Two Car Garage Build in Lancashire, England

[jktruck150]

Looking good!

 

[bazzateer]

having lived there, I know how the weather can be.....it's not a mater of "Will it rain", but rather "When will it rain"?

More a case of "how much?" usually!

 

[Gareth]

Any updates?

Coming soon - sorry for going a little quiet!

Very nice garage! It's interesting to see building techniques in other countries - I don't think I've ever see the gable end of a garage built out of concrete block like that in the US. Here, the walls may be concrete block but once the building gets to the rim joint level, everything from there on up is wood construction.

Brick is very much the norm in England. I did consider a wood building as there are several companies selling kits now at very good prices, but the main problem is the perception of wooden buildings in this country. Plus it would not have complimented the original house anywhere near as nicely as this should do!

Looking great.....I can't believe you have gotten that much good weather to work on it.....having lived there, I know how the weather can be.....it's not a mater of "Will it rain", but rather "When will it rain".

Preston? My wife was born there....and I spent quite a bit of time in Hurst Green and Salmsbury....

You are going to be very glad for the skylights....are they they type you can open?

Thanks. The weather (until a week ago) had been amazing, but all the rain we didn't have over the last 6 weeks has come down in the last week. The entire site is waterlogged as I type!

The roof windows are made by a German company called Roto (http://www.roto.de/). The main reason for using this particular type was that one of the local builders merchants had them sitting on a shelf, where they had been for several years and no one really knew why. They were still in sealed boxes, so at around 25% off the price for the current comparable window. They comply with the most recent building regulations, and open 180 degrees to allow for easy cleaning.

 

[Gareth]

Looking good!

Thank you.

More a case of "how much?" usually!

Definitely - I can't believe the rain that has come down in the last few days.

 

[Gareth]

Time for an update.

The roofers arrived and after three days I had a great looking roof. The tiles were reclaimed from a very nice house that for some unknown reason was being re-tiled with awful concrete tiles. What seemed like my whole family helped me move 6500 tiles, and then sort through them to get around 4250 perfect ones, for significantly less than the cost of new tiles which would not have looked as good, and wouldn't be as good quality as these ones. The ridge tiles were also reclaimed, but these were bought from a specialist salvage place. They are a perfect match in type and colour to the other houses in the area. Overall I'm very pleased with the end result.

I need to finish off the joinery on the fascias, barge boards and soffits, and then fit the guttering, but I'm waiting for the weather to improve.

The space above the garage is looking really good, and bigger than I expected. The photo doesn't really do it justice, it is much larger than it looks.

 

[Gareth]

The stone cills were then cut to size (carefully!) and bedded in. I think that they have transformed the look of the building, and will obviously look much better when the render is applied. I'm still undecided on the colour, but it won't be done any time soon so no rush.

Over the weekend just gone, my Dad helped me put the plasterboard up on the ceiling. I am going to get this skim plastered as soon as possible so that the main door can be fitted. This task was made a little more difficult due to me falling through the newly boarded ceiling while laying out the flooring in the room above! D'oh!

Luckily I only suffered a couple of bruises and pulled my shoulder, and only ruined a single board. Could have been much worse!

I have decided on the main door, which is a Hormann (German made) steel sectional door in a light oak foil finish. It is motorised and has 42mm (1 3/4 inch) insulation and it seems to be the best available over here without spending another £1000. It has still cost in the region of £1,800 ($2,750) which hurts a little!

The building work on the garage is now finished, and I can get on to the wiring, and then to the more exciting fitting out jobs.

I am delighted with the overall results, especially as I changed so much from the original designs.

Things have slowed down a little at the moment, as work has started on the remodelling/extending of the house. This is again a work in progress as I have thrown away the plans that an architect prepared for us and I am in the process of doing new plans for it. I am happy to post a few details as work progresses, obviously in much less detail than for the garage. Anyone interested?

I'll continue to update the progress on the garage, and now more than ever I need ideas and suggestions for how to fit it out so please go ahead and post if you think you can help!

Cheers,
Gareth

 

[993James993]

Gareth, it's looking great! How are you going to finish the block exterior? Or will you leave it as is? The tile roof looks fantastic and the money you saved more than offsets the cost of the garage door. Are you going with a concrete driveway or will you put in pavers or asphalt?

Just out of curiosity why start on the house before finishing the garage? I've had to tell my wife that her plans for a kitchen remodel have to wait until we finish the garage. I don't want two projects going at once.

 

[Buzz Lightyear]

Gareth

That is coming along really well. I can only see one problem and that is someone finding out exactly where this is and moving his rubbish in while you're not looking

 

[Gareth]

Gareth, it's looking great! How are you going to finish the block exterior? Or will you leave it as is? The tile roof looks fantastic and the money you saved more than offsets the cost of the garage door. Are you going with a concrete driveway or will you put in pavers or asphalt?

Just out of curiosity why start on the house before finishing the garage? I've had to tell my wife that her plans for a kitchen remodel have to wait until we finish the garage. I don't want two projects going at once.

When the work on the house is finished I'm having everything rendered with a product called K Rend, which is a self coloured waterproof silicone render. More info here:

http://www.k-rend.co.uk/range-specific.aspx?title=K Rend Textured Finish

I'm not sure what colour to go for, I'm torn between white, or a very pale grey or possibly green colour.

I'm undecided about the driveways, but concrete is a no here. Our Building Regulations specify that solid driveways have to be drained onto soakaways on your own land, and as my drive slopes down all the way to the street, I'd have to fit quite a complex drainage system if I used an impermeable finish. I'm currently thinking of a manufactured grey/blue cobble, with fine gravel pointing to allow the drainage through to around 18 inches of ******** which should provide enough drainage.

Work has started on the house for quite a few reasons. The builders have now finished their part on the garage, and I am keen to keep them onsite as I have been so impressed with them. Another reason is our weather, in that I'd love to get the extensions built and roofed before winter sets in (late October). Another reason is that by ordering all the windows at the same time I can be sure they will match, and I might get a better discount.

The garage will be useful storage for the builders, and I won't want them anywhere near it once I start fitting it out!

Gareth

That is coming along really well. I can only see one problem and that is someone finding out exactly where this is and moving his rubbish in while you're not looking

You're not the only one! I think my Dad sees it as a good workshop for him. He's helped so much it's only fair he gets to service his car or play around with his '67 Jaguar in there. |He doesn't understand why I want it to be 'nice' inside. His own workshop, while well equipped, is functional rather than attractive. I want mine to be both, especially as I hate working in a messy/dirty space.

 

[Buzz Lightyear]

You're not the only one! I think my Dad sees it as a good workshop for him. He's helped so much it's only fair he gets to service his car or play around with his '67 Jaguar in there. |He doesn't understand why I want it to be 'nice' inside. His own workshop, while well equipped, is functional rather than attractive. I want mine to be both, especially as I hate working in a messy/dirty space.

I've been given some cabinets which have helped tidy my single garage up no end but it's still a mess. I'm in the middle of stripping a Mk2 Golf (Rabbit) GTi for a full colour (color) change respray so I've got that and Beetle bits and mountain bikes all in my tiny garage. Though my wife has promised that the next house we buy will either have a double garage or space to build one. YAY!!

Good luck and keep the updates coming.

 

[Lippyp]

Another Lancashire resident here, my garage isn't even big enough to get a car in, well it is but its in a ****** stupid position that requires you to have steering like a Triumph Herald to actually turn into it. Whilst a Herald might fit my seven foot wide 18.5 foot long chevy won't! We are house hunting now and one of the main requirments is either an existing big garage/barn or space to build at least a 20' x 20' preferably 25' x 20'.

 

[bazzateer]

my wife has promised that the next house we buy will either have a double garage or space to build one. YAY!!

I fell for that one with my ex. Never happened. She even wanted to block access to the garage I did have by extending the kitchen!

Now I'm single and waiting on planning permission for my 22' x 33' garage.

 

[ZRX61]

What's the ceiling height in there? looks a bit low.

 

[Justanoldguy]

What's the ceiling height in there? looks a bit low.

Only by American standards...

 

[Gareth]

What's the ceiling height in there? looks a bit low.

It is quite low at around 2.3m (7 1/2 foot) but only by US standards - it's pretty usual for a UK garage. I thought about making it higher, but I decided that the space above was far more important.

Plus, I only like low cars (in general) so I shouldn't have a problem in the long run. I can usually have access to a lift when I need it which is why I didn't try and sqeeze one in!

Only by American standards...

 

[Gareth]

I've been given some cabinets which have helped tidy my single garage up no end but it's still a mess. I'm in the middle of stripping a Mk2 Golf (Rabbit) GTi for a full colour (color) change respray so I've got that and Beetle bits and mountain bikes all in my tiny garage. Though my wife has promised that the next house we buy will either have a double garage or space to build one. YAY!!

Good luck and keep the updates coming.

When are you moving then?

Another Lancashire resident here, my garage isn't even big enough to get a car in, well it is but its in a ****** stupid position that requires you to have steering like a Triumph Herald to actually turn into it. Whilst a Herald might fit my seven foot wide 18.5 foot long chevy won't! We are house hunting now and one of the main requirments is either an existing big garage/barn or space to build at least a 20' x 20' preferably 25' x 20'.

Triumphs are one of the few cars I truly dislike, and I can't put my finger on exactly why.

Nice to see someone else from our small part of the world.

I fell for that one with my ex. Never happened. She even wanted to block access to the garage I did have by extending the kitchen!

Now I'm single and waiting on planning permission for my 22' x 33' garage.

I'm very lucky as my wife thought that getting the garage done was more important on starting on the house/kitchen! She is a car lover and has owned several classic cars, even driving them daily for a while!

 

[Lippyp]

I've owned two spits and a dolly I'm afraid, so have been quite a triumph fan, have a plan to squeeze something like a Zetec or K series or maybe even a MX5 engine into a MKII spit when I retire. I like em as they're cheap! That said I've had Alfas, old vauxhalls, various 4x4's and am now firmly converted to the dark side of the atlantic with my 67 Chevy pickup.

 

[Justanoldguy]

I've owned two spits and a dolly I'm afraid, so have been quite a triumph fan, have a plan to squeeze something like a Zetec or K series or maybe even a MX5 engine into a MKII spit when I retire. I like em as they're cheap! That said I've had Alfas, old vauxhalls, various 4x4's and am now firmly converted to the dark side of the atlantic with my 67 Chevy pickup.

Finally saw the light aye...

 

[CurlyBoyJones]

Hi Gareth,
I just popped over from LBC and spent two sessions reading your thread. Well done, the garage looks great!

With regard to the compressor location. If you intend spray painting, an open compressor inside the garage has the following disadvantages:

1 Paint overspray is drawn in to the compressor air inlet filters and will dirty them quite quickly. Unless the filters are piped externally.
2 The compressor cooling fan will blow air and any air borne particles around the garage which will settle on the fresh paint.

In my previous single garage set-up, the compressor was located in an adjacent workshop which enabled me to produce a paint finish with much less dust particles in it. My current arrangement is 'is open in the garage' which is not ideal.

I think you are doing very well budget wise. In 1989, I paid a builder £5500 for my 6m x 6m (external) single skin detached garage. Were you born in Yorkshire?

 

[cowboy73]

That is turning out really nicely. The brick and block work looks great. You don't see too much of that here in the U.S. on a garage. What is the lifespan on the roofing tile, I know its more than fiberglass shingles?

 

[T VETTE]

I can't wait to see your house project take shape. You did such a fine job on the garage thread.

Will you start a new thread on the house or just continue here? Like when I finish a book, anxious for the author to write the next one. Good job !!!!

 

[abstamaria]

quote: "Brick is very much the norm in England. I did consider a wood building as there are several companies selling kits now at very good prices, but the main problem is the perception of wooden buildings in this country."

What is the perception, Gareth? I'm in Manila so just need to understand (I see some very nice advertisements for wood garages in English classic car magazines).

you have a very interesting thread and a very consistent design. Congratulations.
Andres

 

[Gareth]

Hi Gareth,
I just popped over from LBC and spent two sessions reading your thread. Well done, the garage looks great!

With regard to the compressor location. If you intend spray painting, an open compressor inside the garage has the following disadvantages:

1 Paint overspray is drawn in to the compressor air inlet filters and will dirty them quite quickly. Unless the filters are piped externally.
2 The compressor cooling fan will blow air and any air borne particles around the garage which will settle on the fresh paint.

In my previous single garage set-up, the compressor was located in an adjacent workshop which enabled me to produce a paint finish with much less dust particles in it. My current arrangement is 'is open in the garage' which is not ideal.

I think you are doing very well budget wise. In 1989, I paid a builder £5500 for my 6m x 6m (external) single skin detached garage. Were you born in Yorkshire?

Cheers dude.

I'm thinking of installing the compressor upstairs. Not ideal, but my Dad's much larger one is fitted like that and he has no problems with it. His isn't even on anti-vibration pads on a concrete block, which is how I'd fit mine. I'm considering building a lean to behind the garage, but obviously that would be more work!

That is turning out really nicely. The brick and block work looks great. You don't see too much of that here in the U.S. on a garage. What is the lifespan on the roofing tile, I know its more than fiberglass shingles?

The clay roof tiles are already well over 100 years old, and other than the damage caused by removing them and moving them around (chips,cracks etc) there was no sign of any degradation. I never really considered how long they will last, but I'm confident it will be a while!

 

[Gareth]

I can't wait to see your house project take shape. You did such a fine job on the garage thread.

Thank you - if the house turns out this well I'll be very happy.

Will you start a new thread on the house or just continue here? Like when I finish a book, anxious for the author to write the next one. Good job !!!!

I can continue posting a few bits about the house as it goes along. I should be able to post an update on the garage soon, assuming I take some more pictures and remember to bring my camera home with me!

quote: "Brick is very much the norm in England. I did consider a wood building as there are several companies selling kits now at very good prices, but the main problem is the perception of wooden buildings in this country."

What is the perception, Gareth? I'm in Manila so just need to understand (I see some very nice advertisements for wood garages in English classic car magazines).

you have a very interesting thread and a very consistent design. Congratulations.
Andres

It's hard to say exactly why. I think it's to do with the weather, as it is so wet here. It's somehow to do with how 'permanent' a wooden building is considered, and the fact that traditionally stone/brick construction is just how it's done.

Oak framed buildings are very popular/fashionable (and expensive) but regular softwood and cladding buildings are very unusual.

Sorry I can't be more helpful!

Oh, and it would have been significantly cheaper to build it in softwood, but it wouldn't have had the additional room above.

 

[Gareth]

Although I've been very quite on here lately, I've been working hard on the garage now the builders have finished their bit.

The ceiling of the garage has now been skimmed with plaster and looks amazing, considering it is 'only' a garage!

I have now made a decision on lighting, and have bought 6 Thorn light fittings, which are each 2x58W 5 foot tubes, complete with high frequency ballasts and metal reflectors. They were a steal on eBay, much less than they would usually cost. They will be fitted with the 'daylight' tubes, so I think the lighting will be good enough, especially as there will be some spot lights above the bench area.

I'm also fitting a commercial extractor, and a dedicated 32A circuit and socket for the welder.

I also ordered a metal clad twin RCD consumer unit, together with a load of metal clad sockets and switches.

Lots to keep me busy!

The house extension/remodelling is also taking up a lot of my time, and it is currently at floor level, which has been more than two weeks work. I decided not to go for a concrete slab floor and I am instead trying a suspended beam and block floor, which is unusual in a domestic project. The builders are struggling a little as it is so unfamiliar to them, and I am keeping my fingers crossed it looks ok when I see it tomorrow night!

The building control officer is due tomorrow to inspect it, and as I designed the floor structure (knowing nothing about it 3 months ago) I am a little apprehensive!

I will post some photos next week.

 

[51rider]

I decided not to go for a concrete slab floor and I am instead trying a suspended beam and block floor, which is unusual in a domestic project. The builders are struggling a little as it is so unfamiliar to them, and I am keeping my fingers crossed it looks ok when I see it tomorrow night!

The building control officer is due tomorrow to inspect it, and as I designed the floor structure (knowing nothing about it 3 months ago) I am a little apprehensive!

I will post some photos next week.

Why did you go down this route? I have had no choice with my extension project due to conditions laid down by planning thanks to meddling by environmental control & monitoring

It's not as unusual as you think, a house just round the corner had a beam & block floor when putting in their two story extension.

Due to the aformentioned meddling, my architect designed the garage with a beam & block floor too. I still can't quite see the logic for this as a garage is considered a naturally ventilated space.

I hope the inspection has gone well.

The garage sounds like it is going well-looking forward to seeing those pics!

 

[Justanoldguy]

For us heathens down under..
What the heck is a "beam & block floor "

 

[MG David]

In the UK there are restrictions on the depth of fill you can use under a solid floor.
So we make suspended concrete floors using concrete beams that have a bottom flange, like an upside down T, set parallel to each other with blocks laid on their sides spanning from the flange of one beam to the flange of the next.

I live on a sloping site and the ground floor of my house and the floor of my garage are made thet way.

The following link has pictures of this type of floor.
http://www.cube6.co.uk/beam-and-block.htm

 

[onewaydave]

Early in the post there was mention about Americans not having the perspective of space you have to deal with. I actually was supprised at the size of the yard and garage. And I've never been there. My garage is 7 1/2' ceiling height but that was due to the design of the split level house.

You are doing a very nice job there. I am facinated in the building materials and techniques. I am looking forward to seeing the completion. Thanks for themeticulous postings.

Dave.

 

[Lippyp]

I'd have to say I disagree with the perception of softwood garages, there are plenty over here, and plenty of companies selling them. Most use tanalised pressure treated timber now and so are pretty durable as long as you treat them regularly with a good preservative. I use proper old fashioned creosote on my woodshed over in France (not the crappy modern substitute, you can still get the proper stuff from trade suppliers, I get mine from an agricultural suppliers in a five gallon drum) My dad has a wooden shed that has to be the best part of forty years old and its still solid, just had a coat of creosote every year and the key thing is its sat up off the ground on some old floor joists as bearers so the air can flow under it.

My house in France has a concrete beam and block floor as the middle floor of three levels. I belive the old oak beams had all rotted so the preious owner (sadly in my opinion) replaced it with a concrete beam and block floor. Some of the beams actually project out through the front wall of the house and are supportedat the front with some pillars and beam to form an external terrace. As a technology it came out of industry, first time I came across it was helping a friend who is an electrician to rewire a house, the owner was an architect that designed petrol (gas) stations and he'd used it downstairs, he'd even set in proper manhole covers for access under the floor. Once the blocks are laid down between the beams then a reinforced screed of concrete is laid down on top to give a smooth floor.

You can see the underside of it in this picture

 

[Gareth]

Why did you go down this route? I have had no choice with my extension project due to conditions laid down by planning thanks to meddling by environmental control & monitoring

It's not as unusual as you think, a house just round the corner had a beam & block floor when putting in their two story extension.

Due to the aformentioned meddling, my architect designed the garage with a beam & block floor too. I still can't quite see the logic for this as a garage is considered a naturally ventilated space.

I hope the inspection has gone well.

The garage sounds like it is going well-looking forward to seeing those pics!

The house is on a slope, meaning the finished floor is over 2 foot over the level of the lawn, and as the land was quite soft, a lot was excavated when the footings were done. I definitely didn't want a wooden floor as I want a tiled floor with underfloor heating, so it was the only sensible option. Very pleased with it, although it was definitely unfamiliar for the builders (and the building inspector) and I had to source the beams from Manchester which is around 40 miles away, rather than any of the local merchants who weren't keen to get involved.

I wouldn't have used it for the garage unless I really had too, but for no reason other than preferring the more solid feeling of a slab base. I was surprised by the 'spring' in the floor.

Update soon.

 

[Gareth]

In the UK there are restrictions on the depth of fill you can use under a solid floor.
So we make suspended concrete floors using concrete beams that have a bottom flange, like an upside down T, set parallel to each other with blocks laid on their sides spanning from the flange of one beam to the flange of the next.

I live on a sloping site and the ground floor of my house and the floor of my garage are made thet way.

The following link has pictures of this type of floor.
http://www.cube6.co.uk/beam-and-block.htm

Good explanation.

I had a look at that site when I was planning mine, it's quite useful.

 

[Gareth]

Early in the post there was mention about Americans not having the perspective of space you have to deal with. I actually was supprised at the size of the yard and garage. And I've never been there. My garage is 7 1/2' ceiling height but that was due to the design of the split level house.

You are doing a very nice job there. I am facinated in the building materials and techniques. I am looking forward to seeing the completion. Thanks for themeticulous postings.

Dave.

From what I see on here and on TV, very large garages seem much more common in the States, as do larger gardens.

In any built up areas I know of in England, having a large garden and general space around the house is quite unusual. It was actually the main reason we bought the house to start with. We were only browsing the local estate agents out of interest more than anything else, but once we saw this house we realised that it was unlikely that we would get the chance to buy anything similar at the same price in the future, so we went for it!

Thank you for the compliments, always appreciated.

I won't post in anywhere near as much detail about the house, but while I am finishing the garage I will post a few details and pictures.

 

[Gareth]

I'd have to say I disagree with the perception of softwood garages, there are plenty over here, and plenty of companies selling them.

Well I personally don't know of anyone with one, or of any properties in the area where I live with one.

I would say that wooden garages account for well under 5% of the garages in England.

I'd much rather have a softwood garage than a concrete sectional garage though, but I wouldn't consider wood over brick/block construction.

 

[ZRX61]

It's hard to say exactly why. I think it's to do with the weather, as it is so wet here. It's somehow to do with how 'permanent' a wooden building is considered, and the fact that traditionally stone/brick construction is just how it's done.

Coming from the UK I still can't believe how *temporary* US homes are. I think they build with a view to it *maybe* lasting 2 generations, not 2 or 3 centuries. My home is only 55 years old & the damn place has the feeling it's on the verge of falling down.

I really can't get to grips with pole barns where they set (albeit pressue treated) wood straight in the ground. It's insanity.

 

[Gareth]

I can finally post some updates! It has been a stressful past few months, for several reasons. Firstly the weather has been terrible here in late July / August with heavy rain on most week days. Secondly my wife has started a new job so has moved out of our 'marital' home in Yorkshire, and she is now living with my parents over in Lancashire until the house is finished, and we will be living apart from each other until I find a new job. Thirdly, the garage was easy compared to the house! I basically threw away the architects plans as they were awful, and I did a complete set of new plans, together with the structural details and plans. I wouldn't recommend doing it as the steep learning curve was a bit of a nightmare, but on the plus side I have saved a lot of money, and the house will be exactly as I/we want it. It is still evolving slightly as it is being built!

Before I put any photos of the house up, I have made a little progress with the garage. I have spent countless hours in the space over the garage fitting 4 inches of Ecotherm rigid PIR insulation board, which was made less straightforward by the unusual truss spacing to accomodate the window positions I wanted. It was an expense I hadn't planned on, as I was planning on using cheaper mineral wool insulation. At £750 ($1150) I hope it will be worth it! I have cut the boards very carefully and taped all the joints for maximum efficiency and it should make it a much more pleasant space.

I have also decided to have two separate rooms above the garage, and also to insulate the floor for sound and heat with Rockwool RWA-45. This was another £200 ($300) that I hadn't planned on spending but on the basis that it would be a nightmare to do it in the future, I think I'm doing the right thing. We are not sure what the main room will be used for, but the small room will be a parts room for me as my wife is sick of my large collection of parts/accessories etc in various places inside our home now! It could also be turned into a bathroom quite easily in the future as the drains and water supply will be in place.

The windows arrived today, and my Dad arranged for them to be fitted by a mate of his. They are a little different to the norm over here as they are uPVC woodgrain effect double glazed windows (A rated for efficiency) with a grey foil on the outer surfaces. The internal frame is the usual white. Grey windows are something my wife and I decided on a long time ago, and it seems that literally everyone has been trying to talk us out of them. I have always been convinced that they would be a good choice and that people would change their mind when they were fitted.

The side ones are top openers, and the one over the main door is a side opener with an egress hinge (special hinge allowing it to open fully to one side) which can act as a fire escape to satisfy the regulations if I ever apply for a change of use (to use the space above as living accomodation).

What do you think?

My cabinets have arrived, and you can see them in the above photo.

I'm very happy with them, and the render will really set them off. At the moment the colour choice is between bright white, and grey-white for the render.

 

[Gareth]

And now onto the house. I'll let the pictures do the talking here, but if anyone wants more details on anything just shout.

Foundations:

Beam and Block Floor:

Insulation (50mm rigid PIR insulation board, with 4 inch aerated autoclaved concrete blocks on the inner course, and brick/dense concrete block on the outer course, with a 50mm void):

Walls:

And I spent last weekend knocking through into the 'old' house which was a fun job. The glass panels were so heavy it ended up being easier to smash it out. The first floor windows were made from toughened glass which was surprisingly difficult to smash!

And that's the stage it was at at the end of last weekend. The scaffolding went up on Tuesday, and I'm expecting to see a big difference tomorrow night.

 

[MG David]

I see you are using rendered block over brick on the house as well instead of facing brick all the way up. Is it cheaper to do it that way? Clearly render is an additional process but I wondered if the materials and labour saving in the block work covered the cost of the render or not.

 

[Gareth]

I see you are using rendered block over brick on the house as well instead of facing brick all the way up. Is it cheaper to do it that way? Clearly render is an additional process but I wondered if the materials and labour saving in the block work covered the cost of the render or not.

1 concrete block costs £0.60 plus VAT, and 6 stock bricks (same surface area) cost £2.64 plus VAT, and to lay the bricks takes around 2 to 3 times as long as for the blocks, which is a significant cost saving. I think the saving will easily cover the cost of the rendering, but that wasn't the main reason for doing it. I want the house from the front to look in keeping with the others in the neighbourhood, but from the rear I am hoping for a much more contemporary look, which I think will be achieved with the render and dark grey windows, together with a stainless steel and glass surround to the roof terrace (if funds allow!).

The extension is full height down the side to add a bedroom / bathroom, but across the back will be a 30ft x 11ft roof terrace which should get the sun earlier and later than the garden does. The master bedroom and the guest bedroom will open out onto the terrace.

 

[BIG_G]

Wow Subscribed!!!!!.Great write up Gareth and what a high standard of detail and workmanship

I love the picture of the mutt safely out the way its superb.(possible avatar pic?)

I made sure the dog was in a safe place while we were lifting the beam.....

Keep up the good work mate and looking forward to more updates(hope everthing's well as its been a while for the latest progress)