Mudroom Addition to Elevated 1st Floor

9 years ago

Bought our first home in Nov 2016, 10 year old colonial built on a sloped plot so that there is about a 7 ft difference between the sides of the house. We wanted to build a garage addition with a mudroom, but the side of the house that you typically see garages attached (the higher side) is the site of the septic. The driveway goes to the other side of the house (the lower side) where there is an outdoor staircase up to a side entrace on the 1st floor, about 7 ft from the ground. We've since discovered that to build out in that location would require a ton of ground work and fill, so we've decided to build a detached garage elsewhere on the property. I'd still love to build an attached mudroom entrance however, with perhaps a carport off of it. The dilema I'm having is figuring out how to attach a mudroom with an elevated entrance given the elevation in that location. I'm thinking of the space being big enough to allow for some closet storage and cubbies, and of course a staircase, but not much beyond that.

Hopefully the attached pictures will clearly support my descriptions.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Featured Answer

Sammy

9 years ago

Have you considered a basement-level garage addition?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
It doesn't matter what the structure is that you want to add to the side of the house. You have the exact same issues as adding a garage. It's not an economically feasible project.
shannonbradleydvm
Original Author
9 years ago
Just to clarify, the reason we decided against the garage and mudroom is because the land continues to slope away from the house, so to go out the 40 or so feet we needed would have required a ton of fill. With the addition of just a small, say 12 ft wide max, mudroom, there won't be nearly the amount of fill needed because the elevation will be about the same that close to the house. The dilemma I was having was how to deal with that side entrance being so far off the ground. Thanks!
Related Professionals
Southaven Home Remodeling · Hartford Home Remodeling · New London Home Remodeling · Wilmington Bathroom Remodelers · Burlington Bathroom Remodelers · Jacksonville Architects & Building Designers · Olympia Architects & Building Designers · Jackson Architects & Building Designers · Parkersburg Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Fort Dodge Interior Designers & Decorators · Pocatello Interior Designers & Decorators · Elko Interior Designers & Decorators · Temecula Furniture & Accessories · Davenport General Contractors · Ogden General Contractors
klem1
9 years ago
Other than requireing half a ton instead of a whole ton of groundwork,what are you not sure about?
shannonbradleydvm
Original Author
9 years ago
We would build the slab at the level of the ground where it is at now, so we would either dig down to make it level or add a small amount of fill to make up the difference. I was wondering how it would look to have the mudroom be tall enough to accommodate a staircase going up to the entrance, and still have a carport attached with possibly the same roof line or off of the mudroom roof.
User
9 years ago
If te garage project was too expensive for you, then this is not going to fit your budget either. It's certainly not feasible in light of the cost vs resale value. It wouldn't be attractive, and would just be kinda a great big ''what the heck, couldn't they have done a garage?'' An actual negative to resale in other words.
Judy Mishkin
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
how about a '3 season porch' (that is, not heated) where your side stairs and decklet are now. built like a deck support wise. you'd leave the exterior swing door as is. yes, you'd need to keep the (now moved forward) steps shoveled in winter.
PRO
PPF.
9 years ago
What Sammy said.
shannonbradleydvm
Original Author
9 years ago
I like that idea! Then the elevation wouldn't be an issue and the mudroom could go on top (right?). Thanks!
Sammy
9 years ago
You could do whatever you'd like above the garage (that'd be a pretty big mud room, though!)
PRO
User
9 years ago
Great idea! Except. That is likely to blow past the budget like a teenager past a radar gun.
klem1
9 years ago
Linda,I got a chuckle out of that eventhough I think it should be "teenager past trash that need's carried out". (: