Who has the best Garage on Pistonheads?
Discussion
cbmotorsport said:
RichB said:
Out of interest, how difficult is it to strengthen a roof structure in order to remove enough of the timbers to create the height to lift a car? In time to come I would like to get a scissors lift, probably flush fitted to the floor but as you can see the roof trusses in my garage are obstructing the height. I wonder if I could chop out the centre section and strengthen accordingly? Of course, when I say I, I mean a builder/carpenter. 
Screw the scissor lift, I'd be putting an annex up there! DoubleTime said:
cbmotorsport said:
RichB said:
Out of interest, how difficult is it to strengthen a roof structure in order to remove enough of the timbers to create the height to lift a car? In time to come I would like to get a scissors lift, probably flush fitted to the floor but as you can see the roof trusses in my garage are obstructing the height. I wonder if I could chop out the centre section and strengthen accordingly? Of course, when I say I, I mean a builder/carpenter.
Screw the scissor lift, I'd be putting an annex up there! 
RichB said:
ah, sorry to disappoint. The house is big enough and I like my cars so it is going to be a proper traditional garage...
I’m with you there. My man cave is well equipped with a bar, pool table, dart board etc and it’s called the pub. I don’t get the need to have one at home. To be fair, there’s also enough room to have a separate bar indoor and out too.
That said, always fancied my office in a garage annex with a glass floor and the white countach beneath me as I work. Sadly I think that ship has sailed.
Shnozz said:
I’m with you there. My man cave is well equipped with a bar, pool table, dart board etc and it’s called the pub. I don’t get the need to have one at home. To be fair, there’s also enough room to have a separate bar indoor and out too...
Thanks Shnozz... I'm fortunate enough to have this in the gardens to use as a whisky and cigar room (well so my son says, I don't smoke). It also has it's own inglenook fireplace so it's perfect for eveings. Now, as a car person back to my garage, how do I go about removing some of the trusses? 
RichB said:
Shnozz said:
I’m with you there. My man cave is well equipped with a bar, pool table, dart board etc and it’s called the pub. I don’t get the need to have one at home. To be fair, there’s also enough room to have a separate bar indoor and out too...
Thanks Shnozz... I'm fortunate enough to have this in the gardens to use as a whisky and cigar room (well so my son says, I don't smoke). It also has it's own inglenook fireplace so it's perfect for eveings. Now, as a car person back to my garage, how do I go about removing some of the trusses? However, I’ve also been told by my building inspector that I absolutely cannot cut my attic trusses as the loads are all calculated and built accordingly. Attic trusses are different of course as there’s no central triangulation as there is with a standard truss.
To be honest I’d get a chippie out and get some proper advice, the internet can tell you to do it from a few pictures but can’t necessarily see the roof design or take a guess at the leadings due to prevailing wind or see any other influencing factors.
Storer said:
Accelebrate said:
Money certainly can't buy taste!!!!Edited by DoubleByte on Tuesday 18th December 23:22
AndrewEH1 said:
yosini said:
Thought I'd line up the V8s in mine.... 
I love the neon sign!Any hints to where you sourced it from?
https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/the...
and yes, you're right, the Cerbera should have yellow plates on the back, but they didn't suit the photo palette!
Some pages ago I posted a 'preview' of a build in progress, but now its 99% done (is it ever actually complete!?) so thought I'd share with those that I've taken inspiration from, pinched a few ideas off, and hope that I can offer well... hope too to those building or thinking of doing so! You know that a build won't go entirely according to plan, but mine more or less did, except that is for the duration. That is, an estimate of 3 months from the builder (which I didn't believe at all, and assumed therefore 5 months), in fact took 11 months to get to the point of nigh on completion.
From a ramshackle leaky mess which more or less fell down all too easily (and I'd kept my pride and joy in that for 6 months!), to a 3 bay, plus more or less another bay for storage etc..., an adjoining room to link it to the house which is now a gym and an upstairs featuring a cinema room, plus small kitchenette, cloakroom (for when I get invaded - and I did - by teenagers on NYE) and a small 'as yet to be defined but currently filled with various junk / car-related stuff'. Anyway, here are the pics of the past 11 months that have dominated my life...
From a ramshackle leaky mess which more or less fell down all too easily (and I'd kept my pride and joy in that for 6 months!), to a 3 bay, plus more or less another bay for storage etc..., an adjoining room to link it to the house which is now a gym and an upstairs featuring a cinema room, plus small kitchenette, cloakroom (for when I get invaded - and I did - by teenagers on NYE) and a small 'as yet to be defined but currently filled with various junk / car-related stuff'. Anyway, here are the pics of the past 11 months that have dominated my life...
Edited by BigR on Friday 4th January 07:59
The walls were plain white and it needed something, so why not...!
Thermomat stuff (I think it was) going between the concrete base and tiles
The gym area (it has equipment now - honest!)
And finally, the cinema room / hangout / fun bit... B&W system and 108" screen with projector - awesome, simple as!
As a few final notes - barring any questions...
There were over 20 x 12m piles put into the ground at the outset as the ground is a bit boggy. That was one hell of a mucky and noisy job, with guys coated in concrete day after day for 2 weeks.
I'm pretty OCD so everything has to be 'just-so'. This means I'm doing final finishing touches myself as one thing in life that is for certain is that however good a job the builder does or thinks they do, it's really not quite as good as it could or should be. This means touching up of walls, making slight adjustments, changing the odd thing etc... This will probably take me a few months of odd weekends of work to complete.
There's a good space for storage which is a delight. I've two cars in the garage and considering a 3rd (first world problems), but still enough space for plenty of storage of normal 'garage stuff', which will include my first bike (yes, I'm of that age - actually it was a request from my lifelong friend to go on a bike ride across the US in a couple of years - so why the hell not!).
The driveway has also now been replaced. Probably quite an extravagance but the gravel was exactly the right size to get in shoe soles and tyre treads to ensure it found its way into the house / garage. It's now been replaced by a resin-gravel drive. Looks beautiful and it stays in place!
And finally, I appreciate this is far from many people's idea of an ideal garage. I have absolute admiration for those that have a more rudimentary approach where they tinker and fix and work on their own cars. This has just not been me...so far. I've neither had the time nor possibly the skill to do it, but one day... I keep telling myself. I'm quite anal on the car detailing front, however, which I guess plays to my OCD part and that's my bit of escapism.
My son saw it for the first time completed at Christmas (he's at Uni abroad and hadn't been home since August) and said "you've won at life". Perspective is an interesting thing, as materially probably so, but when you reflect on the sacrifices along the way I do ask myself whether it has all been worth it. And I don't know the answer to that one...(which probably means no!).
Anyway, enjoy - or not, if it's not your thing!
yosini said:
AndrewEH1 said:
yosini said:
Thought I'd line up the V8s in mine....
I love the neon sign!Any hints to where you sourced it from?
https://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/the...
and yes, you're right, the Cerbera should have yellow plates on the back, but they didn't suit the photo palette!
Wait, do you live in the Whitechapel Gallery?!
eltax91 said:
RichB said:
Shnozz said:
I’m with you there. My man cave is well equipped with a bar, pool table, dart board etc and it’s called the pub. I don’t get the need to have one at home. To be fair, there’s also enough room to have a separate bar indoor and out too...
Thanks Shnozz... I'm fortunate enough to have this in the gardens to use as a whisky and cigar room (well so my son says, I don't smoke). It also has it's own inglenook fireplace so it's perfect for eveings. Now, as a car person back to my garage, how do I go about removing some of the trusses? However, I’ve also been told by my building inspector that I absolutely cannot cut my attic trusses as the loads are all calculated and built accordingly. Attic trusses are different of course as there’s no central triangulation as there is with a standard truss.
To be honest I’d get a chippie out and get some proper advice, the internet can tell you to do it from a few pictures but can’t necessarily see the roof design or take a guess at the leadings due to prevailing wind or see any other influencing factors.
Pretty standard for loft conversions to help open up the space inside trussed rafters - but you're wanting a big 'ole where the floor beams would normally go for a loft conversion. Structural engineer's job to work out what's needed. Entirely do-able for a loft conversion-type builder or carpenter
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff