# Wood or Brick?



## wizer (19 Dec 2005)

Ok, Following on from the loft thread. That's now on hold til the new year when I can get some drawings and quotes.

Now I am thinking about the garage (workshop, who am I kidding?).

Quite Simply: Brick Built or Wooden?

WRT Planning. This time last year the planning office agreed 'in principle' on a brick built garage, subject to the right plans.

But today I got to thinking, why not just build it in wood? I can't afford to extend the house on top of the garage and I don't think it would 'work' internally. So a single storey garage is all that will be built there. I got one quote last year for a brick built and it came in over 5k (even with me finishing it internally). A wooden garage would cost a fraction of this and I think I could probably do it all myself.

Ok, aesthetics? Will timber look ugly? Would Brick more compliment this house...







and lastly.. safety? Is wood safe and will it have any major problems?

I'm mainly thinking out loud here but would be interested to hear your views on the matter.


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## trevtheturner (19 Dec 2005)

Hi Wizer,

What about brick at the front, to match the house, with a pitched roof to match the porch, with the rest of the workshop (sorry - garage) behind substantially built in timber. Might save a rake of money, although I don't know if that is really a practical way of doing it. Might satisfy the planners though. I cannot see any problems safetywise. Just my thoughts FWIW.

Cheers,

Trev.


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## jasonB (19 Dec 2005)

You may find that as you are building right upto the boundary that it will have to be brick/block or at least fire rated as I believe there is a requirement for it to be non-combustable. You may get away with brick front, rendered block back & side.

Jason


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## frank (19 Dec 2005)

wizer can you not do the footings yourself and and get a brickie to lay the bricks and block work then you can do the roof this will save you a bundle .

frank


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## PowerTool (19 Dec 2005)

Personal opinion,but I think brick would look better.If it was in the back garden as a seperate structure,I would go for timber.
If you decide to go for brick,then take a brick down to your local builders merchant and try to get it matched (bricks that clearly don't match would look worse than making it out of some other material altogether)
And to follow on from Jason's advice - I believe it needs to be built of mainly non-combustible material if less than one metre from a property boundary.

Andrew


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## wizer (19 Dec 2005)

Cheers guys, I will look into planning.


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## JFC (19 Dec 2005)

Timber ! Its not a purminant structure there fore does not need planning and if you tell the COUNCIL [-( your planning a workshop they will never pass it . My garden shed :lol: is timber and fully insulated so no noise to upset the neighbors and as long as you make the outside look nice I.E ship lap with a nice stain or maybe log effect then noone has a problem .
Alsford timber did a range of log cabins that would be great for a workshop . I think it was a Finn Forest product .


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## dedee (20 Dec 2005)

My father bought a 3 sided shed (workshop) with pent roof from the company below (no website) and we then erected them as a lean-to on the back of his garage. 

These people will, IIRC, make any size you would like with windows and doors where you want them. My father's one was made from heavier then "shed standard" framing and shiplap and although he chose not too it could easily be insulated.

Topwood Timber Buildings Ltd. 
Address. High Street 
Etchingham East Sussex 
TN19 7AP. Telephone Number. 01580 819111


Andyy


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## gav (20 Dec 2005)

A couple of years ago I wanted to build a garage/workshop and for various reasons it needed planning permission so full plans had to be submitted.

It was clearly designed as a workshop as it had velux windows, insulation etc so we had to submit it as a garage/workshop planning submission.

The council passed it with no problems, what was more surprising was that they didn't want to apply building regs to it. They returned my cheque etc to cover this and I could then get on with it without waiting for an inspector at various stages.

I choose brick construction because I thought it would give a better potential resale value in the future.

Gav


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## radicalwood (20 Dec 2005)

Living in a conservation area with lots of wooden bungalows ( austin village for the car plant) wood was really the only choice. Planning officer side anything was better than what I had, only proviso was no up and over doors. Went as big as I thought I could get away with 18' x 18' with about 13' to the apex of the roof. Building came from Warwick Buildings and is cedar. 
The people behind thought I had built a granny flat :lol: :lol: .

Cheers Neil


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## cambournepete (21 Dec 2005)

JFC":33033d23 said:


> Timber ! Its not a purminant structure there fore does not need planning



Not necessarily true - if it's over a certain size or within a certain distance of the boundary or over a certain height or visible from the road then you will probably still need planning permission, otherwise you could fill your garden with a shed ...


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