Framing Tips for Enclosing the Front Wall of a Garage

Correct Dimensions

• Planning the enclosure starts with detailed measurements. Measure the door opening and surrounding wall. Figure out the exact depth you will need to make the new wall's thickness. You want it to fit flush with the exterior wall and the interior wall after it’s finished. Don't forget, also, that you must build up the floor base before framing. Figure out how thick to pour concrete to make the floor base the same height as adjacent foundation walls.

Appropriate Materials

• Next, you will need to sketch the house with the new garage wall facade. Try to create an exterior wall covering for the garage door space that looks original to the home’s initial construction. When you view the door space from any angle, it should not look as though it was once garage space. It’s possible to use a wall of several French doors, as one option. Or, you can build the opening as a large window with a window seat bench.

Door System Removal

• All garage door tracking and the main door will need to be removed. Ask friends to help take down the garage door because most units weight several hundred pounds. Consider selling the old door and tracking to another homeowner, so try to remove the metal tracking without bending it.

Thickness of Wall Structure

• Framing boards must help create wall depth. Filling up the door space with framing boards will require drawing the exact design on graph paper. You can use 2-by-4 inch boards or thicker boards, such as 2-by-6's, for example. The framing can be covered by plywood and bricks on the outside, but you will need to plan the depth of interior materials as well. For example, you might decide to use a double thickness of drywall to make the interior wall come out even with adjacent side walls covered in drywall.

Standard Framing Rules

• When you frame the space, install the studs exactly like any exterior house wall. Place them on 16-inch centers. Keep in mind that windows should look original to the home rather than added on, so frame windows in the door opening to match other nearby windows in size or basic style. Otherwise, you can easily devalue the curbside appeal of the house.

Final Touches

• Finish the exterior and interior walls to blend seamlessly with surrounding space. For example, add brick or house siding to fit what’s already in place on the home's exterior. You can install a window with shutters in the garage-door space, if needed to match an identical window with shutters a few feet away on the front facade. The interior wall will require the same crown molding, window trim and baseboard material you will use for the room you build in the old garage footprint.