Post #3 concerning my garage converison. This time, moving onto the foundation.
**At the front of the house.
I want to remove the existing garage door, and leave the existing header (I assume this is load bearing).
For looks, I want the foundation wall to go all the way across. So I want to bring in a mason to install a non-load bearing foundation wall, which will match the existing wall.
Then I want a carpenter to do a 2x4 frame, and install two windows.
**At the back of the house, I want to create a 5' sliding door, where none currently exists. So the mason will have to cut the load bearing foundation. And a carpenter would have to do the framing.
What are the potential problems? What should I look out for?
Yes, it probably is to an extent, with reinforced 'something' (probably wood) at the sides. I went to look at mine but it's covered with pegboard so cant see.
You mean the front wall where the door was? Not just inset an 'exterior type wall' then reside it so it all matches? Is your exterior brick or stone that you need a mason?
Nothing really. If by foundation at the front you mean some cinderblock like base, check first and see if you need that. There are many different ways to build and my sunroom for example does not have that (old one had to be taken out in fact so they could get flush to the slab).
You need a hole at the back of the garage, that looks like the way the front of the garage currently looks. A header over where the slider will go, with a double or triple stud on each end, going down to a solid spot on the foundation. Usual method for this would be a temporary beam and a couple jackposts, or a temporary wall, about 3 feet back from the back wall, to catch the weight of whatever is above. You can then open the wall, have a concrete cutting company notch the foundation stub wall down to slab level, and have a carpenter cut in a header and frame the openings. Beyond the skill of most fixit guys- you will want a real remodeling contractor. Note that depending how foundation is constructed, it may need some tweaking at the cut ends to be strong enough and pretty. Have the notch in the foundation cut wider than the door opening you need, so that you can put a treated 2x down the side of the foundation, to attach the door to.
You have it about right at the front- leave the existing header in place, lay up a matching foundation wall in the hole, and frame a normal
2x4 wall above it to fill the opening. Don't forget to peel the siding several feet around the old door hole, so you can overlap the vapor barrier or whatever. I'd also have the apron in front of existing door removed, or maybe have the mason lay up a planter box there. Nothing screams 'conversion' more than a well-worn oil-stained driveway leading up to a solid wall.
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