Garage Conversion

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember geoff saying something like:

The OP? I don't see any sign of it.

[<me9]

hour fire door required, and 150mm step down into the garage. Ceiling had to be 1/2 hour fire resistant, 12.5 PB and skim, or two (staggered) layers of

9.5mm PB.

[AJH]

Sounds crazy to me, most people do the reverse to gain extra space for their familes not less. Apart from anything else you will devalue the house let alone the practicality issues of which there are numerous. If you insist on going ahead I would recommend that you contact a local architectural designer. Many offer free advisory visits and will give you an honest opinion of the implications and pitfalls of such a strange proposal.

[SimonJ]

yes, it is totally the opposite of what most people do, hence the lack of information on the practicalities of it.

The situation I am in means I do not need space in the house, but I do need a decent working area, my ideal dwelling would be a studio flat with a double garage, and you don't get too many of those coming onto the market!

The house which I am considering is at the right price, I would pay probably

50% more for a house with a garage, so devaluing the place is not an issue, I will still be quids in compared to buying somewhere with a garage. Even places which I looked at with room for a garage are far more that the house I am looking at.

[dennis]

Rent a lock-up or small industrial unit? They will be cheap soon.

[Roger Mills]

So does it actually need to be a garage with vehicular access? If not, why not just designate a room as a work-room?

[pcb1962]

I've just had my house extended, my garage now opens directly into my study. Previously it opened into the dining room, so I'm pretty sure this is not the case.

[Colin Wilson]

Thanks for the feedback - as it's already a garage, the ceiling should probably already be up to spec (although you wouldn't think it when you see the master bedroom above it, as you can see through to the garage through the edge of the skirting where the consumer unit is) - and there's no issue over allowing a step :-)

[SimonJ]

Well it wouldn't really be a garage if not!

[Roger Mills]

True - but there are many "decent working areas" (your term) which are not garages - hence my question. Garages are used for all sorts of things other than storing vehicles, but have to comply with stringent fire regs etc. because they *could* hold vehicles. If you don't need to (and you haven't explicitly said that you *do*) make it so that you *can't*, and you won't then have to comply with these particular regs.

[Colin Wilson]

Reply received as follows:

You would need to submit a building regulation application for the alteration, as it comprises work as described under the Building Regulations.

If the garage is to be retained as a garage you would need to fit a Fire Door and frame.

The work could be done on a Building Notice you can find further info on the (council).gov.uk website.