Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Aug 08, 2008 8:02 am We're in the middle of buying a house which is in our price bracket (low!) but lacks outdoor storage. Its got a pretty sturdy car port with a concrete standing so we were thinking it wouldnt be too difficult to convert that to a garage? The width of the car port as it is is pretty much all the width we've got to play with (single) as its actually in the back yard, with a drive from the side of the house leading up to it.
http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p388/rachfont/garden2.jpg I then saw those colorbond 'build your own' garages and thought maybe that was an option, but that would mean dismantling the car port which would be a shame? Obviously any renovations/improvements we do to the house we would like it to add value to the property for resale value, and we thought a garage would be a good way to do that too, rather than just a shed? Any suggestions welcome. Re: Converting a Car Port to a Garage - anyone done this? 2Aug 08, 2008 9:19 am I'd imagine that you'd need to go through Council for approval. Give them a call and they should be able to help. After 4 years - we're in! Re: Converting a Car Port to a Garage - anyone done this? 3Aug 08, 2008 10:21 am The yard looks like a fairly decent size, allowing you some options.
Why not lay a slab beside it the existing one, and put a colorbond garage on it, then it will effectively enclose the open side of the carport too - somewhere to park the car & then a full garage size of storage as well. If you were contemplating buying a colorbond garage, then you obviously have a bit of a budget to play with, so if you could factor in $1000 more for a slab, then it could be worthwhile. Re: Converting a Car Port to a Garage - anyone done this? 4Aug 08, 2008 10:29 am stonecutter1309 I'd imagine that you'd need to go through Council for approval. Give them a call and they should be able to help. Hadn't thought of that - thanks Re: Converting a Car Port to a Garage - anyone done this? 5Aug 08, 2008 10:30 am commodorenut The yard looks like a fairly decent size, allowing you some options. Why not lay a slab beside it the existing one, and put a colorbond garage on it, then it will effectively enclose the open side of the carport too - somewhere to park the car & then a full garage size of storage as well. If you were contemplating buying a colorbond garage, then you obviously have a bit of a budget to play with, so if you could factor in $1000 more for a slab, then it could be worthwhile. Yep the yards a pretty good size - ideally though we'd like to keep it that way and just keep the garage/car port the same size. No, sadly we dont have funds to play with, I hadnt costed up the colorbond garages so have no idea what they cost. Just trying to think of the cheapest and practical way at the moment - but we dont want it to look rubbish either...decision decisions Thanks for taking the time to reply Re: Converting a Car Port to a Garage - anyone done this? 6Aug 08, 2008 10:48 am I reckon you won't need a permit, it's an existing structure.
You could just build stud walls in between the posts and weatherboard. Should be relatively easy and fairly cheap. Or build stud walls and use corrugated iron/colorbond screwed to the walls. A garage door will cost you some money if you want a roller door (allow $500 or so) or build some swinging doors. Or if it's just for storage, weatherboard it up and just put a normal 800 wide door in. Buy one with door jamb from a second hand yard. Re: Converting a Car Port to a Garage - anyone done this? 7Aug 08, 2008 11:58 am _Al_ I reckon you won't need a permit, it's an existing structure. You could just build stud walls in between the posts and weatherboard. Should be relatively easy and fairly cheap. Or build stud walls and use corrugated iron/colorbond screwed to the walls. A garage door will cost you some money if you want a roller door (allow $500 or so) or build some swinging doors. Or if it's just for storage, weatherboard it up and just put a normal 800 wide door in. Buy one with door jamb from a second hand yard. Nice one - thanks for that! That sounds exactly what we're after. Ideally we would like to have a garage door for resale value, so it could be advertised (and used) as a garage. So you think we could get away with stud walls with corrugated iron screwed on, and a roller garage door, and we'd be away?!! Sounds fab...any ideas of the cost?? Thanks again Re: Converting a Car Port to a Garage - anyone done this? 8Aug 08, 2008 1:17 pm Easy enough to work out.
Pine studs 600mm apart, one for top and bottom of each section of wall, and don't forget noggins.....one more length. Unsure of stud size as they aren't load bearing so wouldn't need to be all that big. 90x35 should be more than enough and allow for a normal door jamb to be put in etc....but look it up in the regs, don't just go by my say so. Calculate for each wall you want to fill in. Call past Buntings for a ball park price on pine studs, then see a timber yard. Also, put a moisture barrier down under the bottom plates to stop the wall pulling moisture from the concrete. It's just plastic stuff on a roll, timber seller will have it. I doubt the slab will have a plastic barrier underneath. Coupla Dynabolts to hold bottom plates to the concrete. Some good galvanised screws to screw the frame to the posts. Weatherboards....length of wall x whatever the size of the boards are minus 30mm or so overlap gives you the amount each board covers. Will probably be about 15 boards or so high. So 15 x eg. 5m for one wall = 75 linear metres. I got weatherboards a few years ago for about $1.15/linear metre. Hunt around timber yards and compare prices once you have a total that you need. Add about 10% to your lengths as you will have short falls here and there. Also, buy them white primed...saves you time and pink primed ones are a b!tch to paint over if you are using a light colour. Then a box of galvanised nails, drop saw and crashometer you're off. You could price up Blue board or similar if you couldn't be bothered nailing on weatherboards.....I think it will cost more but it's easy to install. Then just paint it. Does this help? Re: Converting a Car Port to a Garage - anyone done this? 9Aug 08, 2008 1:34 pm That helps big time Al...thanks ever so much...really appreciated!!
I'll be in Buntings this weekend pricing stuff up!! Re: Converting a Car Port to a Garage - anyone done this? 10Aug 08, 2008 4:33 pm I think your better off asking your council as there would of been approval for a carport. Worst case scenario is that you don't get approval and is then asked to remove the addition to your carport. Re: Converting a Car Port to a Garage - anyone done this? 11Aug 08, 2008 7:19 pm Minx I think your better off asking your council as there would of been approval for a carport. Worst case scenario is that you don't get approval and is then asked to remove the addition to your carport. yes we'd def ask before doing anything I looked into it a few years ago and my conclusion was to just build a carport that will support panels and get a system installed separately. The company I looked at had… 1 5431 Well these guys are not looking good... I sent them a written enquiry last week and they have not yet replied. If they cannot respond to a simple… 4 8465 2 7923 |