Demolishing and rebuilding a detached single garage

Plumstead

Hi

Please help me I really don't know how to go about this. I have zero building/DIY knowledge and don't personally know anyone in the trade.
Bought a 1930's house with a single garage at the back. The structural survey came back saying that its concrete garage with asbestos roofing. It recommended that they are replaced.
We have decided that we'd like to get it all demolished and have a new garage errected. Nothing fancy, just functional and simple.

I've tried mybuilder and trades websites before for other jobs but they always came back much more expensive than when I rang around using the yellow book. For one job I got quoted between 4 grands and 800 quids!!

I'm so confused.. and I don't know what steps I need to take. I will be borrowing money with interest for this so really want to get it right.

Any surveys or regulations I need to oblige by? Would it be cheaper if I get asbestos removed professionally then demolish the rest with the help of family? Could asbestos be embedded within the concrete slabs as well?

I Look forward to hearing your responses.

cootuk

I would imagine it's corrugated embedded asbestos sheets for the roof?
These can be taken off (without smashing up and after watering down to keep dust down), double bagged, and taken to the asbestos skip at your council dump. The concrete sides and frame of the garage will easily fill a skip. So there's a couple of hundred quid straight away for skips and disposal. labour on top - a good day for a couple of people.
Then there's the cost of a new garage - depending on how it's built and whether the foundations/floor of the old one are adequate and can be resued. What sort of roof - flat or proper tiles.
Then depends if you need power/water etc to the garage.

Hintza

If you have just moved in (and especially in this current climate) live with it for a year and then decide. Do not rush into unnecessary costly building work that probably doesn't need done.

Remember that these roof sheets are white asbestos and pose little or no risk. There are plenty of companies who will tell you otherwise whilst extracting large sums of cash.

joinaman

Have you thought about E Bay ?

It's surprising how many people will buy an old sectional garage, as these can be used to extend an existing, or as I have done before, scrap the front door and make it into a smaller garden shed

Start it at 99p with the buyer to dismantle, anything you get will be a bobus and will save you the cost of dismantling/removing from site

Leif

You are always safest to used recommended trades. Try asking friends, colleagues, neighbours. My neighbours are a mine of useful information.

Professionals will probably charge a mint to remove asbestos containing materials, as they may wear goon suits etc, and be accredited etc.

Google and you will find there are many kinds of asbestos, basically low and high risk. With low risk, spray with water as said. You might even spray with an acrylic sealer to reduce dust, might be a daft idea though.

Plumstead

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your replies. Very useful points were made.

- Yes, the roof is made of corrugated asbestos sheets
- I've been quoted £300 for the removal of this.
- I'm not sure if it's the high or low risk one. Surveys seem expensive..are they important if we decide to do it ourselves?
- This is off point but I thought it's fine to deal with asbestos once but it's constant unprotected contact that is the problem.right?
- We haven't moved in there yet.

I'll look into ebay and will ask neighbours about their garages as some have had them done very nicely too.
Excellent ideas, folks! Thanks :-)

cootuk

Not to scare you, but even one fibre of asbestos can cause asbestosis years down the line if you are unlucky. Though these sheets are fairly low risk, the risk increases if you start sawing them or smashing them up creating lots of dust.

When I did mine -
paper suit, mask, goggles, gloves
wet down the roof
the bolts holding the sheeting down were seized so used a hacksaw
double bagged each panel and took to local tip asbestos skip.
No real major hazard - though wind can catch a panel and act like a sailboard.
For the walls we hired a skip - i think that was around £100, then its a case of dismantling the old garage. Enjoy smashing it up and show your other half how manly you are, sweat glistening in the sun.

My neighbour - i think guys just ripped everything out, threw in back of lorry, then probably flytipped somewhere.

cootuk

tbh £300 isnt too bad if skip hire is around £100 and theres labour involved...but you need them to have a waste carriers licnse (to be legal) as, if they flytip and its traced back to you, then you are also legally liable for prosecution.

Leif

cootuk wrote: »

tbh £300 isnt too bad if skip hire is around £100 and theres labour involved...but you need them to have a waste carriers licnse (to be legal) as, if they flytip and its traced back to you, then you are also legally liable for prosecution.

I've seen fly tipping a few times. Last year I drove down a rough track to a nature reserve, and my path was blocked by a gigantic pile of builders waste, basically old kitchens etc. Shocking. Prosecution is possible if caught, but there is also the moral aspect of course. Is there an easy and sure way to know if they are licensed?

BTW skips are about £200 down here.