New Garden Workshop - Brick or Timber?

[Aidex]

HI Everyone

I've had a workshop build in mind since we moved to our new place a few years back and I thought to go about it in the way on "Mike's workshop build" post.

However, my wife's fed up of me commandeering the two front rooms as workshop space and reckons it will be a lot faster to get the brickies in who built our extension.

I'd be really grateful for any advice on the pros and cons of a block or brick workshop (single or double skinned) vs. Mike's type of timber built one.

Also, in terms of permitted development, I'd ideally like to be higher than 2.5m does this mean 1 or 2m from the boundary?

Many many thanks!!!

Aidex

PS - All the best for 2018 to everyone! :deer

 

[porker]

Hi,
Assuming you live in an area that benefits from Permitted Development rights you can have a ridge height of up to 4m as long as it has pitched roof. For this you need to be more than 2m from the boundary. In either case the eaves height is a max of 2.5m.

Which is a better construction depends on a number of factors including access to the site, your capabilities if you intend to build yourself, how insulated you want it to be and I guess what you prefer. I have built a single skin block garage in the past rendered to match the house but that needed planning permission which wasn't too difficult and I drew the plans up myself. Personally I wouldn't compromise what I wanted to just avoid PP.

I'm thinking of putting up a home office at the moment but my current thinking is a block building with a cedar cladding so you can mix and match to some extent. Unfortunately I live in an AONB so have no permitted development rights. My workshop hasn't started yet but will be subterranean given the site and consequently quite expensive. Need to get my finger out and put the PP application in.

 

[deema]

If the pockets are deep enough for a brick building I would go that direction. I would also pop into a friendly estate agent and find out what sort or additional building adds the most value in your area. I.e.have in mind what the next owner may want, Office, work room, gym, granny flat etc etc. I would then plan and build it with the second use in mind......without compromising your intended use. It’s perfectly possible to achieve a design that will add more value to your house than it costs to build / gain planning permission.

 

[MikeG.]

To fit the same amount of insulation into a brick wall as a timber wall you will need walls up to 200mm thicker. Most people can't afford that sort of space, but if you can, brick and block is a perfectly good alternative (albeit much, much more expensive). Timber frame is definitely quicker, too.

 

[garethharvey]

I built a block workshop approx. 2 years ago, it’s 12ft wide by 30ft long, we put a natural slate roof on which was in keeping with the house. Rendered the outside and painted. Our other option was for a log cabin type construction. They both worked out very similar costs, however, the one I have will last significantly longer and is more secure

 

[Roughcut]

I'm moving house very soon, and i've just finished taking my shed down to move to the new property.
My timber framed shed was built nearly 3 years ago based on the design of MikeG.
Now i know 3 years is not long to judge a shed's life expectancy but 2017 was quite a damp and wet year here in my part of Norfolk.
And i can happily report that every part of that shed is in as good condition as it was when i made it.
I would guess that in 10 years and more it would still be sound.
No signs of damp or rot whatsoever.

 

[colinc]

Hi,

I guess a brick built shed is good if you get the insulation right, but my own view is that a well built timber building should be adequate and long lasting.

My own 30m2 workshop has a cold-rolled steel frame that was factory made, because I had access to the facilty at a generous rate, and it did mean the frame went up very quickly but the construction mimics timber and supports a tiled roof and Marley Cedral clad walls. Within the floor, roof and floor voids are generous amounts of insulation.

I think there are important differences to think about. Noise control is helped by the mass of a brick building so if you are in a noise sensitive area brick has advantages. Timber frame is lighter, generally has less thermal mass and warms up quicker and seems to control condensation better. The latter factors made the decision for me and the result Is that it warms up very quickly, after which I keep it warm in the current weather with very liitle energy. Even when unheated, it still feels very dry compared to my previous garage conversion.

It is a difficult decision, but you are right to consider the options if you have the choice.

Regards,

Colin

 

[siggy_7]

To fit the same amount of insulation into a brick wall as a timber wall you will need walls up to 200mm thicker. Most people can't afford that sort of space, but if you can, brick and block is a perfectly good alternative (albeit much, much more expensive). Timber frame is definitely quicker, too.

Isn't the space efficiency argument undermined by non-combustible regulations though? I want to build my workshop up against the boundary for space efficiency; as I understand it this rules out a predominantly timber construction. I was considering Celcon block single skin with insulation on the inside.

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[k4wils]

I built my workshop sixteen years ago, timber frame using home made portal trusses to get a high ridge and clear space inside. Even with the saw and extraction running you have to be near the workshop to hear anything at all - provided the (double glazed) windows are closed.
One other advantage of timber is flexibility, I added an extension on for timber storage which then morphed into a full extension the same size as the original.
Vapour barrier keeps everything nice and dry and the insulation in the walls is surprisingly efficient for its thickness (75mm on the old part and 100mm on the new).

 

[MikeG.]

To fit the same amount of insulation into a brick wall as a timber wall you will need walls up to 200mm thicker. Most people can't afford that sort of space, but if you can, brick and block is a perfectly good alternative (albeit much, much more expensive). Timber frame is definitely quicker, too.

Isn't the space efficiency argument undermined by non-combustible regulations though? I want to build my workshop up against the boundary for space efficiency; as I understand it this rules out a predominantly timber construction.........

Not at all. You can use a render, or a cementitious cladding (such as Eternit boards, which look like feather edge timber boarding) on the boundary-facing aspect and be in full compliance.