Framing Living Space Over a Garage

DECEMBER JLC 2000 Tucking an attached garage under a second-story living space is a common practice in residential design. When a client opts to do this, an important consideration is how to maintain open space within an oversized two-car garage without the interference of supporting columns. In this article, we’ll look at four separate scenarios for framing the span over a typical 24×24-foot garage. These scenarios cover only the floor system, not the overhead garage door headers or possible stair openings. Nonetheless, these framing elements should be carefully specified and installed to ensure the integrity and performance of the structure as designed. Many builders and framers still shy away from