garage conversion advice please

[Sarah9959]

Hi

Have just moved from Suffolk to Wales and am in the planning stages of converting part of the brick built, tile roofed, electricity already installed garage into a lampwork studio.

With neither myself or hubby being DIY'ers I have got a quote for £1,750 to install insulated plaster board to all walls, build a new partition wall with door to rest of garage, put in ceiling and install underfloor heating with tiled flooring above.

I am happy with the quote but wondered if anyone who has done this before has any advice, or knows of any pitfalls I ought be aware of before we commence the work.

Any advice and wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Sarah

[Carefulkate]

Have you included ventilation x

[BeeBeads]

Make sure you have enough electric sockets for everything you will want to plug in!
It's more convenient to work out where to put them during the planning stage, rather
than to decide you could have done with a couple more once it's done!

[Rascal]

Very exciting for you.

As well as number of sockets, I'd recommend you think about the future and what electrical equipment you may want now and in the future to ensure you have adequate ringmain (I think that is what it's called). The total Kw can all add up very quickly and we found our garage 'circuit' didn't have enough capacity to run everything at once.

The other thing is lighting, to ensure you have adequate natural light (or daylight/natural style lighting) but can still see the flame depending on where your torch will be mounted.

Think about where your plug sockets will be so you can plug in any kilns close to where you work to save you getting up and walking across the garage every time you finish a bead.

The other thing I wished I'd had more of is windows that I can open, mine isn't a converted garage, it's a wooden workshop and I have 2 large windows and a door and in summer, even with all those open it gets so hot, I wish I'd had an extra window or airconditioning (although budget may have disagreed!)

Have fun

[Pauline]

no idea about converting a garage, but yippee another beady peop in Wales

[Nicknack]

Underfloor heating sounds wonderful! But watch out for a tiled floor - I have one, and things (especially glass) don't bounce, they shatter!  We built my workshop before I discovered glass (apart from little things in a microwave kiln), and tiles were the cheapest option.

Have fun in your new garage/studio!

Nick

[lampworklover]

no idea about converting a garage, but yippee another beady peop in Wales

Indeedy! Whereabouts in Wales are you?

[Dragonfire Glass]

We recently converted our study into my studio complete with underfloor heating (albeit a bit under my torch bencha dn another bit under my table) and tiled.
I haven't used the underfloor heating yet - glad I'm not in the conservatory any more - but we have it in the bathroom and wonder how we ever managed with out it!
We also built a barley box so that the fumes stay where they are produced and are extracted through the ceiling. Works a treat.
We lined the bench with steel but in hindsight would have used galvanised steel instead. This stuff rusts because (of course) I removed all the oil coating so as not to get on my glass.

[Sarah9959]

 

Thanks for all replies.

Had not thought of power points, will go and check in morning, think there are plenty as guy who had house before us had tv and all sorts in there.

Have progrow unit for ventilation and large window and door to outside for air in summer. Will have to include opening for progrow tubey thingy to get to outside!

Think they said that in B&Q they sell laminate and tiles for use with underfloor heating, as for breakages when dropped to floor - will maybe teach me to be more careful in future!

Have moved to South Wales mining (or rather, ex-mining) town of Blaenavon. Several miles from Abergavenny where best friend moved to several years ago and absolutely loves. Blaenavon is lovely, in decline from earlier years when it was a bustling town, but suits our needs well and is set in beautiful countryside on southernmost edge of Brecon Beacons.

Will update on progress of garage conversion, and might even galvanise myself to take some 'before and after' piccies to post (I love seeing other people's work spaces).

Sarah

[Pauline]

welcome to Wales, maybe we can get our own get together going sometime, will there be room for an extra couple of chairs   

[Margram]

The one thing I miss in my studio is a sink - have to keep going up to the house to use water...might be expensive for you to add plumbing, though Do show piccies of progress, please

[Sarah9959]

welcome to Wales, maybe we can get our own get together going sometime, will there be room for an extra couple of chairs   

Yup, there should be room. I'm hoping I will have enough space for a chair big enough for me to put my feet up and have a sneaky snooze while no-one is watching!

There is already a sink, and a toilet, in the garage. I may well be set up enough to take some beginners classes at some stage in the future - time will tell.

Sarah

[Pauline]