Closing in my carport

[superdave1984]

OK, me and the wife want to close in the two car carport and make a master suite. It is already closed in on 3 sides so this should be easy right? I'm pretty handy, but have never built an exterior wall nor do I know how to go about doing this so we don't have water problems. How do I build this wall? The opening is all that I have to worry about, it's around 20 feet wide. Do I need to put down concrete blocks or just frame that sucker and go? The house has stone on the outside and there's no way we can match it, so we are open to any suggestions about that. We want a bay window too. The inside will be a piece of cake, I just don't want any water issues. I'll pay somebody to do the electrical, I want somebody to sue if my house burns down.

[beagle man]

I did that to our car shed. laid down a barrier of cement,laid blocks on top of that leveled it and then just framed on top of the blocks, and put in a big bay window. no leaks looked like a good job. put flower box out in front of the blocks. when we sold the house that was the one point the new owner really mentioned a lot

[magnum500]

OK, me and the wife want to close in the two car carport and make a master suite. It is already closed in on 3 sides so this should be easy right? I'm pretty handy, but have never built an exterior wall nor do I know how to go about doing this so we don't have water problems. How do I build this wall? The opening is all that I have to worry about, it's around 20 feet wide. Do I need to put down concrete blocks or just frame that sucker and go? The house has stone on the outside and there's no way we can match it, so we are open to any suggestions about that. We want a bay window too. The inside will be a piece of cake, I just don't want any water issues. I'll pay somebody to do the electrical, I want somebody to sue if my house burns down.

Have you had problems in the past with water getting into the carport?

[superdave1984]

Have you had problems in the past with water getting into the carport?

Nope. It's really well built. Sorry it has been so long getting pics. Stupid camera phone...
We will get a building permit and I most likely will contract the framing in of the wall, the electrical, and the heat/air. There is ductwork close on two walls so maybe tie into that and run it through the wall? But, if I were to try and tackle the wall myself I need some tips on what to do.

[Eager Beaver]

I would lay one block down on the cement. knock a hole or drill a hole in the floor in the center of the block and put a rebar down and then slug the block (fill the block with cement around the rebar and it will lock the block in place. Have some bolts to stick in the cement that you put in the block to hold your main plate on the block. Then lay the moisture barrier on the block and then build your wall on top of it as normal. You can use either wood or Metal studs for framing. This should get you started. EB

[Eager Beaver]

I looked at your picture again and I see the recess from the end of the block and where the siding is on the inside wall. I would set my wall back to where the finished out side of the wall would be back where the siding is and have it set back from the front of the garage opening. Then it would look better than if you had it flush to the face of the block. There should already be a footing under the cement where you want to put the wall, so you would have enough or should have enough support for a wall. Just another suggestion. I would go with a tan or light beige color on the siding and could go either horizontal or vertical and would look ok with the block that you have. EB