adding bonus room above garage???

[gfully1]

Hi All, I'm new to the forum...sending out a question for anyone who has had experience with this or thinks I am crazy!

I have just bought a 27yr old Cape Cod home and would like to put a 4th bedroom over an existing 2car garage. The attic has enough space and would be able to enter the room by punching a door through the end of the upstairs hallway. The attic above the garage is open, I wouldn't have to move any trusses, big enough open area. I imagine I would have to strengthen my joists and put in a dormer for added room and light. Seperate air conditioning unit and gas fireplace/electric base boards for heat would be used.

Any thoughts?

[gfully1]

Oh yeah, would I need blueprints drawn up, or could my contractor do the work without?

[jnaas2]

Is the garage trussed or stick framed, either way they wont cary the weight of a live load. Have a structural engineer or good contractor that knows how to use the charts in the code book for floor joist sizing.

[HayZee518]

also your being in massachusetts check the building code - I think you need three inches of concrete for the ceiling above a garage.
look at mass code article 413.1. table 706 for distributed live loads

[gfully1]

Thanks for the replies, I guess I am opening up a rats nest! Finishing the basement would probably be cheaper and more spacious.

I will have my contractor look into the possibility and check the code for the application up here (Ontario, Canada).

[HayZee518]

Ontario's code will have no bearing on your Massachusetts property