A double garage build thread - but not a double garage!
Discussion
Here we go - a garage thread. Well, a double garage thread. But not a double garage.... two garages.
After all, why build one garage when you can build two??
One of the reasons we bought our forever home was the large plot of land it sits on and its suitability for a big garage.
As a temporary measure when we moved in I built a Compton concrete sectional garage to tide me over until planning permission, building regs, finances and time were all lined up ready to go. I expected it to be a few years before we were ready to build, with the expectation that we would build a big workshop and then replace the concrete sectional one with a "better" brick built one, so this was built to have a 5-year life-span.
As the garage was at the side of the house and blocked vehicular access to the rear garden, I specced it with front and rear doors.
Here it is back in 2017 all ready for service
I spent many a happy hour in there tinkering, wishing I had more space, wishing I had a 2 post lift etc..... but that was coming....
This space in the garden was earmarked:
and after a bit of clearing down looked like this:
The space is an odd shape - roughly triangular. I decided I could get a triple garage in width-wise without chewing up too much of the garden. Aligning it with the fence line on the left would mean that the left hand side would have room to be a tandem length. So basically I was looking at an L-shaped quad garage. This would leave quite a bit of dead space inside the L and behind the building, so filling in the "L" to make the building triangular and adding a room at the back for storage and a toilet made a lot of sense. Overall, the building would be 110m2
Easy to draw on paper, but more complicated to get my head round visually - so I made a model:
In late 2019 the planning came through - a small change with the dormers replaced by 2 x velux windows each side of the main front gable, and then for various reasons (building regs, ground surveys, tree protection stuff, work travel and finances) - we actually only started the build in 2021.
Whilst waiting, the first task was to replace the fence...
Next task was to demolish the Compton garage to allow machinery to get through - this will be rebuilt as a brick one attached to the house - hence the "double" garage build thread.
More to follow....
After all, why build one garage when you can build two??
One of the reasons we bought our forever home was the large plot of land it sits on and its suitability for a big garage.
As a temporary measure when we moved in I built a Compton concrete sectional garage to tide me over until planning permission, building regs, finances and time were all lined up ready to go. I expected it to be a few years before we were ready to build, with the expectation that we would build a big workshop and then replace the concrete sectional one with a "better" brick built one, so this was built to have a 5-year life-span.
As the garage was at the side of the house and blocked vehicular access to the rear garden, I specced it with front and rear doors.
Here it is back in 2017 all ready for service
I spent many a happy hour in there tinkering, wishing I had more space, wishing I had a 2 post lift etc..... but that was coming....
This space in the garden was earmarked:
and after a bit of clearing down looked like this:
The space is an odd shape - roughly triangular. I decided I could get a triple garage in width-wise without chewing up too much of the garden. Aligning it with the fence line on the left would mean that the left hand side would have room to be a tandem length. So basically I was looking at an L-shaped quad garage. This would leave quite a bit of dead space inside the L and behind the building, so filling in the "L" to make the building triangular and adding a room at the back for storage and a toilet made a lot of sense. Overall, the building would be 110m2
Easy to draw on paper, but more complicated to get my head round visually - so I made a model:
In late 2019 the planning came through - a small change with the dormers replaced by 2 x velux windows each side of the main front gable, and then for various reasons (building regs, ground surveys, tree protection stuff, work travel and finances) - we actually only started the build in 2021.
Whilst waiting, the first task was to replace the fence...
Next task was to demolish the Compton garage to allow machinery to get through - this will be rebuilt as a brick one attached to the house - hence the "double" garage build thread.
More to follow....
Edited by TriumphStag3.0V8 on Thursday 14th July 11:17
Edited by TriumphStag3.0V8 on Tuesday 19th July 16:19
SonicHedgeHog said:
I appreciate this is Pistonheads garage thread so please don’t take this the wrong way, but why do you need so much garage space? 110m2 plus your existing double garage is a huge amount of space.
I expect the existing sectional one will be going as it blocks vehicle access to the back area. While it has a door on the back, it does limit the size of vehicle that can get through it into the proper garage.But, can't have too much garage space.
droopsnoot said:
I expect the existing sectional one will be going as it blocks vehicle access to the back area. While it has a door on the back, it does limit the size of vehicle that can get through it into the proper garage.
But, can't have too much garage space.
No, he’s keeping it. The garden has huge potential as a garden. Seems a shame to build on it. Not a criticism and he can do what he likes with his property. I’d be building an amazing garden though and making do with my existing garage. That’s just me though. Good luck OP.But, can't have too much garage space.
SonicHedgeHog said:
I appreciate this is Pistonheads garage thread so please don’t take this the wrong way, but why do you need so much garage space? 110m2 plus your existing double garage is a huge amount of space.
I have a few old classics that I want to keep garaged at the house, plus tinkering space. I currently have 3 lock-ups and 3 sheds which will decanted into the new workshop. Existing garage is a single rather than a double (if that makes much difference), but will be replaced with a brick built variant.droopsnoot said:
I expect the existing sectional one will be going as it blocks vehicle access to the back area. While it has a door on the back, it does limit the size of vehicle that can get through it into the proper garage.
But, can't have too much garage space.
Correct - the doors are 2.4m wide which is tight with my trailer But, can't have too much garage space.
And also with the mirrors of larger cars, such as the Cayenne.
It will be replaced with a brick version on the same footprint but incorporating the passageway between the garage and the house, and will have 3m wide doors front and back which will make access much easier. This one will be used for parking of the toy (Merc SL or the Stag - depending on which one I am actively using)
SonicHedgeHog said:
No, he’s keeping it. The garden has huge potential as a garden. Seems a shame to build on it. Not a criticism and he can do what he likes with his property. I’d be building an amazing garden though and making do with my existing garage. That’s just me though. Good luck OP.
Thanks. Depends on your definition of an amazing garden I guess. We will still have about 1/4 acre after this is done - I'm not a gardening expert but will do a bit - I have landscaped one area though, planted a shrub bed around the boundary trees, still have a reasonably large lawn with an arched entrance to what will be a wildflower area where the woodstore is. When we bought the house, it had planning permission to build another house in the back garden, so in a way, we have saved the garden and kept it from overdevelopment to an extent.
Edited by TriumphStag3.0V8 on Thursday 14th July 22:33
So, it is Jan 2021 and the builders make a start. It is absolutely the worst time of year to start, but builders like being paid, and obviously if they are not building, they are being paid, so off they go.
It's freezing cold, it is wet, but we are off.
A change of plan at this point, and the builders decide to leave the old garage up now as they can use it as a site office and somewhere secure to store their stuff each evening.
Foundations get dug... 2.5m deep at the back.... Thanks building control!
And the fence gets shored up
And then we have 3 days of solid rain.
And the fence falls down.
I notice shortly afterwards. The other side of the fence is a public footpath, so I rapidly re-purpose the Heras fencing from the tree protection measures and make a new fence to prevent people walking along and falling into the 2m deep trench full of water. Then put some posts and tape down to keep people away from the heras fencing, then put some lights on it to make it more obvious.
I'm pleased with myself.
Then it rains some more.
And then all that falls down as well.
So the builders get called out on the weekend to sort it out properly and shore it all up. For the next couple of weeks, there is so much water around it is unbelievable. My mornings consisted of getting out there at 7am to start the pumps to get the water out of the trenches in order for the builders to be able to work when they arrive at 8 each morning.
I'm beginning at this point to regret starting the work. There is mud everywhere. Lots of mud.
And I begin to contemplate the benefits of a water feature.
Work is abandoned until the weather improves.......
It's freezing cold, it is wet, but we are off.
A change of plan at this point, and the builders decide to leave the old garage up now as they can use it as a site office and somewhere secure to store their stuff each evening.
Foundations get dug... 2.5m deep at the back.... Thanks building control!
And the fence gets shored up
And then we have 3 days of solid rain.
And the fence falls down.
I notice shortly afterwards. The other side of the fence is a public footpath, so I rapidly re-purpose the Heras fencing from the tree protection measures and make a new fence to prevent people walking along and falling into the 2m deep trench full of water. Then put some posts and tape down to keep people away from the heras fencing, then put some lights on it to make it more obvious.
I'm pleased with myself.
Then it rains some more.
And then all that falls down as well.
So the builders get called out on the weekend to sort it out properly and shore it all up. For the next couple of weeks, there is so much water around it is unbelievable. My mornings consisted of getting out there at 7am to start the pumps to get the water out of the trenches in order for the builders to be able to work when they arrive at 8 each morning.
I'm beginning at this point to regret starting the work. There is mud everywhere. Lots of mud.
And I begin to contemplate the benefits of a water feature.
Work is abandoned until the weather improves.......
But, the weather improves. Some MOT gets put down to reduce the mud
And the footings get poured
Things are starting to look up. Some foundation blocks are next
and filled with hardcore for the sub-base
And I step outside to find the builders like this
I decide it is best not to ask, take a photo and wander off.
And the footings get poured
Things are starting to look up. Some foundation blocks are next
and filled with hardcore for the sub-base
And I step outside to find the builders like this
I decide it is best not to ask, take a photo and wander off.
Edited by TriumphStag3.0V8 on Thursday 14th July 23:20
Looks awesome and a great use of space. Looking forward to seeing how this project goes.
I have a 103 m2 garage below a house and its a great space. Only issue I have is a single garage door so its a bit jenga moment to manoeuvre cars about but nice not to have to squeeze around stuff when inside.
I have a 103 m2 garage below a house and its a great space. Only issue I have is a single garage door so its a bit jenga moment to manoeuvre cars about but nice not to have to squeeze around stuff when inside.
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