I have a double length garage. I would like to convert the rear of the
garage into a utility room. We already have a door that goes from the
kitchen into the garage and another door at the back of the garage into the
garden.

I am trying to understand what I need and can do.

Can I just build a stud wall partition between then new utility room and the
garage? I have read lots of messages from people converting double width
garages into additional rooms building a brick wall as a partition. Do I
need a brick partition for my project? I plan to have a door to go from the
utility room into the garage. I am assuming this would need to be a fire
door and also the new partition needs to be fire proof as well?

I would need to raise the floor of the garage to meet the existing kitchen
floor. Currently we have a step in the door frame going from the kitchen to
the utility room. If I was to remove the door frame at the bottom of the
door such that the new floor was flush with the existing kitchen would this
complicate the project? I read something about if still class the "external
door" as the existing kitchen door, then it does not matter what I do in the
new utility room. If I removed the step then it could not be classed as an
external door anymore. Is this true?

Cheers,

Matt
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Remove SPAM trap if replying directly.

On Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:42:15 +0000, Matthew Bailey wrote:


I would need to raise the floor of the garage to meet the existing kitchen
floor. Currently we have a step in the door frame going from the kitchen
to the utility room. If I was to remove the door frame at the bottom of
the door such that the new floor was flush with the existing kitchen would
this complicate the project?

Watch that bit. Assuming you can still get a car in the garage you may
have issues with fuel vapour, which is denser than air, pooling on the
ground and spilling into the kitchen. I don't know if it's allowed with
proviso of other ventilation or not (not an expert), I just said you could
have issues.

You could do worse than have a word in person with your council's Building
Control Officer. As much as I can't stand Part P/L and some of the other
crap that's come down from above recently, these people do know a lot
about fire and structural matters, and if you can persuade the
receptionist to call one down, they'll sometimes give free advice in my
experience.

Cheers

Tim

Can I just build a stud wall partition between then new utility room and
the
garage?

Yes. However, it must be fireproof. I would use 2 layers of 12.5mm
plasterboard with offset joins. I'd even consider using Fireline board.

I am assuming this would need to be a fire door and also the new partition
needs to be fire proof as well?

Yes. As well as the fire proof wall, you would need a fire door and ensure
that there is an intumescent layer on the door or frame to prevent leakage.

I would need to raise the floor of the garage to meet the existing kitchen
floor.

No. You would need to raise the floor of the utility room to meet that of
the kitchen. The floor of the garage MUST remain lower. It is part of the
building regulations that garage floors are lower than habitable rooms and
kitchens so that any heavier than air fumes and spills stay in the garage.

Christian.

On Tue, 6 Dec 2005 11:12:41 -0000, a particular chimpanzee named
"Christian McArdle" randomly hit
the keyboard and produced:

No. You would need to raise the floor of the utility room to meet that of
the kitchen. The floor of the garage MUST remain lower. It is part of the
building regulations that garage floors are lower than habitable rooms and
kitchens so that any heavier than air fumes and spills stay in the garage.

The floors can be the same level provided that there is a 100mm high
non-combustible threshold between the two. The OPs stud wall would
need to be built off a similar non-combustible base too (two courses
of brick below the sole plate).
--
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