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Here is my latest project – sort of bike related
As 2013 is the Chinese year of the Garage I thought I’d better pull my finger out and start building mine. I’ve been looking to put up a decent sized garage for a while. So towards the end of last year I started to get quotes and talk to my local planning dept. about using some of the “dead” space I’ve got to the side of my house to build one. In the end after much searching I found a company called Keops http://www.logcabins.co.uk who had lots positive reviews and would customise a design to fit perfectly in the space I had available. As it happens they are based only a couple of miles up the road from me.
As I live on a corner it turns out that my house has “2 primary elevations” so I would have to apply for planning permission -bugger! Not wanting to pay the fancy prices that architects charge I set to work with my O Level technical drawing kit and after a couple of trips to the planning dept and a bit of wrangling was granted planning permission.The garage arrived packed on a pallet wrapped in plastic and was dropped onto my drive on the day Keops said it would and their builders came and laid the base a few days later.
So last week my Dad came over from Suffolk to give me a hand to put it up. Here’s my build diary:
Monday:
Whilst Dad drove over I did the brakes on my car. Once he arrived we unpacked the garage and spent the afternoon sorting out parts and then laying out where the garage would sit on the base. Reckon we got a bit too engineery and not enough buildery as at one point we were trying to correct a 2mm difference in the diagonal measurements. Eventually we got the pressure treated bearer fixed down and everything squared up and centred on the concrete base.So not a lot to show for the first day’s work.
Note use of brake discs
Rollerdoor was promised for delivery today but didn’t show up (originally promised 2 weeks ago)
Tuesday:
Loads of progress today. Once you get started these go up quick! The interlocking design is very clever and super strong. With wood I was expecting some fettling but all the pieces fit perfectly and the cutting list and instructions supplied are clear and easy to follow.This photo is after about an hour and a half:
This is where we were at after the end of the first full day:
Note use of brake discs again (front and rear)
Rollerdoor was promised for delivery today but didn’t show up – again!
More to follow……
Wednesday
Weather was a bit dodgy today but in between showers managed to get the rest of the roof boards on and fitted the side door, lock etc.
Still no sign of Rollerdoor – promised for tomorrow!
Thursday
Frame for Rollerdoor fitted and roof covered with weather proofing cloth and half shingled.
ROLLERDOOR ARRIVES!!!!!
Friday
Discover that no fitting instructions have been sent with Rollerdoor!!!!
Rollerdoor company http://www.wmshutters.com says it’s “internet is not working” so can’t email through instructions! So I phone Keops who get WM to fax instructions to them and then email them onto me. After much swearing at dodgy instuctions managed to get rollerdoor fitted (but not wired up). Very happy with the results though. Also shingled the rest of the roof.
Saturday
Discovered that wiring instructions for roller door are also crap. Looks like the original Itailian has been put through Google translate. More swearing but managed to get it wired up successfully. Also finished trim around rollerdoor and got a coat of wood preserver on inside and out.
I release my Dad back into the wild (Suffolk)
Sorry no pictures but looks almost the same as Friday.
So that’s where I am at the moment. Just need to get a couple of coats of Sadolin wood stain on it to make it blend in a bit better and fix the guttering.
To summarise I’m very happy with the quality of the garage and everything supplied by Keops turned up on time a fitted perfectly. Everyone there is super helpful and ready to give advice if you need it. They were however, let down by their Rollerdoor supplier. Although the quality of the door is good their customer service, delivery and technical backup definitely isn’t. I still haven’t figured out how to fit the manual release as this is referenced in step 14 of the instructions and the ones I was sent only go up to step 12! When I phoned WM direct the advice to “just knock it over with a bit of wood” I was given wasn’t exactly helpful.
As 2013 is the Chinese year of the Garage
Yep, that looks really stunning, so much nicer than those prefab concrete garages. When I bought mine I went for the ‘brick effect’ pattern that you paint when erected (so it looks like a brick garage). Guess what? 5 years on and it’s still in the original dirty white concrete finish.
Look forward to seeing the Kat Cave this summer. Can you get 2 cars in there or is it one car, a few bikes and a lathe, a bench, a milling machine, a….. ?
Looking good, are you keeping the existing garage too?
For some reason I am reminded of this:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMEuEF9-UbU[/youtube]
that looks fantastic mate
Cheers Pete – I’m very happy with it.
How long until it is full then?
Not long Ben. I should get a coat of stain on it this weekend then I can start filling it up!
Can you get 2 cars in there or is it one car, a few bikes and a lathe, a bench, a milling machine, a….. ?
ID – I looked at the concrete prefabs but decided to go with the log cabin in the end as there wasn’t much difference in price and I could have any size I wanted. The kitcar may sneek in there in the winter but its mainly for bikes and
toystools.Looking good, are you keeping the existing garage too?
Radar – Got to knock the old one down eventually as it was part of the deal with the planners and Mrs Kat wants a patio. I’m looking on eBay for palm trees that hinge at the bottom as we speak.
That’s a brill job hun, you deserve a pat on the back hun
ooh I might be able to reach my legs on the ground with that lil bike. I’m only a midget or a wee lass or a half pint…er hum yep you get my drift hehehehe 
Cheers Carmy. I’m very pleased with it. It just needs it to warm up a bit so I can get a couple of coats of stain on it.
You should get yourself a monkey bike and join Radar, Pete and Thumper in the little bike club.
Wish I could hun, but meds won’t allow
I can reach the ground on the 1100 virago seat height is only 27″ But the medication I’m on would allow me to ride/drive….Miss the biking so much Kat. But if anyone comes here on a bike then they have to give me a ride. You wouldn’t even know I was there. Had one bloke give me a ride, he kept wanting to feel round to see I was there, so every now and again I popped my head round so he could see me in mirror :o
I can reach the ground on the 1100 virago seat height is only 27″ But the medication I’m on would allow me to ride/drive….Miss the biking so much Kat. But if anyone comes here on a bike then they have to give me a ride. You wouldn’t even know I was there. Had one bloke give me a ride, he kept wanting to feel round to see I was there, so every now and again I popped my head round so he could see me in mirror - You must be logged in to reply to this topic.