Converting my garage to a office help needed.

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I am thinking about converting half of our garage so I can use it as a office. We live in a new build house and the garage is attached to the side of the house and we have access to it from the conservatory.

I would like to do the job myself and have basic diy experience. The garage is breeze block both sides, our house one side and the other side is a neighbours garage. There is a single brick wall at the back. We already have electric in there.

I will keep the outside of the garage the same and divide the garage into 2 halfs. 80% office 20% storage.

Am I right in thinking the best way to do this would be to stud all the walls and then plasterboard on top ?

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How about the floor could I stud the floor to raise it so it is level to the house. ?

Any advice would be great. ?
 
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yup, stud walls..
you can use the rafter as the top plate for the side walls and screw 2x2 batens to the rear wall..
as for the floor, yes you can use timber but I'd put it on a DPM to stop it rotting out..

plenty of insulation between the "joists"..
 
Thanks coljack for your reply. For the side walls you said use the rafters i take it I screw a sole plate to the floor and then screw the stud to the sole plate and then to the rafter.

The stud will then be away from the wall do I need to screw it to the wall or do I just screw it at the top and bottom.

How would i stud around the door on the right and the breeze block on the left that comes away from the wall.

You can guess this is my first time.

Thanks for the help.
 
that's what I was saying, you use the rafters because they are already just outside the brick / block pillars...

please bear in mind I'm an electrician but I have been on many building sites and seen many programs where they have done this..

you may have to "tank" that back wall to stop any damp from getting in.. your LABC will tell you if they require it..

for the door you just frame it into the studwork and put a deeper / extension door lining in...
 
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Just a silly question but could i just plaster the walls or do i need a stud frame. I was only thinking this as one side is connected to the houses and the other side is a neighbours garage.
 
you could just plaster the walls, but the stud frame allows for soundproofing and thermal insulation..
you could always dot 'n' dab with insulation backed plasterboard.. ..
 
where do i start first the wall, floor, or ceiling. If I want to stud out to the front of the breeze block what size wood would i need.


Thanks for the help
 
I'd start with the walls, gives you something solid to fix the sole plate to.. unless you are plastering straight to the walls, then start with the floor..

4x2 should be plenty for the stud walls, you can get 100mm of insulation in then..

leave a 10-15mm gap between the stud walls and the floor to allow the floor room to expand..
 
I had similar job done approx 11 years back and didn't get Building C O approval. I sold the house 2 months ago and the new owners weren't concerned about lack of Building Regs. Also if you go BCO route you could end up with planning issues as it could be deemed as a dwelling-part of your house.
I got an architect brother of a friend to do it along with his builder. Looked great and well designed with excellent design and classy windows (bespoke)
BUT end wall facing out to road was simply the old garage door and the elements came through. This lead to me complaining to the architect and we fell out. The builder said he reailsed it should have been insulated and stud wall put in etc but felt it wans't his role to question his 'boss'-the architect.
The architect now heads and owns a large London firm. I now do my own work..have bought two places to develop. Good Luck! Plastering is gfun-if you need help just ask!
 
where do i start first

First you start by putting a DPM down on the floor and turned up about 300mm up the wall.

On the basis that a timber floor will be formed, then you can either put the new joists in to a suitable level (ie DPC level) and build the stud wall off that, or build the stud wall first and then hang the new floor joists off this. Don't forget the insulation between the joists

For the wall, you can use what size timber you like, all you need to do is keep the face of the stud work in line with that pier and then just board straight across the lot.

Its probably best to put some polythene up any external walls first to act as a vertical DPM (no need for internal walls), and then full fill the studwork with insulation and then use polythene again before plasterboarding to act as the vapour check or use foil backed plasterboard

Fix the stud wall top and bottom and it will be soild enough no to require intermediate fixings to the wall
 
Thanks Woody for the reply. The breeze blocks come out 110mm so what size would should i use for the stud work. Would it be easier for me to fix wood 110mm stright to the garage walls or should i make a stud frame outside of the brick work and fix top and bottom.

Hopefully starting the weekend.

Anyhelp would be great.

Thanks
 
i am planning to use Stud wood from Wickes it's 89mm. Am I best fixing a sole plate outside the breeze block and fix it top and bottom or should i fix it direct to the wall.

If I bring it away from the wall I take it will make fixing the plasterboard round the breeze block a lot easier.

Also If i did this how would the insulation stay in place if it was away from the wall.

Will I lose to much space doing it this way.

Thanks for any help.
 
Changed my mind does this sound ok

I have think I have worked it out at last.

I am planning on starting with the floor I was going to use 3x2 on a dpm and use polystrene for insulation. What size would i need 75mm ? Would Kingspan be better. I was then going to use chipboard on top.

The floor is 2.6m w and 3.6m d. I was going to use space the 3x2 out every 600mm.

Does that sound ok?

For the walls I was going to use 4x2 and use celotax for insulation. Do i need to use 100mm insulation as that will cost a bomb or could i use 75mm / 50mm and pack it out with something else? One wall is joined to the house and the other is joined to a neighbours garage. It just the back wall that is single brick.

Once again I was going to space them out 600mm so I could use 1200mm plasterboard.

Does that sound ok so far.

Thanks for the help
 

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