The garage floor can be uneven, or sometimes even the ceiling can be a little tilted towards any side. Therefore, the garage requires some lifting, be it just the ceiling(Can You Raise Ceiling in Garage?), floor, or maybe the whole garage.
The process of lifting is known as jacking up the garage. However, you have to be quite careful with it.
Lifting a garage should be done slowly and with great care. It should be done one inch at a time. Lifting should be done in four-inch increments at most until you reach the desired garage floor height. To keep the garage on equal levels at all times, it must be supported diagonally and even horizontally before it is lifted.
Read More: The Best Way to Raise Garage Door Track.
You’ll need to do a lot of planning ahead of time to ensure that the entire structure doesn’t collapse when you lift the floor.
Problems can occur if jacking up is not done correctly
So, first of all, if you don’t have the right tools or don’t know the right methods, your garage can collapse.
Secondly, if the garage is not lifted up properly, it will start sinking again, and you may need to repeat the jacking up process for the garage.
Moreover, there are various factors that can impact the right way and wrong way of jacking up the garage.
So, do answer some questions before you start working. Know the size of your garage, is it on the slab, can you do it on your own, or you will need a professional.
All of it is important before you begin with the process of lifting the garage or garage floor up for a few inches.
What do you need?
- 3 courses of the block (in some cases maybe 2 or even 6)
- High lift jacks
- Studs
- Chains
- ratcheting cable hoists (sometimes called “come-along”)
- several 1/2″-diameter screw eyes
- steel or wood stakes
- an electric drill
- a circular saw
- a hammer
How to jack up a garage?
Renovation is never an easy job to do. Similarly, garage lifting is not easy; you need to be quite careful with setting up jacks and then bracing before jacking it up.
Once you’re up, be sure you don’t go much higher than required. Make sure the concrete is firmly in place before breaking it out.
Simply put, you will need to replace the sills to install a terminate barrier on the top of the concrete wall and then reinstall it.
Then secure it firmly in place after the concrete work is finished. And, if you want to make the garage taller on the inside, now is the time to do it by raising the side walls—either with wood or taller concrete walls.
Step 1. Remove the shingles and window glass
If you don’t want to smash the window while you lift the garage, you must remove shingles and glass to ensure it. The goal over here is to get rid of as much weight as possible.
If you are not a first-timer DIY person, you probably know which things are here to remove to make lifting the garage easy.
Now, let’s take an example that we need to lift it up by 16 inches and, the garage is 25*28. Even if the dimensions are different, you may follow the same steps with a little tweaking.
So, the next step will be to remove anchor bolts, etc.
Step 2. Loosen up all the anchor bolts
On the interior walls, nail on some strong lumber about as high as the height of your jack and loose all the anchor bolts.
Now you must move to the step of bracing.
Step 3. Brace the walls & set the blocks
Remember that you are ultimately going to lift the garage, and in order to save the structure from crashing, you need to stabilize the walls using sidebars.
So, use your jacks. Adjust yourself high enough, then place the pump jacks beneath to do the lifting.
For example, you have the 24” inch wall, but no need to lift it all at once. Only use pump jacks to lit high enough that you can place the first of a course of the blocks.
You can make room for jacks by leaving certain blocks out (it is something that has to be there to hold the structure while you keep the block). Further, in case you need to lift 8 inches, it can be lifted using these spaces.
Allow the block to sit for a day and then go for jacking it off. Then move to the next, and the fourth step is about setting the alignment.
Step 4. Set the alignment as per your requirement
This is the step where you will need to put the ultimate course of blocks and put them in the spaces you left by keeping jacks or stands there.
Sand the top course after lowering yourself around on a 1x, removing your jacks/stands, and then raising using the other jacks to disconnect the 1xs.
If your bottom plate is different than a 2×6, you can utilize the solid block as the top course. As a result, mice and other pests will be kept at bay in your community.
Step 5. Set up some anchor bolts or straps now
Now you will need some anchor bolts and straps to finally lift the structure. Place some on the inner side of the walls and then join all the studs. Remove the sidebars that you kept to stabilize the walls.
If the walls are really out of whack, simply line up the bumper of your pickup with the walls and push them in the direction you wish.
Pro tip: Whether you have decided to do all these steps on your own, it doesn’t matter. If you need to lift the garage 1 inch or 16 or raise garage walls 2′, you must get help from more than 4 or 5 people.
How do you jack up a leaning garage
If you are thinking about jacking up the leaning garage, you are probably desperate to straighten it, and you need to be quite careful while doing it.
The leaning garage is also a clear sign of weakness of the structure. This is when you need a few tools like come-along, some steel, wood stakes, circular saw, hammer, or even the Philips head-screw.
Set up the come along with the walls
Drill a pilot hole through the siding. And more into the corner stud at either end of the wall opposite the lean angle. Connect each come-along to a stake in the ground or a telephone pole or tree.
It can also be the bumper of a vehicle or van if you’re above the driveway. Move on to ensure that walls are braced properly.
Brace the walls
Introduce the come-along gradually, starting with one side and then the other. As the wires are severed, the wall will begin to straighten.
Take your time so that you don’t split the siding. Using a carpenter’s level, check the wall’s plumb (straight up-and-down).
Place some diagonal corner braces within the garage, keeping the wall straight with the come-along. Each brace should cross at least four studs. To fix the brace, two nails or screws are placed into each stud or plate that it passes through.
Finally, time to ensure that walls are properly braced, and then release the come-along.
Finalizing the process
Use a circular saw to notch each stud to a depth of 3/4″ (also known as “letting-in”), and then nail the brace into the notch for the strongest support.
Once the corner bracing is in place, release the come-along and remove the stakes and screw eyes. Your garage should now be standing tall and proud.
You are probably still full of questions as jacking up the garage is not only just about the floor or a whole building. However, you have to worry about the roof, too, or maybe just the roof! So, let’s find out the steps to lift the garage roof.
I was thinking how can I raise a garage roof 3 feet, here’s how
It is possible to build a taller garage because it has its own set of advantages.
With a taller garage, you may park larger vehicles, can store truck caps also hang a hoist. So, here is the process for you to get it done.
1. Prepare to lift up the roof
You’ll also require a large number of acrow supports, around 4 to each side, as well as some really solid timbers, most likely 4x2s.
Connect 4x2s (or larger) to the bottom of the roof deck adjacent but not too close to each wall using lengths of timber packed between the ceiling joist and spar.
After assuring that the wall plate is not physically linked to the wall, acrow down the length of the wall, leaving at least one joist gap from the corner, and then acrow across the wall.
2. Lay the course of blocks carefully
Slowly lift one side of the support to approximately 2-3 inches of packing, then lower back into it and repeat on the other side. The entire roof will swing in the air if both sides are lifted at the same time.
We would recommend that you should handle half of each side’s course rather than the entire course all at once. (You can always seek the guidance of a professional for accurate block measures and advice on raising a garage with cinder blocks.)
And, it would be a good idea to try to get one entire block in (you can use a disc cutter to cut the lengthways).
3. Raise the roof 3 feet or less as you need
Lift both sides slowly, then bed in the separated blocks on one side. Allow some time to elapse before repeating the operation.
You may want to skip the first few courses and figure it out the next day, depending on your weight and skill. This procedure could be utilized to raise your roof to meet your needs.
You must be cautious and double-check everything! Check to ensure whether your roof can withstand the weight and if your walls are structurally sound and ready to go.
Examine the roof’s fit and, if necessary, make the appropriate alterations. Make sure the electricity and water are both operational.
How much does it cost for lifting a garage?
It depends on various factors. Generally, the cost depends on the material, tools, and also the kind of changes you want in the garage. Yet some experts would say; garage lifting to replace a foundation the average cost is $5,000 to $10,000.
The majority of garages are built on a slab base. As a result, the cost of raising and repairing the structure is lower than if it were built on a pier and beam or stem wall foundation. You have to spend a bit more if you want to build a garage on a downslope.
We recommend you to get the right estimate from a professional as they are more aware of the material and the process due to excessive workload.
Hopefully, you have a clear answer on how you do the garage lifting and how to lift and move the garage.
Overall, it is all about planning it right, being accurate in all your measurements, and ensuring that you have all the tools.
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