Announcing - Project Garage Mk II - The uber extension !!!

[Andy]

Quoting: Roadkill

For everyone's sanity, It's now switched back to Auto - I switched it to Incandescent as I was doing a survey within an office and the pictures were all coming out yellow . . auto didn't seem to be adjusting enough.

How have you got it set for metering? Centre weighted or matrix metering? That'll help a lot. I've only ever found in a dark gloomy ice rink that I've ever had to manual change the white balance. Even then I did it in 'shop to get them all similar.

[Roadkill]

It's just my phone so I don't think you can even change the metering on that. 

[Roadkill]

I managed to steal a couple of hours on this over the weekend . . . The sides are now all trimmed back (ready for the next stage).  I also broke away the last two rows of old bricks that were the remains of the back wall of the garage.

I've now removed the timber decking up to the new (stud partition) back wall and most of the timber batons below.

I'll get the rest of the baton up tonight, then is the dreaded job of breaking up part of the new(er) concrete slab . . . I can't disturb the slab under the rear of the garage (the extension) but the front part needs to come out in order for me to get the levels even at the front.

I plan to chain-drill the slab then hammer the $hit out of it . . . . problem is my drill is on its last legs and I can't afford a new one just yet.   :can:

[Roadkill]

<div class=\"quote\"><div class=\"quoting\">Quoting: Roadkill</div>The driveway now</div>

I now dislike how talented at everything you are. <img src=\"http://www.mkb.cc/forum/smileys/jaw.gif\" border=\"0\"  alt=\"\">

That driveway looks professional <img src=\"http://www.mkb.cc/forum/smileys/shame.gif\" border=\"0\"  alt=\"\"> <img src=\"http://www.mkb.cc/forum/smileys/clap3.gif\" border=\"0\"  alt=\"\"> <img src=\"http://www.mkb.cc/forum/smileys/worship.gif\" border=\"0\"  alt=\"\">

You can now hate me a little bit less - I didn't do the driveway - It was indeed a professional job.  :)

That said there's nothing in it that I wouldn't have had a stab at . . . Fate just played a hand and lead me to the outcome . . I can't say anything more then that.  :secure:

[Cunning Plan]

BREAKING NEWS * Roadkill confesses to not doing something himself * BREAKING NEWS

You can now hate me a little bit less - I didn't do the driveway - It was indeed a professional job.  :)

:jaw:


I tease, I know sometimes with timings etc, it just works out more convenient to pay someone else to do it.  :NEW_up:

[Roadkill]

Who said anything about paying ?  :sofa:

[Cunning Plan]

Who said anything about paying ?  :sofa:

You didn't give them a special 'hug' did you?  :PAv: :ontopic:

[Roadkill]

I didn't, no but we shall say no more on the subject.

[Roadkill]

Finished taking up the timber batons last night, then smashed out the first strip of concrete and the timber that made up the front of the framework on the concrete pad.

The down pipe (that carries rainwater off of the back of mine and my neighbour's garages, the garage extension AND the Shed (I) is now visible . . . . The ground around where it heads in to the soak-away is pretty damp so I'm suspicious that I've put too much demand on the soak-away and it's not draining quick enough.

There's no evidence for this (what I need is a VERY heavy downpour so I can watch what happens) but I need to consider some options to possibly reduce the "load" on the existing soak-away.

:chiny:

The pipe leading to it is too high, too (as suspected) so that's another issue I've got to deal with  . . .

:chiny:

[Roadkill]

Not done anything out in the garage for a couple of days (been working on a different mini-project) but thought I'd put a couple of pics up . . .

Here's the slab for the extension exposed and ready for removal . . .



And a close-up of the rain water pipe . . still not sure what I'm doing with this.



My 240v drill (with hammer action) is on its last legs so I doubt it'd last long breaking up that slab (and in fairness, it's just not man enough, anyway) so I used the last bit of cash I had to splash out on a new SDS hammer drill !

True, I've now got no money for diesel until payday but I'll worry about that later.   :lol:

[Cunning Plan]

breaking up that slab

I'm guessing there is a reason you cannot just use a mallet / pickaxe type of setup?  :diy:

Here's the slab for the extension exposed and ready for removal . . .

So, probably just me, but I am not exactly clear about what you are doing? (Yes sir, I read the lecture notes and the catch-up podcast).  :dunce:

This is what I think you are doing: Single garage, extended lengthways, raised floor to prevent damp / rust issues, now change of plan, dismantle the raised floor then.... ? ? ? ?, then Profit!   Right?  ???

And a close-up of the rain water pipe . . still not sure what I'm doing with this

Can you not just cut it where it starts to go into the garage floor and redirect it into the garden? Maybe a new pond?  :shark:

[Roadkill]

I'm guessing there is a reason you cannot just use a mallet / pickaxe type of setup? 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaaa.  No. 

Pickaxes are for hard ground but not concrete and a mallet would work on a brick wall with a chisel but not on concrete . . . a 10lb sledge would do a pretty good job of breaking it up but I avoided this for two reasons - (i) With the ceiling height in the garage relatively low, it'd be impossible to get a full swing and (ii) I didn't want to risk shattering the slab beyond the partition wall (the bit that's staying).

Can you not just cut it where it starts to go into the garage floor and redirect it into the garden? Maybe a new pond? 

I could, but with the extension to the garage, the two sheds AND the conservatory then ALL dumping on to the (clay) back garden I'd no doubt have flooding issues !!!

The reason why I'm doing this - shortened version ?

O.K, here we go . . . .

When I first moved in I quite quickly extended the garage (MK1) to fit in the Caddy . . . eventually I thought about extending further to *hopefully* park two cars in there . . . trouble was the area behind the garage was quite high, in comparison to the garage floor so It'd mean loads of mud to remove, skips, mega-effort . . . then I'd be left with a potential flooding issue with water coming off the back garden . . . so I opted to raise the front of the garage with a low-level mezzanine to match the heights.  Materials were free and it worked a treat.  In order to gain access, the concrete ramps were built (I was never a fan as they looked untidy but they were useful and obviously did a job). 
So, moving on, the original garage extension was knocked down and the second one built . . increasing the overall length to just under 35 foot.  This length came about as the materials I was using to support the roof were free and that was the length they were . . I eeked every last millimetre out of them but that was it.  The other factor was run-off on the roof . . . the longer the extension the lesser angle I'd have had - risking build up of water on the roof.
So, 35 foot it was but, as the build finished it became clear that although I could've fitted 2 Camaros in the garage, I was never going to fit the Caddy plus another . . . . With that in mind I later added the dividing wall between what is now my office/escape area and the main garage (this was done mainly so I could heat the office end without all of the warmth going out the non-insulated roller-shutter door (although I'll never be able to fit a second car in there, I did add double-doors in the dividing wall so I could put a motorbike in the office end, thus future-proofing that part, at least . . . of course, with the concrete ramps gone I'd still need a ramp to get a motorbike in the back but a ramp for a bike can be a lot less substaintial than that for a 5000lb+ Cadillac !!).

Now all up to date, with the Cadillac project looming and knowing there'd be long periods when she'll need moving in and out of the garage with no engine (that of course, with the ramps would be impossible, no matter how many volunteers I had) and with the fact that I'm growing too old to be laying in gravel under a car for 8 hours (plus) a day, I decided to opt for a nice, smooth block paved replacement for the gravel.
During the process the ramps were got rid of (so the Caddy could be more easily rolled in and out) . . . the knock on effect was that I could remove the low-level mezzanine I put in in 2006 but that would only give 16 foot at the lower level . . . I needed to remove another 3 foot of the slab I put in for the second garage extension or the Caddy wouldn't fit.

And that is where (and why) we are now !

[Roadkill]

Sorry, C.P, just re-read my post from last night and the first bit sounded a bit rude . . wasn't my intention to offend (on this particular occasion)  :tongue:

So, after 6 hours on Saturday (between looking after and entertaining a 3 year old while Mummy was at work) and 3 hours on Sunday (between looking after and entertaining a 3 year old while Mummy was at the gym) I got the slab broken up . . . I don't recall it being so thick (so am glad I opted for the heavy drill) . . . it was around 5" thick on one side (which I expected) and up to 9" thick on the other (!!!!!!).

I chain-drilled the slab on the line of the partition wall (to prevent that part of the slab from getting damaged) then continued to chain-drill a series of lines to make a grid pattern . . .
I then switched to bolster chisel and hammer and bashed the f**k out of it to break it up into more bite-sized bits . . . . sounds simple but it was bloody hard work . . . 

Most of the drilling was done on Saturday and around 45% of the slab broken up and removed . . . . Alas, shortly after starting on Sunday my bolster chisel failed . . . :'(



I could've got hold of another from my Dad's but I wanted to press on so I utilised the breaker option on the SDS drill and added the chisel tip . . . Woohoo ! that sh!t was fun !!!  Still hard work, but fun.

I pressed on and got 'er done.  Here's the stack of concrete and timber that went down the tip in the Mondeo on my lunch break earlier . . .



The slab removed, ready for clearing, leveling and (ironically) another concrete slab !!!



The good news is that, after some digging (literally) the soak-away appears to be low enough so I should be able to do something about lowering the pipe . . . . It's still a bit vague but I'm more confident now.
I also suspect that the dampness was actually caused by next doors garden (just inches away) being slightly higher than mine so I may add a bit of a dam when casting the new, lower slab at the level of the garage floor.

:chiny:

[art b]

good work ... :up:

it looks [in the photo] like the pipe may be running uphill to the drain

[Cunning Plan]

Sorry, C.P, just re-read my post from last night and the first bit sounded a bit rude . . wasn't my intention to offend (on this particular occasion

It's okay, I only cried twice.

[Cunning Plan]

I pressed on and got 'er done.  Here's the stack of concrete and timber that went down the tip in the Mondeo on my lunch break earlier . . .

They are some heffa chunks!   :diy:

[ianjpage]

wow looks different now,  don't remember it being THAT deep concrete in the slab, but least they solid lol!

good news on the soak away, defo looks like it can be lowered nicely!

[Roadkill]

it looks [in the photo] like the pipe may be running uphill to the drain

I think the last little bit actually is so it won't do any harm in lowering it.

It's okay, I only cried twice.

:hug:

don't remember it being THAT deep concrete in the slab

It seems that on that side the ground is about 90% sand . . . whereas the other side is mud . . . I started digging out the soil ready for the new slab last night and it's hard not to "over dig" sand . . . I don't know whether to try to dig it all out back down to something solid (who knows how deep) or try to compact what's there before the next slab goes down (probably easier).

:chiny:

The plan is to get the basic slab in place, then thick-screed the entire garage floor so it's more level and smooth . . . . I haven't checked it thoroughly but it feels like there about 30mm difference in height in places . . . .

:chiny:

[Cunning Plan]

I think the last little bit actually is so it won't do any harm in lowering it.

So was the Soak-away originally incased in the concrete of the garage floor when you moved in?   :dontknow:

Also, there is a good garage build thread here for some lunch-time browsing which may give you some more ideas for the floor: http://www.volkszone.co.uk/VZi/showthread.php?t=814413&highlight=Garage (Skip to page 7 for the start of the build, page 12 for the start of the floor laying and page 28 for the finished floor and to feel jealous!).

[Roadkill]

So was the Soak-away originally incased in the concrete of the garage floor when you moved in?

No, if you look to the right of the vertical pipe in that last picture you can see the top of a brick . . that was the original back wall of the garage.  The horizontal rainwater pipe that's there now I put in . . the wider diameter bit was existing and took a vertical rainwater pipe from the gutter at the back of the garage (originally) . . . the garage gutter now exits onto the garage extension roof, then joins the rainwater from the first shed (connected to the end of the garage extension !) . . . then it all travels down, across and underneath the shed, then turns and travels underneath the garage extension.  In a nutshell it travels around 7 metres under structures I've built to re-join the soak-away in it's original position !!! 

Also, there is a good garage build thread here for some lunch-time browsing

Cool.  Will have a nosey . . .

[Cunning Plan]

Aha, that now makes sense!  :thumbsup:

[Roadkill]

Spent a couple more hours out there over the last few nights . . .

Got the sand/mud dug out and the area fairly level and swept for the new concrete slab.



I decided to under-cut the extension slab to help add stability and hopefully help bond the two together . . . I'll pack the concrete under so it fills the gaps nicely.



I also knocked another row of brick off the old garage back wall, chiseled-off the cement and crud then drilled and inserted 7 x 12mm diameter grade 8.8 bolts.  The point of these were to help, again, to tie the slabs together.  The join here is effectively a stepped butt-joint so fairly susceptible to movement (not that I think it'll be an issue) so the bolts will act as a stitch to resist any potential movement.



Lastly, I exposed more of the rainwater pipe, broke away more concrete at either end, ready for lowering it (an act that'll have to be done in dry weather, obviously).  I removed the two small risers over the soak-away pipe which should be just enough to lower everything with minimal work . . . . I should've done this when I built the extension, really.  Lessons learnt.

The existing lid (sitting off to the right) will be re-used.

[Cunning Plan]

Good progress, good read.  :claps:

[Roadkill]

I got the rainwater/soak-away pipe re-routed over the weekend, a tiny bit more mud removed for clearance and a last bit of concrete broken away.

I'm now all set for concreting the new slab so will be buying materials on Friday (pay day :tongue: )

I wasn't going to concrete-in the re-routed soak-away but rather do something a bit more clever with it . . . . on further consideration, though, concreting it in will be simpler and stronger and I don't see any reason why there'd be an issue with it (it does leave me with few options in the future though).

Not much I can afford to do until then except have a hoover up . . . the whole garage has a kind of dusty orange tinge to it.

[Cunning Plan]

concreting it in will be simpler

How will you concrete it in? Simply cover the pipe in concrete? Will it damage it when it it expands when drying? ??? :pass: