 7 foot garage door x two. i am installing the six foot wall to raise the garage opening to 13 feet or so. then put a single story on top of that for storage, living or what have you. the i can install barn on the back side of garage, and drive thru into garage with RV. i have no access to the back of the property so i must use this method to get to the back. trees and house in the way of routing driveway to back.
    thanks for your input.
     
  9. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    Paying rent on a crane while you work is going to be expensive!

    I have to say that all of that work to jack up the roof and hold it in place while you build is going to more costly than to rebuild a new roof. And remember, you can re-use the existing roof lumber, etc.

    It just seems to me that you're going to a lot of effort and trouble to save something that's not worth saving.

    Baron Max
     
  10. missing Registered Member

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    thank you for the reply. that is what my figures came up with. you have answered my own question. i thought maybe there was a cheaper way to perform this task, and maybe i was not aware of the methodology. back to the plan, tear off top, build up the rooms, and re roof.
     
  11. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    Save the lumber and plywood decking if at all possible.

    And I'm sure that you've thought of it, but don't forget to provide weatherproofing/rainproofing if there's anything in the existing garage that needs protecting. ...or move it all out of the way, which is best.

    Good luck.

    Baron Max
     
  12. scorpius a realist Valued Senior Member

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    1,350
    Ive seen builders raise an old house by running steel I beams under it,
    lifting it with hydraulic jacks (crane would work too I suppose though those guys get something like 150$/hr)
    suporting it on wooden 10x10 beams, building basement under it,then lowering it back down on it.
    lifting a roof you'd have an added problem of wind.
    you should contact some builders who do this and ask what would it cost,me thinks it might be cheaper to dismantle the old garage and build new one.
    or maybe just removing the roof and then build second story on top of that.
     
  13. scorpius a realist Valued Senior Member

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    1,350
    just had another thought
    lifting the roof off,with a crane, puting it aside and then building your walls up and then setting the roof back on top would be easiest.
     
  14. Baron Max Registered Senior Member

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    Do you have any idea how much it would cost to rent a crane (twice!) that's large enough to do that job? I'm guessing that it would cost more, much more, than it would to build a new roof structure.

    Baron Max
     
  15. iceaura Valued Senior Member

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    30,994
    A guy in Minneapolis tried something like that with his house a few months ago - he used building jacks and temporary supports braced off the existing first floor walls, some kind of complicated internal stabilizing I never got a good look at.

    No crane, everything from the inside. The jacking was done slowly, in sequence around the outer rim, nothing getting too far out of level.

    It fell about two months into the construction phase, almost killed a couple people in the basement working on the plumbing. Kind of a disaster.

    But it was up, in the air and ready to go, for weeks before it fell. So the idea is OK.
     
  16. Facial Valued Senior Member

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    missing, you've either need to
    1. Hire a contractor to build the new story or
    2. Conjure a whole group of *very* dedicated friends to build the mess for you.
     
  17. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    You could rent a small backhoe that could lift the floor joists into position then secure them yourself. There are many ways to do this project as long as you plan it around the building codes where you live. Wooden floor joists for the second floor would be fine also and those you and a friend could lift. As for building up the exterior walls from that point on will be easy and then frame it all out.
     
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