Possibility of removing/slimming pier on rear garage wall

[Jakg]

Have a 4.9m long double garage, and a 4.9m long car which leaves about 30mm of total clearance (i.e. front+rear) between wall/car/garage door.

Tight, but possible. Unfortunately when you jack a car up, it often doesn't go straight up and I've caught the bumper on the wall a few times. Plus, there are some interesting cars that are (say) 4.95m long that I just can't buy!

The garage has a brick pier on the back wall - this doesn't support the roof, but I think it provides lateral support to the wall. Is there any scope for (DIY) slimming down this pier, even if just for a couple of courses of bricks, to get a little bit more clearance?

Maybe I could add metal bracing on the other side of the wall instead, or a small gallows bracket or something.

Other innovative ideas are welcomed. It's probably a stupid question with an obvious answer ("no!"), but I have to ask...

[JoshSm]

The only practical way I could think to do it would be to reverse it so it protrudes out the back of the wall as a buttress instead of being inside. And that would be a horrible job on something existing.

For the effort involved you'd be better off working out how to just properly extend the garage rather than working hard to gain a 100mm.

[Simpo Two]

Could you get a car in where the right hand wall is?

[OutInTheShed]

You could move the door frame outwards in its aperture.

[Jakg]

Simpo Two said:

Could you get a car in where the right hand wall is?

Yes, but I wouldn’t be able to work on it. I use a garage for maintenance, not (long term) storage.

OutInTheShed said:

You could move the door frame outwards in its aperture.

It’s already flush with the brickwork at the front. The actual garage internally is (say) 4.8m, it’s only the fact the door is thinner than the brickwork that I can even get the car in.

[Simpo Two]

Jakg said:

Simpo Two said:

Could you get a car in where the right hand wall is?

Yes, but I wouldn t be able to work on it. I use a garage for maintenance, not (long term) storage.

I meant brick up the current door and make a new door in the right hand side so you enter from the right not the current front. Assuming the garage is long enough in that direction of course.

[Jakg]

Simpo Two said:

Jakg said:

Simpo Two said:

Could you get a car in where the right hand wall is?

Yes, but I wouldn t be able to work on it. I use a garage for maintenance, not (long term) storage.

I meant brick up the current door and make a new door in the right hand side so you enter from the right not the current front. Assuming the garage is long enough in that direction of course.

Right - ingenious, but not practical in this scenario.

[Sheets Tabuer]

build another one on the back side of the wall?

[wolfracesonic]

One for a SE to work out but remove the brick pier and replace with some horizontal steel plates the full width of the garage, say 12mm thick by 150mm wide , three of them with plenty of bolts into the brick work. Hopefully the the pier is not bonded in and will separate cleanly.

[bobtail4x4]

what will a flat plate do to prevent movement?

[Mike Legerwood]

Jakg said:

It s already flush with the brickwork at the front. The actual garage internally is (say) 4.8m, it s only the fact the door is thinner than the brickwork that I can even get the car in.

Doesn't look flush in your picture. Also - could you bring it even further out so that i was forward of the brickwork?

[Plus4Four#]

I'd look to extend forwards as much as possible. Give yourself as much room inside as possible as that means a better working environment.

[The Three D Mucketeer]

I had a similar issue when I built my last but one garage, single skinned. The planning was approved with piers on the inside . I decided on "round the corner" garage doors and the piers would have been in the way , so got the builder to put them on the outside. After it was built , a neighbour put an objection in , that I hadn't complied with the approval. Fortunately the inspector understood and just asked me to input new plans and ****'ed the neighbour off
Doesn't help the OP , but if you are building a garage something to bear in mind .

[Jakg]

Mike Legerwood said:

Jakg said:

It s already flush with the brickwork at the front. The actual garage internally is (say) 4.8m, it s only the fact the door is thinner than the brickwork that I can even get the car in.

Doesn't look flush in your picture. Also - could you bring it even further out so that i was forward of the brickwork?

Yep, I was wrong. The wooden frame has no obvious fixings so I'd imagine they've been filled in so not a fun job to move but worth considering.

Mike Legerwood said:

Also - could you bring it even further out so that i was forward of the brickwork?

I did briefly look into this, but they look like security shutters on a convenience store.

[Geertsen]

Plus4Four said:

I'd look to extend forwards as much as possible. Give yourself as much room inside as possible as that means a better working environment.

Someone nearby has done that, they extended forwards and also set the garage door at an angle. Can’t imagine what’s in there.

[Mike Legerwood]

Jakg said:

I did briefly look into this, but they look like security shutters on a convenience store.

That's exactly what I was envisaging. Perhaps with a wooden frame rather than metal.

[SpeckledJim]

Mike Legerwood said:

Jakg said:

I did briefly look into this, but they look like security shutters on a convenience store.

That's exactly what I was envisaging. Perhaps with a wooden frame rather than metal.

This. Replace the existing frame with some 3x8 and remount the door on the outermost edge. It d look ok and 6 inches gained in a few hours.

[CSR Performance]

Geertsen said:

Someone nearby has done that, they extended forwards and also set the garage door at an angle. Can t imagine what s in there.

70s Trans Am surely!