ᐅ Building alignment including or excluding garage on a sloped lot

The expected slope leading to the garage poses no problem for any car. 😉 In my opinion, the paving contractor does not really mind whether there is a 2% or 5% gradient.

hanghaus2023 schrieb:

The slope leading to the garage is manageable for any car without problems. 😉 In my opinion, the paver doesn’t really care whether it’s a 2% or 5% gradient.

Well, the slope in our case would be almost 19%. That is a height difference of 1.8m (5.9 ft) over 9.5m (31 ft) to the garage. Or am I mistaken?

HeinzBosslauch schrieb:

Well, the slope on our site would be just under 19%. That’s a height difference of 1.8m (5.9 feet) over 9.5m (31 feet) to the garage. Or am I missing something?

I’ll take a look at the rest shortly. For now, regarding this:

19% is quite steep purely based on the numbers (if still current), and it might get even more challenging. You would need to flatten the start and end of the slope so that cars (depending on the type) don’t scrape the bottom. The consequence: the rest of the slope would become even steeper.
Slopes over 20% (which you will likely reach here due to flattening at the beginning and end) are definitely tricky. It becomes especially difficult in snow and ice conditions.

I would recommend seeing this kind of slope in person (somewhere with similar inclines) to get a feel for how manageable it is. Also keep in mind that in winter weather with snow and ice, driving up could be very problematic.

(I used to live near the Sauerland region where there were several slopes like this. With an underpowered small car, it was only possible to climb them in snow if I had enough momentum. Starting from a stop or crawling uphill slowly was not an option. Since I no longer live there, I haven’t been able to test it with a standard car.)

Is that height difference still accurate according to the current plans? If the house and garage can be positioned slightly lower (if feasible), it would significantly reduce the slope gradient.

Papierturm schrieb:

I'll take a look at the rest shortly. First, regarding this:

19% is already quite steep just based on the numbers (if still current), and it might even get steeper. You would need to ease the slope at the beginning and end so that cars (depending on the type) don’t scrape the underside. The consequence would be a steeper section in the middle.
And slopes over 20% (which you would likely reach here due to easing at the start and end) are really challenging. Snow and ice make it even more difficult.

I recommend checking out similar slopes in person (somewhere with comparable inclines) to see how manageable they are for you. Keep in mind that in snow or ice conditions, getting up the hill might be a problem.

(I used to live near the Sauerland region, where there were several such steep slopes. With an underpowered small car, I could only get up those slopes in snow if I had enough momentum. Starting from a stop or creeping up slowly wasn’t possible. Since I haven’t lived there for a while, I haven’t tested it with an average car.)

Is this elevation difference still accurate according to the latest plans? Even lowering the house and garage somewhat on the site (where possible) would reduce the incline noticeably.

Yes, I have seen something similar near us, and it’s really not ideal. They installed heating in the driveway, but due to the steepness alone, it’s still not perfect regardless of the season.
Our plan is to have the designer review this thoroughly and, if necessary, lower everything a bit. I think lowering by about 20–40cm (8–16 inches) would help, but there’s always a trade-off with the terrace behind the house and the transition to the garden.

Thanks for your feedback.

HeinzBosslauch schrieb:

Yes, I’ve seen something similar nearby, and it’s really not ideal. They installed heating under the driveway, but it still isn’t optimal, simply because of the steep slope—regardless of summer or winter.
We are also considering having the planner review it again and potentially lowering everything a bit. I think lowering it by 20–40 cm (8–16 inches) would make a difference. However, there’s always the conflict with the terrace behind the house and the transition to the garden.

Thanks for your feedback.

Here are the elevation details from the plan.

In my opinion, it is 1.5 m (5 feet) by 15 m (50 feet), which is 10%. That is still acceptable.