Last year I had my Dream garage built 28 X 48 X 12 high. It is built of Pole barn construction. 10 feet away is a garage 32 X 24 built on a floating slab. I would like to attach the two or at least have a hallway connecting the two. However as I mentioned one floats and one is does not. We live just outside of Buffalo NY so we have a freeze, thaw condition. Is there some method to do this????
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There has to be a flexible joint between them because your garage will move and your house will not, just as you suspect. If you post in Breaktime, there will be people there with lots of experience in construction.
What do you mean by a "floating slab"? I have a hard time imagining a slab in Buffalo that lacks either footings that go below the frost line, or what's called a frost-protected-shallow-footing. This latter does not go below frost line, but the slab sits on a bed of compacted gravel which extends beyond the edge. This extension of the gravel is insulated with horizontal EPS foam sheets, which are covered with soil. If that's what you've got, then both buildings should be equally solid.
If your garage slab truly is subject to freeze/thaw cycles, good luck in attaching to the garage. You would definitely need a flexible connector.
Andy Engel
Senior editor, Fine Woodworking magazine
Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value. --Robert M. Pirsig
Andy, up here in Maine people build "floating garages" all the time. I don't like it at all, would much rather see frost walls or at least a frost-protected slab with foam like you suggest, but people just haul in some gravel and plop a florida-style slab right on top. Looks good for a couple of years, then the cracking starts. I was helping out my dad's volunteer fire department, designing a 40 x 80 firehouse for them, when they insisted that a floating slab would be fine. I had to give up on them after that.
To the original poster: like the other guys said, you need a flexible connection. Things like a board sheathing instead of plywood, deck not attached to garage, things like that. Not an ideal situation.
Mike