Adding On Above the Garage

Our company recently completed a large remodel in Huntington Beach, Calif. One part of the plans called for the addition of a second-story master bedroom suite, complete with a whirlpool tub and steam shower. Ordinarily, this might be a straightforward add-on, with a strengthened floor system and new walls built above the bearing walls below. But in this case, the addition was to be built over an existing single-story garage, which required major structural modifications to carry the new loads. Beefing Up the Structure Garages — especially single-story ones — are not well-suited for supporting habitable space above. For one thing, the large door openings mean that one whole side of the building has very