AV Happy's Garage Conversion

AV Happy

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So finally today after months going through planning etc. the builders have finally arrived on site. My current single garage is detached from the house in the back garden so we are building a new garage attached to the side of the house then extending the rear of the house in order to gain access to the existing garage which is to be converted into my own little dedicated movie room. This is all been done on a very tight budget so all my existing equipment is being re located in the new room. Now i cant understand the logic behind this but wifey insists that the kitchen/diner is finished before i can start on my room :facepalm: so it may be a long time coming as the builder is just building the shell and i am doing all the internal works. Anyhow i went home at lunchtime and the footings are being dug as i type. I know this is of no interest to you all as there is nothing remotely AV to see yet but I'm excited and wanted to share. :clap: as soon as i have something worth showing i will put up pictures.

Back soon !!!!
 
Small update,

The builder is now up to DPC, unfortunately it's been raining heavily in Leeds and he hasn't been able to lay bricks since before the bank holiday weekend :thumbsdow.
As you can see from the pictures I have started ripping out the old kitchen and TV area and can now get a better idea as to what size the area will be once finished. A long way to go yet before i can even think about the garage conversion but i'm sure it will all be worth it :smashin:
 

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A few more pics, the side wall to the new garage is nearly up ( im not looking forward to moving all the junk from the existing garage into the new one (a good excuse for a clear out)
You can see where the new side door is going in and the existing kitchen window is to be blocked up as it will be looking into the garage.
In the back garden the new section is almost done, a nice wide opening for the 4.2m wide doors to go in. So some progress outside.:thumbsup:
Inside some of the kitchen units are in place but its slow going as im doing it on a night when i get home from work:thumbsdow
 

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Ok so a small update for anyone who is interested, not a great deal happened outside mainly due to the bricklayer disappearing off site only to be replaced by one who was told not to come back after day one then the third arrived yesterday and i am really pleased with his work.
So the concrete floors are poured, the kitchen window has gone, the new side door is in, as is the brickwork above the new window/patio and the garage door. Inside there has been quite a bit of progress with moving pipework and electrics but it still looks like a building site. All the steelwork has arrived on site and is hopefully going in this week.
fingers crossed everything starts to progress now and hopefully i will soon be on with the man cave. :smashin:
 

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So finally, after battling with the builder for 15 weeks ( his original estimate was 5 to 6 weeks !!! ) he has finally gone, but not forgotten. As you can see from the pics attached we have made some progress but still along way to go. I am still trying to get the kitchen/diner finished first so i can get on with my room at my leisure. The patio door has been delivered and is hopefully going in this weekend ( let there be light ), all the electrics in the kitchen/diner are completed, i just need to plumb in one radiator then i can start plaster boarding the walls, the ceiling will have to wait as i will be feeding cables etc through to my room through the ceiling. my room is cleared, with the exception of the patio door and some plasterboard, so i can now get a real feel for the space i have, its narrow but i am sure i can cope!!! it will just be nice to have my space to watch movies without disturbing anyone else.:thumbsup:
 

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Thanks for the update.

I have read through your thread but I cant see the internal dimensions of the garage ? Am I going blind or have you not said ?

I will be doing mine in the future but it's only 2.3m wide (makes for a useless garage !) and by the time I have put acoustic insulation in there I am not sure if its going to be worth while converting it to a home cinema.

Regards.
 
Thanks for the update.

I have read through your thread but I cant see the internal dimensions of the garage ? Am I going blind or have you not said ?

I will be doing mine in the future but it's only 2.3m wide (makes for a useless garage !) and by the time I have put acoustic insulation in there I am not sure if its going to be worth while converting it to a home cinema.

Regards.

no your not going blind, i have not put the dims up, i cant remember off the top of my head but i think its just over 2400 wide, like you say a pretty useless garage!!!, i will have a measure tonight and post sizes.
Due to the restrictions in size i have sourced a narrow 2 seater sofa which will allow just enough room to get round either side. fortunately the garage is long enough to have 2 sofas, one behind the other on a raised platform giving me my required 4 seats. which again is causing a compromise as i wanted to put a PJ in but i think the 2 front seats will be too close to the screen so i am planning on utilising my 50" tv to start with ( i will however be putting in power points in the loft area just in case !!!!! ) then once we have lived with it for a while i will re asses the situation.

I just cant wait to get in there and start sorting it out but the kitchen is taking priority at the moment, hopefully a christmas opening, dont know which christmas though !!
 
Size of the garage is 2400 x 5800 at its narrowest point between the pillars and 2600 x 5800 between the walls at its widest point.

I don't know the price of just the garage as we have had a lot of other work done including an extension at the back of the house and walls removed inside too and I don't have a breakdown of costs sorry
 
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Hey there. Really interested to see this as we're thinking of doing something pretty much exactly the same.

Looks like you've lost side access to your garden as a result of the extensions - was this something you were particularly bothered about at all?

I only ask because we'd be facing the same dilemma, but fortunately both the wife and I are aligned in thinking that a playroom/home cinema garage conversion, plus a garden room, top trumps having side access to the garden.
 
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Hey there. Really interested to see this as we're thinking of doing something pretty much exactly the same.

Looks like you've lost side access to your garden as a result of the extensions - was this something you were particularly bothered about at all?

I only ask because we'd be facing the same dilemma, but fortunately both the wife an are are aligned in thinking that a playroom/home cinema garage conversion, plus a garden room, top trumps having side access to the garden.


Hi paul, side access to the garden isnt really an issue for us. we are detached and so if we need to take garden equipment etc to the back we just go round the other side of the house. we now have access to the new garage direct from the house now that its attached which will be a real bonus, not having to go outside everytime we need something.

sorry i cant be more help
 
Thanks for the quick reply - this thread's still helpful as I now have some piccies to help the missus visualise what it might look like if we did it ourselves.

Best of luck with the rest of the build!
 
Thanks for the update.

I will be doing mine in the future but it's only 2.3m wide (makes for a useless garage !) and by the time I have put acoustic insulation in there I am not sure if its going to be worth while converting it to a home cinema.

Regards.

Lanstrom,

I thought exactly the same until I read this forum.

Check out my Garage conversion in the sig below.

Final internal sizes are 2.21M x 4.4m and it comfortably sits six with the front seat approx 2m from the screen.

Key thing to take into account is don't get greedy on screen size. I initially tried to go for 7ft but after getting local shop to test distances and screen size it was clear that 6ft was the max and was comfortably to view even from the front seats.

Go for it and don't look back

Cheers

MCP.
 
Cheers Paul,
it's going to be a long road but worth it in the end

That's it! Keep up the momentum, despite any setbacks. Our "6 week project" was completed in 6 months!!!

My main tips - just make sure the room is warm enough during winter and cool enough during summer, with decent ventilation and simple, inexpensive methods for cooling the kit if required. In our set-up, the room was just far too hot during summer to watch anything and the projector went into standby on a couple of occasions through overheating. We recently fitted AC but still need to work on ventilating the projector space.

Best of luck buddy!
 
Lanstrom,

I thought exactly the same until I read this forum.

Check out my Garage conversion in the sig below.

Final internal sizes are 2.21M x 4.4m and it comfortably sits six with the front seat approx 2m from the screen.

Key thing to take into account is don't get greedy on screen size. I initially tried to go for 7ft but after getting local shop to test distances and screen size it was clear that 6ft was the max and was comfortably to view even from the front seats.

Go for it and don't look back

Cheers

MCP.

Not only have I read your thread "several times" I actually have pictures of your final build as my wallpaper desktop at work. Everyone else thinks I am mad as they have cars and beautiful holiday locations. It's been like that for months and months as a reminder of why I go to work :)

Your build will be extremely similar to mine including the RSJ across the ceiling.

Many Thanks !
 
Thank you for the advice Dr Gekko and the words of encouragement i only wish i had the same kit list as you :D, I find with doing the work myself i have good days and bad days but on the bad days i have a look at the various conversions on AVF, yours been one, and remind myself that all will be worth it in the end.:thumbsup:

Thebigmcp yours too is an inspirational thread, and very similar in style and size to mine, even to the same garage door!!!!, i might have some questions for you soon... Re insulation etc:smashin:

Anyhow, onwards and upwards, let there be light :clap::clap: the patio was installed at the weekend and i am really pleased with it. we initially wanted to go for just 2 panes but unfortunately this was cost prohibitive as we would have needed special armour glass and would probably have had to go for aluminium frames rather than upvc.

I did a bit of plasterboarding last night on the cooker wall ( i am thinking of tape and jointing the plasterboard, has anyone on here done this ?? any advice?? it just doesnt seem right to me to paint plasterboard !!) The garage is nearly sorted, just needs a good sort out when the build is finished.

a couple more pics to tell the story :D
 

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That's it! Keep up the momentum, despite any setbacks. Our "6 week project" was completed in 6 months!!!

My main tips - just make sure the room is warm enough during winter and cool enough during summer, with decent ventilation and simple, inexpensive methods for cooling the kit if required. In our set-up, the room was just far too hot during summer to watch anything and the projector went into standby on a couple of occasions through overheating. We recently fitted AC but still need to work on ventilating the projector space.

Best of luck buddy!

AV happy, I second DrGekkos comments on room heating and ventilation. I can't imagine how many times we would not have been able to watch movies because it was too hot or too cold had we not installed the AC unit. The DIY kits you get are very reasonably priced and extremely easy to install.

Your setbacks will make it even more enjoyable when you eventually get to sit in your chair and hit the play button.

More than happy to give advice where I can, so please ask away. Without advice from individuals on this forum I would not have been abe to complete my build to the spec I achieved.

Keep your pecker up and good luck
 
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Thebigmcp, i noticed on your build that where you have left out the insulation on the walls where you have the breeze block pillar, i have exactly the same situation with mine and in order to optimise space was going to do the same, do you have any issues with cold spots in this area, also what thickness insulation did you use on the walls?

I am now getting concerned about the temperature issue as 2 people have mentioned it. my initial thoughts were to build over the french door with a built in dvd rack which would help with storage and stop any light coming through, but i am now thinking that perhaps i might be better leaving access to the door and getting a blackout blind, that way in summer we can open the door if needed.
 
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Thebigmcp, i noticed on your build that where you have left out the insulation on the walls where you have the breeze block pillar, i have exactly the same situation with mine and in order to optimise space was going to do the same, do you have any issues with cold spots in this area, also what thickness insulation did you use on the walls?

I am now getting concerned about the temperature issue as 2 people have mentioned it. my initial thoughts were to build over the french door with a built in dvd rack which would help with storage and stop any light coming through, but i am now thinking that perhaps i might be better leaving access to the door and getting a blackout blind, that way in summer we can open the door if needed.

On that wall of the garage I made sure that the frame was slightly protruding past the breeze block to leave a very small air gap. With the thickness of the blocks plus a double layer of sound board sandwiched with Green Glue I can honestly say I have not noticed a cold spot yet.

I would leave the doors and depending on your door construction consider getting the blinds that fit straight into the glass, example below. An electric heater can be had at a small price.

Perfect Fit Cellular Blinds - cellular fabric range


I spent just over £450 for the Aircon unit and I can't recommend getting one enough. During the summer months we set the unit to 18 deg 5 mins before we go in and it cools the room down just right. We do have to give it a blast maybe 2/3 times during a film as we choose not to have it running constantly a the projector and amp blast out heat. In the winter months we stick the heater on at about 26 deg 5 mins before we go in and again it makes for a pleasurable view. We have a large catalogue of Xmas films we watch from the start of Dec :rolleyes: . Without the unit the room would not have been used as much, no doubt about that.
 
Thank you thebigmpc,

I havent seen the perfect fit blinds before, they are a definite possibility....
With regard to heating and ventilation, did you put any radiators in your room? i am planning a couple in mine, one either side so i was hoping that would solve any issues of being cold. I think after yours and Dr gekko's comments i will be keeping access to the door
 

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