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Advice for a single-skin garage


Del
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We are (hopefully) moving to a place with a good sized garage, built from single skin breeze block. I've had a good read of some of the threads on here so have a good idea of what's required, however this situation is slightly different.

At one end there is a decent amount of very useful Dexion racking bolted to the wall. Now, I know that the proper way to do the job would be to take down the racking, insulate the floor and walls and then put the racking back up.

But...how much of an issue would it be if I only insulated the floor and walls as far as the racking, and left that section as it is? The racking is on three sides so I could floor right up to it, but can't get to the walls without removing it. I did wonder about putting a false stud wall across the end where the racking is, leaving that area as it is, and then insulating the rest.

Would I be asking for trouble?

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1 hour ago, Del said:

Now, I know that the proper way to do the job would be to take down the racking, insulate the floor and walls and then put the racking back up.

You've answered your own question.  If you only do a partial job, it's not worth doing any of it. 

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What they said ^^. If it's only single skin, it's going to be a pain to keep it at a decent temperature and reasonably dry if you don't go the whole hog and insulate it correctly. Unless there is a ton of dexion, it shouldn't take long to dismantle and as Grovenor says you can re-erect it to suit your layout height. Win-win all round I'd say.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

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Hello,

        And don't forget the roof. In winter condensation will freeze to the surface. When it thaws out it will rain inside. One of the reasons I have not adopted my garage. It seemed a good idea building a really big one for cars years 40 years ago but converting it into a suitable place for a layout is ruled out purely by the cost to upgrade it. Mind you I cleared all the car stuff out ages ago but it is fuller now than then. Grandchildren and their stuff take up loads of space.

trustytrev.:)

 

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11 hours ago, chris p bacon said:

You've answered your own question.  If you only do a partial job, it's not worth doing any of it. 

All that would happen is your warm air would condensate on the bare wall and cause no end of problems. 

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11 hours ago, Grovenor said:

And when you re-assemble the dexion you can reconfigure it so it supports the layout and the shelving is below the layout where it is useful.

Dexion is a doddle to dissemble , move and reassemble; I've done several tens of thousands of square metres, ranging from a few tens of square metres at home, via the ex-RAF stuff (10 000+ m) to heavy-duty pallet racking.

Don't skimp on the corner pieces; they make the difference between something you can move easily, and something that'll take your finger-tips off. Also check all nuts and bolts are the right size, and that tools are the correct size for the fixings.

Treat it as an exercise in Meccano for grown-ups, and enjoy yourself...

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Thank you all.

I'm wondering if it might be worth flogging the Dexion (or some of it at least) and put the money towards the cost of the insulating. I already have a number of Billy bookcases that layouts could sit on.

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The garage probably has a cold concrete floor,  a layer of 1 inch polystyrene  topped with boarding  will keep it warmer and more comfortable.. If there is a window double glaze it with a piece of acrylic.. 

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I don't know how you're considering doing your insulation, but have you considered stud partitioning? The metalwork is easy to put up and cuts with tin snips. Fill behind with Rookwool (other insulation is available) bats and then face off with 12mm plasterboard. You can run cabling through the studwork as there are holes pre-formed. Easy to do cut-outs for back boxes so you can have flush-faced sockets. Provided you caulk the joints no need to plaster (unless you really want to) and you can paint your background directly (or on some lining paper). As the studwork plus plasterboard is about 60mm deep you won't lose much volume.

 

You can do your ceiling the same way - but do allow some ventilation!

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

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2 hours ago, Del said:

Thank you all.

I'm wondering if it might be worth flogging the Dexion (or some of it at least) and put the money towards the cost of the insulating. I already have a number of Billy bookcases that layouts could sit on.

 

I'd keep the Dexion and burn the bookcases to stay warm :D

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A question: What doorway do you have into the garage? If it's a metal up-and-over type, my BiL sprayed polyurethane foam on the back of his - worked quite well too (after protecting the lock etc).

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

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I converted our single skin brick garage but didn't worry about the doors because I built a wall across.  So from the outside it still looks like a garage, but the front is just a 1.2m deep store (the depth was defined by the clearance needed for the up-and-over doors).  The personnel door at the side now gives access to a fully insulated and decorated room.

 

I had already built a small extension to join the garage to the house so it was worthwhile doing things properly and creating a habitable room which complied with Building Regulations.  If your garage is detached and you are only aiming to create a warmer workshop / hobby room then you can save money.  It won't be as comfortable and inviting in winter though and probably won't add any significant value to the property.  Having done it once, I'd probably always consider doing a proper conversion and creating a comfortable room that could be turned into a home office when you decide to move.

 

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I agree with all the pro-insulation lobby above (or below). Just had my single skin brick garage insulated - studwork, Celotex and foil plasterboard over the top, chipboard floating floor / carpet tiles, plus new door and window, probably £2.5k all in, including labour, which was a bit less than half the total.

 

I also invested in a proper (Meaco) dehumidifier - cost about £250 and I run it continuously for now as it's winter. It draws about 300W iirc, so I guess similar to a small computer server, but it's really effective with a humidity of 45-50% and it keeps all my cherished stock and electronics damp-free and rust-free! Prior to this the relative humidity was about 90%.

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