At last I have something I can right about. Its like this. I have the opportunity that I can work from home. However I don’t have anywhere that is comfortable to work, that I can leave set up. So here is the plan, to create an office room in the back of the garage. So here is the plan.
Some dodgy graphics for sure. So the red represents the space taken up by the new office. 1.8M by 3.2M. The desk represents the one that I am collecting from my work, due to it being scrapped. There is nothing wrong with it, just excess to requirements. I have an equipment rack planned at the other end. So, when complete I walk into the garage and see this.
So the light yellow represents a new stud partition wall, plus door. The grey is the space above in the roof frame. This features in my cunning plan. I am obviously loosing space in my garage and that space was far from empty. I have had a massive clear out but there is little original space left that I can use for just storage. My garage is also my workshop.
Currently there is no ceiling in the garage with an open roof frame above. The walls are single skin and there is no insulation. So the plan is to have a ceiling in the office, with insulation above, and on top of the joists attic boarding. Here is the new storage space.
There is a lot to do. First the electrical system needs moving, and the lighting. The stud partition wall constructing. The floor needs raising as there is no insulation or damp proofing here. The external walls need dry lining. Power and lighting. There there is the question of getting the walls plastered. I doubt I can do this so I’ll need a pro.
I have some flooring to use and then I’ll need to add the door. Oh, and the little matter of networking.
This is me. we are talking about, and I like a challenge.
Project begins
So job on this weekend. Saturday was a major clear out day. The reason was to move equipment out of the intended space and re-site it elsewhere, where it could still be used. I have a sink and a work top to rip out. Then the old cupboard underneath that was falling apart. The space cleared allowed the freezer to move into that location, just outside the office space.
Sunday I was clear enough to start the partition wall frame. It is clear to me I need that roof storage space quickly. To get that I need a ceiling with insulation. To get that I need a stud partition wall frame to know where the ceiling is to run to. To get the wall frame in I need some of the existing electrical wiring moved, at least out of the way.
So by the end of the day I had managed this much.
Which represents the timbers of the wall frame.
While I have much to do here there is one thing I need to know. The height and width of the door port. So I check this out now. Here’s a suitable door – https://www.diy.com/departments/2-panel-arched-pre-painted-white-woodgrain-internal-door-h-1981mm-w-838mm/42627_BQ.prd
Which requires a frame – https://www.diy.com/departments/timber-unfinished-internal-door-lining-set-w-132mm/73550_BQ.prd
The door is 1981mm high, the frame is 32mm thick. So allowing some clearance of 10 mm then this gives a port height of 2023mm.
For the width then the door is 838 mm and the frame is again 32mm thick. Again adding the 10mm clearance and this gives 880mm.
So just casting a tape measure on the scene and I see that with the raised floor then this is nearly to the ceiling. Better get the door and frame kit before I position the Studs that will form the door port.
I potentially will have other equipment brought in. So I will need a lab desk. My problem is the room width is not what I would have liked it to be but I can’t go wider without causing problem in the garage itself. Therefore I feel some custom made benches may be needed.
There is a lot to think about.
