Building a garage at side of house

StereoSound

I'm having problems with my car getting damaged by youths in the area. My car was keyed for the second time in recent months. Big scrape on my bonnet which needs a €250+ respray, now the back of my car has a similar scratch which will need the boot resprayed at similar expense... fckn ridiculous! We have two cars, both cars are parked in the drive with mine just shy of the footpath. We have room to build a garage at the side of the house but the expense of that ..... I'm sort of looking at those steel garages that can be assembled. Put one of those at the side of the house? We have a corner semi so it would fit surely as there is enough room.

Isambard

sounds like a plan.

listermint

have you tried CCTV first, before going to massive expense of fitting a garage

Ubbquittious

A garage is the proper job really. Has much more uses than just keeping away vandals

listermint

Also a pain to get in and out of, it takes up space you might use for extending the house. it still leaves 1 car out in the driveway which leaves the same problem as before.

I dont think its any solution really given the context.

Del2005

listermint wrote: »

have you tried CCTV first, before going to massive expense of fitting a garage

CCTV is easily defeated and even with evidence if the people are minors very little will happen to them. Prevention is the only solution as the car is damaged with CCTV.

biko

Sure, a nice warm garage with lights is great. Keep your tools ad stuff there too and do some DIY at the weekends.

Or could you just install a gate of sorts to keep the riffraff off f the car?

Alkers

Could you put a driveway where your planning to put the garage first? It sounds like they're only going for the car that's accessible from the footpath, parking further away may make it less attractive

colm_mcm

Electric gates and a wall maybe?

JohnBoy26

StereoSound wrote: »

I'm having problems with my car getting damaged by youths in the area. My car was keyed for the second time in recent months. Big scrape on my bonnet which needs a €250+ respray, now the back of my car has a similar scratch which will need the boot resprayed at similar expense... fckn ridiculous! We have two cars, both cars are parked in the drive with mine just shy of the footpath. We have room to build a garage at the side of the house but the expense of that ..... I'm sort of looking at those steel garages that can be assembled. Put one of those at the side of the house? We have a corner semi so it would fit surely as there is enough room.

Will a steel garage cost that much less than a proper bricks and mortar garage? Id go with block myself if I had the space. They are a better job in nearly everyway apart from space. As the walls are much thinner there will obviously be more room in a steel shed.

Isambard

Simona1986 wrote: »

Could you put a driveway where your planning to put the garage first? It sounds like they're only going for the car that's accessible from the footpath, parking further away may make it less attractive

yes I think this is the cheapest solution. It sounds like parking within reach of passing scrotes is the problem

StereoSound

Simona1986 wrote: »

Could you put a driveway where your planning to put the garage first? It sounds like they're only going for the car that's accessible from the footpath, parking further away may make it less attractive

I could do that, it isnt fool proof though. Kids got over my side wall before, I have a gate to but with the current setup it can't close with two cars in driveway.

colm_mcm

How high is the wall?

Alkers

StereoSound wrote:

I could do that, it isnt fool proof though. Kids got over my side wall before, I have a gate to but with the current setup it can't close with two cars in driveway.

Not foolproof but a lot cheaper as a first step!

StereoSound

colm_mcm wrote: »

How high is the wall?

6 foot, high enough but most kids could jump up and get over it easily enough.

CiniO

If you can, go for the garage by all means.
It will solve your problem with vandalism.
But also keep the car in better shape out of windy and rainy weather.
You can do your DIY jobs there, not only on car, but anything really.
Having a pit in the garage would be ideal.

Gumbo

Don’t forget your Planning limitations depending on whether you want to apply for Planning or fly under the exempted limits.

Ubbquittious

CiniO wrote: »

If you can, go for the garage by all means.
It will solve your problem with vandalism.
But also keep the car in better shape out of windy and rainy weather.
You can do your DIY jobs there, not only on car, but anything really.
Having a pit in the garage would be ideal.

Yep one might as well dig a pit while they're at it. Really really useful to have. It must be an awful torment to work on a car and not have one

Henry Ford III

A garage is great but if your car is getting damaged frequently would it be an idea to consider relocating?

StereoSound

Henry Ford III wrote: »

A garage is great but if your car is getting damaged frequently would it be an idea to consider relocating?

If I didn't have a mortgage that would be a great idea.

biko

You may also want to consider CCTV to catch these kids if they try something again, or someone else acts the maggot.
Something that will record even when dark.

StereoSound

biko wrote: »

You may also want to consider CCTV to catch these kids if they try something again, or someone else acts the maggot.
Something that will record even when dark.

I'll tell you what I've done.. I setup an old android phone on a small tripod on the window sill pointing out the window at the car. Test ran it last night and it recorded for 5 hours before the SD card filled up. It works but being behind a glass window cause a reflection. You can see though. I have it hidden behind a plant so it not overly obvious its there. Don't want the neighbours thinking I'm recording them walking past the house with a phone on a tripod looking so obvious.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Ubbquittious wrote: »

A garage is the proper job really. Has much more uses than just keeping away vandals

Yes you can use it to store junk and rubbish that you would otherwise throw away. I have a 320sq/ft double garage that I can’t grt a car into as it’s so full of junk.

Ubbquittious

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Yes you can use it to store junk and rubbish that you would otherwise throw away. I have a 320sq/ft double garage that I can’t grt a car into as it’s so full of junk.

The trick is to put the cars in there first. A car-shaped spot don't be long filling up otherwise

biko

StereoSound wrote: »

Test ran it last night and it recorded for 5 hours before the SD card filled up.

You can ask in Android forum if there is an app that will help with this