Garage conversion concrete or wooden floor?

cyclonebri1

Plasterer wrote: »

Fair enough, youv'e done well to get your mats for that price. It's always nice to have a friend that is in the building trade, One of my brothers is a senior quantity surveyor who scratches my back with costing large extensions etc however the other brother is a fireman and sisters work in care. I am forever doing building works for them and my parents, grandparents aunties/uncles etc as favours shame I don't get the favours back (short of my surveyor bro) Oh well I chose the trade I suppose + My brother might save me from a fire one day and I will deffinately need some care when in the future so it will come back one day :rotfl:

Whats goes around usually comes around, I can put my hands to almost anything, just takes me twice as long nowadays :mad:, sils, daughters all smart and help us in other ways, so.........................., can't beat having the family around

katies_mum

Maybe I shouldn`t ask this question..but will anyway as I could do with knowing.
What could happen if you don`t get Bldg Regs and the council find out..or would they?
Its really bothering me today whether its going to be worth it.. the fire escape window has put me off! anyone know if there is any way round this.

Bldg Reg man (I didn`t give my name or address) said as the door would be into my dining room it has to have its own fire escape!! there are patio doors in the dining room and also to the left is the lounge with the front door in it. I only have one fire escape window upstairs.
He also said my fire alarms have to be wired into the mains!

I am really grateful for everyones advice and suggestions please keep it coming. thanks.

headcoat

katies_mum wrote: »

Don`t suppose you have any builder mates in Southport!

I know one, if you want to PM I can send you his details. I am a Building Surveyor and the builder I am recommending is is the father of a fellow Building surveyor.

headcoat

If you need B Regs and don't get them, this will at stage be flagged up when you come to sell the property in the Solicitors searches. You could also be liable to prosecution. etc etc. A lot easier to get B Regs and planning if required at the outset. I would also get a letter from the Planners confirming if planning is required.

Sounds like you will need an egress window as it is a room within a room ie you have to go through another room to get out the house. The window only needs to be openable for a size of 450mm x 450mm which should easily achievable without affecting the character of the building.

sunshinetours

katies_mum wrote: »

Maybe I shouldn`t ask this question..but will anyway as I could do with knowing.
What could happen if you don`t get Bldg Regs and the council find out..or would they?
Its really bothering me today whether its going to be worth it.. the fire escape window has put me off! anyone know if there is any way round this.

Bldg Reg man (I didn`t give my name or address) said as the door would be into my dining room it has to have its own fire escape!! there are patio doors in the dining room and also to the left is the lounge with the front door in it. I only have one fire escape window upstairs.
He also said my fire alarms have to be wired into the mains!

I am really grateful for everyones advice and suggestions please keep it coming. thanks.

I believe if you have to go through another room to get out of the new "room" then you have to have a suitable fire escape. Its a safety feature that I guess may save your life? Some things may be worth saving on others probably not so.

Plus if you do sell in the future any search will pick up the lack of a building regs certificate which may well put some people off your house.

Giood luck with whatever you decide

katies_mum

I will definitely be getting Bldg Regs, just wondered what would happen if you didn`t. Even thought not going to be moving would hate not to get the job done right.
headcoat have sent you a PM thanks.

cyclonebri1

katies_mum wrote: »

Maybe I shouldn`t ask this question..but will anyway as I could do with knowing.
What could happen if you don`t get Bldg Regs and the council find out..or would they?
Its really bothering me today whether its going to be worth it.. the fire escape window has put me off! anyone know if there is any way round this.

Bldg Reg man (I didn`t give my name or address) said as the door would be into my dining room it has to have its own fire escape!! there are patio doors in the dining room and also to the left is the lounge with the front door in it. I only have one fire escape window upstairs.
He also said my fire alarms have to be wired into the mains!

I am really grateful for everyones advice and suggestions please keep it coming. thanks.

You are getting some crap info here.

There are specific regs for garages attached/integral to the house. Once these are converted as per regs, the garage becomes just another room of the house, There are no specific regs about means of escape or otherwise, the info you have is for the garage to remain a garage. All the other stuff if you convert to 3 stories.

the issue with buiding reg occures when you put the info together to sell the property.

katies_mum

Cyclonebri1, I`m a bit more confused now, the info about having to have a the fire escape window came from the local council Building Officer. We have no intention of selling the property and I don`t want a different window to the rest of the house but he said I have no choice! got to have a fire escape..also have to rewire all my fire alarms to the main. (whilst thats not a problem the window is for me)

cyclonebri1

katies_mum wrote: »

Cyclonebri1, I`m a bit more confused now, the info about having to have a the fire escape window came from the local council Building Officer. We have no intention of selling the property and I don`t want a different window to the rest of the house but he said I have no choice! got to have a fire escape..also have to rewire all my fire alarms to the main. (whilst thats not a problem the window is for me)

Katie/mum. What you need is to install a window that has an opener that you can climb out of. That is normally a lower level side opener, rather than a top opener. Surely that can be accomodated with respect to the frontage?
10 years ago you would have got away with this, now you won't.

Wiring fire alarms to the mains?, sound like advice rather than regulation. I wouls start a separate post for that one, probably on diynot.com, or similar. We have just finished a full conversion for my daughter. 3 bed to 5 bed plus 4 other rooms to an ex police house. The staaircase even descends into the kitchen. All was done with planning consent and building regs, (this year), no need for mains alarms or anything else.:T

sunshinetours

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Katie/mum. What you need is to install a window that has an opener that you can climb out of. That is normally a lower level side opener, rather than a top opener. .:T

Isn't that a fire escape route because the room opens out into another room then? Isn't that the advice she has already had or am I missing something here - happy to be corrected on my "crap" advice

Bottom line is get the building officer in to have a look and see what needs to be done for it to meet regs surely?