Garage Packages

So now that you have purchased your pre-built garage package, you must construct a solid foundation for it to sit on.

Although building a foundation is not too difficult, it’s important that you follow each step outlined below precisely, since the foundation repair cost could be high years down the road if you do not follow the proper procedures.

Stept To Pouring A Garage Foundation

1 – The first step is to mark the area which you intend to use for your garage package. The easiest way to do this is to draw a chalk line around the perimeter of where the foundation will be.

2 – Next, it’s time to dig your footings. Follow your plans, and dig holes that are 12 inches wide and about 18 inches deep. Be sure to dig an extra couple of inches of slab area to allow for the sand/vapor barrier.

*be sure to contact municipal services before digging to ensure that you do not puncture gas,electric or cable lines.

3 – Place your 2 X 10 form boards in position for pouring concrete. The outside of the forms should be about 6 inches higher than the finished height of your concrete slab that stretches around the perimeter of your garage package.

4 – Take a second 2 X 6 form board and lay it half a foot from the inner part of the outside form board. You will need longer stakes in order to hold this in position. Position the forms around the entire foundation on three sides, with 24 inches on either side of the garage door opening.

5 – Now it’s time for the rebar, which will help strengthen the concrete. The rebar should be 1/2 an inch, and must run horizontally along the bottom of all footings. Remember to keep the rebar at least 2-3 inches away from the ground, both on the bottom and the sides.

6 – Place the foundation bolts in to place. These are important, since they hold down the sill plates later on. At this point it is important that you spray an oil or specially made substance on the form boards. This will prevent the concrete from sticking, and make it much easier to remove the form boards after the concrete foundation has hardened.

7 – Now, pour 2 inches of sand into the slab area. Place vapor barrier in the middle to prevent too much moisture from coming up through the concrete.

8 – Lightly wet the sand, and rake it so that it is smooth. Once it is smooth and level you can lay out your 1/2 inch rebar grid. Make sure that it is 16 inches on center.

9 – Pour the concrete into the footings, being sure that it comes all the way up to the stem walls. After about two hours you can remove the inner form boards and complete the job by pouring the slab for your garage package.

And that is that!

Building a garage is a big project, whether you plan on building the garage yourself or hire a contractor. In either case you will still have to get the supplies, get a building permit, draw plans etc. Simply put, building a garage from scratch will take lots of time and planning!

The good news is that there are alternatives, and you do not have to build a garage from scratch. Since most of us don’t have lots of time these days, companies are making prefab garage packages available. They are basically a garage in a box, and are not only affordable but relatively easy to assemble.

Another benefit of prefab garage packages is that you may not need to obtain a building permit, which can save lots of hassle.

If you have a specific price range in mind, buying a prefab garage package makes it simple because you don’t have to add up all of the separate costs of materials like you would if you were constructing the garage from scratch. There are a number of different manufacturers of garage packages, and they all offer different garage kits all ranging in pricing from starter kits, to fancy top of the line models.

All in all, time is money and not only will prefab garage packages cost less than building a garage from scratch, but they will also save you hours of your precious time. This is why garage packages really do offer spectacular value.