Lightweight Blockwork no founds

[RobFurn]

Im doing a garage conversion (I know done to death) and I want to keep the garage door fitted and brick up on the inside as close to the door as possible so the front of the house still looks the same (a Window will go on the side). The garage floor is concrete as you would expect. I don't relish the thought of digging foundations. I want to construct a blockwork wall covering the door and then apply studwork with insulation and plasterboard. Would building regs accept this if I used lightweight blocks, I read somewhere that founds are not necessaraly needed if lightweight blocks are used, however you read all sorts of rubbish on the web.
Alternatively can anyone suggest another way? don't suppose I will get away with a thicker stud wall with a tonne of insulation?

 

[Deluks]

Insulated timber stud wall will work fine. Best ask your bco first though. Unless the reason for retaining the door is because you don't want anyone to know about it. In which case you can build it out of jelly and custard if you like!

 

[noseall]

You can achieve all the thermal protection you need with a stud wall and pur foam board insulation.

However there will be no guarantees against noise.

There are instances where a slab will carry a lightweight wall but you may need to prove it to building control. As the wall is going to be situated at the very edge of the slab i think it may be unlikely to get past the shear problems.

 

[RobFurn]

Fan bloody tastic. Thought I would need to build a brick wall first, that will save me loads of messing about. I have already informed Building control of my plans and am awaiting a decision, (god know when that will be) I hear what your saying about noise, and Im sure there are things that can be be to reduce it, Special plaster board??? or double up on the insulation with a wider stud wall??
If building control are a pain I may have to adopt the jelly and custard method.

its the wifes idea for retaiing the door I think its barmy but Im not in charge

 

[Deluks]

Rockwool insulation pressed right against the door, with foam insulation and a double layer of plasterboard should do the trick.

It would be wise to build 2 course brick wall for the timber to sit on, with the dpm from the floor turned up and resting between.

 

[RobFurn]

Sound like a good idea.
Not sure i follow you with the brick situation. to clarify:

Lay 2 cources of regular brick from the garage floor. The DPM that I am putting on the floor will lap over the brick and the timber stud sole plate placed directly on top of the brick with DPM sandwiched inbetween?

What is the advantage of this?, water ingress prevention from garage door?

 

[Deluks]

Yes, plus isolation of timber from concrete slab. Actually as it's inside and won't be exposed directly to rain, you'd get away with one course of bricks. You would need to put down insulation on the floor anyway so the bricks won't be seen.

Have you asked your wife exactly why the door should be retained? Usually only in the case of a clandestine conversion or if you'd like to convert back to a garage one day. Although if planning on selling one day, an extra room will almost always add more value than a garage.

 

[RobFurn]

Thanks Delux, thats much appreciated, do you think 1 course of bricks is necessary for the entire square of the space Im making of just the door area?

Re retaining the garage door, Z wife wants to sell up somewhere down the line but has it in her mind that a future buyer may want to change it back to a garage (madness I know) but alas I cant be arsed arguing.

Will keep you posted with what building conrol have to say hopefully sometime this week.

 

[Deluks]

Depends on how you proceed with the interior lining of the other walls. You can affix batten and insulation/pb directly to the other walls if they are solid, it's just not something you can do to a garage door, hence the brick and studwork suggestion.

You could do the brick thing all way round and build a 'room within a room', which would be good for sound and heat insulation, but would cost more and lose you several inches of space on the other 3 sides.

 

[RobFurn]

Right you are, thanks. Think Iv got it sorted in my head now, until the next problem arises