Another "Having my double garage built at last!"

[V8P6B]

Well, now that planning permission and building regs are in place, I've finally got going on having a more permanent (and warmer & dryer) home built for my collection of forlorn classics. The new garage will be 18ft wide by 20ft long, which should give me room for my 2 cars inside, with space to work. I'm having an RSJ across the middle to put an engine hoist running on the beam, although I would have preferred a 2 post lift, I just haven't got the roof height, (we didn't want to lose our lovely view across the valley from our upstairs window), so have chosen a mech-mate GRP pit, so I can get underneath easily. It's not ideal, but is designed as a "seated pit" so I can sit down to work on my car. (Like the sound of that.. 8) The garage is long enough to have the car over the pit with the door shut, and still enough room for me to get in and out easily. The pit has a cubby hole for a fire extinguisher, and will have fume extraction in the bottom.

My old single garage was very damp, built in the 1960's, and just about big enough for a Morris Minor:-

It's gone now!!

Footings in...

Blockwork starting..

Keeping her indoors happy with a utility room..

That's as far as we've got, but I'll update it as we go..

 

[DaveHerns]

Presumably if you're having a utility room , you can run electric and hot and cold water into the garage ? This sounds like a nice sized garage , you're lucky to have the room

 

[quattro]

You could have the dishwasher in the utility room, and sneak a few engine parts in when SWMBO is out. 8)

 

[V8P6B]

Presumably if you're having a utility room , you can run electric and hot and cold water into the garage ? This sounds like a nice sized garage , you're lucky to have the room

Cheers Dave, it should be good. You're right, it is nice to have the room to be able to do this. I've been waiting to have a double garage for about 20 years now, but have never had the room or have been able to afford it. We moved in to our current house 5 years ago, bought it primarily because we fell in love with it, but also because it had the room I needed, so we've been saving like mad to be able to do it. I'm running hot & cold water into the garage, and will probably source an old kitchen sink from somewhere. The garage will be fully wired, with a seperate 30A feed for my compressor, an Ebay purchase from last year, 14cfm, 2.5hp 150L. I'm wiring up my mech-mate pit this weekend, ready to drop into the hole.

You could have the dishwasher in the utility room, and sneak a few engine parts in when SWMBO is out. 8)

I'm one step ahead of you there, quattro.. It's no accident the utility room is where it is... :wink:

Seriously though, I do know someone who did this, and his parts came up lovely... He didn't say how the dishwasher was after this little exercise though.. I may just get hold of an old dishwasher specifically for the purpose, if I have room for it, however I suspect a normal benchtop parts washer may be the final solution.

 

[V8P6B]

Well, after the snow, and cold weather etc, a bit more progress..

That RSJ is going to have my engine hoist hanging off it..

The outside of the garage where the concrete's showing is going to be clad with douglas fir wood cladding, which will give it a barny look hopefully...

 

[webmaster]

Very nice !, that's coming along nicely.

 

[Deadstar]

Looks great - I'm taking my garage down in May and having it replaced with a 3 car garage can't wait. The current garage is full of a Mazda RX1 series one, but no room to work on it. I am sooo looking forward to having a decent garage.

 

[DaveHerns]

With what look like UPVC windows fitted , it looks like any future buyer of the house could convert it into an extension , if they weren't car enthusiasts .

 

[Pilkie]

It coming along very nicely!
You will be like a kid with a new toy once its all finished!

 

[V8P6B]

With what look like UPVC windows fitted , it looks like any future buyer of the house could convert it into an extension , if they weren't car enthusiasts .

They certainly could, the walls and footings are up to it, & uPVC windows are so cheap now.... the original plans had a room above the garage.. Decided against it so not to lose the upstairs window (& view), and we weren't sure whether we'd use the extra room very often... Also, the timber cladding on the ouside could easily have insulation behind it!!. Easily do-able..

 

[sowen]

the original plans had a room above the garage.. Decided against it so not to lose the upstairs window (& view), and we weren't sure whether we'd use the extra room very often...

Once you've got the room, you'll use it :wink: I know I did after two months in our new double garage, we filled the roof up and couldn't get in to find anything!

Will you have any access into the roof you've got? Although it's shallow, it would be ideal for storing lots of small bits and bobs.

 

[The Rovering Member]

I'm having an RSJ across the middle to put an engine hoist running on the beam, although I would have preferred a 2 post lift, I just haven't got the roof height, (we didn't want to lose our lovely view across the valley from our upstairs window), so have chosen a mech-mate GRP pit, so I can get underneath easily. It's not ideal, but is designed as a "seated pit" so I can sit down to work on my car.

Personally, I prefer pits. Although I've worked under lift's, theres always that niggling fear that the whole lots going to come crashing down on you, despite the safety features. A friend of mine had this happen some years ago in the workshop he was employed at, although fortunately they were all on tea-break at the time.
And sitting down to fit an exhaust sounds very relaxing.

 

[V8P6B]

the original plans had a room above the garage.. Decided against it so not to lose the upstairs window (& view), and we weren't sure whether we'd use the extra room very often...

Once you've got the room, you'll use it :wink: I know I did after two months in our new double garage, we filled the roof up and couldn't get in to find anything!

Will you have any access into the roof you've got? Although it's shallow, it would be ideal for storing lots of small bits and bobs.

I'll have pretty good access to the roof, I'm thinking about boarding some of it out to keep small parts up there. Don't really want too many panels lying around anyway, so it'll be ok for small stuff. The roof pitch is only 23 degrees, but is quite a large area, so we'll see. I've also got some of the roof area above the utility room, but that's pretty much going to be full of insulation.

Roof tiles turned up today Yay! Guys are cooking on gas now after the snow, really good builders, turning up Sundays some weeks after being held up with the weather. Wirings well on the way too.

 

[V8P6B]

I'm having an RSJ across the middle to put an engine hoist running on the beam, although I would have preferred a 2 post lift, I just haven't got the roof height, (we didn't want to lose our lovely view across the valley from our upstairs window), so have chosen a mech-mate GRP pit, so I can get underneath easily. It's not ideal, but is designed as a "seated pit" so I can sit down to work on my car.

Personally, I prefer pits. Although I've worked under lift's, theres always that niggling fear that the whole lots going to come crashing down on you, despite the safety features. A friend of mine had this happen some years ago in the workshop he was employed at, although fortunately they were all on tea-break at the time.
And sitting down to fit an exhaust sounds very relaxing.

I know what you mean... And also sitting down to tackle the rear calipers...

 

[V8P6B]

Well, the garage is coming along nicely, roof's finished and the timber cladding is going on. I love the way it looks, sits well in its rural location... 8)

 

[DaveHerns]

Is the doorway double width ?

 

[V8P6B]

Is the doorway double width ?

The doorway is 3.8m or about 12.5 feet wide. It'll allow both cars through, and they can sit side by side in the doorway (just). I'm having an electric roller shutter fitted. (P6 I think is 1.68m wide, and the Anglia is 1.45m wide)

 

[V8P6B]

Progress is ongoing, here's a few more pics...

Pit's in the hole..

Not car related, but here's the utility room..

I can get into the garage without going outside now... 8)

Garage floor's going down Monday, and Roller door will be on by Friday...

 

[Phil Robson]

Just a thought....

I put my pit down one side of the garage. My project spends most of its time over it , but at least I can use the other side as normal. Alternatively, you wouldn't need your other car out if you wanted to use the pit for another.

Each to their own & you've probably deliberated for a long time, but I just thought I'd mention it!

 

[V8P6B]

I did deliberate over it for a long time, and did consider putting it down one side. The main reason for putting it in the middle was so I could get a straight run onto the pit. Also, the garage is big enough to park cars either side of the pit, which means I can work on the brakes and front suspension components by parking the car to the side & jacking it up. That way I can stand in the pit and work on the brakes at chest height. Ultimately I want to whittle my collection down to 1 car, so it shouldn't be an issue. Also if I park 1 car tight against the wall, I can still put another over the pit. I've worked it all out on a CAD package, with the actual car dimensions, and it works. I did try several different layouts on the CAD, and this one seemed to tick more boxes. Ive also positioned it so I can have a car over the pit with the door shut, and still get in and out of it. There's so much to think about. :?