Closing in my carport

[superdave1984]

OK, me and the wife want to close in the two car carport and make a master suite. It is already closed in on 3 sides so this should be easy right? I'm pretty handy, but have never built an exterior wall nor do I know how to go about doing this so we don't have water problems. How do I build this wall? The opening is all that I have to worry about, it's around 20 feet wide. Do I need to put down concrete blocks or just frame that sucker and go? The house has stone on the outside and there's no way we can match it, so we are open to any suggestions about that. We want a bay window too. The inside will be a piece of cake, I just don't want any water issues. I'll pay somebody to do the electrical, I want somebody to sue if my house burns down.

 

[TheTopher]

Just drape a tarp over the open end and call it a day. Why do people always have to overcomplicate things...



Just kidding, mate Hopefully somebody a little more worthwhile than myself will be able to help you.

 

[Doofy]

You should probably check for building code requirements or for any permits that may be needed. DIY is a great, if the work is done safely and properly. There is info available on-line or at the Library showing how to build walls and such. Good Luck !

 

[adsm08]

I helped build a church building from the ground up a few years ago. We framed it up, but the plywood over the outside, insulated and sheet rocked the inside, and put up siding. There was some wire work too, but I'm not much for house wiring.

 

[Twisted_Steel]

Just throw up a garage door.. and open it for those warm nights

 

[84stealthranger]

Just throw up a garage door.. and open it for those warm nights

haha ive seen some one who did that. what r u trying to do like more details please i do alot of that kinda work

 

[bmonee5]

there are alot of ways to do it. I would pour a concrete stem wall to build the wall on top of but its hard to say without seeing it all... You would be very suprised how easy electrical is to do if you just read a little about it or talked to someone about it, you could probably save some money too. But if you get too deep in and get lost you'll save money to have someone do it from the begining without having to fix your problems. Just make sure you put good insulation in the walls, sufficient heat in the house and don't skimp on anything before, over do it if anything you'll thank yourself later, oh and put a vapor barrier inbetween the sheeting and siding!

 

[Doofy]

Uh...the vapor barrier goes behind the sheetrock on the inside. A breathable house wrap goes on the outside between the sheathing and the siding.

 

[Sunk]

If it already has a concrete pad you could drill into it with a roto-hammer and drive pins into it to create the bottom plate of that wall. Put up a couple pictures, those always help.

 

[superdave1984]

Sorry it has been so long getting pics. Stupid camera phone...
We will get a building permit and I most likely will contract the framing in of the wall, the electrical, and the heat/air. There is ductwork close on two walls so maybe tie into that and run it through the wall? But, if I were to try and tackle the wall myself I need some tips on what to do.

 

[LearjetMinako]

It needs a garage door and a couch to sleep on. Then your master suite is done.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Ok...

It might be best if you can find a trustworthy contractor to do the work because they will know how things should be done and can handle any surprises.

I wouldn't mind doing the work but I'm not sure you'd want to pay for me to come down there and do it, lol. (I have my own company... Clicky )

You could either build the wall on the concrete slab or you could pad the framing up the height of a concrete block. It sort of depends on how good of slope you have away from where the framing will be. Based on the pictures I'm guessing you could get away without the concrete block, although if you want to frame a floor above the concrete floor, it might be wise to do the concrete block.

Framing a floor on top of the concrete floor will allow you to use carpet without having to worry about moisture being transmitted through the concrete. Framing a floor could be either done with pressure-treated lumber sitting on the concrete or with standard framing lumber sitting on pressure treated blocking. This would also give you a place to run any electrical or mechanical (hvac and plumbing) that would be easily hidden as well as a possibly warmer floor.

The bottom plate of a wall if framed should be pressure treated. Actually the best is to secure a pressure treated board, then build the wall with top and bottom plates of regular framing lumber and set it on top of the pressure treated plate. The pressure treated should have a foam sealant strip between it and the concrete.

You will probably have to strip back some of the interior finishing in the garage and may have to nail blocking in place to help secure the wall.

Stone can be put on the outside if you find someone skilled in doing stone work. Or it could be finished with siding or a number of other techniques.

A bow or bay window can be difficult for someone who has never worked with that sort of window to install properly. They require some care in shimming and sometimes require a hidden cable kit to keep them in place.

Wiring is typically not all that difficult, but I've seen "professionals" butcher wiring before. You're better off finding someone who knows what they're doing, risking a house fire is stupid.

If there is no vapor barrier under the concrete, you will want to either build a floor on top of the concrete or do something else to deal with the possible problem of moisture migrating up through the concrete. An epoxy floor coating (such as the rustoleum garage floor coatings) will NOT combat that. In fact, they will delaminate and cause no end to problems if there is no vapor barrier.

Off the top of my head, that's what I can think of.

 

[superdave1984]

I have no idea what's behind the siding on the inside. I did consider raising the floor to be level with the rest of the house, but that's another expense that may not be necessary. We want to do this right, but also do as much as possible ourselves. My original thought process was to use treated lumber directly to the concrete with adhesive and drilling into the slab and putting in anchors or nails. Then just frame the wall and put up wrap, sheathing, insulation, vapor barrier, drywall. Then carpet the floor with a good pad under it. I installed flooring for 20 years so that part's gonna be a snap. I also didn't know if I should put down a vapor barrier on the floor or if a liquid sealant can be used. With the way it was built there has never been any water around the sides so I am confident there won't be any later. We thought a bow window would be better since it isn't a single unit and wouldn't need the extra support of a bay. Just build the wall like we want the angle of the window and install windows. Seems simple, prolly isn't.
Also, I was told years ago that if you tape a trash bag to the floor and be sure it is sealed all the way around, leave it overnight, if you pull it up and there is discoloration or condensation you have a moisture issue with the slab. Never tested this theory however.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Taping a plastic bag or piece of plastic to a floor overnight may or may not show if you really have a moisture problem. Part of that depends on the humidity and weather conditions. Under most conditions though it would probably work. If you do have a moisture problem like that, you're pretty much going to have to build an elevated floor and put some sort of vent in it to the outside. Despite what anyone says, if you have a concrete slab that does not have a proper moisture barrier under it, it's about impossible to put one on top and have good results for indoor situations. It might not be as critical in TN as it is in PA, but it still has the potential for problems.

From experience, you're far better off to do it the right way the first time instead of having a problem later - it's cheaper that way.

You will want to use a foam sill-seal between the pressure treated and the concrete. Use of adhesive with it is optional.

Windows can be a pain for even experienced contractors, but they have made advances in making them easier to work with. Maybe you know someone who has installed windows before that would be willing to come by and give a hand for a couple beers or something?

 

[bmonee5]

Uh...the vapor barrier goes behind the sheetrock on the inside. A breathable house wrap goes on the outside between the sheathing and the siding.

in my 4 years of doing electrical work i have NEVER seen a vapor barrier behind the sheetrock....i have always seen it on top of the sheeting underneath the siding, thats also how we did it when i worked for a contractor...besides what is the difference between a vapor barrier and a breathable house wrap?