Garage Storage or Loft

[JAMICHAU]

I just purchased Home Designer Suite and am designing a simple detached garage.  The garage is roughly 30'x16' and I want to include in the drawing a beam spanning the entire width, 6' out from the back wall, which will hold floor joists and be used as a storage loft.  My ceiling height is 14', but I don't want the loft height to be at ceiling height like an attic, I want it to be lower, 9-9.5'.  Is it possible to include this in the design using Designer Suite?  Thanks!

 

-John

[JAMICHAU]

Signature updated.  Thanks, Solver.

[solver]

41 minutes ago, JAMICHAU said:

 

Signature updated.

 

 

Thanks.

 

Suite is really limited in its framing options, so it depends on how accurate you want to be.

 

Here I built a second floor, part is Open Below, part is a Deck (chosen because of the exposed framing). You would need a beam across the front, and I would use a soffit for that, painted to look like wood.

 

 

You could build the entire loft with soffits too, and just use a single floor structure.

 

Tell us a bit more about how you want the model to look, and we will help you get there.

[JAMICHAU]

That looks great!  I'll give it a try and report back.  Thank you for taking the time to think about it, create the example, and reply.  I appreciate it very much!

 

-John

[JAMICHAU]

A couple weeks ago, I was able to create the storage space within first floor by building a giant soffit. That worked, but showed no framing.  My ultimate goal is to produce framing drawings to present to the city for the permitting process. What I'm trying to accomplish is a loft-like storage area to appear at the rear of the garage with framing visible. The drawing Eric made as an example, shown above, is very close to what I'm shooting for, but I was unable to produce such a look myself.

 

Eric - In your example you said, regarding the second floor, "part is Open Below".  I've figured out that Open Below is a room type, but I can't find how to apply that type to my second floor.  Also, you said it is "part deck".  How do I accomplish that?  Thanks very much!

 

-John

[DavidJPotter]

In Eric's example the part shown that has no floor is programmed to be "Open Below", the part that has a floor is not as seen from the second floor plan view there are two enclosed spaces. Eric also set the second floor ceiling to just a few feet (ceiling heights determine where the roof planes will bare when built.

 

DJP

[JAMICHAU]

Thanks for your reply, David!  I took a quick stab at it this morning.  It worked better when I allowed the software to create the second floor based on the first floor.  I first designated the room type as Open Below, which created an invisible second floor.  Then I changed the room type to Deck which created deck inside my garage the same dimensions as the garage floor:

 

(I tried to paste a screenshot of the garage here, but was not allowed because it included "formatting".  Don't know how to remedy that, so I'll attach it as a file)

 

So, I've made progress, but don't know how to reduce the dimensions of the second floor to make it the small storage loft I want at the back of the garage.  I know Eric's original example combined Deck and Open Below, but I don't know how to do that....   Thanks, again, for all the assistance.  I apologize for being a bit slow at this.

 

-John

Garage Image.rtf

Edited March 29, 2017 by JAMICHAU
Needed to include an image

[solver]

You need to divide the space on the 2nd floor into 2 parts (rooms). One a Deck, and one Open Below.

 

Draw a wall across the space, make it invisible.

[JAMICHAU]

WooooHoooooo!  That did it.  Thanks, Eric!  It even displays the loft in the Framing View (camera).  What a relief!  Thanks very much!

[LawB10]

In the future use File>export>export picture.....

 

You can do that with 3d view or 2d view...