My on-going work down the unit.

[8valve-craig]

Recently took on a bit of extra space close to home and before i properly move in have decided to do some work. Started a few weeks back and wasnt going to document it but thought today i might aswell.

The space wasnt very usable when i got it, with just a single doorway but enough floorspace for 3 cars, (or 4 nova's). So i immedietly got a 2.6m steel frame put up with double galv doors to get the cars in. Then decided i wanted some office space, a load of racking and a large mezanine floor to put unused large parts up.

So i did a scale drawing and found out the best configuration to fit a Nova and a mk2 Astra in, with the office and racking, and a way of supporting the mezanine

Cracked on with the studwork for the office which was a bit of a mission on my own



Then went down last night to rip out this boarded up window.



I could have left it in, but the legs which were going to hold the steels for the mezanine would have taken up a valuable 100mm x 100mm of floorspace each, meaning the nova couldnt have been pushed tight to the wall. Plus the upper fixings wouldnt have been very substantial





So, Having never even attempted to lay a block in my life i went and bought a trowel and some materials then cracked on with it. The idea being that the steels for the upper floor could sit on the blockwork freeing up the previously mentioned floorspace where the legs would have had to go.





It went quite well to be honest



Even pointing up out the back with nothing but the torch on my mrs I-phone went well



And heres how that bit looks finished. My first ever attempt and i reckon its ok. I wouldnt want anyone putting a level on it mind, but it sort of had to be a bit pissed so as to still catch the wall plate at the top.



I had the steel delivered today to build the floor, so will post up pics of it all going together over the next week or so. I know its not master building, or anything near, but i dont claim to be a builder and just want it all to function.

[neil105]

Looks tidy enough,interesting project

[wayne451]

So you plan on using that as a supporting wall for a steel structure?

[neil105]

Its just blocking up a window isn't it that is not a supporting structure is it even tied into the existing wall

[wayne451]

Its just blocking up a window isn't it that is not a supporting structure is it even tied into the existing wall

I only scan read it TBH pal so I may have put 2 and 2 together and come up with 22 but hey ho...

The main beam in the first picture is almost as bent as Spanishfly...

Not a dig Craig, this is what this forum was intended for. It looks like it was a previous entry?

[8valve-craig]

Not a steel structure as such, But yes, taking the steels for what will essentially be just a large shelf. Think of one 75mm x 75mm steel box section running from the front of the door frame and sitting on the first whole block, then another running from the second upright of the studwork, sat on a 75 x 75 timber and running to the last whole block, and finally one along the back wall going from the last upright into the middle of what will be the small window blocked up.

The middle and rear support's on the office side will be hidden in the studwork.

Intention is to board on top with 1" ply and use for putting bumpers etc off the ground.

On reflection maybe an idea for the front two steels to have their own uprights and not rely solely on the blocks incase of any flex.

Blockwork will be tied from the rear with those wall ties that look like meccano. Dont like the look of the ones that look like coat-hangers

[Kev_G]

going to be a ace build

[8valve-craig]

Yeah if it doesnt all end up on the floor

[_Joycey_]

Love stuff like this cant wait to get my own unit/lock up

[8valve-craig]

The main beam in the first picture is almost as bent as Spanishfly...

Not a dig Craig, this is what this forum was intended for. It looks like it was a previous entry?

Yea definately a previous entry. Id say about 40years ago. To be honest though for such a small beam its done a bloody good job of holding the roof up. I will probably replace that with steel too one day.

Hopefully i'l get some good input and advice / opinions. Like i say im no builder, but happy to take stuff on if i think i can.

[corsacraig55]

Looking good mate this mean youl have more stock from now on

[MSG]

Craig Is this your own freehold place or are you renting it? I would certainly look at that bowing beam, eithyer give it a prop from two places where the roof struts are joined, leaving the middle portion free for your cars. Don't prop up too much or your roof might fall off! lol its now settled in its current position.

[jo4nny8]

Is that wall on the left really that much on the piss?

[8valve-craig]

Craig Is this your own freehold place or are you renting it? I would certainly look at that bowing beam, eithyer give it a prop from two places where the roof struts are joined, leaving the middle portion free for your cars. Don't prop up too much or your roof might fall off! lol its now settled in its current position.

Im renting. But i dont ask the guy for anything and in return he doesnt care what i do. (except all the electrics which he did). to be fair that beam in the middle is doing ok. The load is away from the middle so i dont see it breaking. Dont really want a prop as it takes up valuable floorspace, so if i need to do it anytime will just prop the roof up and put a 75mm steel in its place.

Looking good mate this mean youl have more stock from now on

Yeah i was limited to what i could hold onto so hopefully now stuff can get tagged and shelved

Is that wall on the left really that much on the piss?

Yes. That wall on the left is really that much on the piss! It bows out in the middle and is quite scary, Im not fixing to it and will be keeping a close eye on it. If you look closely the top plate of the new office studwork enters the wall and sits on top of it. So i will just paint that area and if any gap appears over time it will be clear that its still moving. Hope not though

Plus the site has about 20 shipping containers on so if it needs propping up we will just push one up against it outside.

[MSG]

LOL! I can also seea small leak on the roof in the above picture just above your office, make sure you don't put anything that can get wet!

(TBH, I wouldn't feel too safe in a place like that, where beams are bowing and walls are leaning quite badly, the place needs demolishing and rebuild from scratch, may be you should have a word with the owner and get him tyo remdy the problems, he might have to put the rent up to cover his costs, but isn't it better to be safe than sorry, its a same principle for Health & Safety as in any other branch of trade. He should not be renting out a dangerous structure that can collaps any time, not being negative but I am genuinely concerned not only for your own safety but those of others who might be helping you in there)

But if you are prepared to take a chance thats fine mate.

[Ed]

Interesting stuff.

After reading that though, I naturally made the assumption you owned it? The landlord must be laughing that you're doing all this work to the place at your own cost?

[8valve-craig]

LOL! I can also seea small leak on the roof in the above picture just above your office, make sure you don't put anything that can get wet!

(TBH, I wouldn't feel too safe in a place like that, where beams are bowing and walls are leaning quite badly, the place needs demolishing and rebuild from scratch, may be you should have a word with the owner and get him tyo remdy the problems, he might have to put the rent up to cover his costs, but isn't it better to be safe than sorry, its a same principle for Health & Safety as in any other branch of trade. He should not be renting out a dangerous structure that can collaps any time, not being negative but I am genuinely concerned not only for your own safety but those of others who might be helping you in there)

But if you are prepared to take a chance thats fine mate.

Its stood for many years, and im sure it will stand for many more. It not like its a high rise block of flats.

Interesting stuff.

After reading that though, I naturally made the assumption you owned it? The landlord must be laughing that you're doing all this work to the place at your own cost?

He payed to do the double doors and got an electrician to put in sockets and strips. But im doing the rest.

I got all the materials to build the office for £47, got all the racking for free and spending about £200 on the big shelf and blocking.

To be honest though its meant to be car storage which its perfect for. I cant really go asking him to build me an office. Plus when i leave, there is nothing stopping me taking it all down and weighing in the steel.

I may well need something 4 times the size within a year or two.

[8valve-craig]

This is some of the racking i got for free



These are the new double doors





And this is the benefit of parking the GSi by the pissed wall

[Spinbitch]

Looks like a handy workshop setup fella. Have to get a shot of the beams we put in our workshop last year when we built a second floor. Started bowing about a couple of months. Oh and one of the original main roof supports is currently held up with acro-props after it cracked!

Also free racking is the best!

Chris

[8valve-craig]

Oooh if you could tell me the material used, span and how much weight its taking would be good.

This is what i have for my horizontal beams. (the steel not timber) The longest span being 3.3m



Free racking was a good find. I actually have far too much. If you see the stuff in picture 1 it used to be another shelf high and 3 times as long! Had to chop it up. Also got a few more bays of the tall grey stuff

[Spinbitch]

Built the second floor completely out of wood (Landlord loves the stuff and has hundreds of tonnes of it)
Workshop itself is a 400 year old tractor barn complete with wood worm, still amazes me how much it moves about in the wind and still doesn't fall over lol.
The second floor beams are approx. 30cmx30cm and around 4 metres long, think they weigh in about half a tonne each. There three of them across supporting the roughly 4x5 metre area. Tbh as you can tell building work isn't my strong point but will try to get some pictures tomorrow for you.
Reckon its supporting a good couple of tonnes at the moment

[8valve-craig]

Spent half a day today down there and managed to get a few steels in. Had trouble getting the level for the first one but found a 4mtr scaffold bar out the back so used that.



Then put in the upright and fitted the first beam





Then got the second steel in, pretty heavy but managed them without breaking anything



Used one of the posts to check for level, but will be fitting 3mtr timber beams longways to fix the floor to



Then spent a little time bricking up the small window and making a pad-stone for the last steel to sit on. All went quite well.

[8valve-craig]

Did a bit more today. Stupidly time consuming, but the tuesday night deadline is fast approaching and got a full day working elsewhere tomorrow.

Bracketed the 3 steels to the new blockwork



Bricked the steels in





Then finished the little window and far steel. Again all went well



Next is to put some timbers up longways and board it. Hopefully before the sorn kicks in on the car im parking underneath it.

[Ed]

Progressingly nicely.

I always find brickwork very satisfying.

[8valve-craig]

Thanks. Yea it is quite satisfying. When its going up you wonder how its ever going to be solid, but when you come back in the morning its a proper wall.

Well the tuesday night deadline came and thankfully i got it finished on time. Drove the nova down about 9pm and got it tucked up until its back in use this summer. Its sorned from today onwards so its nice to have it off the road.

Had an early start tuesday morning, went and got a load of 3" posts and a load of metal brackets to fix the joists. That went well, I was originally planning to have 600mm voids with a 25mm chipboard floor, but upon pricing it worked out cheaper to buy more posts and space the voids at 400mm, using only 18mm chip.
(the outer 2 are spaced at 465mm as they will be taking hardly any weight)

Each post has 6 brackets, All screwed and riveted to the steels





Left them long so i could just run a saw through them all leaving a nice finish

Then boarded it all. (picture is pissed as im crouching in the eaves)



A shot or 2 from underneath, Where the strip lighting will be concealed





And finally the finished artical. Painted the blockwork and put the nova where it will now stay until i start using it on track again.

Its all gone really well to be honest. The structure is absolutely solid, way over engineered and i could easily put som substantial weight up there if i wanted to. Plus i can still support the steels with uprights next to the new wall if i wish.

All in it came down to about £320, but the extra space gained will be priceless. Hopefully its been an OK read, I shall keep the thread open and document the finishing of the office and any changes over the winter