Building a garage as cheap as possible?

woodoo

I am looking to build a garage down the bottom of my garden. I have very little funds so i was thinking on building it a bit at a time, i have the foundations and subfloor already in. So its only the blockwork, roof, window and doors that need to be done.

It is 6m by 4m. Would a single skin be OK? I would be hiring a blocklayer. I have estimated about 700 blocks. How much is a blocklayer these days? What about hollow core blocks they would be wider and possibly more stable are they more expensive?

Any advice would be welcome.

Vandy West

Use one leaf as long as it was 215mm(9") wide. Use cavity block (not hollow block). Wont save money on the block (compared to two leafs of 100mm(4") block) 1/2 the blocks but twice the price per block. You will save on the laying costs, but two leafs plus cavity is far better for damp/insulation. So if you plan to put in heating use two leafs.

woodoo

Vandy West wrote: »

Use one leaf as long as it was 215mm(9") wide. Use cavity block (not hollow block). Wont save money on the block (compared to two leafs of 100mm(4") block) 1/2 the blocks but twice the price per block. You will save on the laying costs, but two leafs plus cavity is far better for damp/insulation. So if you plan to put in heating use two leafs.

Is that like these blocks http://bt-services.bttradespace.com/our-galleries/our-gallery/gallery-item?mediaId=759870E2CC39C63EE0401BAC7101193D&mediaIdx=1

I don't think i will be putting heat in. Any idea how much the 9in cavity blocks cost

Vandy West

The blocks in the photo are what I would call cavity blocks (two holes laid so the holes line up vertically, this allows reinforcement to be run up thru the wall), hollow block have one hole running horizontal when built. But like the picture sometimes cavity block is called hollow block.

Last time I priced it was 55c a regular block and 1.10 a cavity block.

hiho1967

You could build this yourself. I know a guy who works in an office and has done his entire life but built a 10x6 meter garage all himself. He started of with building the inside out of timberframe. Very easy to do because the sheets of ply are already sq and to size. All he done was build a stud wall into each one at 600mm spaces. Put them all together and put some thicker timber for the heads of windows/doors.

For the outside of the timberframe he covered it in breathable felt with staples and squared the garage up and pieced all together. He then built the block up himself. building block can be tricky but when youve something to work to like the timberframe then its really easy. All you need is a 50mm level and put it to the timberframe and put the block to this. Blocklayers usely do this on the outside but seeing as you wouldnt know how to plumb block, you can just work to the timberframe. Real easy.

He built a flat roof then a year later took the flat roof off and build a peak so he'd have some storage space. Easy enough if you build the 2 gables up first then youll have something to work to. Pull a line from gable to gable and you have something to work your rafters to.

For the outside he floated it himself. Even thou it wasnt out of this world. It still looked ok IMO. If you dont fancy floating it with sand and cement you can buy the stick on stone effect. Real easy to put on, just ;like putting a jigsaw together.

Good luck and keep us posted if you build it yourself.

Markcheese

Buy a brickie (the diy tool not slavery) and do it yr-self ... ?? You could do a cavity wall for same price as cavity block, and if you wanted to insulate it later get beads blown in ...

hiho1967

Markcheese wrote: »

Buy a brickie (the diy tool not slavery) and do it yr-self ... ?? You could do a cavity wall for same price as cavity block, and if you wanted to insulate it later get beads blown in ...

Best to do 1 skin of block/brick when its your first tim,e and work to a timberframe. This way you know the structure is plumbed properly. Ive seen the brickie mate get used for a wall by someone and he made a balls of it, it was like the leaning tower of piza when it was finished,lol

woodoo

I wouldn't be very skilled at the diy so i'd say i'll have to get a brickie. The reason i wouldn't go wood is because i will be stretching the build over about a year or so as i save money. If i could just get the blocks up now i'd be happy and then i could gather a bit more money to get a roof on it and just go along like that.

SC024

best off get someone who knows what they are doing instead of a half assed solution

(pardon my french:)

about2build

Any estimate on price guys?? May have to do one myself too

woodoo

Anyone know how much block layers are charging per block these days, roughly?

pabloh999

You'll probably get a brickie on a day rate easy enough

hiho1967

dont go day rates, they will drag it out. get a price for a sq area