Garage Conversion (Floor and Walls)

[Paul-man]

About to plan some works to our house and have a couple of questions.

We currently have a step down from our kitchen to the garage. (About 2 courses high, with the DPC on top).

We are thinking of dividing the garage in two - the front end to be a study, the rear a utility area which we hope to open out into the kitchen.

The lengthways walls are both brick. (assuming the external one is cavity as the house is 20 years old). There is also a bedroom above but this does not come as far forward as the the very front of the house. (We would also like to extend the first floor out fully, but understand this will need PP etc. and be a lot more expensive than the simple conversion.

Anyway- the questions:

1) Should we be looking to have a concrete floor or a suspended timber floor? Will the regs determine this or do I have a choice? Which would be cheaper?

2) The new dividing wall between study and utility- should this be plasterboard/cavity wall or breezeblock (bearing in mind we will want to hang kitchen type units on one side of it and possibly affix bookcases to the other side. Again, cost vs practicality?

Answers to these will help me consider my next steps.

Cheers in advance.

 

[Deluks]

1) Either or, up to you. Timber generally works out a bit cheaper and quicker. If you take drying out time of wet concrete into account.

2) Either or, up to you. A stud wall that is to take a load can have a sheet of plywood fixed under the plasterboard, for screwing into.

If the study will be used for actual studying, then sound insulation between the rooms might be handy if you've got washing machine on full spin in the utility area. Which would lead me to insulated timber stud with a well fitted fire door in between the 2 rooms.

 

[^woody^]

if you've got washing machine on full spin in the utility area.

Which will reverberate through a timber floor more so than through an insulated stud wall, so concrete floor may be a better option. Or separate a timber floor at the wall junction and form two independent floors

 

[Paul-man]

Thanks to both of you- you've given me something more to think about.
I was hoping for a timber floor for hiding pipes and wires under more easily, however as woody has reminded me, the washing machine will create more of an issue in that scenario.

I was not planning to have a door between the two rooms. (Was hoping to cut through from the hall for access to the study and retain access to the utility from the kitchen.)

Thanks for the idea about the ply on the stud wall, that sounds more practical than trying to strategically place noggings at the right height.