Garage Conversion Project

hushpuppy7 · 25 Sep 2008

Hi all.

Bit of advice please. I have a garage that is 5.6m x 5.6m x 2.5m high (to the wooden beams then a pitched roof above) built with a single skin of 9" bricks on a concrete base. It already has a seperate uPVC door and window (although I am going to fit a new one that is 2020mm long, what would you suggest I need to use to support above?).

I want to convert it into a games room, with a multi gym, probably a pool table and a TV with a Wii.

Before I do anything else I need to get the door off and employ a bricky to brick up the hole. (@£1300)

After that (and here is where any and all advice would be appreciated) is I intend to batten out the walls and ceiling, fill in between with insulating materials and plaster board over the top. I intend to fit a loft ladder and chip board out the 'loft' of the garage. Finally a DPM cover onto the concrete floor and screed it. (plus down lighters and wall sockets).

I have been quoted £850 for all the materials (except to do the floor/lights and electrics) this is for ISOVER 50mm Cavity wall insulation and ISOVER 100mm Roll ceiling insulation.

Is this insulation enough?

Additionally is what I am doing to the floor to insulate it enough as it is a concrete base?

Must say I am very much a novice and have had a quote of £3300 for a builder to do all the above (using the same materials) and another has quoted £5300 but using more expensive insulation materials (rolls straight onto walls then batten on top so no loss of heat apparently).

So not quite sure what to do, any ideas please?

Many thanks

tuckjointer · 25 Sep 2008

What are you doing about heating inside the room?
Insulation under the screed may be a problem if the original garage floor is on a slight gradient. You don't want the screed to come up above the damp course on the garage.

noseall · 25 Sep 2008

£5300 is a bit more realistic but still sounds a bit lean for a garage of that size.

do you intend getting b.c. involved?

^woody^ · 25 Sep 2008

noseall said:
do you intend getting b.c. involved?

Not by the sounds of it ... but still paying a lot of money for a lower standard.

Just think of those toes freezing on that screeded floor. Brrrrrr

hushpuppy7 · 25 Sep 2008

^woody^ said:
Just think of those toes freezing on that screeded floor. Brrrrrr

Guys

Thanks for the comments but please help me out with some ideas?

What do I do about the floor??
What is a good price??
And based on that price what and how should I be getting it done

Thx

hushpuppy7 · 25 Sep 2008

tuckjointer said:
What are you doing about heating inside the room?
Insulation under the screed may be a problem if the original garage floor is on a slight gradient. You don't want the screed to come up above the damp course on the garage.

To be fair I was going to put in an electric radiator.

The floor is on a slight gradient, I think If i remember correctly I have about 250mm from the floor to the damp course.

hushpuppy7 · 25 Sep 2008

noseall said:
£5300 is a bit more realistic but still sounds a bit lean for a garage of that size.

do you intend getting b.c. involved?

From the advice I have been given, as the garage is already built and not joined to the house, (with no intention of doing so) and it won't be a habitable dwelling I don't need BC, or do I???

mikric · 25 Sep 2008

If you don t heat it or put any beds in it you dont need BC, but if you are spending that much money on it why not do it properly and make a proper job of it if you are going to spend time in it .

hushpuppy7 · 25 Sep 2008

mikric said:
If you don t heat it or put any beds in it you dont need BC, but if you are spending that much money on it why not do it properly and make a proper job of it if you are going to spend time in it .

Ok how do I do that?? What materials do you suggest for the walls/ceiling/floor?

I have been looking into Celotex?

Deluks · 26 Sep 2008

How much of the floorspace will be taken up by the multigym?

This will need a solid base to rest on, so concrete underneath is ideal.

For the pool, tv, Wii etc you would be better off being insulated from the concrete, a relatively cheap and effective way is to batten out the floor with insulation in between, then plywood over the top. Top off with laminate or carpet.

What I am getting at is only insulating part of the floor, and just underlay/carpet where the gym area will be.

For insulation between the battens: polystyrene would be cheapest, rockwool better for acoustics, and kingspan/celotex the most insulating/costly.

Get yourself a bricky tool for £30 and save the £1300 *ducks down *, then get a spread in to render the outside.

hushpuppy7 · 26 Sep 2008

Deluks,

At last a sensible and constructive reply, thankyou!

The guys that quoted £3300 say they are going to use Celotex on the walls and ceiling for insulation, but the floor was going to be rubber foil underlay then laminate. (I would have to supply the laminate).

What do you mean by 'Buy a bricky tool and then spread the outside?'

If you are suggesting I do the brickwork, I doubt I could!

Thanks again

freddiemercurystwin · 26 Sep 2008

http://www.brickytool.com/index_eng.html

^woody^ · 26 Sep 2008

It will all end in tears

tuckjointer · 26 Sep 2008

hushpuppy7 said:
tuckjointer said:

What are you doing about heating inside the room?
Insulation under the screed may be a problem if the original garage floor is on a slight gradient. You don't want the screed to come up above the damp course on the garage.

Click to expand...

To be fair I was going to put in an electric radiator.

The floor is on a slight gradient, I think If i remember correctly I have about 250mm from the floor to the damp course.

250mm seems quite alot, the highest point of concrete should be at the back of the garage, oposite the car entrance. I was expecting about 75mm. If you have 250mm at this point then floor insulation would work well. Jabalite floor insulation is quite cheap, it comes 2400 x 1200 and needs to be 125mm thick. Celotex is more expensive but only needs to be 80mm thick. You also need to insulate the screed from the walls with 25mm vertical insulation. The screed should be about 75mm at it's shallowest point. Good floor insulation will make a big difference to room temp.
As for wall insulation, personally I would build an internal wood framework and cover this in platser board creating a 100mm cavity all round the room. The cavity can be filled with drytherm insulation slabs. plasterboard the underside of the roof trusses and treat like a loft with roll out loft insulation.
All this will give a very effective warm room that is reasonable easy to heat.
As for price, around 2 to 2 and a half grand labour plus materials. This includes the brickwork.

hushpuppy7 · 26 Sep 2008

Tuckjointer

Thanks for a terrifically sensible reply and great advice. Will price this up.

Cheers

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Garage Conversion Project

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