A detached garage does not pose the same fire and health hazards as the attached garage. The area is still considered a potential fire hazard, but since the structure is physically apart from the main building, a fire will usually not pose a life threat. Consequently, the main concern with this type of garage is its structural integrity.
Detached Garages Inspection Part I – Checking the Exterior
The exterior of the detached garage should be inspected the same way you inspect the main house. Walk around the building and look at the roof and gutters, checking to see if any of the roof beams are sagging. If they are, additional bracing may be necessary, but have a professional make this determination. Check the roof covering on the garage, and if there are no gutters around the base of the roofs make sure to check all wood siding and trim for rot. However, a wood-frame garage with a pitched roof should have gutters, unless there are long overhanging eaves or the garage is masonry-constructed. If there are gutters and downspouts, check if they need repair.
After checking the roof and gutters, take another walk around the building and this time look at the walls, doors and windows. If the exterior walls are covered with wood siding, it should end about eight inches above the ground. If it is in contact with the ground, inspect for termites and rot. Pay special attention to the rear wall to make sure it is not bowed. Finally, look at the base of the wood framing and trim around the garage doors, because this area is particularly vulnerable to rot and termite activity.
Detached Garages Inspection Part II – Checking the Interior
First of all, check the doors, looking for broken and cracked sections of wood framing and glass panes. Open and close the doors to make sure they operate smoothly and have all necessary hardware.
Depending on the location of the garage, the entire roof may not be visible from the outside, so after you enter the garage look up at the underside of the roof. Check for cracks and signs of past water leakage stains on the wood framing (such stains appear as dark-streaked discolorations of the wood). Note that leakage stains may also indicate a problem that has been corrected, so if you see stains on the wood framing, ask the homeowner whether any repairs to the garage roof have been made. Next, check the walls and if the garage is located on an incline, look at those sections of walls that are below grade. Such walls are typically constructed of brick, concrete or rubble, and function as retaining walls as well. Moreover, if proper drainage provisions have not been made, the walls will tend to crack and heave, so if you notice this condition have a professional determine whether rehabilitation is required.
The walls of a detached garage are often covered with a stucco or plaster finish, and the wood-framing members that form the walls are not visible. Still, any exposed studs and bottom plated should be checked for cracked and broken sections, rot and termite infestation. To reduce vulnerability to such issues, the bottom plate of a wood frame wall should be resting on a foundation wall that is at least four inches above the garage floor. In many older detached garages, however, this plate rests directly on the floor or in contact with the ground. If this is the case, check the plate and probe it with an ice-pick or screwdriver. If it can be penetrated, there probably is rot, termite or carpenter-ant activity.
Lastly, check the condition of the floor. If you see any cracked, broken and settled sections, rehabilitation is necessary. This condition generally does not indicate an undermining of the structural integrity of the garage, but rather a poor installation of the floor slab. Also, some garages will have a dirt floor rather than concrete or asphalt. If this is the case, take into account that the dampness associated with this type of floor promotes rot in the wood-framing members, as well as premature rusting of items stored in the garage.
Home Inspection Companies
It is recommended that you hire a professional home inspector to perform all necessary checking, as he will be more thorough and will know exactly what to look for. During a quality detached garage inspection, a professional will also be qualified to check the electric garage door installation, the panel in the garage, the framing & electrical system, insulation, additional driveway, provide advice on how to improve your garage and reduce energy costs and anything else related to the interior and the exterior of the garage.