Convert Garage to Workshop on a Tight Budget
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neilbradburn
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Convert Garage to Workshop on a Tight Budget

by neilbradburn » Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:41 am

Hi all,
We are looking at doing some basic modifications to a single skinned, brick built detached garage to turn it into a workshop that I could use most if not all of the year and would appreciate your feedback on the most economical way (ideally in the low triple digits), in terms of materials (happy to do the work myself, so there is no labour cost) - to achieve this. Some details:

-It is 6.5m x 2.5m in size.
-There is a up-and-over aluminium door at the front.
-The floor is concrete.
-The roof has 2x12(ish) joists that were using to raise the ceiling height to about 2.3m by the previous owner. The top surface is some sort of gravel coated felt/rubber.
-There is a 2mx1.2m west facing window.
-The 2 side walls open out into enclosed side passages of ours and our neighbours house, so don't suffer the brunt of the ambient outside temperature or the winds.

Initial thoughts were to put a stud wall (3x2 timers with 12mm plasterboard on both sides) up about 2m behind the door to insulate the east-facing door end of the garage, yet to retain an operational door - for in-case we revert the garage back - and a bit of space for garden tools. Not sure whether to put insulation of some sort in or not, or whether given the nature of the rest of the garage, it would make little difference?

I was then thinking of sealing up any major drafts with gap fillter and/or silicon, followed by cutting and wedging 50mm polystyrene board insulation (or some other economical product?) into the roofspace. I am aware of the need for ventilation above this, so would be spacing it at least 50mm away from the root boards and putting vents at each end of the 8 joist spaces.

Finally, I was going to cover the floor with some of the 10mm rubber tiles and to put a couple of 2km electric convector heaters in there to inject some heat.

I would very much value your input on what would be the most feasible economical options - if there are any!. Please don't hesitate to rubbish my ideas, as I am sure they stem from a very naive understanding of this area.

IN the future, we may consider spending more to do things more effectively, but we'd like to give things a test run, as it were, before ploughing thousands into it.

Thanks in advance!

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