This driveway is ideal for the four-wheeling enthusiast who wants to bring his hobby home -- and he'll need to if he expects to get his car into this garage!
Diagnosis
This
garage entrance arrangement even has
me stumped; who
builds a garage with no intention of ever driving into it? The only possibility that comes to mind is that this garage was used as the sales office for a housing development, although the entry isn't exactly the greatest selling point for model home design.
On the other hand, if this garage
is meant for its traditional purpose, let's hope the owner at least drives an
SUV or an all-terrain vehicle!
Rx
For this garage to be usable, the retaining walls lining the driveway will have to be rebuilt and the driveway itself will have to be raised to garage-entry level.
Building a retaining wall requires skill, the right materials and structure for the terrain, and consideration of the climate in which you live. It's lucky that the example here is located in California's San Francisco Bay Area, where the climate is mild and there isn't much chance of the freezing temperatures and snow load that could make this driveway rebuild even more of a challenge.
The driveway and garage entry must be rebuilt to handle automotive load while ensuring that the surrounding landscaping is shored up and able to drain properly. Depending on your experience, a structural project of this magnitude may call for a professional's guidance .
It all begins by tearing out of those steps and pseudo-retaining walls, and replacing them with new walls and a built-up driveway. There are a number of retaining wall options available from basic wood ties to modular stone walls. But just as important will be compaction of the fill material used to raise the level of the grade between the walls up to the height of the garage floors.
Done correctly though, the new, stair-free driveway should allow even a Humvee to glide into the garage at the end of the day.
Can I Treat This Myself?
If you've got a
cement mixer (or can rent one), go for it. If you're inexperienced laying cement and you want a perfect job, you'd be best to work with a qualified masonry contractor for this critical structural rebuild.
Tom Kraeutler delivers home improvement tips and ideas each week as host of The Money Pit Home Improvement Show, a nationally syndicated radio program. He is also author of My Home, My Money Pit: Your Guide to Every Home Improvement Adventure. You can also subscribe to Tom's latest home improvement podcast or free home improvement newsletter.
** Got a DIY disaster you'd like us to feature? Send a photo of the disaster to DIYDisasterDr@aol.com, and we just might publish it here on DIY Life. All submissions will remain anonymous. **
Judi Roaman: We Talk Endlessly About the Next President,…
Reader comments (Page 2 of 2)
typical of the workmanship you get when you hire illegal aliens from mexico.
Replylooks like a lennar home
Replywas that the flintstones house?
ReplyA lot of the houses out in the RIchmond and Sunset District of ASan Francisco CA are like this where the owners have illegally turned garages into rental apartments...wonder if that is the case here.....?
Replylooks like a lennar home
ReplyTim if you had half a clue about photoshop you would KNOW
Replythat this has been photoshopped. You must be blind if you can't see the off-kilter
horizontal lines in the photo. "No one would put a normal sized door in a garage",
you said. Its clearly a spoof... made to get a laugh. It is simply a normal sized door
STRETCHED SIDEWAYS by repeating the pattern several times, side by side.
NOTHING FITS because it is a very sloppy job at photoshopping. You act as an
"authority" as if you have actually seen the house, which I can guarantee, you HAVE NOT!