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Loss of garage
davie h - 24/4/09 at 10:09 PM

my wife has been going on about needing more space in the house since our second son came along. we dont want to move due to the cost and also we have great neighbours , so she first went on about a conservatory but after pricing one that looked out of the picture and then next door got their garage converted into a room(i know i did say we had great neighbours) and it didnt cost that much so the seed was planted in the wifes head. the long and short of it is that im losing the garage but im going to build a shed/workshop in the garden to house the car/chassis/parts i have made and collected but i dont have space to wheel a rolling chassis from the garden to the drive, so my plan is that when i have the parts collected to complete the car to do the final build on the drive. i know this sounds mad but im happy if the wife and kids are happy and i also get to keep doing what i love, has anyone else had to do this sort of thing through not having a garage and how did you get on

Davie

[Edited on 24/4/09 by davie h]

[Edited on 24/4/09 by davie h]


Keith Weiland - 24/4/09 at 10:13 PM

If you are buying a shed anyway why not build it in the shed? You could then hire a crane to lift it over your house

[Edited on 24/4/2009 by Keith Weiland]


handyandy - 24/4/09 at 10:47 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Keith Weiland
If you are buying a shed anyway why not build it in the shed? You could then hire a crane to lift it over your house

[Edited on 24/4/2009 by Keith Weiland]


i,d agree with the above, its been done before, saw a tv programme where a car was built in a shed in back garden then craned over top of house.
the length of time to build would mean its on the driveway for a long time & you could only work on it in daylight & good weather, build in the shed.
andy


iank - 24/4/09 at 10:58 PM

Craning cars over houses is expensive and prone to massively expensive c*ckups (think dropping through roofs, knocking down phone wires etc.)

If you can get a chassis down the side of the house you might be able to trolley the whole car down on its side (minus rollbar so that would have to be a bolt on one) - need to be careful of fluid's etc so brake fluid, oil, water, petrol would have to be drained and replaced on the drive.

You'd probably need the services of some of those neighbours to help depending on the terrain.

Think Striker on it's side
Striker on it's side


[Edited on 24/4/09 by iank]


SteveWalker - 24/4/09 at 11:27 PM

Patio door at the back, window at the front with removable infill panel below the window (think timberclad section). Convert to a room, but you can still get the car through when it's finished?


Staple balls - 25/4/09 at 12:20 AM

I had similar happen with rolling chassis + engine etc.

Lived on the drive for 2-3 years under a tarp untouched.

I really have no trouble working on it in slightly off weather, and do prep work inside when it's too bad to be out.

Not the best situation ever, but it works well enough.

Considering getting a decent shed built up the garden for all the tools etc.


LBMEFM - 25/4/09 at 06:10 AM

Can you not rent a lock-up, about £30-£40 a month in my area.


mangogrooveworkshop - 25/4/09 at 06:51 AM

chassis can and have gone through a single door built up or not


We over the years have done this several times over the years when we rented property's

Shed in the back


maartenromijn - 25/4/09 at 07:59 AM

Bugger that you will lose the garage, but thumbs up to keep family happy. For me it's always priority to keep up with maintenance on our house, keep wife and kids happy. In the last place is my car...

Sometimes my wife claims more space in the garage, for her and kids bicycles. This claim off course is not approved Give them a finger... and they will take your hand!

Just kidding. I would just take it as it is and make the best of it. However, I would build the car in the shed. Take everything apart to movable pieces and re-assemble on the driveway.


speedyxjs - 25/4/09 at 08:04 AM

Id go for the build it in the garden shed option. Crane hire is about £100 iirc (and they have to close the whole road for heath and safty stuff )


Wheels244 - 25/4/09 at 08:39 AM

Compromise - why not finish the car THEN convert the garage.

Also, where are you going to store the car once it's finished ? Most insurance companies want it kept in a garage overnight.


yellow melos - 25/4/09 at 08:50 AM

taking a garage is taking some of your manhood away !!

wouldn't a small extension on the house do ????


Guinness - 25/4/09 at 09:22 AM

I'd buy the conservatory!

The trouble with converting a garage into a habitable room is that it is easy to do badly, but quite expensive to get right.

If you do it properly, you'll need building regulations approval, or a Warrant (as you are in Scotland).

9/10 garage floors won't be insulated, so if you just stick carpet straight down on it, the floor will always be cold. The alternatives are to insulate and then screed, or install a suspended or floating timber floor. Both of these options are going to raise the floor level. Might turn out to be an issue when opening up a doorway into the existing house, or headroom in the new room.

Then the external walls will probably not be insulated. So again you can either add insulation to the inside, and then plasterboard, or use a composite board. Again, achieveing the required level of insulation might mean using quite thick insulation, losing valuable floor space.

Then you'll need to sort the ceiling out. Not sure if you have a flat roof over your garage or a room over there. If it is a flat roof, you are going to have to insulate it AND keep the roof space ventilated. If you have a room over, then it's just a case of plasterboarding and skiming (providing you have some sound insulation between the two rooms).

Electrical work will be need to be done under Part P, by a qualified sparky.

Replacing the garage door with a wall / window will be OK, but make sure the builder gets the damp proof course right (also links back to what you are doing with the floor slab).

HTH

Mike


Phil.J - 25/4/09 at 09:36 AM

Think in the long term when you do eventually move, a house without a garage or room to put one will appeal to relatively few people.
I wouldn't even go to look at such a property.

[Edited on 25/4/09 by Phil.J]


zilspeed - 25/4/09 at 12:21 PM

The proportions of a garage are also crap for converting to a bedroom too.

I converted my brother's for him and after we had added all the insulation etc. (even using modern materials, it's a long narrow room - just like a garage....

Build the conservatory - keep your garage.


tomblyth - 25/4/09 at 03:06 PM

quote:

Can you not rent a lock-up, about £30-£40 a month in my area.



just under £4 in my area!!!!


mad-butcher - 25/4/09 at 06:15 PM

A mate had a similar dilema with his 911 trackday car, solution was simple. built a second storey above garage worked out much the same as conservatory and also added value to house

tony


davie h - 25/4/09 at 08:08 PM

my garage is integral and its already insulated pretty well and sheeted in plasterboard wall and floor so it only needs a skim of plaster. the floor of the garage sits about 3-4 inches below the level of the rest of the house and will need a floating floor, as for the space next door have the same house as us and they had it done and it makes for a good sized room, it all boils down to cash and keeping the wife and kids happy, if they are i am. i have a large wasted space at the rear of my garden so im goimg to build a shed out there and get by with that and finish it on the drive. im not cranin it over the house knowing my luck it fall through the bloody roof. i have a plan for storage when done as my father in law has garage and when he retires and loses the company car i will ask to keep the car in there.

Davie


MikeRJ - 25/4/09 at 08:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by iank
Think Striker on it's side
Striker on it's side




That looks strangely familiar


iank - 25/4/09 at 08:42 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by iank
Think Striker on it's side
Striker on it's side




That looks strangely familiar


Really?