Garage conversion advice

[filsgreen]

Hi all

Just relocated back to Merseyside and have moved into a house with a garage. The garage is 18' x 8'6" and I'm thinking of converting it into a workshop. I think the overall price would be cheaper than buying a shed, but the downside is that it is made of concrete panels and has a corrugated steel roof, it is also very drafty. My first question is how do I insulate the roof? I've heard there is a product that you spray onto the underside to eliminate the condensation that forms each morning, does anyone know its name?

Thanks for reading and any solutions

Phil

 

[No skills]

Assuming it is steel roofing and not nasty asbestos I'd be tempted to remove it and build a new roof on the garage to make life a tad easier and take the opportunity to create some wood storage space up there at the same time. Hopefully somebody else will have an alternative soloution if you dont fancy that.

 

[bosshogg]

At first thought I would thing sprayed polyurethane foam is what your alluding to, there are a number of companies out there doing it, but you could also fix heavy bubble wrap to the underside of the roof, giving it an insulation layer, well fitted this gives as good results as other more mainstream insulation materials, which most likely would cost far more than the bubble wrap. All insulation is merely a means of trapping a layer of air between a cold and a warm zone and at roof level it's out of harms way, carpet layers double sided tape is a good way of fixing to most materials...bosshogg

Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions.
Albert Einstein (hammer)

 

[OLD]

This is a good site for roofing etc http://www.slecladding.co.uk/ and they do eaves filler good for draft proofing.

 

[devonwoody]

Bosshog, I am not wishing to rubbish your suggestion, but in the summer those bubbles of air will expand with the heat and perhaps they then bust their bubbles?

We purchased an insulating product from Lakeland to store fruit and the bubbles went pop in the end.

 

[bosshogg]

Unless it is in full sunlight that is doubtful, devonwoody...This is used in horticulture a lot, potting sheds & greenhouses and the like, they do take it down from the greenhouses each summer, but not the sheds, I know of some that have lasted for years at the 'House of Dun' NTS nearby, so although caution may be required it does seem to have stood the test of time, in some instances...bosshogg :|

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Phil,

In my previous house, the people who originally owned it put up a concrete garage like yours, but with an asbestos roof. I had lots of problems with it leaking when it rained. There were two main problems. The first was that the roof was secured with bolts. These had nylon washers which eventually disintegrated and would let in the rain. The second problem was that it would leak in the gaps between the concrete posts and panels - where it leaked depended on the direction the wind was blowing. All in all it was very frustrating - I think if I'd stayed there much longer i would have knocked it down and built a proper garage.

I'd be surprised if you didn't get similar problems, together with condensation from your metal roof.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[devonwoody]

Perhaps build another outside new skin?

Making a cavity construction.

 

[filsgreen]

Thanks for all your suggestions and advice guys. I'm only renting the house so I don't want to invest too much money as I'm not sure how long I will be here. Paul, it used to have an asbestos roof, which was replaced by the corrugated sheeting. OLD, I've been in touch with the company you suggested, the cost would be about £260 to replace the roof with their system. devonwoody, I was thinking of building an internal skin, this would reduce it's internal space/shed, once again it's down to cost.

I am thinking of buying a shed but it would have to be portable as i have just been stung by having to leave this in the house I've just sold. I've been looking at metal sheds as these could be easily relocated, any opinions or experiences of owning them?

Phil