Garages - cladding and flooring clearances in E2/AS1

Garage floors must be low enough for vehicle access and high enough to provide a weathering step-down to the exterior, yet still maintain a clearance between the wall cladding and the ground on either side of the garage door. Providing adequate clearance between the driveway and the cladding around the garage door jambs can cause some difficulty. This guidance article suggests ways to achieve this.

The Acceptable Solution E2/AS1, for Building Code Clause E2 External Moisture, describes the particular clearances required for wall claddings and relative floor levels, and the requirement for water to drain away from the threshold. While Acceptable Solutions are not mandatory, they provide one way to comply with the Building Code.

E2/AS1 Figure 65: Levels and garage openings illustrates the required clearances for exterior claddings to exterior ground. It shows a change of level between the garage finished floor level and the exterior paved driveway with details for the threshold. There is no specific requirement in E2/AS1 for a level change between the building finished floor level and the garage floor level.

Where building and garage floor levels remain the same, the Comment to Paragraph 9.1.3.4 gives three methods for achieving the respective step-downs at the garage door threshold and adjacent cladding.