Hello,
My Garage is separating from my workshop.
There is just a big crack.
The workshop is not nailed to the garage.
Any tips?

photos would help. can't see from here whether it's a lean-to or an addition.

Like Swschrad pictures are worth a thousand words. You say it is seperating. If the two rooms were built at different times with one being added afterwards I suspect you probably have a foundation settling crack. Being that one of the foundations was not prepared properly or on solid undisturbed soil. Maybe not actually pulling away from each other but sliding past each other. For it to seperate there needs to be horizontal movement rather than verticle. Even if the foundations were done at once one portion might not have been done correctly. I would look at the outside foundation to see if the crack follows suit with cracks on the interior and if the crack is considerably wider at the top than at the bottom.

I will get pictures later.
But, I can see the crack on the inside and the crack is about 1 1/2 inches at the top and there isn't any crack at the bottom really.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Basketball1234,

Pictures:

http://i1196.photobucket.com/a...-001_zps7bf8a30f.jpg

AND

http://i1196.photobucket.com/a...0067_zpsfba1390e.jpg

From the photographs it looks like the wooden sided addition was added to the block structure. I would say that the end of the wooden structure foundation was not sufficent enough (if any). It is allowing the end of the wooden structure to settle thus seperating from the block. Depending on the demensions you may be able to "jack up" and put a more suitable foundation under that end. But without actually seeing what is transpiring it just a guess from where I sit.

I would say this will come down to a poorly build structure. The framed addition is either settling because of poor footers or the bottom sill and bottom framing has rotted out. To check, look from the inside. If there are no interior walls then you should be able to see all the framing. Check for dark discolored wood that is soft and rotting.

If the wood is sound, then your foundation is settling. On the plus side, the building is small enough so that it could possible be jacked back to level and a new foundation poured under it - just not a good DIY type job. If the framing is rotted, then you are looking at replacing everything that is bad - also a fairly large job. If you do not have the skills to DIY this then you may need a pro.

Down side to both situations is that they will be fairly costly. It could make more sense to destroy and remove the shed and start over again.

photo 2, looking at the bottom row of siding (siding should never be lower than a foot above the ground) it's fairly obvious that this addition is rotting off at the bottom. dollars to donuts (and a small bet only, thanks) that's plain wood for the sill, no poured foundation underneath.

I don't think there's going to be much chance of salvaging this. somebody slid this one by during a long weekend. don't know how this sits on the lot, but I have a spare nickel says it's not a valid setback from the lot line, either, with all the other issues showing.

you might be better off with a framed, foundationed truss shed. put a trailer heater or a boxwood stove in there for heat if needed, run a 2-inch PVC conduit out for power, should be fairly easy to permit a 10z12 in most jurisdictions, and materials will range from $1200-1500 including the bags 'o' concrete to pour a foundation and set some block.

Will it eventually collapse if I leave it like that?

Just my amateur and inexperienced observation, and possibly speaking to what Swschrad observed...the far right piece of siding is bulging outward. Pressure from the settling perhaps?

quote:

Originally posted by Basketball1234:
Will it eventually collapse if I leave it like that?

Eventually? Yes. How long? Hard to say.

I'd be very surprised if that roof is not also leaking by now.
It should have been run up on top of the garage roof to gain more slope.
An addition like that needed a full footing below the frost line and enough rows of block to have the siding at least 8" above grade.
It's called a stem wall.

There could be an additional risk of safety as the wall eventually inches toward collapse, if you have children and/or pets, and/or the neighbors' children come in your yard.

Also, if you have an aggressive code enforcement agency, a nasty neighbor might report the situation and the code people might issue a citation.

Just a warning based on experience - this happens frequently in my neighborhood when neighbors want to harrass other neighbors or get even for some perceived aggression.