Another (partial) garage conversion

[MagicalTrevor]

I have a garage 18ft (long) x 10ft (width) and I was thinking that I might convert one end (obviously not the door end!) into a small 'office' space... when I say office, I don't work from home and it will be used for playing games. I'm basically being kicked out of my current 'games room' as we're converting it into a second sitting room.

Now there are plenty of resources on the interweb about building a stud partition so that's not what I'm asking but I was wondering about the floor? The garage has a concrete floor which is weather proof already (so no damp) but I was wondering what sort of floor to put down? heating will just be a simple storage heater or oil heater for the odd times it's used.

Also, what size do you think I should leave for the remainder of the garage? I don't currently park the 1 series in the garage as that's reserved for my other car

crappy diagram to show the general layout plus my other car


Obviously it needs to remain useable as a garage!

thanks in advance

[henrycrun]

As you know the internal door will need to be a fire door, with spring return, and the threshold step need to be a certain height to prevent leaky fuel from seeping into the house.
The building experts will be along soon.

[MagicalTrevor]

henrycrun said:

As you know the internal door will need to be a fire door, with spring return, and the threshold step need to be a certain height to prevent leaky fuel from seeping into the house.
The building experts will be along soon.

Oh I don't like the sound of this, scuppering my cowboy efforts

[FlossyThePig]

If you can afford the car remember that you must use parquet flooring.

[herbialfa]

Polythene DPM ontop of the concrete (really should be a bitumastic DPM but as your not going through building regs, Hey Ho!)

100x50mm joist fixed on top of that with insulation between the joists. Then chipbopard/ whatever!

50x50mm battens to the walls again with insulation between then plasterboard over & skim!

Stick a layer of plasterboard on the ceiling with 30mm insulation above!

Really you should take your new stud wall up to the roof as it will form a fire stop!

As said before make sure there is a step up from the garage into your games room as it stops oil etc seeping up!

Buiolding Regs wise its a 100mm minimum!

[MagicalTrevor]

Thanks guys, from a building regs pov it sounds acceptable and I would prefer to do it right.

I know I should google it but can I just 'do it' or do I need some sort of permission/certificate?

[herbialfa]

Just get a Building Notice!

Its normally one sheet of paper type form to fill in, pay the fee and away you go.

[Simpo Two]

I like the way the door opens straight into the boot so you have to climb over the car to get to the driver's door

[MagicalTrevor]

I wondered why I kept on getting foot prints on the 458's bonnet! Damn it!

[CaddyRS]

Also stud wall should be either double plasterboarded or a fire board to be used+insulated and floor to be insulated.

[RichB]

Bearing in mind that most cars are 14-15 feet long and you stud wall will take up another 4"-5" your study is going to be all of what, 2'6" - 3 feet wide.

[MagicalTrevor]

Hmm, maybe not such a great idea

[King Herald]

MagicalTrevor said:

Hmm, maybe not such a great idea

Just put a chair and a small desk next to the car.

Earphones and a warm jacket, and you can squint and pretend it is a games room?

[MagicalTrevor]

King Herald said:

MagicalTrevor said:

Hmm, maybe not such a great idea

Just put a chair and a small desk next to the car.

Earphones and a warm jacket, and you can squint and pretend it is a games room?

I guess that might be the only option... I'm slowly losing my man-territory in the house

[King Herald]

MagicalTrevor said:

King Herald said:

MagicalTrevor said:

Hmm, maybe not such a great idea

Just put a chair and a small desk next to the car.

Earphones and a warm jacket, and you can squint and pretend it is a games room?

I guess that might be the only option... I'm slowly losing my man-territory in the house

A 6 x 8 garden shed?

Or maybe up in the loft, a little boarded area just for you?

[s3fella]

RichB said:

Bearing in mind that most cars are 14-15 feet long and you stud wall will take up another 4"-5" your study is going to be all of what, 2'6" - 3 feet wide.

No, it will be fine, so long as you move the car out when you need to reach for the phone!

[Simpo Two]

You could build a mezzanine floor over the bonnet...

[MagicalTrevor]

Well after having a good measure up I don't think I can do what I'd like in the garage. Either there won't be enough room for a car or there won't be enough room for any desk space.

Unfortunately I have very little outdoor space so an outdoor 'shed' might be tight... but possible. A shed indoors might be an option... I'll investigate

[SJobson]

How easy would it be to add a 3ft extension to the front of the garage? 15ft internal length should be plenty (people don't park S-classes in garages, do they?) and that'd give you ~6ft width for the study.

[MagicalTrevor]

SJobson said:

How easy would it be to add a 3ft extension to the front of the garage? 15ft internal length should be plenty (people don't park S-classes in garages, do they?) and that'd give you ~6ft width for the study.

No chance unfortunately, the garage is within the boundry of the house with no scope to extend either front or back. If more thought had been put in to the initial build of the house then the garage could have been bigger and there would be much more room for this.