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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
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    • CommentAuthorevan
    • CommentTimeMay 19th 2010
     
    I'm hoping to build a garage / workshop next to my house, and prefer a simple wooden construction but have had a few negative comments, with the assumption that a concrete block / tiled roof job would be better in all ways.

    I'd like it to look reasonably nice, be cheap to build, and relatively green. I'd also like some measure of insulation and air tightness to make it reasonable to work in.

    Has anyone done something like this and how did you do it?
  1.  
    Just waiting for plann perm before I can start - a big tall shed, not a garage, but insulation important for dry storage.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeMay 19th 2010
     
    I ve built lots

    Slab with one row of bricks placed on the edge while it is still setting, 100x50 frame , siding Ex 200x 38 cut to feather-edge and stained before fixing, cut roof, felt batten tile hand the doors, go home after three days with its all done. ( built the walls the first day after slab was laid ready to stand up the next day even did electrics.

    No need for insulation in a workshop so long as you work, and nothing gets damp so long as there are some cracks and gaps.
    • CommentAuthorjamesingram
    • CommentTimeMay 19th 2010 edited
     
    How about,
    Main construction element , 4"/2" or 3/2 wooden studs , 400mm centres, internally braced with full sheets 8'/4' of 9-12mm OSB board ,taped/glued at joins for airtightness ,
    External finish ,feather edge boarding , perhaps british grown Cedar , insulate between studs with cheap (DIY shed ie. BQ ) mineral wool
    To increase wall depth you could make your own "I" beams 2 x 2"/2" studs with a OSB flange connecting , internal / external stud to a depth of your choice , again internal braced with OSB , external counter battoned and feather edge finish
    Roof , pitched , A frame 4"/2" or larger to suit span , again OSB ceiling with mineral wall above
    Roof finish 2"/1" batton and Cedar shingles , or second hand tiles , perhap OSB board on pitch for sarking
    Concrete/Limecrete slab for base on compacted ground ?
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2010
     
    Is it going to be bigger than 15sqm (and within a meter of the plot boundary) or bigger than 30sqm? If so you need Building Control Approval and they will have a say on both the materials and construction. You can have a tiled roof on a timber frame construction if you get the design right.

    Check if you need planning permission here...

    http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/public/buildingwork/projects/workcommonoutbuildings/
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2010
     
    or more than 4m high
    • CommentAuthorTimber
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2010
     
    Any of the above would work just fine really.
    • CommentAuthorchuckey
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2010
     
    One problem is that water running down the outside of the woodwork will rot out the bottom sections and what with splashback from driven rain means that the bottom 9"+ must be truly water resistant*. - build on top of 4 courses of brick? Likewise water ingress under the garage doors, a groove 1/4" wide and the full width of the slab, right in line with the edge of the doors. Also the thermal conduction of the floor must be considered or you will get cold feet when working in it in the winter.

    * My wooden shed (1" marine plywood) is built slightly overhanging its slab on wooden joists. The ground is sloping and the slab is surrounded by paving slabs. Where the distance between the wooden planks and the garden slabs is less then 9", the planking is a little rotten. It has been up for 27 years and reproofed every 5 years or so. How DO you paint upwards underneath a floor?.
  2.  
    Tony said: or more than 4m high

    and with a restriction of 2.5m at the eaves, or 3m total height for a flat roof, or 2.5 overall if within 1m (or maybe 2?) of the boundary.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeMay 20th 2010
     
    I do slightly raised slab and one course of bricks stuck on to the slab edge while wet. This seems to be enough to keep the wood up high enough to stay dry and rot free.
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeMay 21st 2010 edited
     
    Posted By: Nick ParsonsTony said: or more than 4m high

    and with a restriction of 2.5m at the eaves, or 3m total height for a flat roof, or 2.5 overall if within 1m (or maybe 2?) of the boundary.


    No I think that's all to do with Planning Permission not Building Regs. See the link I posted.

    You might need one, both or neither.

    Even if you don't need BCA for the structure you might do for the electrics if you DIY.
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeMay 21st 2010
     
    Here is one I built about ten years ago
  3.  
    Posted By: Nick Parsons
    Tony said: or more than 4m high

    and with a restriction of 2.5m at the eaves, or 3m total height for a flat roof, or 2.5 overall if within 1m (or maybe 2?) of the boundary.


    Cwatters:No I think that's all to do with Planning Permission not Building Regs. See the link I posted.

    Yes, sorry. I did not fully read the post. What I said refers to Planning perm.
  4.  
    Posted By: tonyHere is one I built about ten years ago
    Looks good. What do you call that style of hipped roof where you're left with a small gable?

    David
    • CommentAuthorevan
    • CommentTimeMay 24th 2010
     
    Good stuff. Thanks for all the ideas, I'm convinced that wood is the way to go now.

    That looks grreat, Tony!
    • CommentAuthorevan
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2015 edited
     
    Some years later! The garage was built and the house is in the process of being sold.

    This was more of a low-tech / low cost build than anything, and only took a couple of weekends to construct, not including the slab (poured a barrow at a time from a small electric mixer).

    The wood was from a small local sawmill but I will use untreated larch or similar for the planking next time.

    Following the suggestions above I used 95x35mm treated fence rails to make 12 "A" frames, held together with 3 M12 bolts. These were stood up and temporarily held to the 600mm spacing with battens.
    Then the skeleton was wrapped with tyvek, spacers nailed through to the uprights, and then horizontal 18mm planking. At this point it seemed quite rigid (even without a wall plate) so the steel roof was added.
    Insulation batts were then placed between the uprights and 9mm OSB screwed in place to walls and ceiling.

    Whilst not massively well insulated nor heated it definitely felt nicer than a simple shed or a concrete box to work in and I had no issues with frost or condensation on metal equipment.
      IMG_3323.JPG
      IMG_3317.JPG
    • CommentAuthorCerisy
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2015
     
    We completed a timber framed garage / workshop about a year ago as part of our new house build. Photos on our public Facebook album.

    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151216164925102.469650.738365101&type=1&l=0bb42bf18c
    • CommentAuthorCWatters
    • CommentTimeOct 8th 2015
     
    Evan - Looks good.

    If you want to stain the wood... I've had great success with Ronseal General Purpose wood preserver applied using a small Hoselock plant sprayer. If cleaned out afterwards they survive two or three applications and work out about the same cost as brushes but way easier and quicker.
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