New Garage from Ireland

[seanmoonye]

Thanks lads..

Yeah very happy with the way it looks at the minute. Was very happy with the way the slate looked on the house and the garage. I still have about 800-1000 slates left over so may lead onto something else.. lol

My only problem is at the minute is that, talking to the electrician were going to have to surface mount the electrics inside the garage as I have no clue where anything is going to go.

I still have stairs and all to go in so I have no clue of what way I want to layout the garage.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

With a concrete block garage, how else would you mount the electrics?

Depending on inspection, it might be a good idea to stick a light and an outlet next to the breaker box to get past inspection and give yourself enough time to plan out the electrical layout.

 

[gtabasso]

I visited Belfast, Dublin, Waterford and Kilkenny in 2015. Nothing greener. Love those hedgerows.

 

[sean Buick 76]

Great job so far, and nice name!

 

[seanmoonye]

With a concrete block garage, how else would you mount the electrics?

Depending on inspection, it might be a good idea to stick a light and an outlet next to the breaker box to get past inspection and give yourself enough time to plan out the electrical layout.

We would normally track the walls and insert the conduit into the track and plaster over it. That's how the house is done.

Things in the USA are different as most buildings are timber frame and you can hide everything behind the plasterboards.

 

[seanmoonye]

I visited Belfast, Dublin, Waterford and Kilkenny in 2015. Nothing greener. Love those hedgerows.

I live about 1.5hours outside Belfast. I love Kilkenny, have a few friends there which I pop down and see.

The hedges are a major pain trying to up keep them. The most of the hedges will be getting dug out and replaced round my house and garage as they have been there 50 years at least I think.. Time for something different.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

We would normally track the walls and insert the conduit into the track and plaster over it. That's how the house is done.

Things in the USA are different as most buildings are timber frame and you can hide everything behind the plasterboards.

That makes sense. I'd imagine you get one shot to get the electrical correct though, can't very easily re-cut tracks in concrete.

 

[seanmoonye]

That makes sense. I'd imagine you get one shot to get the electrical correct though, can't very easily re-cut tracks in concrete.

Exactly.. Lights will be straight forward and we could maybe track the walls for the switches but its the sockets that will be the issue..

Here we would use a 20mm PVC conduit as standard, but I was maybe thinking of going with the galvanised conduit and galvanised sockets.

I think the PVC ones will look cheap and ruin the look of the place.

 

[seanmoonye]

Sorry.. just a quick one from yesterday morning as I was up dropping keys off and running late for work..lol



So scratch coat of plaster is done on the front and the back of the garage.. weather put them off doing any more outside..

I also got the pedestrian door fitted yesterday and im very happy with it. Ill get a picture on Saturday.

 

[LostBoy(IRL)]

Hey Sean. Good to see another Irish poster. My block build garage had all surface mounted fittings. Have had no issue with them. Had to re work sine of them about a year back to add in some more sockets. With surface mounted its quick and easy. All conduits run up to wall plate level, and there is a ring around the garage there. It's an easy flexible option. Thought about changing the drop conduit to the steel, but didn't bother in the end as I found a full length of the plastic one up on one of the shelves. So didn't have to buy any. I did change the sockets to the metal ones though.
My thoughts are stick with conduit.

 

[seanmoonye]

Hey Sean. Good to see another Irish poster. My block build garage had all surface mounted fittings. Have had no issue with them. Had to re work sine of them about a year back to add in some more sockets. With surface mounted its quick and easy. All conduits run up to wall plate level, and there is a ring around the garage there. It's an easy flexible option. Thought about changing the drop conduit to the steel, but didn't bother in the end as I found a full length of the plastic one up on one of the shelves. So didn't have to buy any. I did change the sockets to the metal ones though.
My thoughts are stick with conduit.

Have you any pics of your setup?

 

[LostBoy(IRL)]

Hey Sean. Good to see another Irish poster. My block build garage had all surface mounted fittings. Have had no issue with them. Had to re work sine of them about a year back to add in some more sockets. With surface mounted its quick and easy. All conduits run up to wall plate level, and there is a ring around the garage there. It's an easy flexible option. Thought about changing the drop conduit to the steel, but didn't bother in the end as I found a full length of the plastic one up on one of the shelves. So didn't have to buy any. I did change the sockets to the metal ones though.
My thoughts are stick with conduit.

 

[thebogman]

Hi Sean,
long time lurker first post! I'm about a year ahead of you with similar specced garage/shed. Lots of fun.

My advice based on my lessons learned..
-Also like flush mounted 20mmm conduit really like flexibility of it with wire circuits up at wallplate level. Already changed some runs and it actually looks good against white painted masonry. Depends on if your plastering internally or not I suppose.
-Paint you interior walls white first things you do. I went with fair faced block finish and white masonary paint.
-Paint your floor as soon as all the heavy trades are gone and before you move in *any* tools or oily cars in there. best thing i did. I painted walls before floor.
-Keep the hedgerows, actually lower maintenance than a wall or a fast growing non native species.. my dad is a slave to cutting his laurel hedge and a painting walls. When managed native whitethorn based hedgerows look amazing especially in the spring and are the cheapest stock proof barrier you cna have once established (price some posts and wire before you bulldoze). http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=hHCiCVzArLY=&tabid=1439

I'm going the opposite, reinstating and planting new hedgerow around my perimeter. An established native species hedgerow can make a lovely feature if your into that kinda thing. Just my 2c


anyhow, garage looks great, enjoy laying it out

 

[JD.]

I would agree with the above - paint the walls white first then do the floor.

I had the inside of the block walls rendered too.

As for the floor, I wanted a cheap but durable option.

I went with Everbuild Concrete Hardener and Dustproofer which does exactly what it says. I find the concrete floors in the UK & Ireland are very dusty on top. This hardens this up.

I then did some research on what the best paint would be on top of this. I found some articles stating that an oil-based paint would be the best for on top of the Everbuild CHD. I went with Leyland Trade Heavy Duty Floor Paint.

I've had this finish on for nearly a year and I'm so pleased I did it this way. Less than £50 and I have a durable floor that looks good. It has sustained some chips but can be easily touched up with some leftover paint.