I’ve got a block foundation, with a crawl space that I want semi-outside access into (From garage) – Right now access is from an inside floor panel. I want to cut out an access hole in the blocks underneath the rim joist.
I want to make it approximately 2′ wide. Right now there is a 2×6 sill plate, and a 2×12 rim joist above where I want to make access. Will I have to worry about additional support, or will this suffice? This is on a one story ranch-style house, so there shouldn’t be terribly large loads, plus it will be on the gable-end of the house, so it shouldn’t have too much of the roof load.
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I'll advize against this. I know of two homes where the access is about that size from the garage. Both owners hate them and we talked about alternate means ( nobody wants to spring for the bucks yet to move it.)
Some of the objections - Safety - you have a hole you can step into in the garage when not covered.
Heat - if you do not heat the garage, that cold air sinks to th elowest point - the crawl - where it can lead to frozen pipes
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I'm not talking about the floor of the garage, it will be in the wall of the garage (garage is below floor level of the house) and it will be a well insulated door. I'm not too worried about freezing - previous owners never closed crawlspace vents and there were no line freezes, so I figure closing vents in the winter, and a well insulated door will probably be a gain in crawl space temperature.
I run into that config regularly (but not often.)
You want to cover it, of course, for cold air and, more importantly for possible fumes from gas leaks (I don't think they allow them anymore for that reason) but in most cases in my area they give better than average access - simply a matter of making them bid enough.
Worst are through a side opening with a standard "window well" to access it thru.
Second worst are the closet floor, especially where the plumber and heating contractors have run pipes/ducts across part of the opening
OK, That's doable as far as the structural is concerened, just be sure you are not puching thru right at youir center beam.
But - just how high above the garage slab is the house anyways?
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Roughly 30" - Big enough for me to get into, but not as big as I'd like.