Garage Rebuild

[00slk]

With the past 7 houses we have lived in 4 have had inadequate garaging for my desire to own more than 3 cars at any one time and not many properties have 3 + car garaging. However I have always found a way of getting around this by either building new or extending the garages.
Our current house was no except so once the builders visited to look at what I wanted it was decided to demolish the 2 car garage and start fresh for the 4 car garage. This was February 2019 and so the project begun.
After the architect drew up the plans and the council granted planning permission things would get underway.
Come July 2020 and finally we went from this.......


........To this............


And that's where things have come to a stop, as the gas pipes that were running around the existing garage will be in the way for the footings and extra thickness of concrete. The gas pipes didn't come in from the main road as was indicated. It's now going to cause up to 10 weeks delay now for any further progress. I will keep things up dated as they happen.

 

[mioba]

I was looking forward to scroll down and a showroom type garage....

Good luck with the build and keep pestering the gas board to get thier pipes off the way.

 

[NJS5]

If you haven't done so already you might consider wiring for an EV charging point or two, if you are going to live in this house for a reasonable period of time.

Good luck

NJSS

 

[Chrishazle]

If you go for the EV points, try for a 3 phase installation so you can have fast chargers! Good luck finding the run of the gas pipes, we found the supply to our house when re-modelling the driveway - thankfully between the tines of the heavy garden fork the builder was using rather than on one of them!! It's a yellow plastic type pipe rather than metal, so have no idea how you can detect them other than by very careful hand digging!

 

[NJS5]

Definitely go for 3 phase installation if it's available at anything like a reasonable price.

NJSS

 

[00slk]

If you haven't done so already you might consider wiring for an EV charging point or two, if you are going to live in this house for a reasonable period of time.

Good luck

NJSS

If you go for the EV points, try for a 3 phase installation so you can have fast chargers! Good luck finding the run of the gas pipes, we found the supply to our house when re-modelling the driveway - thankfully between the tines of the heavy garden fork the builder was using rather than on one of them!! It's a yellow plastic type pipe rather than metal, so have no idea how you can detect them other than by very careful hand digging!

Definitely go for 3 phase installation if it's available at anything like a reasonable price.

NJSS

Great mines likes Chaps It was my wifes idea to put in a charging point just in case we.....She decides to buy an electric car I have already mentioned the 3 phase power to my electrical man and its in the pipeline, as they say
The gas line can be re-routed, it's the cost and wait for them to carry out the work which will hold everything up

 

[Chrishazle]

The other thing I miss from my old large (26ft x 20ft!) garage is the pit I had crosswise across the rear. Forgot to put lights in the wall when I had it built, but a couple of 500w incandescents gave heat as well as light - surprising how cold a concrete pit can get at times! Topped the pit with 2" stress graded planks about 8" wide (which sat on a ledge round the top so they were flush with the top when in place), strong enough to drive over and to jack a car from!

 

[NJS5]

I clad mine with a stack of insulation, and then 18mm marine ply so shelves & tools could be wall mounted.

Stacks of power points internally, and two externally & light switches alongside all doors.

NJSS

 

[Chrishazle]

The building inspector specified that one wall of my garage had to have fireproof cladding as it was within 2m of the boundary, which was not a problem as from about 2ft above ground the garage was timber framed and clad. I made sure the attaching of the cladding showed me where the timber uprights were so I knew where to drill fixings for shelves etc! Also ran a dedicated power supply from the main box in the house to a consumer unit in the garage so had facility for loads of power points, lights and the electric roller shutter 16ft wide door! Found a handy delayed off light switch for one set of lights used purely for access and egress from whichever car we used, then had loads of fluorescents for general lights.

That reminds me - I originally planned for 2 standard garage doors with a brick pillar between, but changed that for a single 16ft opening and a remote controlled roller shutter door (which was cheaper than a non-electric 16ft up and over door!). One of the best decisions I've ever made. Having a remote in each car and the kitchen was fantastic.

 

[00slk]

The other thing I miss from my old large (26ft x 20ft!) garage is the pit I had crosswise across the rear. Forgot to put lights in the wall when I had it built, but a couple of 500w incandescents gave heat as well as light - surprising how cold a concrete pit can get at times! Topped the pit with 2" stress graded planks about 8" wide (which sat on a ledge round the top so they were flush with the top when in place), strong enough to drive over and to jack a car from!

My first garage I had built was 45ft and 24ft and 10ft high door opening, complete with pit measuring 5ft deep at the low end and 6ft 6" at the deep end with drain. However it was a tad too wide as the early Mini wouldn't fit over it and just only narrow enough for a Triumph Herald. Easy put 7 of my 18 cars in the garage.

 

[Kev555]

2 kw solar PV array on the new garage roof if its south facing for charging etc?

 

[00slk]

2 kw solar PV array on the new garage roof if its south facing for charging etc? Gas Utility companies at their best again, Shortest or handiest route.

Kev, believe it or not I have mentioned that to the Missus. A friend of ours has solar panels which heat his indoor pool

 

[Kev555]

I have them but not for charging a car yet, some people argue about the payback with solar PV but if you are about the house during sunlight hours and live in a reasonably sunny climate with a pitched roof on your new garage I know what I would do. I have my 4 kw array on an east west roof and I still get a great amount of energy throughout 3 quarters of the year.

 

[00slk]

I have them but not for charging a car yet, some people argue about the payback with solar PV but if you are about the house during sunlight hours and live in a reasonably sunny climate with a pitched roof on your new garage I know what I would do. I have my 4 kw array on an east west roof and I still get a great amount of energy throughout 3 quarters of the year.

Our roof will be pitched east to west, plus we get the sun quite a lot more in the east so we will be looking at the cost of of the system and chat with my mate as he did his himself

 

[Jim2]

While its "still under construction" ( as they say!! and suggestions are still coming in, here's my tuppence worth ( warts and all !!! } as there is no indication of height, how about a two-post lift? There are some very nice serviceable lift's available now. When I bought the present house back in 2011, it had a shed and while the modifications in the house were going on, I should have included a lift in the shed. Its something that I have regretted since. But maybe next year???? We will see how it goes.

 

[00slk]

While its "still under construction" ( as they say!! and suggestions are still coming in, here's my tuppence worth ( warts and all !!! } as there is no indication of height, how about a two-post lift? There are some very nice serviceable lift's available now. When I bought the present house back in 2011, it had a shed and while the modifications in the house were going on, I should have included a lift in the shed. Its something that I have regretted since. But maybe next year???? We will see how it goes.

Thanks Jim for your input and not as you put it 'tuppence worth' as any good ideas are much appreciated and certainly worthwhile. However I already have a 2 poster and a small curtainsider/transporter lorry which has given me the height I needed to be able to put the lorry inside the garage if need be to work on, and then to my surprise, my Wife's suggestion of buying a new 2 poster to go inside the garage and leave the old one outside to use during summer periods.......Bless her Only problem now is that I can't use the 2 poster as there is building materials scattered all around the driveway Come to think of it both my sheds are virtually crammed full and near impossible to access anything......Tools included

 

[Chrishazle]

So first thing to put up on the walls will be tool racks! I have a couple in my garage, with appropriate hangers, lovely display, easy to find the tool you want, also teaches you to put them back where they belong after use so they're easy to find next time they're needed!!

 

[Blobcat]

So first thing to put up on the walls will be tool racks! I have a couple in my garage, with appropriate hangers, lovely display, easy to find the tool you want, also teaches you to put them back where they belong after use so they're easy to find next time they're needed!!

Better off with a tool cab (or 2) you can roll around and lock... There's some very very good click together shelving which can take some serious weight for big stuff around the outside of the garage - I've loads of it...

 

[d215yq]

Our roof will be pitched east to west, plus we get the sun quite a lot more in the east so we will be looking at the cost of of the system and chat with my mate as he did his himself

There's probably more rules in the UK but if you buy an all in one inverter for the solar panels with connection to mains and optional connection to batteries here they come with instructions and if you know the difference between wiring something in series and paralell and can spec the correct thickness of cable it would be an easy DIY job - it's even sold in the store as such.

 

[davemercedes]

You have my deepest sympathy for an unforeseen problem not of your own making... and of course the power suppliers couldn't give a toss about you and your costs! Our daughter had a house built and they found the drains bore no resemblance to the plans which is typical (and of course has no comeback)! It goes back to the big share-out (or lack of) mapping info when the utility companies were privatised. So they win £ big time even when they're wrong because of course they have the temerity to charge you to inspect any work done even though they've been wrong for donkey's years!

- Good luck!