My Coach House to Garage Conversion
Discussion
Thought I would put this up to show you what I'm upto and as a bit of a build diary.
Due to a broken o'ring somewhere within my RS6's gearbox and the ludicrous quotes to fix. I thought the money better spent on converting the unused coach house and adding a 2 post lift. Idea is to have it properly kitted out with a mezzanine deck to the side of the 2 post, with workshop facilities underneath. I'll then fix the gearbox myself.
So I'm starting with this rather lovely little building that is in the courtyard. So far I have used it to store a car in there and all sorts of random gear. Building consists of the room that(at one time)housed the coach and next door there is a stable block for the 2 horses that pulled it. The wall between the 2 is a simple partition, with very rotten beams and flooring above.
So with permissions in place it was time to get started. First there was the top floor to clear as it was getting removed as it was so rotten and I wanted to open it up to give height for the 2 post lift. Also I chipped out the cement pointing on the outside which was doing more harm than good.
Also remove this partition wall which is not structural.
So with this removed the builders then moved in and a day later the coach house was looking much more open than before. I also didn't realise quite how much space there was. With a bit of shuffling I managed to get the Yaris, Abarth and RS6 in there!
They don't make buildings like they used to
There was a bit of woodworm in evidence so the place was sprayed. The floor inside was dug up to make way for a floor rated for a 2 post lift. It was dug deeper in the area where the lift is to be bolted as a bit of overkill, I don't fancy 2+ tonne of RS6 falling on me.
Day of cementing and this truck blocked the main street for pretty much 10 minutes whilst trying to get into the courtyard. Was a bit of a squeeze!
Concrete in
And all done
After it was done a week later they came and dressed the surface. I might go for tiles for the ease of leaks/spills and cleaning up. This is as far as I have gone so far, but needless to say there is a lot of work still to do including:
Plaster boarding and sorting out the ceiling
Electrics and lighting
Mezzanine deck and staircase
New windows and single door
Roller shutter main door
Water supply
Heritage velux windows
2 post lift install
Wood burner in the corner
Aim is to be done for winter so I am good to get the gearbox sorted on the RS6. So shall try to keep it updated as I go. I have got a week driving around the Pyrenees and Le Mans booked for next year so I have a deadline to hit!!
Due to a broken o'ring somewhere within my RS6's gearbox and the ludicrous quotes to fix. I thought the money better spent on converting the unused coach house and adding a 2 post lift. Idea is to have it properly kitted out with a mezzanine deck to the side of the 2 post, with workshop facilities underneath. I'll then fix the gearbox myself.
So I'm starting with this rather lovely little building that is in the courtyard. So far I have used it to store a car in there and all sorts of random gear. Building consists of the room that(at one time)housed the coach and next door there is a stable block for the 2 horses that pulled it. The wall between the 2 is a simple partition, with very rotten beams and flooring above.
So with permissions in place it was time to get started. First there was the top floor to clear as it was getting removed as it was so rotten and I wanted to open it up to give height for the 2 post lift. Also I chipped out the cement pointing on the outside which was doing more harm than good.
Also remove this partition wall which is not structural.
So with this removed the builders then moved in and a day later the coach house was looking much more open than before. I also didn't realise quite how much space there was. With a bit of shuffling I managed to get the Yaris, Abarth and RS6 in there!
They don't make buildings like they used to
There was a bit of woodworm in evidence so the place was sprayed. The floor inside was dug up to make way for a floor rated for a 2 post lift. It was dug deeper in the area where the lift is to be bolted as a bit of overkill, I don't fancy 2+ tonne of RS6 falling on me.
Day of cementing and this truck blocked the main street for pretty much 10 minutes whilst trying to get into the courtyard. Was a bit of a squeeze!
Concrete in
And all done
After it was done a week later they came and dressed the surface. I might go for tiles for the ease of leaks/spills and cleaning up. This is as far as I have gone so far, but needless to say there is a lot of work still to do including:
Plaster boarding and sorting out the ceiling
Electrics and lighting
Mezzanine deck and staircase
New windows and single door
Roller shutter main door
Water supply
Heritage velux windows
2 post lift install
Wood burner in the corner
Aim is to be done for winter so I am good to get the gearbox sorted on the RS6. So shall try to keep it updated as I go. I have got a week driving around the Pyrenees and Le Mans booked for next year so I have a deadline to hit!!
Cheers everyone, you are probably right, my man maths is rather optimistic! But hope to do as good a job as possible with the finances I have.
The door at the top for the old hayloft will have a new sash style window and I'll be able to see out when on the mezzanine floor.
It has a nice character and intend to keep it that way externally at least. Inside I'm not sure to go more traditional or go modern.
Vroom101 said:
That building looks lovely. What a great place.
If it was mine I'd be inclined to have new wooden double doors. I think they'd suit the character of the building far better than a roller shutter door.
Looking forward to see how this turns out. My house was built in the 70's and has about as much character as a potato, so I'mmassively ever so slightly envious of your coach house 
You are thinking along my lines regarding the building. I'm hoping to fit a black roller shutter door behind similar style doors you see now. Will be using the original hinges and the single door will be traditional style too.If it was mine I'd be inclined to have new wooden double doors. I think they'd suit the character of the building far better than a roller shutter door.
Looking forward to see how this turns out. My house was built in the 70's and has about as much character as a potato, so I'm
The door at the top for the old hayloft will have a new sash style window and I'll be able to see out when on the mezzanine floor.
It has a nice character and intend to keep it that way externally at least. Inside I'm not sure to go more traditional or go modern.
jason61c said:
Lovely building too. Such a shame about the cement pointing, however it's looking awesome already.
Cheers! Most of the cement pointing is out now, and hope to get it repointed soon. Unfortunately most of the house was the same, it took a long time to chip it all out.Vroom101 said:
Optimistic!?! I'd say!
You spent eight-and-a-bit grand on an RS6, and now face a hefty bill for an O-ring (well, I'm guessing the O-ring is pennies, but fitting it is where you'll lose an arm and a leg). So you decide the sensible thing is to do the work yourself, but there's the small matter of converting your coach house, buying and installing a car lift, buying the right tools for the job, not to mention the time it will all take. How much is all that going to cost?! You could probably buy another RS6 for the same money!
That man-maths isn't optimistic, its miraculous!
Top work! Carry on!
I still pinch myself that I managed to get this past the Mrs, the much needed new kitchen has been delayed. She might be a keeper You spent eight-and-a-bit grand on an RS6, and now face a hefty bill for an O-ring (well, I'm guessing the O-ring is pennies, but fitting it is where you'll lose an arm and a leg). So you decide the sensible thing is to do the work yourself, but there's the small matter of converting your coach house, buying and installing a car lift, buying the right tools for the job, not to mention the time it will all take. How much is all that going to cost?! You could probably buy another RS6 for the same money!
That man-maths isn't optimistic, its miraculous!
Top work! Carry on!
I should just sell the RS6 for parts and I'd probably be able to get a nicer one. However apart from the gearbox I know this one is mechanically spot on. Cosmetically not the best, but then it means I don't get too precious over it.
I always try to use certain situations to my advantage. I needed a spacious practical family car, so I needed an RS6. RS6 has a duff gearbox, I need a proper garage to sort it out
MrBig said:
What a fantastic building. Once the lift is in will you still be able to get another car in the other side under the mezzanine? Might be a useful feature if it's feasible?
It's possible if I used a single post lift that was bolted down on the left as you drove in. However the design of single post lifts means it does not lend itself too well to removing gearboxes as there is a big beam that runs across the centre of the car. The RS6 is also a heavy car and most single posts are around 2 Ton lift which is borderline. With that weight over me I'd rather over spec, but with the 2 post I'll still get 2 cars in so still pretty good!geeks said:
This is f
king cool!
£10 says you never replace the O-Ring
I shall take a photo as it will possibly be the most expensive O-ring in the world king cool!£10 says you never replace the O-Ring
It has to be done I have Le Mans next year, and after wanting to go for literally decades I do not want to go in the Noddy car (Abarth 500)
Vroom101 said:
I do have a quick (slightly off topic) question. I didn't think the C5 RS6 was type approved for a towbar. How did you manage to get that past the insurance company?
It's declared as a modification with the insurers. The C5 chassis is approved and built for towing with other engines although Audi were worried (justifiably) about the weak gearbox. Treated with mechanical sympathy the RS6 is arguable the safest of the lot for towing. I tow a small camping trailer and speedboat with it. Although the majority of use is for the bike rack.KTF said:
Also, why do you have a different registration on the front and the back
Few years between those photos tvrforever said:
@ug_lee - please tell me you're not an accountant? 
if you're not, I have some cost justification projects I need to get past the finance team at work... 
I'm not an accountant but Mrs Ug is, so how I got it past her I have no idea. if you're not, I have some cost justification projects I need to get past the finance team at work... Luckily builders rates are very reasonable where we live so we are still under the cost of a reconditioned box from a specialist (just).
Now if I can complete the rest for less than the cost of what Ayr Audi quoted for a new gearbox I shall be pretty happy. The rest is now material cost as I hope to do the rest myself with help from my dad who is a joiner.
Only had a few bits and bats done that I have no photos of at the moment. But they have replaced a few roof joists that were rotten and they removed all the poorly laid block paving in the courtyard, modified the drainage and put down gravel.
Ideally I'd have wanted new block paving (the old stuff was about 10 different colours) but at best part of £15K I had to pass. But now I have no puddle problems, no wobbly blocks and my house and smaller garage no longer flood/get damp when it rains. So I'm a happy chap!
Next stage is 2 post lift in and tiling down. That will be happening in the next month all finances pending!
Ideally I'd have wanted new block paving (the old stuff was about 10 different colours) but at best part of £15K I had to pass. But now I have no puddle problems, no wobbly blocks and my house and smaller garage no longer flood/get damp when it rains. So I'm a happy chap!
Next stage is 2 post lift in and tiling down. That will be happening in the next month all finances pending!
Edited by Ug_lee on Monday 3rd August 23:26
2 Post lift has been ordered and will be with me next Wednesday. Needs to be fitted prior to the tiling which is happening early October.
Now, how to get the parts which come on a curtain side truck of which the heaviest part is 200KG, from the end of the driveway into the garage?
Mates are out of the question, I have them but unfortunately they all work during the week. Also some cheap car dolleys won't work as they will dig into the gravel bit stuck as to how to do this, any ideas?
Oh and found that the RS6 gearbox is fine, works much better when there is the required amount of oil in it! Did 600 miles on holiday before a spring perch failed on the rear KONI shock, dropped onto the driveshaft and cut it in half!!
Car is currently in at my local specialists and hope to have it back as good as new before the weekend, yay!
Now, how to get the parts which come on a curtain side truck of which the heaviest part is 200KG, from the end of the driveway into the garage?
Mates are out of the question, I have them but unfortunately they all work during the week. Also some cheap car dolleys won't work as they will dig into the gravel bit stuck as to how to do this, any ideas?
Oh and found that the RS6 gearbox is fine, works much better when there is the required amount of oil in it! Did 600 miles on holiday before a spring perch failed on the rear KONI shock, dropped onto the driveshaft and cut it in half!!
Car is currently in at my local specialists and hope to have it back as good as new before the weekend, yay!
Thanks for all the suggestions chaps it certainly gave me something to think and laugh about! In the end I decided to go for the middle ground and used this to get the lift off the truck.
Worked brilliantly. This all happened 5 weeks ago but was offshore with no internet until now. Aim is to hit the ground running this time home, get the lift up and running and then the tiling.
I've been wavering between porcelain or the dynotile not sure which to go with. It will be a working garage so something that is easy to clean and deals with spills would point to the porcelain. However I'd like to heat it and the plastic tiles insulate the floor considerably better.
Worked brilliantly. This all happened 5 weeks ago but was offshore with no internet until now. Aim is to hit the ground running this time home, get the lift up and running and then the tiling.
I've been wavering between porcelain or the dynotile not sure which to go with. It will be a working garage so something that is easy to clean and deals with spills would point to the porcelain. However I'd like to heat it and the plastic tiles insulate the floor considerably better.
Reached a bit of a milestone today!
It took a whole day yesterday of shifting posts/car in/car out before I was happy with the location of the lift. But it definitely paid off as things are seriously tight. With my back in absolute bits from yesterdays graft I finished bolting everything down, adjusted the cables and working my way through the woefully inadequate electrical drawings I got it working!
Then followed a series of 10+ lifts of slowly increasing heights with the car and checking the torque on the bolts each time before I went for a full lift.
To give you an idea on how tight it is:
Almost in built safety in that if it should fall forward/aft it will rest against the wall 2" either side. It's that tight I'm thinking the walls would be better off whitewashed than lined as I can't really lose the space. It's particularly tight as this car is pretty big but I should get 90% of cars on the lift. I also have around 2" of clearance on the car I want to put below this. Making it a 2 car garage
Spurred on by my success I decided to sort the LED floodlights to light up the outside. £80 in power supplies and lights and I'm very happy with the end result! Now to do the rest of the house with another 20 lights.
I have a good quote for dynotiles and lined up the Newage performance garage cabinets, however will need to hold off for a while as the offshore industry has hit a brick wall. So 25% of the workforce has to unfortunately go, with that in mind I need to keep some cash in reserve just in case.
It took a whole day yesterday of shifting posts/car in/car out before I was happy with the location of the lift. But it definitely paid off as things are seriously tight. With my back in absolute bits from yesterdays graft I finished bolting everything down, adjusted the cables and working my way through the woefully inadequate electrical drawings I got it working!
Then followed a series of 10+ lifts of slowly increasing heights with the car and checking the torque on the bolts each time before I went for a full lift.
To give you an idea on how tight it is:
Almost in built safety in that if it should fall forward/aft it will rest against the wall 2" either side. It's that tight I'm thinking the walls would be better off whitewashed than lined as I can't really lose the space. It's particularly tight as this car is pretty big but I should get 90% of cars on the lift. I also have around 2" of clearance on the car I want to put below this. Making it a 2 car garage
Spurred on by my success I decided to sort the LED floodlights to light up the outside. £80 in power supplies and lights and I'm very happy with the end result! Now to do the rest of the house with another 20 lights.
I have a good quote for dynotiles and lined up the Newage performance garage cabinets, however will need to hold off for a while as the offshore industry has hit a brick wall. So 25% of the workforce has to unfortunately go, with that in mind I need to keep some cash in reserve just in case.
Last week my (awesome) builder came to make the roof 100% and sort out the mess left by the previous roofer (why is it so hard to get decent tradesman?) I'm currently chasing a refund through the small claims court for the work I paid. After getting up there on a ladder and inspecting the previous roofer had actually made the roof worse than before. Lesson learned and all that but it has left me seriously out of pocket.
But it's looking much better now after my builder spent 4 days on it. I had a tree growing out of the roof at the left hand side, no guttering resulting in a lot of foliage growing off the wall (where the darker patch of stone is) and missing tiles all over:
He has completely enclosed the ends of the roof in lead. Old buildings tend to have solid stone ends on the roof, which although look great are a magnet for failure. The pointing is down to me over the winter when it doesn't get too cold.
The front is also done:
Notice there is now a roller shutter door in! It needs a shroud for the top, inside and out with brushes so I can heat it but it was seriously cheap so do not mind sorting my own out. Has remote open and close on plippers so it is finally secure.
Next stage is sorting the walls by brushing off all the loose debris (horrible job) and limewashing the lot. I wanted to line and insulate the walls but cost and space constraints mean its just not possible. Also been an old building a limewash enables the walls to breath as originally intended so no damp. Once the walls are done I can concentrate on the ceiling, floor and electrics.
I got sidetracked the other day and installed another load of LED floodlights in the courtyard. I was on my knees and digging channels for the wires around the courtyard. Needless to say my back and legs are really paying for it today.
I'm upto 23 floodlights so far and all for about £130
But it's looking much better now after my builder spent 4 days on it. I had a tree growing out of the roof at the left hand side, no guttering resulting in a lot of foliage growing off the wall (where the darker patch of stone is) and missing tiles all over:
He has completely enclosed the ends of the roof in lead. Old buildings tend to have solid stone ends on the roof, which although look great are a magnet for failure. The pointing is down to me over the winter when it doesn't get too cold.
The front is also done:
Notice there is now a roller shutter door in! It needs a shroud for the top, inside and out with brushes so I can heat it but it was seriously cheap so do not mind sorting my own out. Has remote open and close on plippers so it is finally secure.
Next stage is sorting the walls by brushing off all the loose debris (horrible job) and limewashing the lot. I wanted to line and insulate the walls but cost and space constraints mean its just not possible. Also been an old building a limewash enables the walls to breath as originally intended so no damp. Once the walls are done I can concentrate on the ceiling, floor and electrics.
I got sidetracked the other day and installed another load of LED floodlights in the courtyard. I was on my knees and digging channels for the wires around the courtyard. Needless to say my back and legs are really paying for it today.
I'm upto 23 floodlights so far and all for about £130
Edited by Ug_lee on Thursday 29th October 22:59
Edited by Ug_lee on Thursday 29th October 23:09
Yes they are sunk into the gravel. They are only cheap 10Watt floodlights that I got off amazon. But frankly for the money I'm not sure how they make them. Metal bodied and glass lense with an IP65 rating. £35 for 10. I know it states 9 in the advert but I ordered 18 and got 20. For the taller sections of the house I'll be getting 20 or 30watt versions but 10 watts is fine for to light up most stuff.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00WSE1NUC?psc=...
Once sunk in I hardly notice them, obviously if you have a hard standing, then some sort of cowels may be needed, also hiding the wires would be difficult.
And used these power supplys inside the coach house.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ECW6K74?psc=...
I used waterproof automotive connectors on the ends of the floodlights so if there are any issues it's a simple switchout. The ones for the coach house have been running every night for the last month without any problems.
Also being 12V means I won't fry any of the kids should something go awry
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00WSE1NUC?psc=...
Once sunk in I hardly notice them, obviously if you have a hard standing, then some sort of cowels may be needed, also hiding the wires would be difficult.
And used these power supplys inside the coach house.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00ECW6K74?psc=...
I used waterproof automotive connectors on the ends of the floodlights so if there are any issues it's a simple switchout. The ones for the coach house have been running every night for the last month without any problems.
Also being 12V means I won't fry any of the kids should something go awry
Edited by Ug_lee on Friday 30th October 17:18
I'd like a few opinions on what I can do to the garage to reduce dampness. I know it's a no no but I sometimes have to put the car in wet which can sometimes stay wet for days. After xmas I put a lot of cardboard in there and the boxes felt noticeably damp and soft after a few days. Now that there is the speedboat, RS6 and all my tools in there the damp problem needs sorted.
Prior to the roller shutter door it just had the simple open lattice gates and the damp never seemed too bad leading me to think it's a question of ventilation. Dehumidiifing is just not going to happen in an old building like that.
So was thinking one of these in 14" flavour:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00L13ITBC/ref...
Controlled by one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008JLQXNA/ref...
Regarding RH levels I know indoors in a heated and warm house the levels should ideally be around the 60% mark. But if outdoors in an unheated garage is there any point having a fan blowing if RH outside are 80-90%? Would I just be blowing damp air into the garage?
Should I have the sensor inside the garage to push air out when RH is high inside, or put the sensor outside to use the fan to suck air in when RH outside is relatively low?
Does it matter if the fan is sucking air in or pushing air out, it's just circulation at the end of the day?
Any advice appreciated!
Prior to the roller shutter door it just had the simple open lattice gates and the damp never seemed too bad leading me to think it's a question of ventilation. Dehumidiifing is just not going to happen in an old building like that.
So was thinking one of these in 14" flavour:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00L13ITBC/ref...
Controlled by one of these:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008JLQXNA/ref...
Regarding RH levels I know indoors in a heated and warm house the levels should ideally be around the 60% mark. But if outdoors in an unheated garage is there any point having a fan blowing if RH outside are 80-90%? Would I just be blowing damp air into the garage?
Should I have the sensor inside the garage to push air out when RH is high inside, or put the sensor outside to use the fan to suck air in when RH outside is relatively low?
Does it matter if the fan is sucking air in or pushing air out, it's just circulation at the end of the day?
Any advice appreciated!
Rangeroverover said:
I have a similar yard, currently has original cobbles, I cannot afford right now to re do them so will probably pea gravel over them; how would I stop all the gravel blocking the drains in the yard or falling through the grilles
Best way is to get gravel that is not too small. I have a drainage grill under the gravel at its lowest point and there were no chips in the u bend section when I last cleared it out. I think pea gravel would be a bit of a nightmare for you as they are quite rounded and small. So walking on them will be difficult, like walking on marbles. I spent ages trying to find the right gravel and went for a rock hard angular gravel called crannoch Ice.It's got to the point it has almost locked together now and pulling a full Wheely bin over it is not a problem. It also doesn't crush into powder and turn to a mulch when it rains. It's 4" deep and the occasional weed that pops up is easily pulled as it cannot get any purchase into the gravel. 18months on I'm very happy with it.
Murph7355 said:
Is there any reason not to get a dehumidifier?
You have power in there (I'm assuming). If you have access to a drain just plumb one in.
I've used the Ruby Dry type successfully for a good ten years now. It can be plumbed in or stand alone (pain in the arse emptying them). A single unit easily covers a single garage sized space, possibly more.
I thought it would only be effective in a much more sealed environment? I'm yet to dry line the garage and it may be a while till that happens due to costs and income disparity.You have power in there (I'm assuming). If you have access to a drain just plumb one in.
I've used the Ruby Dry type successfully for a good ten years now. It can be plumbed in or stand alone (pain in the arse emptying them). A single unit easily covers a single garage sized space, possibly more.
As such I thought it would be pissing in the wind trying to dehumidify such a poorly sealed garage?
I have a Premier-air dehumidifier in the house and it did a sterling job of drying it out but it took nearly 2 years of heating and dehumidifying until I finally got the RH below 60%. I'd imagine it would take even longer for an unheated garage, especially a 8x5m garage with 5m high ceiling?
So thought as a cost effective measure would be introducing increased airflow, but worried if the air is damp (and been Scotland it is damp a lot of the time) I'd simply be pumping damp air back in?
Thanks for the info.
The compressor dehumidifiers aren't too good below 12deg. I imagine I'd be needing a 30l plus dehumidifier and commercial dessicant versions that are better below that temp are rather pricey.
Am I best trying to heat the garage above 12 deg and then using a compressor dehumidifier? I can see that type of setup using 1200-1300watts continuous.
The compressor dehumidifiers aren't too good below 12deg. I imagine I'd be needing a 30l plus dehumidifier and commercial dessicant versions that are better below that temp are rather pricey.
Am I best trying to heat the garage above 12 deg and then using a compressor dehumidifier? I can see that type of setup using 1200-1300watts continuous.
Murph7355 said:
Why not give the Ruby/Amber dry a go? £250.
Perhaps run with your current unit and have that on a thermostat switch so it gets shut of lower than 10deg or so leaving the dessicant to take the load.
Yes I think that is going to be the route I go, thanks for the info!Perhaps run with your current unit and have that on a thermostat switch so it gets shut of lower than 10deg or so leaving the dessicant to take the load.
wibble cb said:
I have an old wood framed garage (approx 70 yrs old), I can see daylight though various parts of the walls, I was tempted to try and make the place airtight, but on reflection left it, the airflow is actually better for my car (59 sprite), I have a cotton cover on it, it never gets damp, the car doesn't seem to rust, yet my wife parks her 2011 Golf next to it when it soaking wet, covered in snow, you name it.
Airflow is much healthier than blocking up every hole and trying to dehumidify it afterwards.
Yep I think that's what I had with the loose fitting slatted gates. But in an effort to make it more secure and to keep the cats and local wildlife out I've stopped the airflow. I'll try a fan setup for the sake of £50 and a bit of messing about. Will also be handy for extraction as I'm hoping to do a bit of spraying etc.Airflow is much healthier than blocking up every hole and trying to dehumidify it afterwards.
Thanks everyone.
Edited by Uggers on Tuesday 10th January 10:52
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