Converting garage to use as utility - minor conversion q's

[perleman]

Hi there

I am buying a detached house with garage & there is parking for 2 cars on the drive so I thought I'd look into making the garage into more useful space. I do not want to turn it into a habitable room with windows, more just make it a bit nicer to use as a utility than it is now which is exposed concrete blocks etc.

We would only be using it as somewhere to store bikes, have a washing machine, and have cupboards with our shoes & coats in, so it needs to be dry in there but not habitable / warm & cosy.

I am not afraid to take tasks on & am OK at woodwork / basic DIY but I have no knowledge of the actual way to approach a job like this.

My plan at the moment looks like this:

* Lay polythene sheeting on concrete floor & up walls a bit
* Lay an underlay over the sheeting
* Lay an Ikea laminate floor (leaving required gap round edges
* Put battons around the walls
* Attach plasterboard (same to ceiling if needed)
* Get a man in to skim
* Attach skirting
* Decorate

Please can anyone shed some light on my plan, any ways to improve or if I need to do it completely differently!

THanks

 

[perleman]

Anyone?

 

[TonyW2]

I am no expert on this, but just to get the ball rolling............
Laminate is not good with a washing machine.
Are you leaving the garage door in place? If so are you building some type of wall behind it or else how will you weatheproof the room?
Are you heading for condensation problems or have you got ventilation arrangements?

 

[noseall]

You may regret not doing this full spec. Maybe not now when the sun is shining but in 6 months time when it is -7°C outside.

Do you really want to do the washing and sort clothes in a room that is freezing cold and is going mouldy? You are likely to end up putting a heater in there in any case, then you are back to square one.

Don't think that by throwing a few bikes in there and a few old boxes that you are making it a store room. A utility room i.e. one with a washing machine and tumble dryer etc is a well used space and one that you are likely to have the door open to frequently.