Garage Conversion ???

Shaun_adams

We had a garage extension last year and decided to convert the inside of it to a cinema room.

We believed that we did not need anything from the council only now do I realize we may have needed building reg.

The garage has had the doors sealed off from the inside via 8x4 sheets.

The roof and floor has been insulated and boarded up (Floor risen with 3x2 planks under the sheets) we used 50mm insulation slabs for the floor and 100mm for the roof..

It has also been plastered (boards covering the garage door, wall and roof).

Floor on on side is playboard other is MDF, plasterboard for the roof and plyboard for the doors.

The walls in the new side have 100mm insulation slabs in the cavity and the old side just has a cavity of around 100mm.

This is a detached garage, with 2 windows and 1 door.

We had someone from GAS SAFE install the gas heating system and someone for the NIC install the electric system.

The garage has a flat roof and did not need planning permission, and all building regs was followed with the build stage.

We also have 2 ventaxia fans for air flow.

Any help would be appreciated what would the building reg guys do if we wanted it legit.

iamcornholio

After 6 months (or maybe one year now) the council can not take any enforcement action unless the work is structurally unsafe.

If you want to apply for regularisation, then you may have to expose parts of the work so that the officer can check what has been done, and if not acceptable, then you will have to rectify to meet the standards in force at the time the work was done.

It seems like the work has been done 'properly', so I would not bother applying for regularisation

diable

iamcornholio wrote: »

It seems like the work has been done 'properly', so I would not bother applying for regularisation

I suppose it would only become a problem if you wanted to sell it in the next few years but if you plan on staying for the long term then it shouldn't be a problem.

hwalkerh

You can get retrospective planning permission from the council.

It think that as you are not using it as a habitable room then they aren't as strict

baldelectrician

What part of the UK are you in?

fidnhilly

I'm following this with interest, we are about to renovate our garage. It already has an interior door to house so its just a case of bricking up one end & putting a window in so we can use as a utility room & playroom for kids.

I didnt think we needed planning permission for this? Am I wrong? I dont see there being a problem as a few other houses nearby have done same.

Thanks

iamcornholio

You never need planning permission to convert a garage unless there is a condition on the original house planning permission requiring a garage to be available for off-street parking - this is normally for newish houses

You will always need building regulation approval if it will be anything other than a store room