Is this concrete garage useable, repairable or condemnable?

[Regularity]

23 minutes ago, melmerby said:

Blimey they must be bad if they need to be drained...........

Now you know how Todmorden floods…

[Sir TophamHatt]

11 hours ago, hayfield said:

Secondly consider if what you build will enhance the value of the property. Thanks to the architect our kitchen is larger and more desirable and my railway room is an extra room downstairs (study, den, bedroom etc). The shed would not add any value to the property, the better kitchen and extra room certainly does 

But that's also an old fashioned way of thinking.

While important to not devalue a house too much (or spend too much money on something), you also want to live and use it.

I've come across people who decorate their houses in certain ways to "add value" but they don't like the style.

The real value is having something YOU value, not thinking about what the new buyers may value...  considering a house sale probably isn't on the cards as the OP has just moved.

[Regularity]

It's my home, not a house.

House to everyone else, but home to me and mine.

Possibly the "forever home".

 

Actually, my partner has come up with a much better suggestion long-term, but it depends on being able to finance it!

 

[Mike Bellamy]

8 hours ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

I agree with Dave. But try telling that to the Jobsworths at your local council tip.

 

I have seen wrapped cement / asbestos sheets accepted at the recycling centre.

 

Copied below from Derby City Council

 

Quote

 

a maximum of three sheets or panels of asbestos, measuring six foot by three foot (1.83m x 0.91m).

Important:

dampen the asbestos before lifting or moving it to help prevent the release of asbestos cement fibres

do not break up or cut the asbestos to fit in plastic bags. Instead double-wrap sheets/panels in plastic sheeting or bags

 

 

Similar guidance from Derbyshire County Council

 

Quote

 

a maximum of 2 roofing sheets or 2 metres of downpipe (or equivalent) - please double wrap this material in plastic sheeting or bags and seal with tape before you bring it to site

when you arrive, please let a member of staff know you have asbestos and it will be dealt with accordingly

you should dampen the asbestos with water before lifting or moving it to help prevent the release of asbestos fibres - do not break or cut the asbestos to fit into plastic bags

 

.

[melmerby]

Similar for Worcestershire residents:

 

"Asbestos will only be accepted on site if it is double bagged or wrapped in plastic sheeting and sealed.

Upon arrival at a Household Recycling Centre you should identify to a Site Assistant that they wish to dispose of asbestos.

It is also advisable to contact the site in advance to ensure there is available capacity.

Any material deposited must be able to fit into the container openings which measure 84cm by 158cm."

 

Not all sites in Worcestershire can accept asbestos waste.

[melmerby]

1 hour ago, Sir TophamHatt said:

But that's also an old fashioned way of thinking.

While important to not devalue a house too much (or spend too much money on something), you also want to live and use it.

I've come across people who decorate their houses in certain ways to "add value" but they don't like the style.

The real value is having something YOU value, not thinking about what the new buyers may value...  considering a house sale probably isn't on the cards as the OP has just moved.

Properties  on "Homes under the Hammer" are decorated in the 'current taste' by property developers to make them easier to sell.

A few years back every thing on the programme was devoid of proper colour, they were decorated black, white & grey and looked like they were in mourning for something.

For some reason youngsters seemed to like a lack of proper colours.

 

 

 

 

[chris p bacon]

My current builds are finished with white satinwood on the woodwork and matt white emulsioned walls, it gives the new owners a blank canvas to put their own mark on. 

I tend to fit Oak doors which are fairly timeless.

[PatB]

As a bodger who lives in a dry  (usually, it's tipping down and 150% humidity right now) climate, assuming the concrete is still structurally competent, I would be tempted to fix battens to the deteriorating surface, and clad with something more attractive (weatherboard, decorative corrugated tin, what have you) to protect the exposed rebar from direct weathering. Obviously it would be important not to protrude beyond the roof overhang, and the gap twixt concrete and cladding would need to be open to atmosphere top and bottom to allow air circulation. Guttering (which doesn't seem to be fitted at the mo) would be needed to keep things dryish.

 

Then I'd think about framing out the inside to (a) provide somewhere to put insulation, (b) create a structure that will keep things upright if/when the concrete crumbles to dust, and (c) allow you to screw things to the inside walls.

 

Pretty much all of it should be possible with secondhand materials to keep costs within reason.

 

I make no claim to this meeting local (or, indeed, any) building regs, or guarantee of it working acceptably in the perpetually damp UK.

[Enterprisingwestern]

6 hours ago, chris p bacon said:

My current builds are finished with white satinwood on the woodwork and matt white emulsioned walls, it gives the new owners a blank canvas to put their own mark on. 

I tend to fit Oak doors which are fairly timeless.

 

Considering your customers?, you'll not last long!

 

Mike.

PS. TIC as an ex tradesman for you non tradesmen out there!

[locomad2]

See lots of these in north east Wales and dispite the weather most are very dry, well built and idea sheds, workrooms, etc. Roofs replaced with tinplate, windows have double glazing, doors replaced by steel, gaps replaced by that foam stuff etc.

 

Both my grandparents had or built them both still standing, know several friends who have them, drier warmer in winter cooler in summer than my flat roof garage. 

 

Not really idea for modern cars they are too wide, disposal costs especially asbestos roofs can be high, concrete can be repainted any colour, and repaired too, new gutter/ drainage water butts all add value

 

Actually good source of extra income over lockdown I've worked on updating a few, tend is to have extra away from house workspace, modern electy, solar panels on roofs personally I keep it especially with wood prices increasing 

 

Let's face it they are fireproof, don't get nicked better built than some modern houses and yes found some people living in them 

[hayfield]

12 hours ago, Sir TophamHatt said:

But that's also an old fashioned way of thinking.

While important to not devalue a house too much (or spend too much money on something), you also want to live and use it.

I've come across people who decorate their houses in certain ways to "add value" but they don't like the style.

The real value is having something YOU value, not thinking about what the new buyers may value...  considering a house sale probably isn't on the cards as the OP has just moved.

 

I think all of us when buying a home rarely think of selling it and recently extending properties is more preferable to some than moving

 

Yes you are right in saying its a home, but for various reasons if possible its far better to enhance the properties value

 

Rather than has a wooden shed which would have cost a lot more to heat and I would have had to have gone outside, for a similar outlay we have an extra room and a better kitchen making it a nicer home and in turn if not more valuable more desirable, and cheaper to run. 

 

 

[Reorte]

5 minutes ago, hayfield said:

 

I think all of us when buying a home rarely think of selling it and recently extending properties is more preferable to some than moving

 

Yes you are right in saying its a home, but for various reasons if possible its far better to enhance the properties value

 

Rather than has a wooden shed which would have cost a lot more to heat and I would have had to have gone outside, for a similar outlay we have an extra room and a better kitchen making it a nicer home and in turn if not more valuable more desirable, and cheaper to run.

 

That's not quite the same thing though - that sounds more like getting the most of what you want from the money you've got available, rather than just thinking about selling it in the future. Often there'll be a link between the two, but not necessarily.

 

I'll only ever do anything to my house if it's what I want from it. What impact that has on its value I couldn't care less (well, other than avoiding the extreme negatives like accidentally burning it down), and even value for money right now only goes as far as "Can I actually afford what I want?", and aesthetics are often more important than practicality (I'd often prefer to do without than sacrifice the aesthetic aspects). Because at the end of the day it's "is this more like the place I want to live in?"

[Philou]

Over here, they do seem to go a lot for external insulation - I'm not sure what the material is (probably extruded polystyrene or similar) - that is retained to the existing wall and then rendered/painted. I think a lot of it is being done via the €1 CO2 off-set scheme. That would prevent further water penetration into the rebar.

 

To me, it would seem that there is insufficient cover of concrete in the original panels. It was (when I was in college) a minimum of 25mm. You could with some effort probably break the panels by hand using a lump hammer (been there, done that) or a cheap Kangol from Lidl/Aldi + skip if you can't recycle the rubble at home. The roofing material will be the major problem regarding disposal.

 

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Regularity]

4 hours ago, Philou said:

To me, it would seem that there is insufficient cover of concrete in the original panels.

Thanks, Phil,

 

That was my thought, although of course the corrosion leads to expansion which might push the rebar outwards. The inside is fairly clear of any such signs.

[Not Jeremy]

Get on and use it Simon, you could fit a nice little G1 terminus in there, knock a hole through your concrete (easy if its as bad as some are saying) and run the line outside.

 

I reckon we'll all be dead long before that building succumbs to whatever faults it might have - unless you insist on giving it a hand

 

Another Simon

 

[slow8dirty]

The HSE's website is a very useful resource with regard to Asbestos work and disposal, easy to understand and a good primer to understand the requirements.

https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/essentials/

[cypherman]

Hi all,

The simple answer is nothing is ever beyond repair. But it just comes down to how much you are willing to spend to repair what ever it is. And is the cost of the repair more than the item is worth. After what has been said here about your garage I personally believe that the cost of repair would be more than the cost of replacement. But it would be worth while getting a professional in to check. Could the exterior wall be re-clad or covered. How much would it cost to replace the asbestos roof etc. I mean if you are looking to replace the garage with something as big, Sturdy and secure you are probably looking at something costing several thousand pounds.

[hayfield]

36 minutes ago, cypherman said:

Hi all,

The simple answer is nothing is ever beyond repair. But it just comes down to how much you are willing to spend to repair what ever it is. And is the cost of the repair more than the item is worth. After what has been said here about your garage I personally believe that the cost of repair would be more than the cost of replacement. But it would be worth while getting a professional in to check. Could the exterior wall be re-clad or covered. How much would it cost to replace the asbestos roof etc. I mean if you are looking to replace the garage with something as big, Sturdy and secure you are probably looking at something costing several thousand pounds.

 

I think you are very right, prior to insulating my garage properly I left some tools in it, they rusted. For some tools this is fine but for a model railway it is asking for problems, then there is the question of security, insurance companies may require extra security steps to be taken and or more money to cover your items. I would look at both aspects before leaving any items out in a garage or shed

[Regularity]

1 hour ago, cypherman said:

The simple answer is nothing is ever beyond repair. But it just comes down to how much you are willing to spend to repair what ever it is. And is the cost of the repair more than the item is worth. After what has been said here about your garage I personally believe that the cost of repair would be more than the cost of replacement.

I agree: that is the conclusion I have come to. I had hoped that maybe some rust treatment, some enclosure and some external boarding might be enough for the walls, and to have the roof enclosed, prior to lining the garage to keep it dry, etc.

That would have been worthwhile, maybe, but it isn’t worth it as we have decided that the garage in its current location spoils the view from the rear of the house, and have identified a better location with actually more space, but it will have to be built from new. Upside is, it can be done properly from day one. Downside is, the extra cost.

1 hour ago, hayfield said:

I think you are very right, prior to insulating my garage properly I left some tools in it, they rusted

Also a good point. Stock and tools for modelling will be coming into the house, so no problems there. I need to think about the other tools: the cellar is a bit damp, too, and the attic has been converted to room space. 
Bit of a bummer, but there is always a solution somehow.

My biggest concern now is the few hundred quid I spent have plywood cut precisely for making baseboards for a new layout: need to keep that lot protected.

[Enterprisingwestern]

5 hours ago, Regularity said:

My biggest concern now is the few hundred quid I spent have plywood cut precisely for making baseboards for a new layout: need to keep that lot protected

 

Is the "garage" the only place they can be stored?

I would say few quid spent on the industrial cling film stuff they wrap pallets with should suffice?

 

Mike.

[Regularity]

My thinking, too.

[spamcan61]

I'd at least ensure the ply is painted or varnished to seal it 

[doilum]

My own 9x5 metre workshop was built from recycled concrete panels. The top end is around 90cms below garden level. I painted the inside and outside with several layers of bitumen paint upto garden level. After very heavy rain there is some ingress of ground water but a raised chipboard floor on treated 3x2 battens has kept the modelling area totally dry at all times. At no time have tools or other equipment rusted or suffered damp damage. Rainfall in sunny West Yorkshire averages 625mm pa.

[SamThomas]

29 minutes ago, spamcan61 said:

I'd at least ensure the ply is painted or varnished to seal it 

Agreed - both sides & the edges - it may sweat in the clingfilm.

[PMP]

7 hours ago, Regularity said:

Bit of a bummer, but there is always a solution somehow.

My biggest concern now is the few hundred quid I spent have plywood cut precisely for making baseboards for a new layout: need to keep that lot protected.

When we moved I took a storage lock up room for a couple of months while we found a new house. For the security /safety/environment for books, layout, models and tools it was worth the outlay.