I bought a house that can be best described as a “project”. In particular, the previous owner had enclosed the carport with the intent of converting it into additional living space.
The house is a slab construction, and the carport is about 12 inches lower than the rest of the house. Given that I want my new floor to be level with the existing floor (a step down wouldn’t work), what is the best way to raise it up?
I’m considering building a 2×4 frame, would this work?
In case it makes a difference, the existing floor is harwoods nailed to 2×4 with a tar vapor barior.
thanks for any tips
Frank
Replies
What is around the perimeter of the slab? Are the woodframe walls set up on a block or poured foundation?
If so, you could fill part of it in with pack, put down a vapor barrier and insulation, then pour a finish floor. Perhaps 7-8 inches of fill, 2 inches of foam, 2-3 inches of concrete. If you live in a cold climate, this would be a great opportunity to install radiant heating in the floor.
You could also install floor joists of the proper size across the span, with ledger boards attached to the existing frame to set the proper height. 2x4s would not be strong enough. Vapor barrier and insulation of course...
Just make sure that the existing enclosure is of sound design. The edges of the carport slab may not be up to bearing a structure, and if wood sills are set directly on the slab, there could be moisture issues.
faffod-- being a carpenter and not liking to work with concrete I would frame with wood and deck with plywood. I think this is probably easier for a novice ( I don't know your skill level). Use pressure treated lumber for the framing materials since it wiil most likely be in contact with masonry somewhere. I would run a rim joist around the room and fill in the floor joists. Where possible, I like to set the joists on the concrete floor since I think it helps support the whole structure. It usually requires more work this way because the slab is frequently pitched, which means each joist needs to be ripped to height. Good Luck !