Pro's and con's of a garage under the house

[roho627]

THANKS GATORBOY form MARY LAND! Really presiate sites & advise! Will try 2 use ASAP! This is what it's all about! PEOPLE HELPING PEOPLE! U know I may get enough advise about home building software program, that I can save my money on some junk that just sets in drawer because it's not being used! I've got lots of gadgets that I thought I'd use but never did! Would like to buy just one home building software program! Oh yeah, am not familar with Maryland, R U the only gator there!!!! [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img] roho

[lbrown59]

I have always felt that a garage should be separate so there is also a place to store combustibles etc. We have a little shed out back for this purpose.
Egon
==============
So have I but apparently the insurance industry doesn't agree with us.

I was on an insurance forum one time with mostly all members being insurance agents.
Boy did they come down hard on me for doing that.
Seems for some hairbrained reason insurers would rather you put it in the garage or basement.

Also If you keep over 5 gallons of fuel on hand they frown on that and can either cancel your homeowners insurance or deny a fire claim if they discover you have more than 5 gallons around the place.

[lbrown59]

fire is not an issue, as far as the authorities go.
njrqs
************************
Maybe so but with the insurance companies it's a hot issue.
PUN INTENDED!

[lbrown59]

Around here code changed within the past few years requiring substantially more fixed, permanent ventilation in garages regardless of whether they are under living areas or not. I don't know if this is a national change or just local. In any event, more ventilation would ease a lot of your ocncerns.
Pages: 1
jedens
New Member
==================
It's not national because in my county there isn't any building code.

[color=criminson]***************</font color>
[color=goldenrod]GET THE BASICS HERE.</font color>
http://consumers.creditnet.com/strai...243#post410243
[color=criminson]*****************</font color>
&gt;

[tdiller]

Biggest con...

Fire. Saw a house with the garage under one bedroom. In the less than 3 minutes it took the fire dept to show up bedroom was gone. Swore then and there that I would never have a house like that.

[Pat]

I bet they didn't do the boundary between the garage and house in fire rock! They may not have installed fire stops in the stud wall cavities. Withought a knowledge of the actual building conditions of the burned structure it is not provident to assume.

I am sensitive to the increased danger I have because of my 3 car garage flowing into my shop which flows into the house. The garage and shop are all done in fire rock with a double layer between the shop and house.

I have double layers of fire rock under all stairs. The thought is that you don't want the stairs to go first. The way we built the stairs will burn slower than the rest of the house so if anyone is trying to use the stairs during a fire, they will last longer than the rest of the house.

We are not subject to permit or inspection out here in the sticks but I ensured that all building practices met or exceed applicable codes. Likewise on critical design issues I got stamped drawings from a P.E.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]