In the ideal world, we’d have built our garage at the start so that we could have used it for storage and as a workshop. However, as well as timing, there was a danger that it would have used up a lot of our house build fund. So we’ve managed to fumble along quite happily until now, doing most stuff in the house and when the weather allows, moving tools outside. And our – one and only – onsite toilet has been situated there throughout (fortunately it is a proper porcelain loo, plumbed into our treatment plant, so not totally uncivilised). As it turns out, I’m now extremely glad we didn’t get the builders to do the garage for us at the start, as it means I get to plan and build it – now that I’m so much more ‘educated’ about this building stuff!
We had to do the garage building warrant at the same time as the house, and it also made sense for us to put the garage foundations in at the same time as the house pad. So the recent task has been to translate the garage planning documents and very general engineers’ scheme and work out exactly how we will build it. The building warrant included ‘goalpost’ steel beams for the frame of the double garage door. I did spend quite a while exploring alternatives to using steel – as the carbon impact of steel production isn’t good, and we’ve avoided it (almost) entirely in our house build. However, wood alternatives would have been way too bulky, as well as potentially a lot more expensive if we’d gone for an oak frame, so I came to terms with using steel as it’s definitely best for the job. Reassuringly, when I attended the FutureBuild exhibition in March I spoke to someone from Celsa Steel UK, and they are now using virtually 100% recycled steel, and whilst they haven’t quite captured the carbon intensive manufacturing process yet, they are working on it. So it gave me hope!
Next up was to work out the timber frame structure itself, including the roof trusses. Suffice to say, I’ve learnt a lot – and have loved thinking about all aspects of the building. There’s nothing like knowing that I will physically be putting the building together to make sure that I understand every detail. Architect Peter was – as always – extremely helpful, reviewing my drawings and putting me straight.
Roof trusses are still a slight mystery, but Forfar Roof trusses – one of the three roof truss companies I asked to quote – were extremely helpful, and so it doesn’t seem to be too complicated (or at least, they’ve done the complicated engineering calcs for us!)
Earlier in the year I did find someone who said he could build the garage for us. Whilst he’s mostly a roofer and log burning stove installer by trade, the idea was that he would pull in a joiner to do the timber work and he recommended a local steel fabricator to provide/install the goal post. As it got closer to start date, clearly the joiner wasn’t going to work out (and about the same time that we had the tiler drama) which initially was incredibly frustrating. However, it’s funny how things work out for the best in the end, as I’ve been linked up with another more local joiner who I will work alongside which will be much more satisfying for me as well as being cheaper. And one of the reasons this joiner happens to be free is because the Corran Ferry is off at the moment and as he lives near Ardgour, whilst he’d usually just pop across to the Fort William side for a lot of his work, he decided he wasn’t going to do the long commute around the loch. So the ferry being off definitely has had its upside for us!
Next up – working out what materials we need and how much of each thing. Let’s just say I wouldn’t be making any money as a quantity surveyor any time soon!! Took me soooo long. Windows, all types of timber (structural timber, sarking boards, battens, racking boards, fascias, cladding), doors, guttering and insulation. One of the big dilemmas has been how close we should match the passive style of building of the house within the garage accommodation (there’s going to be a room above the garage, accessed via a small room at the back). We’re not going fully passive, as doesn’t make sense for a build of this type, but have definitely incorporated a lot of the passive design elements into the building. And we’ve decided to continue with the natural materials route as far as we can. It was tempting to compromise for the insulation in particular, but we just couldn’t bring ourselves to put in petroleum based foam products, both from an initial environmental impact perspective but also how they perform within a building and how the building itself feels to occupants. So it’s woodfibre and sheeps wool all the way!
What’s also been good is being able to connect with companies that we partnered with as part of the COP26 House build – NorDan are supplying the windows, Steico for the woodfibre, Ultimate Insulation for roof membrane, Rothoblaas for fixings – in addition to continuing to use our kit provider for materials through their online store – phstore.co.uk. It makes such a difference dealing with people you know and have previously collaborated with, who care about giving you a good service.
So everything’s ordered, with deliveries arriving w/c 24 April and build starts end of that week/start of the following. Exciting times!