Concrete sectional garage build in the UK

Zebedeewesty · Jul 5, 2013

Firstly, don't expect miracles or a speedy build, as with it being built on a strictly limited budget its likely to take me a while.
Hopefully it should at least be up and watertight within the next couple of months.

Anyway, heres my £200 ($300) secondhand concrete sectional garage. Bit of a bargain as new they usually sell for $3-4000.
Its made of 7ft high reinforced concrete posts with 2ft 4" x 4ft panels which slot between them and are held in place by metal plates. They stack 3 high so make walls 7ft tall. Theres also some smaller panels to allow for spaces for windows etc.

I've still not finished the concrete base yet so its all just proped up in the corner of the garden for the time being. Thats nearly 4 ton of concrete there. :eyecrazy:

Basically it'll look something like this when erected though with a 8ft wide garage door at the front and a 4ft wide personnel door in the side.

Its close to 19ft x 9ft inside and i plan on building a workbench the full width of the end wall.

I reckon there should still be space to fit either one of my vw buses or bugs in there too.
I've been trying to restore a 1970 vw bug for a good few years now but theres only so much you can do without a garage.

MajorLeeGassole · Jul 5, 2013

Looks cool and I'm looking forward to watching this progress. Best of luck!

Cris B · Jul 5, 2013

Good luck with that! How are the panels joined and sealed?

RSOllie · Jul 5, 2013

i nearly bought a couple of second hand pre fabs myself befor i decided to go abit further with it

good luck with the build!

GBsnoopy · Jul 5, 2013

Good look and keep us all updated.

Zebedeewesty · Jul 6, 2013

The panels just slot between the upright posts and are held in place with metal locking plates like this:

Some mastic sealant is applied to the top of the panel before the next one is put on top supposidly sealing the join, though how well that works in practice is still to be seen.
Really looking forwards to having a dry, secure indoor work area for the winter. Working under a tarpaulin in the rain, wind and snow isn't fun.

Ruffgeezer · Jul 6, 2013

You'll certainly have fun putting them up, just be careful not to drop any as the chap I sold my old ones to did!

You can see the destruction & subsequent rebuild of my prefab on this thread:
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=156200

Good luck!

Zebedeewesty · Jul 6, 2013

Hmmm, your photos all say look whose popular, upgrade to pro. :headscrat

After being given the run around for a couple of weeks by the guy I bought the garage from about him delivering the metal roof trusses, I found out that he bought it from someone else and they got pee'd off with him not getting in contact with them so scrapped the trusses 2 1/2 weeks ago.

Not sure what to do now. He has said "oh sorry, just make some trusses from wood." I've no idea how to do that, how I'd attach them to the walls (as the trusses make up a structural part of this sort of garage as they hold the posts up), what size they are or even what they really should look like.
Plus I don't see why I should have to sort them out when he was the one who couldn't even be bothered to phone the owners and say I'll pick them up next week or whatever, don't scrap them.

Zeke · Jul 6, 2013

Wow, that's a shame. Buy a welder and make them from scrap if you can find it. You can do the purlins in wood. In fact, you could do the trusses in wood. Just depends on your fancy.

Zebedeewesty · Jul 7, 2013

Unfortunately scrap steel commands stupid prices here in the UK.

The trusses were originally only made from steel angle but buying steel new i'm gonna be looking at about $300 to replace something i'd already bought (and paid for) but which the seller didn't actually have.

Ruffgeezer · Jul 7, 2013

They will come back in a few days, something to do with the cycle date?

I'll have to move some pictures over to a new album I guess!

Bit of a ****** on the roof trusses, I'd be going back to get a refund as you've really ended up with the ****** end of the stick there!

T.E.D. Jordan · Jul 7, 2013

Looking forward to this, fellow cumbrian.

Whereabouts do you hail from?

Jordan

Zeke · Jul 7, 2013

Just remember that the various structural members don't all have to be angle. You can use some tubing or pipe if that's what your find.

Zebedeewesty · Jul 8, 2013

Ruffgeezer, i've asked for some money back but heard nothing back. He's refusing to answer my calls.
My inlaws are absolutely fuming (as i borrowed the money off them) and are thinking of taking him through the small claims court. :shocking:

T.E.D. Jordan, I'm living in Maryport, the ******** of cumbria.

but I'm not a born cumbrian though.

Zeke, i was thinking of making timber/lumber (wood anyway)

trusses as they are cheaper to make than using steel.

T.E.D. Jordan · Jul 8, 2013

Good lord. Scaryport! I used to see a lass that lived on Lawson St. Used to get the train from wigton where I live before I had a license... Christ that was only 7 years ago!

I would say cleator moor is the ******** of cumbria, maryport does have some nice bits to be fair, I used to like a wander around the harbour.

Anyway looking forward to updates! Let me know if I can help in anyway!

Jordan

Zebedeewesty · Jul 9, 2013

Cheers.

Zebedeewesty · Jul 15, 2013

Well after a week and a half of the bloke i bought the garage from refusing to return texts or answer calls i said i'd go an visit him at work :evil:

and immediately got a message back.
He says it wasn't his fault the roof trusses got scrapped.

He was the one who didn't arrange to pick up the trusses from the owner (and they didn't even hear from him for over 2 weeks) so gave them away. I'd say that was his fault.

Looks like i'm not gonna get anything back from him.

T.E.D. Jordan · Jul 16, 2013

Can you not get some money back from him then? On another note, if you need a hand with having some trusses made up I can help.

Jordan

Zebedeewesty · Jul 16, 2013

T.E.D. Jordan said:
Can you not get some money back from him then? On another note, if you need a hand with having some trusses made up I can help.

Jordan

I don't think I have a hope in hells chance of getting anything back from him because he's still swearing blind he's done nothing wrong.

When I ask for money back he doesn't reply or just hangs up phone.
Citizens advice bureau say theres not enough paper evidence to go through small claims court as electronic communications can be modified too easily.

Thanks for the offer of help but I've got a mate thats even more keen than I am to get this garage done so has already offered.

Think I'm just gonna go with a low (6-7 degree) single pitch roof with 2x6 beams. Simple and cheap (ish).
I will be using the steel box section corrugated sheeting with the anti-condensation lining too.

Ruffgeezer · Aug 4, 2013

Keep an eye on ebay, there was a set of trusses on there near me recently, so they do come up occasionally!

Zebedeewesty · Aug 5, 2013

Cheers. Will keep an eye out for them.

I've still not managed to get the concrete poured yet as the money i was gonna use for that was retasked to get my caravelle though its MOT. :sad:

Zebedeewesty · Sep 4, 2013

Finally scraped together the cash i need to get the concrete, though now i just need to call in some favours with my mates and book a time to get it delivered.

Zebedeewesty · Oct 9, 2013

Things are finally starting to move along. :thumbup:

My mates from our VW club who were gonna help have all changed their minds when they realised it was gonna be a little hard work for an afternoon or so but i've still got the offer of help from a builder mate.

Yesterday we got the ******** levelled and compacted with a whacker plate, gonna get a trailer load of blinding sand from the local quarry, DPM etc ready and hopefully concrete in the next couple of days.

Weather is ****** awful today though with strong winds and driving rain.

Forcast is better towards the end of the week though.

T.E.D. Jordan · Oct 9, 2013

Good to hear - get some pictures thrown up!

I've got a VW Amarok, I'd imagine that's a bit too new for your club? :-(

Jordan

Zebedeewesty · Oct 9, 2013

Most of our members are more into the classic aircooled bugs or buses, though a lot still drive newer VWs daily. Heating is a nice thing to have.

Heres our forum anyway.
http://borderdubbers.myfreeforum.org/index.php
Doesn't get used much anymore due to us having a facebook page too.

Quarry was shut today for some reason so no sand. :sad:

GBsnoopy · Oct 9, 2013

Nice to here its progressing. Also nice to see another VW fan on here im more the VW GTI version myself but I understand the appeal of the earlier air cooled cars.

Zebedeewesty · Oct 10, 2013

You can't beat a nice GTi. Been trying for years to persuade one of my mates to sell me his '78 MK1 for years but he won't. Its just sat in his garage gathering dust too. :sad:

My mate Simon delivered some sand to use as a covering over the ******** to stop any sharp bits snagging the damp proof membrane.
Only problem was he brought a full trailer load (much much much more than i could ever use). Spent an hour and a half bagging up the leftover stuff. I reckon theres over 1/2 ton more than i need. Cost nowt though so i can't really complain. :thumbup:

DPM is down now anyway. Just need some concrete delivering.

Had to put bricks on it as the wind kept trying to carry it up over next doors fence.

Bib Overalls · Oct 10, 2013

Perhaps you could engage a couple of burly "professional collectors" to drop by your dead beat's place and have an up close and personal "conversation." Works in Chicago.

Zebedeewesty · Oct 11, 2013

It was definately tempting. One of my mates offered but i didn't trust him to not kill him and bury him in the countryside somewhere.

GrantT · Oct 11, 2013

Hey Zebedee, at least you're moving along again at last! If you see any trusses over this way for sale I can stick them somewhere safe for you :beer:

Grant from the Angel VW club :thumbup:

Zebedeewesty · Oct 12, 2013

Cheers Grant. :thumbup:

Think i'm gonna make my own trusses from timber. I only need 6 anyway.

Got my concrete ordered for Tuesday morning so praying for decent weather. Doesn't look too promising towards the end of the week.

Zebedeewesty · Oct 14, 2013

Hopefully this time tomorrow night i'll be able to show off the new concrete slab. :rocker:

Just bought some wire meshing to make a fence around it to stop my dogs from digging in it. :thumbup:

Grizz1963 · Oct 15, 2013

Dogs..... Gotta love them. They do love to "help"

Good to see you progress.

Zebedeewesty · Oct 15, 2013

Fun goings on here this morning.
Asked for a minimix truck and after waiting over an hour a monster showed up instead which wouldn't fit onto the plot.

They swear blind theres no record of me asking for a minimix truck but are gonna deliver in one later this afternoon.
Probably gonna end up barrowing it in instead as it sounds like none of their drivers can reverse. Thinking its 70-80 or more barrows.

Zebedeewesty · Oct 15, 2013

The driver of the minimix truck just reversed straight down the drive with no problems and with under 2" space at each side. :thumbup:

Still had to barrow 7 ton of concrete a little way which was fun. Gonna be aching tomorrow morning i can tell you.

Its not the smoothest of finishes as we were running out of time/daylight but it'll do.

enginewizard1969 · Oct 15, 2013

bet your happy now the slab is down. going to be watching your progress hope you have no more bad luck and things run smoother for you

Zebedeewesty · Oct 16, 2013

I'm very happy its done now. Weather has been getting colder so didn't think it was gonna end up being done this year.

Its got a few cat paw prints in the finish at the far end. Theres maybe a dozen and they are under 1/4" deep but i reckon its too late to do anything about that now.

Usually our two dogs keep the local cat population out of the garden as they love a chase, but with 1/2 of it fenced off they obviously felt safe enough to invade.

Grizz1963 · Oct 16, 2013

Cat paw prints are extremely good luck.

Glad you got the slab down before the cold and wet sets in.
I managed to finish the roof on the MX5 over the weekend as well. Thankfully.

Zebedeewesty · Oct 16, 2013

Its absolutely hammering it down in Cumbria at the moment.

DSanders · Oct 16, 2013

I'm in Carlisle if you need any advice or a helping hand on getting it fitted out once the structure is up.

Concrete sectional garage build in the UK

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