Garage conversions and building regulations in Gravesend
By changing the use of your garage, our skilled engineers will then need to ensure that the conversion is within the building regulations. Sometimes when undertaking a complicated conversion, it is recommended to have complete structural plans drawn up before you begin.
As long as the conversion is built according to the approved schematics of your structural plans, you can rest assured that the conversion is conforming to building regulations. By inspecting the key areas of the conversion construction a building control officer or authorised inspector can provide additional assurance that key areas such as ventilation, insulation and energy conservation, fire safety (including escape routes), are all built to conform with the building regulations.
Gravesend garage conversion key works and considerations
Garage conversions cannot begin until the walls and roof have been completely sealed and made watertight, so this is the first step. Most of the work will then be conducted by our expert team, inside the existing garage space.
There are sometimes unforeseen problems at the beginning of a conversion such as patchy foundations or issues with internal walls, this is difficult to assess until the main structure has been stripped back, which is the first task for our team. Our team will carry out the following during the construction process
Evaluating the existing floor
An existing concrete floor could well be solid enough to accommodate general domestic use. Thermal efficiency can be achieved within the new conversion by levelling the floor maybe with a self-levelling liquid screed, damp proofing it with an acceptable membrane (lapping into the walls dpc,), and insulating it. The floors of the main house are probably higher than those of your garage, which means that we can achieve full insulation of the garage floor and the result will simply raise the floor to meet the floor of the main house, producing a step free barrier.
To convert my basement, what needs to be done?
You cannot successfully convert a basement unless the foundation is completely waterproof. As a basement is generally low in a property, it is very important to build it up to ensure that your new conversion is not affected by groundwater. In a normal drainage system moisture or flowing water passes behind the cone, this is why our meticulous builders will install a cavity drain membrane system. Luckily, our proficient team can install a cavity drain system without any major disruption.
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Should I infill the door?
The most popular route is to replace the main garage door with traditional walling matching the rest of the house, such as a masonry infill completely to and bonded into the existing brickwork. Garage conversions can create additional loads to be supported by the foundations of the building, this will be carefully assessed during the design stage to ensure that your garage foundations can withstand it. Our innovative team of designers will carefully assist you to, for example add windows or a glazed access door to the conversion which can increase the natural light in the room and also lighten the load placed on the foundations.
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High-quality wall insulation
If you have an integrated garage, it is highly likely that the walls will not require any additional work as they will be exactly the same as those of the main house We can internally insulate attached or detached single skin garages by using stud walls with timbers to ensure minimum disruption. Buildings with cavity walls may have insulation blown into the gap, thereby preserving the space of the internal floor.
