Straightening up a leaning garage?

So I'm midway through the process of purchasing my first home (woohoo!) and at the end of the driveway is a two-car, double door garage that unfortunately appears to be leaning about 2" to the west. It's not "OMG THIS IS FALLING OVER" leaning but it's perceptible if you notice that kind of thing (I do). The garage overall seems pretty solid; it's older construction and the slab has a few cracks, but I'd really like to keep it together if possible because new garages are EXPEN$IVE, the doors and roof are newer, the electrical is newer, and otherwise it would be great if it wasn't friggin leaning.

Is there any way to effectively straighten/shore up a leaning garage? The internet seems to be of two minds: a) absolutely, or b) you are going to die if you try it. If I can't straighten it again, is there anything I can or should do to keep it from leaning further? The studs on the east side of the garage are all covered in plywood after the recent electrical work that was done, but the rest are all open. I would be ecstatic if this is something I could handle myself.

Like anything else, there is a guy on Craigslist who says he can do it, but I'm a bit leery of an unlicensed guy with an affinity for caps and exclamation points monkeying around with my garage when he may not do much better than I would.

Actual garage photo.

I read this years ago and the guy's technique seemed rational: http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/framecarp/liftmove/straighten/garage1/winch.htm

Several dudes on the garage journal forum have straightened garages way, way, way more crooked. Ratchet straps and cross braces are the general method.

Here's one from Garage Journal. A lot worse than what you posted above.

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74942

I would at least make sure the foundation is not settling causing the garage to list. If it's slab on grade just check the slab, if it had foundation walls, check the walls because they are typically floating slabs.

Twisting the framing over may not be a good thing if the foundation has dropped.

You are absolutely going to die if you try it.

Whatever you do to move the structure, do it slowly. And first, if the doors are newer, check how square their openings are. If they trued up the openings before installing the doors, you may put them out of whack by moving the walls back into plumb.

Duke wrote: And first, if the doors are newer, check how square their openings are. If they trued up the openings before installing the doors, you may put them out of whack by moving the walls back into plumb.

Yes. Do this.

I paid to have my barn done, there were multiple low spots in the peak and it was off in a couple places by six inches. They used comealongs and new cross bracing. When they were done with that my sliding doors wouldn't slide and my man doors wouldn't close. We replaced large sections of the foundation and built new doors for three of the openings. When I have more money I will finish the other doors and re-side it. I'll have way more in it then building a "new" building but it fits the space perfectly and I can't get easement to build new in the same space.

Very doable.

First thing to figure out is if the lean is caused by the foundation sinking or is the structure a parallelogram? Solution would be different depending.

if it's racked from lack of diagonal bracing, you can pull it back. for my sister's garage it was twisted about 6" out. we cut round holes in the siding at the corner 2x4's with a hole saw and put chain around them. one at the top of the wall that was leaning out and one at the bottom of the opposite wall. then winched it back square and screwed in diagonal 2x4 bracing to keep it such.

We have about a month to close so it'll be a while before I can really poke at it consistently, but from what I remember eyeing it up during the formal inspection the structure has just become a parallelogram. The diagonal winch method seems to be the most used online (and a lot safer than some others I've seen).

What kind of tradesman would you even call to get an opinion on something like this? I'll probably end up doing it myself but I'd be curious to hear a professional's take on it.

A good carpenter should be able to handle the work. It shouldn't call for a real specialist.

Duke wrote: A good carpenter should be able to handle the work. It shouldn't call for a real specialist.

I was thinking do the straightening yourself then call a carpenter to re-hang the doors.