JKEdmo Posted July 9, 2023 Share Posted July 9, 2023 Good morning, Are you inclined to or not to have a step down at the door between garage and house interior? My research shows a step is not an IRC code requirement, perhaps to better facilitate accessibility or because self sealing doors with closers tend to solve any car fume concern. I default to a step down as it seems like a good thing -- for water intrusion (i.e. hosing down slab), anti-vermin, and maybe just "psychology". Or do you feel garage / interior at same level is okay? Thanks, Jim P.S. BTW, I'm not asking about the door swing / landing topic, of which there has been "spirited" previous discussion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterdd Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 Every home I have lived in with a garage (4 total) has always had a 4" step down at least. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKEdmo Posted July 10, 2023 Author Share Posted July 10, 2023 Just now, ChiefUserBigRob said: Every home I have lived in with a garage (4 total) has always had a 4" step down at least. Thanks Rob. - Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Carrick Posted July 10, 2023 Share Posted July 10, 2023 My preference - if possible - is to have about a 5-6 ft level area and then a step-down that acts as a wheel stop. I usually have the door between the garage and the interior at a location so that's possible. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKEdmo Posted July 10, 2023 Author Share Posted July 10, 2023 39 minutes ago, Joe_Carrick said: My preference - if possible - is to have about a 5-6 ft level area and then a step-down that acts as a wheel stop. I usually have the door between the garage and the interior at a location so that's possible. Thank you Joe. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKEdmo Posted July 10, 2023 Author Share Posted July 10, 2023 39 minutes ago, Joe_Carrick said: step-down that acts as a wheel stop I like the idea! 2 birds one stone. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basketballman Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 Always been minimum of 4" height difference between garage and main living area. Code cites Fire and also flood prevention .. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Carrick Posted July 13, 2023 Share Posted July 13, 2023 1 hour ago, basketballman said: Always been minimum of 4" height difference between garage and main living area. Code cites Fire and also flood prevention .. Can you reference the Code Sections for this? The CRC (California version of the IRC) only specifies a slope for drainage. I can't find anything about a height difference. The 4" height difference was a requirement at one time in the old "Uniform Building Code" but I'm not sure if it was even required in the last UBC. I don't think it's ever been required in the IRC or any version thereof. Fire protection is another issue entirely covered by Doors and Walls. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para-CAD Posted July 22, 2023 Share Posted July 22, 2023 Garages of old have always been cramped. I prefer the deeper garages that fit a full-size truck and then a work bench. Makes for a great place to go to do man-stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlesVolz Posted July 22, 2023 Share Posted July 22, 2023 Aging in place: I am doing a lot of 1 1/2" steps and some with flared "ramps" at the door so that they are not trip hazards and can accommodate future wheelchair use. I use a 1 /12", 3 1/2", 5 1/2" etc. drops so they can be formed without ripping standard lumber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKEdmo Posted August 15, 2023 Author Share Posted August 15, 2023 On 7/22/2023 at 10:54 AM, CharlesVolz said: Aging in place: I am doing a lot of 1 1/2" steps Charles, Update -- ran it by my client and he elected to do no step down due to this very reason. Better accessibility. Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkullMesaRanch Posted September 9, 2023 Share Posted September 9, 2023 On 8/15/2023 at 4:15 PM, JKEdmo said: Charles, Update -- ran it by my client and he elected to do no step down due to this very reason. Better accessibility. Jim This is what I plan to do for the garage and porches but the step is still required to make a slope in the foundation for water runoff. I watched a few youtube videos on constructing a foundation step down but none of them show the step only being tall enough to accommodate the sloped slab. I'm trying to figure out how this is constructed in the field and how many pours it takes. Can the house slab and porches/garage slabs be poured at the same time with the configuration I described above (no step, slope only)? Can the stem/curb wall be poured at the same time as the footings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKEdmo Posted September 9, 2023 Author Share Posted September 9, 2023 3 hours ago, SkullMesaRanch said: Can the house slab and porches/garage slabs be poured at the same time with the configuration I described above (no step, slope only)? Can the stem/curb wall be poured at the same time as the footings? I'm no concrete guy, but I'd assume so. To achieve the design it'd be a means and methods item and up to the contractor. You could also talk it through with a concrete subcontractor to see if there are any potential issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkullMesaRanch Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 On 9/9/2023 at 2:13 PM, JKEdmo said: I'm no concrete guy, but I'd assume so. To achieve the design it'd be a means and methods item and up to the contractor. You could also talk it through with a concrete subcontractor to see if there are any potential issues. Thanks for the feedback, Jim. I just met with my excavation contractor and he mentioned that (at least in AZ) that slopes in garages are no longer required. I'll have to double check this with the county especially since they want to treat the barn like a garage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKEdmo Posted September 14, 2023 Author Share Posted September 14, 2023 35 minutes ago, SkullMesaRanch said: he mentioned that (at least in AZ) that slopes in garages are no longer required. I'm a little surprised by this and you might want to double check his claim with your jurisdiction. I took a quick look at your Cave Creek, AZ building department website. They say they're on the 2021 IRC and it seems it is still a requirement to slope garage slabs. In my experience, a slope of 1/8" per foot is about as flat as you can go realistically... Here's excerpt from 2021 IRC: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkullMesaRanch Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 12 minutes ago, JKEdmo said: I'm a little surprised by this and you might want to double check his claim with your jurisdiction. I took a quick look at your Cave Creek, AZ building department website. They say they're on the 2021 IRC and it seems it is still a requirement to slope garage slabs. In my experience, a slope of 1/8" per foot is about as flat as you can go realistically... Here's excerpt from 2021 IRC: We use the 2018 IRC here in Maricopa county but it still has the requirement. I should have clarified my statement. The contractor said you can get a waiver for this requirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKEdmo Posted September 14, 2023 Author Share Posted September 14, 2023 11 minutes ago, SkullMesaRanch said: The contractor said you can get a waiver for this requirement. Nice! Good luck and stay cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gawdzira Posted September 14, 2023 Share Posted September 14, 2023 Check your local codes. This is current for California Residential code R309.1Floor surface. Garage floor surfaces shall be of approved noncombustible material. The area of floor used for parking of automobiles or other vehicles shall be sloped to facilitate the movement of liquids to a drain or toward the main vehicle entry doorway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKDesigns Posted November 13, 2023 Share Posted November 13, 2023 The "gas curb" was a code during the BOCA code book era. IRC has no provision for height change only pitch. My hoarder officemate and I got in an argument, and he went back to his 80's code books to find the code. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKEdmo Posted November 13, 2023 Author Share Posted November 13, 2023 57 minutes ago, DKDesigns said: My hoarder officemate and I got in an argument, nothing like a little office drama, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg_NY61 Posted November 15, 2023 Share Posted November 15, 2023 That use to be a requirement back in the days, nowadays residential code doesn't have this requirement and can be done one level since the requirement for the garage floor should be sloped. Many contractors still do a 4" rise I guess the old rule of thumb stuck with them, and so is some of the building inspectors but if you question them there is no code they can refer too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HPDesignConsult Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Let's not confuse the Building Code Requirements with Good Building Practice. All Building Codes are based on the absolute minimum standards to build a home. They are not a representation of Good Building Practice. A step down or slope down into an attached garage may not be required, but I believe it is still a good idea. For one, it helps avoid water entering the house. Although the slab is sloped, it is minimal so we rely on Thresholds and Weather stripping to stop water but these can fail over time. A raised door threshold stops that. Also, we rely no weatherstripping stopping the ingress of fumes from the garage, but as noted above, with time, weatherstripping fails. Gasoline fumes are heavier than air and will stay near the floor, a curb at the door is a good secondary level of defense. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schneider25 Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 Thank you for sharing this information and your experience! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
para-CAD Posted January 30 Share Posted January 30 For people who want minimal step, drop the floor system inside the foundation (crawlspace or basement). Some designers have zero elevation change for people with mobility issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug_N Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 In Canada code requires the top of foundation walls to be at least 6" above grade. Unless the joists are suspended, then add another 10-14" for floor assembly which means that unless there is some grade ramp to the garage floor, there must be stairs from the house to the garage slab. (Or s sloping grade where the grade at the garage is higher than the grade at the house.) Typically, the garage foundation wall also is 6" higher than the grade (so the garage slab is a curb with cuts for doors at grade). I have seen very few houses with the garage slab at the same height as the main floor area. They may have a dropped room (mudroom or laundry) that is close to the garage level then a step up to the main floor) but still, there is a step from that level to the garage. It just works out that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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