Using the loft space in a double garage?
Discussion
We're just looking at moving to a bigger place. What this means is I will lose my garden office building, so I'll need to build something similar at the new place.
The new place will more than likely have a detached double garage, so I was wondering how hard it si to build a room in the roof void of a double garage? How much space will it give? What are the planning and cost implications?
Might just be easier to build another garden office (or a shed as they are commonly known), but I think this will be a much more elegant solution.
The new place will more than likely have a detached double garage, so I was wondering how hard it si to build a room in the roof void of a double garage? How much space will it give? What are the planning and cost implications?
Might just be easier to build another garden office (or a shed as they are commonly known), but I think this will be a much more elegant solution.
Gad-Westy said:
Assume we're talking about a fairly normal sized double garage with a pitched roof? I'd be surprised if there would be enough usable height to do it. Do you have an opportunity to go and measure up?
Yeah, a standard size double, the house we are currently considering has a garage 5.77m x 4.71m according to the floorplans. It has a pitched roof. I had thought the height wouldn't be quite enough, but I will try and measure when we go and view it.What sort of costs are we looking at to raise the roof? Presumably at that stage a seperate building becomes more cost effective, as a decent garden office could be built for ~5k.
Engineer1 said:
I'd be wary the foundations would need checking and head height may not be enough, is there room for proper stairs as a ladder will get annoying when you try and carry your coffee up to your desk or have someone visit etc.
I was considering putting the stairs across the back wall, or maybe even outside. Good point about the foundations, sounds like I should take a builder with me.If you raise the ridge height you will need planning permission!
As for stairs Google space saving stairs, which are allowed as long as they only serve 1 room. There is no longer a regulation in place re. head height etc. So if you are comfortable in the loft then go for it!
Most likley to be double up of joists and rafters and a bit of insulation!
As for stairs Google space saving stairs, which are allowed as long as they only serve 1 room. There is no longer a regulation in place re. head height etc. So if you are comfortable in the loft then go for it!
Most likley to be double up of joists and rafters and a bit of insulation!
herbialfa said:
If you raise the ridge height you will need planning permission!
As for stairs Google space saving stairs, which are allowed as long as they only serve 1 room. There is no longer a regulation in place re. head height etc. So if you are comfortable in the loft then go for it!
Most likley to be double up of joists and rafters and a bit of insulation!
+ fire regs of course!As for stairs Google space saving stairs, which are allowed as long as they only serve 1 room. There is no longer a regulation in place re. head height etc. So if you are comfortable in the loft then go for it!
Most likley to be double up of joists and rafters and a bit of insulation!
A friend of mine extended into the space above their detached double garage. They had to increase the roof height and fit front and rear dormers, but they got a decent sized cinema room/guest room and a wet room out of it. Needed planning permission etc but the room size is perfectly usable. They also joined the garage to the house and put a spiral staircase where the gap between the two used to be
Floorplan:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property/mediaViewer.ht...
Floorplan:
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property/mediaViewer.ht...
Edited by furtive on Monday 4th October 13:58
redeye said:
as a loft converter i have just completed a a garage loft in to a large room , 5mts x 5mts two dormas to the front, large velux to the back new tiles all over, raised the front and back wall 1mt, 5 d plug points with 8 down lights all for 21k ,see my profile for my details,
We build garages with home office space over to a very similar spec. with some of our bigger detached houses.... cavity walls, brickwork raised to 2.1m (to wallplate) above the head of the garage door, steeply pitched roof with raised-tie trusses and either dormers or windows in the gables. We call them HOGs (Home Office over Garage) - as distinct from FOGs (flat over garage - the developer terminology for a 'Coach House').They're a really nice, useable space and add considerably more to the sales value of the house than it costs us to build them.
It would be quite involved converting a standard double garage into one, though: you should be aware that the single-skin-plus-piers brick shell of a typical developer double garage is only just structurally stable to carry the roof/wind loads as it is, without adding an extra floor and more exposed wall/roof on top of it. You'd need to beef the walls up to cope (which in turn could render the foundations inadequate).
You'd probably be better off demolishing and starting again (or if buying new, tell the developer to leave the garage down and negotiate a discount), though, to be honest. The total newbuild cost for us (as a major developer, with attendant buying power and economy of scale) is substantially less than what redeye has quoted for his conversion, but even for the 'amateur' newbuild wouldn't be that much different to conversion cost and you'd have the comfort of knowing that the structure and foundations are up to the job.
sam_68 said:
We build garages with home office space over to a very similar spec. with some of our bigger detached houses.... cavity walls, brickwork raised to 2.1m (to wallplate) above the head of the garage door, steeply pitched roof with raised-tie trusses and either dormers or windows in the gables. We call them HOGs (Home Office over Garage) - as distinct from FOGs (flat over garage - the developer terminology for a 'Coach House').
They're a really nice, useable space and add considerably more to the sales value of the house than it costs us to build them.
Do you have any pictures / detail of the HOG as this is exactly what we are looking to build next year. So far we have got planning permission and bought the land to the side of our property but I am still finalising the plans and need some inspiration!!They're a really nice, useable space and add considerably more to the sales value of the house than it costs us to build them.
Edited by Theoldfm on Monday 11th October 19:59
Edited by Theoldfm on Monday 11th October 20:02
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