Updating Our Garage – Again…

Recently we told you about the house survey we had carried out before buying our new home. Amongst a ridiculous almost not manageable challenging list of defects and areas in need of improvement is the garage.

This is what the survey says:

Garage & Outbuildings:

The garage structure has been very poorly maintained and requires substantial repair and improvement. You should anticipate part rebuilding works however it may be more economic to consider taking the structure down and reforming. The roof covering to the garage is formed with asbestos slates which are in poor condition.

Well, it’s done – kind off, okay nowhere near, but we’ve made a start and like to think that the garage isn’t going to collapse on us anymore.

Just to remind you, this is what the gable looked like before starting the rebuilding work required.

You can see that a lot of the stones are loose and the timber fascia is missing. Don’t you just love the little plant growing out of the side?

After a few hours of work, the outer layer of bricks of the gable has been completely removed.

Luckily the inside wall is still stable, so that only the rebuilding of the outside layer is necessary. There is only a small gap between the garage and our garden fence, but our builder was just able to squeeze into it. Our neighbours pergola also seems to have come in quite handy to store the building materials.

Our builder was so quick, that it was almost impossible to snap some pictures. No sooner had he started laying the bricks of the first course, than the new wall was up. The new outer layer is now completely stable and connected to the inner layer with some wall ties.

To keep the new wall protected until we replace the missing timber and repair the roof, we have covered the edge of the roof and wall with some tarpaulin.

You can read about how we have already started to restore the timber and garage door here and here.

The whole garage roof is still in need of replacement and lots of the timber, including the beams, is missing or rotten. We have our work cut out, but as it’s already October we probably won’t start the garage roof project till early next year when it’s a bit warmer. I know – such a wuss.