Precast concrete garage

[Ancillotti]

I'm planning to build (or have built) a precast concrete garage /workshop. Can anyone offer any advice about these as I've never had anything to do with them as up until now I've had the luxury of brick built garages.
My concerns are relating to security, insulation, both noise and weather, and robustness.
Can anyone offer any insight based on experience?

Cheers.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Avoid metal roof sheets - they drip condensation. Mine has been up for 27 years and (pebbledash finish) panels are still like new. If I was in the market again I'd have a concrete block garage and then render etc the outside.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

So... prefab garages can be good, only with an aternaive to metal roof?

 

[dobbslc]

I had one built 17 years ago by Compton, I couldn't get a brick built one so that's what I had to do, 11' X 21' with a fibre cement corrugated roof. It's been really good obviously it's not well insulated in winter but it's been dry with little condensation etc. Fixing shelving is a problem but I've mainly got steel racking in mine.
I found No More nails sticks things like sockets and switches on the concrete well.
Security wise I've screwed bars across the window and galv sheet inside the door, the up and over door has drilled and padlocked rails at the top and 1" square bolts plus a few extras on it...
The roof started spliting last year in the very hot weather but I've fixed it with bituminous tape stuff from Wickes. They are expensive now compared to when I bought mine (£1700 fitted) but you can get them second hand off eBay if you're lucky.
A mate got one slightly smaller than mine for £1000 when new it would've been £5500!
It involved renting a 7.5t van, a VERY heavy lads weekend away in Brighton and removing it from the garden of two lesbians.....

 

[God mode restorations]

I think pre fab concrete garages are great...they never rot...safe with welding ect. Downside is the weight...you can pick them up cheap as people can't be bothered to take them down and you need a 7.5 tonne lorry to transport as the sections are heavy...very expensive new.

 

[lazybones51]

The two concrete garages I've had both leaked through the joints, both the vertical joints with each section and where they sit on the concrete base.

When I get around to it, I'll be replacing it with a brick/block built workshop instead.

 

[Keith 66]

I have a double one it was freezing cold in the winter & hot in summer. I insulated the recessed sections in the panels with 30mm kingspan & the roof as well then lined with 6mm exterior ply. Fantastic now its cool in the summer & warm in winter. Heating it is easy with a small oil filled rad. Its going to need a new roof before very long which will be a royal pain but needs must.

 

[gerrymoore]

I was suffering from condensation from the metal roof of my workshop so I asked the wife for advice.....she's great......but always pinching my welding gloves

 

[Shox Dr]

Nextdoor had a prefab installed about 16yrs ago, they rendered the sides in two colours cutting through the first to expose the grey rendering underneath, to make it look like brickwork. Looked very good when first up, he's never done anything to it maintenance wise and apart from fading of the top colour, it still looks good.

Its very important the base is laid correctly, to ensure the sides dont move cracking the render

 

[Wallace]

A friend had a double one at his old house, always complained about the damp and condensation dripping of the roof. Knowing how thick he is I doubt he had any ventilation and probably blocked it up to keep the damp out!

 

[Shox Dr]

A friend had a double one at his old house, always complained about the damp and condensation dripping of the roof. Knowing how thick he is I doubt he had any ventilation and probably blocked it up to keep the damp out!

I built a shed for the BIL, about 6mths later he complained all his gear was wet and mouldy. Turned out he'd filled all the vents up with buildind foam. When I had expressly told him not to

 

[CompoSimmonite]

If you get / have plain panels then you can always cover them in slip bricks. Look at most "stand alone" McDonalds and you will see they are prefabricated and the brickwork is just 1/2" thick slip bricks

 

[Rig Pig]

I put up a second hand one as a workshop, the visible side and back are shiplaped to make it a bit nicer to look at and the inside is studded out and filled with glass wool, so is the roof, it's a nice warm dry place to work in, the most pleasing thing is the lack of rust and condensation on my tools.

 

[brightspark]

The two concrete garages I've had both leaked through the joints, both the vertical joints with each section and where they sit on the concrete base.

When I get around to it, I'll be replacing it with a brick/block built workshop instead.

easily solved caulk the joints when building it with mastic and along the base = no leaks

 

[gaz1]

there as good as most want to use them for for security might as well build a steel access door

ive got both brick built and a prefab garage free of coarse a friend also got another prefab garage for nothing as well

as goes for roof learnt that lesson the hard way dripped like a swine in winter made worse by a wood burner heater as had to do roof again apex and slaters felt used worked well until planning did a visit now its under planning permission as a front shed, doing it in box profile and insulated this time

 

[bricol]

Put my double up from a combination of existing single garage, a second hand garage I dismantled, and seconds panels from a supplier on ebay, with C-section purlins via a local roofing supplier and 100mm thick seconds insulated roofing panels from another localish supplier. Fitted a home made steel framed, folded 16 guage steel single door and a full width roller shutter at the front. Two double glazed windows with privacy glass (ie bathroom) in the rear.

Sealed all vertical joints with bulk-bought sealant from another local-ish supplier, put a mortar fillet all round the inside base. Later added to with sealant outside as it moved and settled. Roof is spaced off the side panels with angle brackets to the purlins to the limit of height allowed by permitted development, sheeted in with ply and covered with single skin roofing panels.

Looks better than it sounds, after the first year is dry (base and new side panels still curing). You need a mate to two around the shift and support panels while you bolt it together though.

 

[Pete.]

I was suffering from condensation from the metal roof of my workshop so I asked the wife for advice.....she's great......but always pinching my welding gloves

View attachment 110651

And your work boots....

 

[Pete.]

Nextdoor had a prefab installed about 16yrs ago, they rendered the sides in two colours cutting through the first to expose the grey rendering underneath, to make it look like brickwork. Looked very good when first up, he's never done anything to it maintenance wise and apart from fading of the top colour, it still looks good.

Its very important the base is laid correctly, to ensure the sides dont move cracking the render

That's brilliant. Did they render the base, then the top and gouge it out half-cured or did they let the top cure then cut it with a grinder or something?

 

[Shox Dr]

That's brilliant. Did they render the base, then the top and gouge it out half-cured or did they let the top cure then cut it with a grinder or something?

Cut while wet. Troweled on then screeded off then top coloured coat. I watched him do it, did the whole 28x10 in a day, mixing as well.