Garage in barn

[bergquist]

Hello, we are starting a relatively large project where we will convert part of the barn into a garage for two cars and a trailer.

First, we will move all the firewood stored inside, which is two years' supply, approximately 60-70 cubic meters stacked...

But to my questions and thoughts, if I'm completely off track, let me know. We don't want to overdo the costs, but not be too stingy either.

1.
The floor is currently a raised wooden floor that needs to be removed along with a lot of large stones, which we will drag away. Either we fill it up with gravel according to all the rules of the art, or alternatively, we pour a slab with the help of a carpenter, this is the largest individual item in that case... What would you do?

Note that we will not be doing any car repairs inside, as we have a large building with space for 4 cars with a poured concrete slab.

2.
We will install new interior walls according to fire safety regulations and run new electricity and prepare for electric car charging, but when it comes to the ceiling, should we build it up so it can be walked on or not? We have no use for the space, but you don't want to realize 3 years later that "it would have been good."

If we skip the slab and do the gravel floor ourselves, is there a good guide on how to build up layers of gravel so that it is stable?

 

[sturnus]

The floor is currently a wooden floor raised from the ground that needs to be removed along with a lot of large stones

Step towards trouble. Old barns that had floors lose stability when they were removed. The reason is simple. The floor joists held the outer wall foundations beams together in a transverse direction. Since these stand on stones, they slide off them. If you are going to remove such a floor, you must stabilize the walls by pouring new foundations.

 

[bergquist]

Detta är ett flytande golv och inte fäst vid väggarna, och ladan är ungefär 50 år gammal och en stadig sak, men du har rätt, vi kommer att stabilisera med nya väggar och bjälkar naturligtvis.

 

[sturnus]

50 years old

In the 1970s, buildings were generally built on foundations not on stones, but it is possible that an old location was used for a new barn, leaving the old stones at the junction points.