What sort of workshop would you build here?

[Kellerman]

Hi all,

I am wanting a workshop / store built down the side of the house, in the area pictured. It's shaded, so isn't good for much else



The plan is to put all of my spare parts, tools, equipment etc in it, leaving the double garage (bottom of the pic) totally clear for actually working on cars.

My initial thoughts are to make a 10ft x 30ft wooden lean-to, against the wall of the house (left) and the wall of the garage (far wall in pic). I would use a pitched roof of a design that falls within permitted development.

My main queries are
a) How to access the garage from the workshop. A pedestrian door is an obvious answer, but doesn't make easy moving an engine crane for example, or wheels, or carrying a crate of parts. Something wider would be better, a roller shutter of maybe 5-6ft width would be ideal. Or even just an archway. How far would this have to be from the corner of the garage?

b) The floor is already patio slabs with a gravel substrate. Is this a suitable base for 4" concrete to go over the top?

c) To the right of the fence, is a sloped area of scrubland which we own. I could possibly expand into this, with a suitable retaining wall. Although I appreciate this adds cost.

[smokey mow]

If you attach it to the house you will need building regulations approval as it would be classed as an extension. Building from wood that close to the boundary would then also be problematic unless you fire protect it.

As it needs building regs you’d also need a suitable foundation.

[Sford]

If you need access through then a door at either end wide enough to fit a wide thing through. Then a workbench along one of the long sides for you to work at coupled with some sort of on wheels bench for the middle that can then be moved out of the way when needing to pass though.

Building it, what they said above.

[OutInTheShed]

Which way is North?

Bonkers thought: Conservatory!

When I needed a new shed last year and couldn't get timber, there was a used conservatory about that size on ebay for about the price of a curry.

Seriously, I would take a step back and think about the whole picture including the fence and the land t'other side of it and the long term, spaces that can be multi-purpose or re-purposed etc etc.
If you're settled for the next 25 years, that's different to having to consider what the next owner of the house might like.

[rustyuk]

Cheapest solution would be to buy a normal shed / tool store. Exempt from planning and building regs (depending on the size of course)

We had a little lean-to built for exactly the same reasons as you but it cost a fair bit in timber and labour and would need taking down if we sold the house.

Wished I had just bought a small shed now to be honest!

[Kellerman]

smokey mow said:

If you attach it to the house you will need building regulations approval as it would be classed as an extension. Building from wood that close to the boundary would then also be problematic unless you fire protect it.

As it needs building regs you’d also need a suitable foundation.

All the sources I can find online say planning permission is not needed for a lean-to, so long as it's less than 3m high.

[Kellerman]

rustyuk said:

Cheapest solution would be to buy a normal shed / tool store. Exempt from planning and building regs (depending on the size of course)

We had a little lean-to built for exactly the same reasons as you but it cost a fair bit in timber and labour and would need taking down if we sold the house.

Wished I had just bought a small shed now to be honest!

I see the logic but a shed would complicate access from the house (note the side-door). And will give less space compared to a bespoke lean-to.

We're not planning on moving.

[Ashtray83]

Kellerman said:

smokey mow said:

If you attach it to the house you will need building regulations approval as it would be classed as an extension. Building from wood that close to the boundary would then also be problematic unless you fire protect it.

As it needs building regs you’d also need a suitable foundation.

All the sources I can find online say planning permission is not needed for a lean-to, so long as it's less than 3m high.

Planning and regs are not the same thing

[rustyuk]

Kellerman said:

rustyuk said:

Cheapest solution would be to buy a normal shed / tool store. Exempt from planning and building regs (depending on the size of course)

We had a little lean-to built for exactly the same reasons as you but it cost a fair bit in timber and labour and would need taking down if we sold the house.

Wished I had just bought a small shed now to be honest!

I see the logic but a shed would complicate access from the house (note the side-door). And will give less space compared to a bespoke lean-to.

We're not planning on moving.

I'd run a line of smaller sheds against the fence. I wouldn't try and fill the entire area.

If you want cover from the elements maybe install a sun sail of something similar.

[anonymous-user]

I like the lean to idea. 6ft roller shutter or similar (anything with no threshold so you can roll things in and out). Try and put a decent roof on it though, a lot of folks seem to use translucent corrugated sheet and it looks st.

One more point, is vehicular access out the back of the garage feasible? I'm guessing not as the garage looks slightly offset, but worth considering for the future if it might be possible?

[Kellerman]

MrBig said:

I like the lean to idea. 6ft roller shutter or similar (anything with no threshold so you can roll things in and out). Try and put a decent roof on it though, a lot of folks seem to use translucent corrugated sheet and it looks st.

One more point, is vehicular access out the back of the garage feasible? I'm guessing not as the garage looks slightly offset, but worth considering for the future if it might be possible?

You're right - it's not quite possible.

Although I could drive across a nearby sports field and in through my back fence, to access from the other direction

[Kellerman]

rustyuk said:

I'd run a line of smaller sheds against the fence. I wouldn't try and fill the entire area.

If you want cover from the elements maybe install a sun sail of something similar.

Neither of those options really helps me. I need everything under one roof and it has to be secure.

Ashtray83 said:

Planning and regs are not the same thing

Doh, of course. I'm aiming for a more common sense approach rather than following the regs.

[Dog Star]

smokey mow said:

If you attach it to the house you will need building regulations approval as it would be classed as an extension. Building from wood that close to the boundary would then also be problematic unless you fire protect it.

Really? So my ten tons of logs stored next to the fence from the neighbour is verboten then?

[Equus]

Kellerman said:

All the sources I can find online say planning permission is not needed for a lean-to, so long as it's less than 3m high.

You're allowed 4m. high... the 3m. height restriction is to eaves, where it's within 2m. of the boundary.

But, apart from the fact (as pointed out by others) that B.Regs and Planning are different things, Permitted Development rules for Planning may not allow timber construction either: any extension to the house must be built in similar materials to the house itself. The bits of the house we can see are built in brick?

[ShampooEfficient]

Dog Star said:

Really? So my ten tons of logs stored next to the fence from the neighbour is verboten then?

I am now picturing the world's most epic woodburner. "Not quite melting the house yet, just throw another half a ton on"

[smokey mow]

Dog Star said:

smokey mow said:

If you attach it to the house you will need building regulations approval as it would be classed as an extension. Building from wood that close to the boundary would then also be problematic unless you fire protect it.

Really? So my ten tons of logs stored next to the fence from the neighbour is verboten then?

You can do what you like with your pile of logs because they are exactly that, they’re not a building and legislation doesn’’t control what you must do with them.

Houses are much more susceptible to fires starting from various causes and the consequences of this on your families life much greater than that of a pile of logs randomly bursting into flames by themselves.

[Dog Star]

ShampooEfficient said:

Dog Star said:

Really? So my ten tons of logs stored next to the fence from the neighbour is verboten then?

I am now picturing the world's most epic woodburner. "Not quite melting the house yet, just throw another half a ton on"

I have had to build temporary extra wood stores as we had a hoofing great (think 5’ diameter trunk) ash tree felled a couple of weeks ago. I’ve got split logs coming out of my ears. One of these is right down the bottom of the garden next to the fence - it’s about 10’x10’ and 6’ high. It will be toasty indeed if it was to catch fire.

Bit of a bargain really - ash tree had dieback and it was £650 to have it felled, they did an excellent job tidying up and he even cut the whole thing into correct length wheels that were correct for the logburner when split. I think I’m well ahead of the game when considering what I’d normally spend on coal.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

[rustyuk]

Dog Star said:

I have had to build temporary extra wood stores as we had a hoofing great (think 5’ diameter trunk) ash tree felled a couple of weeks ago. I’ve got split logs coming out of my ears. One of these is right down the bottom of the garden next to the fence - it’s about 10’x10’ and 6’ high. It will be toasty indeed if it was to catch fire.

Bit of a bargain really - ash tree had dieback and it was £650 to have it felled, they did an excellent job tidying up and he even cut the whole thing into correct length wheels that were correct for the logburner when split. I think I’m well ahead of the game when considering what I’d normally spend on coal.

Sorry for the thread hijack.

I remember being laughed at by work colleagues for suggesting it would soon be cheaper to spend 10k on a small parcel of woodland to provide heat for your home.

Just wished I had taken my own advice all those years ago.

[Kellerman]

Little update on this!

First off I made a wooden wall for the patio end, and clad it with T&G to separate the back garden from the building site.


I then dug out and levelled the ground, and sunk 10ft concrete fence posts into one side


I've now dropped concrete gravel boards in, to build a very cheap back wall!


The floor is now laid, 4" of concrete (4:1 mix) over a DPM on a bed of sand, on top of 2" MOT

The final wall is wood, like the first.

Plan is to put a slightly pitched roof on it, corrugated metal most likely.

[KAgantua]

Great work.

'Concrete gravel board walls' seems to be more common in Europe than here (You can get decorative ones in Europe)