Renovate garage into bedroom for teen boy.

Question

We are looking at renovating a portion of our large garage into a bedroom, hang out room for our 17 year old son. Part of the garage will be used for storage and the rest will be his room but we want to make it so that it doesn't "appear" to be a garage for him. We are looking at putting up "cubicle" walls or something but want to keep the project under $1000.00. Any ideas? Thanks!

Answer 1

Sending you a Link and hope it will Help You. Sounds like a great idea, and should check on your local building codes, that when you sell the house, and additional taxes from the remodel, and added value. Will be alote cheaper then adding a room. Good Luck

Answer 2

Danger.  You must have an air tight membrane between the garage and the future bedroom.  carbon monoxide poisoning, odorless, can damage your child.  Please think safety first.

Answer 3

This is fairly common when things get tight in a growing family. An occupied space needs light, insulation, heat, electric, floor treatment, and finished wall treatment.

Assuming you don't want to modify the entrance door, make the partitioned storage so that it is accessed near the entrance door. Provide some ventilation to the storage area to avoid a cold zone next to an occupied space. A lowered ceiling will reduce the heat load. An existing window should favor the occupied space.  

Answer 4

Before you even get started with this project, contact your local Building Department to see if local Zoning regulations permit this. Many municipalities require you to have a garage; either attached, or detached. Converting the garage (or even a part of it) into habitable space could be a violation that could get you fined.

Next, if you are able to store a vehicle in the remaining part of the garage, you will not be able to use "cubicle" walls; not only will you need to construct a fire-rated wall between the 2 spaces; you may need to pour a concrete gas-curb between the two spaces. Then, you will not be allowed to enter the bedroom through the garage.

Finally, you will need to provide emergency access/egress for the bedroom; either through a correctly sized "egress window", or a doorway (not the best option when teenagers are involved). Don't forget that the Building Code you are going to have to comply with will probably require you to add a hard-wired smoke alarm to the bedroom, as well as one in the adjoining part of the house (located close enough to the bedroom to be heard inside the bedroom). This will have to be interconnected with all of the other smoke alarms in the house.

Oh, you don't have any other smoke alarms, you say?  Guess what? Now you have to add them. According to the International Residential Code, whenever work requiring a Permit is performed on the interior of a dwelling (1 or 2 family), you must add hardwired, interconnected smoke alarms (with battery back-up) in each sleeping area, as well as one outside of (but within "hearing distance of) the sleeping areas; as well as one on any floor having habitable space or any mechanical equipment (crawlspaces, basements or attics).

One final hurdle to through at you; if you live anywhere that has adopted the 1999 or newer NEC, the bedroom will be required to have a degree of AFCI protection (depending on what edition of the NEC they are using).

Please call your Building Department to get all of the rules you'll need to follow. They are there for your protection, not to make this project a pain. Also, plan on spending well over $1,000.00 just on materials, then hire a good General Contractor to be sure the job gets done right. That's another reason to get a Permit for the work; you will be assured that the construction, insulation, and wiring meet at least minimum standards of installation.

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California has recently adopted their own version of the International; Code Council (ICC) Building Codes, I don't know exactly what was modified; but do check with your local Authority Having Jurisdiction, just to be sure you are following all of the rules, for safety's sake.