Garage Conversions
Garage Conversions in Consett
What is under the ground shapes garage conversions in Consett more than most people expect, because a lot of Consett is built on ground that was worked, tipped or reclaimed, so made ground and variable bearing capacity are genuine possibilities and a trial hole is often money well spent before anyone prices a foundation. Consett is a hilltop former steel town, high and exposed, where a large area of the old works has been redeveloped for housing and employment since the plant closed in 1980.
Call 07854 366464Get a Free QuoteGarage Conversions done properly in Consett
More than 25 years of building work across this part of the county means we know which questions to ask on a Consett property before quoting, and the quote itself always arrives in writing.
Garage Conversions
Our garage conversions in Consett cover
- Services and ventilation: routes for power, heating and the ventilation the room type requires
- Damp proofing: tanking and damp proof course work where the existing garage sits low or against earth
- Infilling the garage door opening: new blockwork and brickwork with a matched external face and a new window where wanted
- Windows and doors: new openings formed with the correct lintels and made good inside and out
- Plaster ready handover: a dry, level, insulated room ready for decoration
- Floor build up: damp proof membrane, insulation and screed or a new slab where levels require it
Local Knowledge
Local considerations for garage conversions in Consett
Consett falls under Durham County Council for both planning and building control, which is the practical starting point for garage conversions here. Consett sits well over 200 metres above sea level and Durham County Council applies the same building regulations here as anywhere, but exposure grading for driving rain is the detail that actually changes the specification of a wall. None of that is a reason not to do the work. It is a reason to establish the constraint before a design is finalised rather than after it has been drawn twice.
Ground conditions are the second thing we look at. A lot of Consett is built on ground that was worked, tipped or reclaimed, so made ground and variable bearing capacity are genuine possibilities and a trial hole is often money well spent before anyone prices a foundation. On a garage conversion this shows up in the floor, since garage slabs are often thinner, lower and laid without a damp proof membrane.
Property types vary across Consett more than the name of the town suggests. Around Blackhill, Delves Lane, Leadgate you will typically find terraced streets built for the steelworks and the surrounding pit villages, while further out there is later housing on and around the reclaimed steelworks site. For garage conversions, the older garages tend to need more work on wall build up, and integral garages on newer housing bring fire separation into the picture instead. The town is exposed enough that winter delivery and lift days need planning around the forecast, which we flag at quoting stage rather than mid job. None of this changes how we price, since every Consett job is quoted in writing after a visit, but it does change what goes on the van and how the week is planned.
Recent work
Our Approach
How we work in Consett
Site visit first
Every job starts with a proper look at the property. Quoting from a description alone is how a figure ends up changing halfway through.
A written quote
The quote arrives in writing with the scope set out, so you can see what is included rather than trusting a number said out loud.
Regulations handled
Converting a garage into habitable space is usually permitted development where it stays within the existing footprint, but it is always building regulations work. Floor insulation, damp proofing, ventilation, fire separation from the house and, on an integral garage, the wall and ceiling to the rest of the property all get looked at.
Kept informed
We keep you updated as the work goes on rather than disappearing for a week. It is the least complicated part of building work and the part most often done badly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Garage Conversions in Consett: your questions
Do I need planning permission to convert my garage?
Usually not, provided the work stays within the existing structure and the property still has its permitted development rights. Some estates have those rights removed by condition, and some deeds require a parking space to be retained, so both are worth checking first.
What about the up and over door mechanism and the existing floor?
The old door and frame come out, and the existing slab is assessed. Many garage slabs sit lower than the house floor and have no damp proof membrane, so a new build up over the top is common.
Will I lose much floor space to the insulation?
Some, unavoidably. The exact loss depends on the existing wall construction and the insulation used, and we set that out at quoting stage so the finished room size is not a surprise.
What sort of properties do you carry out garage conversions on in Consett?
All of them. Around Blackhill and Delves Lane the stock is mostly terraced streets built for the steelworks and the surrounding pit villages, and further out Consett has later housing on and around the reclaimed steelworks site. The right approach depends far more on the age and construction of the individual property than on the town.
Is a converted garage warm enough to use all year?
It is once it is done properly. A garage floor and walls are typically uninsulated and often damp, so the build up underneath is what decides whether the finished room is usable in January.
Are there any planning restrictions I should know about in Consett?
Possibly, depending on exactly where the property sits. Consett sits well over 200 metres above sea level and Durham County Council applies the same building regulations here as anywhere, but exposure grading for driving rain is the detail that actually changes the specification of a wall. If your property is affected, the design is shaped around that from the start rather than revised afterwards.
Which council handles garage conversions applications in Consett?
Consett comes under Durham County Council for both planning and building control. That is where a building regulations application is made and where the inspector who signs the work off comes from. Building regulations approval covering insulation, damp proofing, ventilation and fire separation is what they will be looking for.
Do ground conditions in Consett affect garage conversions?
They can. A lot of Consett is built on ground that was worked, tipped or reclaimed, so made ground and variable bearing capacity are genuine possibilities and a trial hole is often money well spent before anyone prices a foundation. We raise it at the quote stage rather than after the digger arrives, so you know whether an investigation or an assessment is likely to be needed.
Do you cover the areas around Consett as well, such as Stanley and Langley Park and Rowlands Gill?
Yes. Alongside Consett we regularly carry out garage conversions in Stanley, Langley Park, Rowlands Gill and across the wider North East, working from our base in Blaydon-on-Tyne.
Will it affect the value of the house?
Extra usable internal space normally helps, though it depends on the local market and whether off street parking is lost. A conversion with a building control completion certificate is far easier to sell than one without.
Also covering near Consett
We carry out garage conversions across the surrounding area as well as in Consett itself.
Other building services in Consett
Whatever else the project needs, it is the same team and the same standard.
Planning garage conversions in Consett?
Send over the details or give us a ring. We will visit the property, talk through the options for garage conversions in Consett and put a written quote in front of you with nothing hidden in the small print.
Call 07854 366464Request a Quote