evening everyone.

well for the past few months most of my weekends have been taken up with lots of work building a little dream of mine. its something ive wanted to do for years and finally its all coming together.

the measurements of the garage are about 5.5m x 9.5m plus an existing single garage on the side.

i started back in may digging out the footings. took many weeks using a digger for a week and the rest was done by hand.







i got very lazy for a while and things took there time. after a little kick from people it got me going and i called in help to get me started again.







since the base had been completed i have had the help from my girlfriends sisters partner to do the block work and roof.







a couples of pictures of a wet weekend, and how no water would be stopping us now!!







as of last weekend we are up to the stage of having the joists on and all of the rafters cut and ready to fit.







we both hope to have it water tight by the end of this weekend. after this stage the build will slow down a bit due to lack of funds. the first job will be to build a stud wall and a couple of large work benches. this is quite in-expensive to do but will take quite a while to get it all right.

Nice work, would love to do something the same, but just dont have the space

Nice work mate, though is it a garage or more a workshop? as cant see a space for a big garage door.

My boss rebuilt his garage for his Supra to include heating to keep her warm and in good condition lol

Well done mate, I'd love a Garage & Workshop !!

Will you be putting the car inside as well as from the photos it's difficult to see how ?
(or have you got a building plan drawing ?)

Good work but one suggestion - when you build the roof, fit an RSJ across the centre of the garage. You can then mount a block and tackle on it to get some serious lifting power without having to mess around with engine hoists etc. Won't add much to the cost but could be very useful!

mike - its already in place, we think alike!! lol
these pics were the day before all the joists and steels were fitted.
the steel has been put across the 2 piers nearest the entrance to the garage.

its a workshop/garage. as u can see from the pic where the haden van is parked. the opening is in thru where the tarpaulin is hanging. i own the garage on the end and have knocked the back out of it so as u can drive the car thru.

when im finished il comfortably be able to open all doors on one car so as i can work on it. there will be plenty of space around the car so i can still do other stuff while a car is in there. and i also will be able to park a car in the exsisting garage u drive thru.
hopefully after this weekend il be able to get my car in it.

looks great !

one consideration might have been a drain on the floor then you can wash it inside !

remember to stick plenty of lights in, can never get enough light


how come your mate is doing all the work
actually he is the only one sitting down with a cuppa as well

keep us posted with updates

yeah i thought about a drain but the only waste pipes i can T into are the neighbours and id rather not do that. to be honest i probably still could wash the car in the garage and just sweep the water out the door after i have finished. tho it may get very slippy once the floor is painted. lol

yeah going to get plenty of light in there. more than i need probably. i hate dark garages.

haha, to be honest ive never done block work before. ive had a go since we've been doing this but its not as good as it could be!! plus im pretty slow at it.

looks great ...

looking good,

Nice work Neil!

Lol Gord, i love to do the same too, I have the space, I just dont have the money...

BTW the garage looking good matey...

Oh i wish i had a garage Looking good mate, looking at one of the pic's i thought you were building a swimming pool

haha. yeah the water was building up quite a bit when we had some bad rain. lol

ive got it perfect really for space. i already had an existing garage which is kind of at the bottom of my neighbours garden. theres a little cul-de-sac i drive down to get to my garage. so all ive done is knocked thru my garage and i can drive into my back garden, so i thought id put a new garage at the bottom.

cheers for the comments. sorry if ive made a few of you green. lol. its been a dream of mine for years to have a nice workshop like this. cost a fair bit to do but i can pay for that later!!! lol

il take some more pics at the weekend of it with the roof on. its a large pitched roof, so plenty of storage up there!!

if u own the single garage couldnt u have made 1 large garage/worshop instead of 2 seperate buildings??

From the pic it looks like it's a row of garages of which he owns the last one (hence he's knocked out the back of his garage).

It's coming along nicely, will be pretty cool once it's done. Did you originally have a bit of garden off to the side like that then or did you buy the end of the garden of the house in the pic?

Useful post this Neil as I'm just about to build a bigger garage/workshop, having had the plans passed 5 months ago (it's taken me this long to find a decent builder, and of course he's in demand so he couldn't start until now ). Mine will have the same floor area as yours but is 6 metres by 9 metres internal.
Thanks Bazza for the tip on the floor drain, good idea.

Did you consider an inspection pit Neil? Still debating whether to put one in or not .

I would love one of them.

Both my Dad, and Grandad had them in their Garages but filled them in a few years ago. Gutted.

yeah i only own the garage on the end so i couldnt make the whole block one building. ive got it so i drive thru my single garage into the larger building. they will be connected so u wont kind of know it was added on if you know what i mean. yeah i owned the garden in the first place which backs onto the garages which was handy.

yeah my internal size is 9.5m by 5.5m. i think its a fair size but im sure il fill it up soon. are you having a pitched roof on urs? im having one on mine, so its going to add alot more space for storage.. depending on how big it feels i might have the office up there instead of in the garage. not sure yet tho.

i did think about a pit but i wasnt really sure where to have it. ive got alot going in the garage so it may of got in the way. ive got plans of a 2m x 2m spray booth in there which folds away. im sure if i wanted to add a pit later on it wouldnt be too much of an issue. plus i dont think i could handle any more digging for a while. ive got enough dirt to deal with as it is!! lol i did look into a floor mounted ramp which goes in the ground. there not as expensive as i thought so might save for one of them!!

have you been on www.ukworkshop.co.uk tango. its not a bad site for information if your planning a build.

looking really good there fella!

I too know your pain... my new workshop has been 10 weeks in the making and cost double what i thought it would.. and this is only stage one..

hoping to have two main sections:

Section A - Car storage working area - 4 meters x 7 meters

Section B - an L shaped 6 x 6 x 3 (if that makes sense.. imagine a 6 x 3 garage with a 3x3 meter side area to make an L shape) for working on my bikes

The first 6x3 meter section has just been finished and starting work on the 3x3 section now (seperate storage and compressor / spraying room - insulated for sound and warmth)


Due to where my house is and its location from any local concrete batching plants for the bike workshop i did a suspended frame that was consists of about 150 meters of 6x2s combined with about 24+ concreted in posts.. 2 layers of 18mm osb and a layer of hardwood ply before the surface goes down.. the main structure is all metal.. wish i had made it all from wood as it was the metal workshop sections that made it take so long.

Have got an electrician coming in to run an armoured cable and a new RCD off the board.. leading to a garage consumer unit where i will have power, compressor and lighting RCD's...

Demolition was the worst phase as you well know, 3-4 weeks of getting rid of stuff.. two old sheds.. concrete bases etc etc

Will be nice when its all done though as i can start on the car workshop area at the side of the house

Would love to have one big workshop the size of yours though... looks like its gonna be a beauty.. cant beat bricks and mortar!

Pic's would be nice Chris

Don't know if it can be of use to you Neil, but here's a pic of my roof truss. There's going to be 17 of these to span the 9 metre length, so it will give me a useable room size above the garage/workshop that has a 9 metre x 3 metre footprint with storage in the eaves. The height isn't too bad as I can walk the centre section comfortably.





Is that the right link? It's a woodworking site.

This was it prior to the doors going on, all edges are fully sealed now and the workbenches and storage is in... main RCD board is in and awaiting the lecy man to connect up.. hoping to get the floor paint in tonight/tomorrow and then move in tool chests etc..
Once that is all done i can start on the 3x3 extension at the back and right side and build the path/mini drive to the main door..

After 27 years this will be my first ever garage.... (baring my unit i had when i ran CMD).. have always had sheds before.. so im a very happy bunny that i can work in the dry!

yeah thats a similar layout to mine. what size are the joists? seems quite alot of space between each of your joists if you only have 17 joists. mine are 450mm centres. havent fitted the ashlar wall yet so there's still a bit of bounce in the floor.

all the rafters are fitted and its felt and battened. still need to build the gable end walls and felt them and build the ashlar wall. we hoped to do that last weekend but the snow and rain didnt help us at all.

yeah thats the right link. it mainly is a woodworking site but there is a section for garage/workshops.

I lied, there's only 16 joists The timber thickness is 46 mm minimum at 600mm centres, which gives a floor loading of 1900 N/m squared. May have to beef it up a bit if a certain DJ pays a visit , although the floorboarding should help spread the load.

lol after your description chris i was expecting something a little bit more impressive..

When I say I sometime play garage.... I don't mean I play in one

@Fargo..

Not even finished yet.. not sure what you mean by more impressive.. kinda looks exactly how i described it.. its what going in there thats impressive..

Also considering that i was refused planning permission for a brick garage , building it by myself with little or no assistance.. not borrowed any money to build it etc.. i think im not doing too bad...

i meant what height are the joists. ive used 9x2's for mine.
600mm centres. i take it its not a space u will use on a regular basis. seems rather a big gap to have. is it purely just for storage?

chris i think he was thinking the same as me. i thought it was a similar build to mine, where u was using concrete blocks.

In imperial measurements they are 6x2 with 23" centres, and it will be used as a modelling workshop so will be used on a regular basis. As I said the floor loading is more than adequate (1900 Newtons per square metre). That's the minimum calculated load for the attic trusses only and doesn't take into account the additional bracing and floorboards.
Usable floor size in the attic is 9 feet 9 inches wide by 29 feet long, with room for desk/worktops down both sides with full head height access in the centre 3 feet wide for the full length. Also putting in a couple of Velox windows in the roof for natural light and a bulls eye window in the brickwork above the main roller door. Can't wait as my existing single garage which is on the other end of the driveway is full of bikes and garden equipment as well as some of my other toys.

Garage also has a double leaf wall, reconstituted Cotswold Stone outer and insulation block inner with extra insulation between the two...the builder made some crack about turning it into a bungalow.

ahh i see what you mean.. costings wise that would have been cheaper as well.. thought i had described it properly


Main problem i have is that 3 houses up from mine lives a very bitter old man from sevenoaks council... and he has managed to put an end to virtualy every single planning aplication to anything that would make the houses look "different" as he likes them all to be symetrical and doesnt want to change his house!!! its a bloody nightmare, we looked into a double extension and were told not to even bother!

Doing the build this way will sort me for about a year to two years untill i get another version sorted.. the wood base came to double the cost of a poured concrete base in the end, and the metal workshop alone was a bit over £1500, not to mention all the extras needed to make it work propperly for what i wanted. so far its all stood me in for about £2800 for the first phase

My only problem was that i have all my workshop equipment in the house... which was taking up too much space, and when a brick built worksop was not allowed i had to go to plan b..

Some time in 2010 i hope to build a complete structure at the end of the garden, although this time i will build it over the top of the existing workshop so that is spans the width of the garden (8m) hence why i left a 1.5 meter gap to the left hand side.. then upon completion i can just dismantle the current workshop and not need to move anything..

For that stage i will do a block course two high then timber for the remaining structure keeping an peak height of 3 meters and min height of 2.4 meters..

The main thing for me though was to have a decent workspace for fabrication for my bikes over winter

2010 ? why are planning to knock the old fella off !!

did you actually look into not needing planning permission, its surprising what you dont need

old fellas already dead.. lol..

2010 will give me enough time to get things done proppery.. if i can do it sooner i will but i always prefer to allow extra time for things to go wrong!

Planning permission wise as long as i keep the bricks and mortar under 1 meter i think it can still be classed as a temoroary structure..

I plan to design the way it comes together to be almost kit like, with laser cut plates to allow bolted sections for the wood to really classify it as a temporary structure.. probably should have explored that option first as i suppose i wasted my money a little doing it this way..

but as the guiness adverts tell us.. good things come to those who wait...

shame im impatient...lol still really happy though with what i have achieved alone, finaly nice to not have to work in a pop up gazeebo when it rains... lol

forget temporary buildings !!



Under new regulations that came into effect on 1 October 2008 outbuildings are considered to be permitted development, not needing planning permission, subject to the following limits and conditions:

*
No outbuilding forward of the principal elevation fronting a highway.
*
Outbuildings and garages to be single storey with maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres and maximum overall height of four metres with a dual pitched roof or three metres for any other roof.
*
Maximum height 2.5 metres within two metres of a boundary.
*
No verandas, balconies or raised platforms.
*
No more than half the area of land around the "original house"* would be covered by additions or other buildings.
*
In National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and World Heritage Sites the maximum area to be covered by buildings, enclosures, containers and pools more than 20 metres from house to be limited to 10 square metres.
*
On designated land* buildings, enclosures, containers and pools at the side of properties will require planning permission.
*
Within the curtilage of listed buildings any outbuilding will require planning permission.

*The term "original house" means the house as it was first built or as it stood on 1 July 1948 (if it was built before that date). Although you may not have built an extension to the house, a previous owner may have done so.

get away with quite a lot, just dont try and sleep in it

damn... 1st of october.... mine all went by the wayside early september!!!

Certainly has lifted my spirits a little!! nice one mr bazza!

So as long as the building is less than half the availiable land its all cool (excluding house)

the current build is only about 15% of availiable land, so i can easily oversize it a bit more than i planned...

Used to be on percentage of the house didnt it to not need planning permission?

Certainly is a damn good idea though to have changed the rules seeing as nobody will be moving house anytime soon!

what i meant was, by the way you described it all i was expecting something a bit well errr better.
£1500 quid you say youve spent so far... have you tried argos

for 650 quid you could have had this

or for 1300 quid this

be honest i reckon ul have a bit of bounce in the floor up there. ive stood up in the loft area in mine and jumped up and down and that bounces a bit. im sure it will be fine to take the weight but it will feel quite bouncy im sure. is it too late to up the heigh of the joists?

that's a good price for that shed fargo. might have a look into that when my garage and garden are finished. u can never have too much workspace!

ok mr fargo i bow down to your obviously far superior googling skills..

And in the end im happy, my first ever "decent" workshop.. yes its not a million £ but its all mine and i dont owe anything on it..

I really dont think i would buy anything like that from argos!

Either way as was stated before its only a temporary measure for the next year or two..

As for the argos sheds and alike i believe they are aluminium skins rather than steel hence the price difference.

That wooden shed looks a good size.. probably would have been a bit warmer too..

But wanted a non flamable workshop for welding in.. again hence the metal structure..



@ Sorted VTI....

Any more progress photos... cant wait to see them as its gonna be an awsome garage..

Are you keeping the floor concrete or painting it?

I always wanted one of those poured resin floors.. although they are normaly cost prohibative (£3k+)

One thing i was thinking, have you thought about having a look for those small car lifters that you can set into concrete that act as a mini car lift?



its like the above picture, but they run the opposite direction and lift off the normal jacking points... but will only rise about 2' off the ground.. enought to do most jobs with ease.

We sold a pair of them recently for about £200... if i had the forsight i would have got them for myself but they sold within the day (reconditioned ones)

www.ultimategarage.com

Love this website as well.. its what dreams are made of

ive got a couple of pics but nothing that impressive. il take some more tommorow when we have done a bit more.

in the office area im going to carpet it but in the workshop area i will just be painting it. probably go for a light grey.

yeah ive seen a few ramps like that. have been thinking along those lines. a friend of mine said his mate's dad sells them or something like that. got to ask some questions.

there any chance u can get anymore for that price? id be well intrested.
il check that site out now. sounds good.

lol chris your easy to wind up

I know... been having a bad week.. would have normaly told ya just to **** off... lol... need a damn good sleep and a day in bed..



As for the lifts... have found them brand new and shiney for £699.. and that was from a well overpriced place too... lifting beams are their full title

i will let you know if i get any more in... if there are two sets.... lol

I think my dream house would basicaly be a giant garage with somewhere to sleep, eat and wash... the rest is irrelavent... just workspace and heating.. lol

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sealey-SJBEX200-2-To...A1%7C240%3A1318

these ones are pretty cheap and could do the job...

My mate used to run a haulage firm with his dad across from the Isle of Man. he lived in the warehouse across this side. Just literally a large room with his bed and a tele and a few chairs.
Then the whole warehouse downstairs to work on cars in. it was great.

yeah im going to look into the car lift a bit more when i get some more cash.

heres a couple of pics from the build. a couple are from last weekend and a few from this weekend. sorry there a bit dark but we finished quite late and my camera on my phone isnt very good at taking pictures at night.

its all weather tight now. well except for the box gutter i need to fit between the 2 garages, but least i can start to fill the roof space with all the crap from my house.

the next job 's on the agenda are to run the power cable and water pipe. then start wiring it for all the lights and sockets. (anyone work in an electrical wholesalers or know of any secondhand lights and fittings going cheap?)

then il get craking on the work benches and stud walls. im putting one in the lower level and also im partitioning off the roof area to allow for a store where i cant put stuff i never use and a store for stuff i may use in the near future.















il take some more when theres a bit more light. and il use my girlfriends camera so as i get better quality shots.

You sure your not just building a bungalow mate That looks great so far

Shame you didnt mention the lights a couple of weeks back mate, As i could of got you quite a few 6ft double strip lights from work, they have just replaced loads and threw the others out? But i will ask one of the lads to have a look if there are any still there and if there is i'll go and pick them up and let you know asap?

haha. yeah thats what a lot of people have said.
erm i dunno what to say about the lights. kinda a bit far away to collect. not sure after all the messing about trying to get them if its worth the money saving. if you lived closer id snatch ur hand off!! lol.
thank u very much for the offer tho. top man u are!!!

You wouldnt have to pay for them mate, i'll see if there are any left but have a feeling they will have gone by now, as i havn't been into work since thursday last week But if there is i'll enjoy the drive down as i'm bored silly at the moment

looking amazing so far.... cant wait to see her all finished!!

Seriously jelous....

looks real pukka mate, nice one !!

hahaha. thats very nice of you. u must be bored mate. lol

yeah il try and get some more pics at the weekend if i get back from work in time!!
its a nightmare using my phone camera. its seriously crap at night pics.
ive drawn a layout of how im having the benches and stud wall. and where everything is going. il post it up when i convert it to jpeg.

cheers for the comments guys.