Adding a first floor in my garage

[mowforbritain]

Hi,

Can anyone help?

Due to baby on the way and me working from home I need to put a first floor into my brick garage and work in there.

It's got lots of wooden beams holding the roof up so as well as a floor those need to be changed.

I am a fairly enthusiastic DIY'er and have a fair bit of engineering experience, but saying that is this something I could do myself?

How would I go about a project like this? How do I put another floor in?!

Thanks

Richie..

 

[noseall]

You can either convert the loft space (if it is big enough), i.e. add a dormer, strengthen the floor joists, insulate etc.

...Or, remove the roof and add another storey if the foundations allow.

The latter will be particularly pertinent if the roof turns out to be constructed as a trussed rafter system.

How do propose accessing the space? Is it a detatched garage?

 

[mowforbritain]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply!

It's quite a big garage and attached to the house, the roof is pretty high so would be fine for two floors, I think it is a trussed rafter system though.

I'd access the first floor up some stairs from the back of the garage.

Any other help and ideas much appreciated.

Thanks

Richie.

 

[noseall]

Truss rafter - doh!

It is possible to convert the space but the effort and engineering involved is extensive and expensive.

It will require a whole new floor as well as trimming out for the stairs.

The stairs will need a constant headroom of 2m all the way up the stairs. Handrails and spindle spacing will need to conform.

The rafters will need to be insulated with around 130mm of rigid foam insulation complete with a 25-50mm (ventilated) air gap above.

Electrics will need to be part p relevant.

Means of escape and smoke detectors will need consideration.

T.r.v's on radiators etc.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Follow this thread for seeing whats involved in converting a trussed rafter loft. http://www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=137740&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15 Your steels will be smaller of course though unless your garage is as big as that conversion was but the principles will be the same though.