Build A Brick Garage

Building a brick garage is no simple task. It requires several steps, each of which could be a job for a contractor. But with the right know-how, you can do it yourself. Brick garages, a little misleadingly, are not just made out of brick. They are framed with wood and rest on a concrete foundation like most homes and garages. This step-by-step guide offers a simplified procedure, but it presents the basic steps required to best get your brick garage built.

Plan Out The Garage

This may take a little time. You have to know where on your land you want to build, making sure it does not cross the property line, and making sure the lot is graded for proper drainage. You will need to check with the zoning authority and acquire the proper permits to build, and you will need a plan or blueprint of the garage, laying out its dimensions and features. See to it that your plan takes the size of a brick in aggregate into consideration to ensure a seamless fit. Follow this plan closely lest the building is structurally unsound.

Lay The Foundation

Implicit in this step is the digging and leveling of the ground and the building of the frames to hold the concrete. Once framed in and with the structural rebar tied and in place, you can mix bag after bag of concrete until the foundation is in place. You might also consider hiring a cement truck to pour it all at once.

Frame the Wall and Roof

Once the foundation is set, begin to frame the walls. Frame in the windows—if any—before erecting each side. Check with garage door manufacturer’s specifications for your options regarding door size. After the walls are framed, the roof is next. After the joists and rafters are in place, you can lay the plywood, tar paper, and shingles. Make sure any soffit or roof vents are in place before the shingling.

Wire the Garage

If you have this knowledge, wire the garage yourself. If you plan on running large appliances or power tools, you will need to wire 220v power in addition to 110v. If you are in any way unsure about electrical wiring, hire a professional.

Brick the Outside

At last the bricking begins. Stack your bricks in easy-to-reach piles; mix up your mortar, and with your trowel, set about bricking the outside of the framed walls. Your plan should have accounted for the bricks, so you should encounter no ill-fitting lengths or heights.

Insulation, Drywall, and Paint

You are ready to begin finishing the inside. Garage insulation comes first, then drywall, then paint. Depending on the garage’s use, these are optional, but you should at least secure the wiring to the studs.

Install Garage Door

Now you can install the garage door and opener and use the garage you just built!