moving a prefab garage

[mk2phil]

I've just bought my neighbours garage and will be moving it across to my garden in the next few weeks. Its made up of 2'0" concrete panels that bolt together all the way round.

Now, I know I need to seal where they meet the base to keep moisture/water out. But I think I'll need to seal between the panels themselves? Does anyone know whether I need to or not? And what sort of sealant should I use - any recommendations that I can get from somewhere such as B&Q?

Many thanks

 

[JonB]

I have one of this type of garage.
It is only sat on the concrete base. The installer said to put a chamfer of cement about 1.5"x1.5" all round the inside. The panals are butted together with a putty type of mastic.
Hope this helps.
JonB

 

[masona]

I've bought some 2nd hand pre-cast panels for my Summerhouse and they gave me grey mastic called SX Siroflex Trade Strength Construction Silicone.

Put your panel slabs together then seal it internal.

Remember not to over tighten the slabs as the panel edge are tapered, final tighten when all panels are connected otherwise the wall panels start to bend round!

It's also best to chamfer the cement on the outside as well.

Also a bonus as the slabs are very heavy, I've bought a multi-carrier trolley to make life easier. I couldn't believe it when I had them delivered, they carry 1 each on back leaning forward They can't even stand up straight anymore because they have always done it like that

You can leave the slab on the trolley at 45 degree on it own then position it when you're ready tilts it in. I fitted 30 panels on my own with the trolley, where are your mates when you need them

 

[mk2phil]

Cheers guys - thats great.

Masona - how did you do 30 panels on your own; I mean how did you hold them upright to bolt them together? Did you work from a corner outwards?

And regarding the sealing - do you mean run a line of sealant down the internal joint where the panels butt together; before or after they're tightened?

 

[masona]

Masona - how did you do 30 panels on your own; I mean how did you hold them upright to bolt them together? Did you work from a corner outwards?

Yes, I started from the corner and because of the size of the summerhouse I use 300mm corner panel bolted to a full panel to make a corner and it stand on it own but I also prop a timber brace bolted through the hole of the panel for safely. When you done a few panel then put another brace corner to corner at the top and bolted through the top panel hole as they have holes on the top section for wallplate etc

And regarding the sealing - do you mean run a line of sealant down the internal joint where the panels butt together; before or after they're tightened?

Afterward as it will give a neater job

 

[Deluks]

I've also got a garage similar to this, the panels sit in grooves in concrete stanchions, which I think are freestanding.
I'm soon to be replacing the roof, does this mean that when I remove the current roof the whole lot could topple over? The new roof will sit on columns independent of the existing walls, so I will be left with 3 sides and a door. I don't know to what extent the angle iron roof adds bracing to the structure. Maybe I'll start a new thread when the job gets underway.

 

[masona]

They normally have a cross member supports from wallplate to wallplate unless it's all part of the metal truss frame or is it a flat roof? At the end of the day you could use some big L-shape tie in brackets temporary onto timber beam over the wallplate

 

[mk2phil]

would this stuff be suitable to fill the internal joins with (and underneath the slabs before they're sat on the base):

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SX-SIROFLEX-T...ryZ41501QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

Thanks