New storage space

Hi all,

I am busy at present making a new storage area under my house.

Its built on a hill so has a void beneath one section of the floor about 5 feet deep. The room above is 12 feet square so I have that amount of usable space beneath.

I reasoned that opening up a doorway in the outer wall would allow me access to work in there, sorting out the floor and a steel beam to support the bedroom floor when I remove a sleeper wall.

All has gone well so far, I applied for a building regulation notice to ensure everything was legal and safe. Site inspection by council and away I went.

Cutting the doorway was the most daunting job, I used a system called Brick brace to support the masonry above the opening while I fitted steel lintels to the inner and outer leaf.

Just on with making the steel security door for it now so I will be able to dig out and concrete over the next few weeks.

It wont be high enough to stand up straight in but I want it to store my tractor and other machinery in.

Who knows I might be able to sneak a lathe in there lol.

Edited By JasonB on 06/03/2020 20:38:43

Took millions of pics to check each step of the process but these are the main ones to show what I have done.

Edited By JasonB on 06/03/2020 20:39:26

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I did something similar when we moved over to the new house, though unfortunately I've only got about 3' headroom.

House also on a slope and beam and block construction for the floor. When I had the garage built and needed to get services to it, the easiest way was under the house, rather than digging a trench. We knocked through a couple of the outer walls, under the kitchen and lounge and ran the services underneath (water + electric) plus I also ran a 2" duct all the way underneath to the existing garage on the other side of the house.

This houses phone line, burglar alarm cable(s), a few CAT5s and an airline. The latter means I can have an air supply in the original garage, without needing a second compressor.

The hole in the wall under the kitchen was reinstated, and the one under the dining room had a UPVC door made to fit. Low headroom, but ideal for storing ladders, scaffold tower, long bits of metal, and a load of Landrover and Marlin spares.

Bill

How do you get the tractor to stick to the walls, mine always fall to the floor?

The brick brace system was easy to use, if a bit counter intuitive in that you expect something to be propped from below. Didnt have any problems at all using it.

Once the room is finished I will use it for storing my garden bits and bobs. I run a community group looking after the verges and a grassed area near my home and we have mowers and brush cutters etc not to mention Fred the tractor.

Mick

I did a similar thing. I just bolted a length of channel section to wall on both sides, then removed them after fitting a lintel,

Things have moved on a little.

I rented a skip and a conveyor skip loader which has made the job so much easier.

All the concrete oversite has been removed and skipped, the soil is next and I will lose that on my community gardening project.

Made a really strong steel door, locked from the inside with two 40mm box section bars which lock behind the brickwork and hold the door solid with jack screws.

Does anyone have any knowledge of waterproof concrete? I've seen it advertised by cemex as a way to deal with basements without having to put a DPM down first. Might make things easier if it does not cost the earth.

Mick

This is the 3m long skip conveyor tucked away in the store room. Hired it from Jewson and it's very reasonable and extremely handy.

Used it to load skip and fill a couple of large rubble sacks with broken concrete I can use to improve a footpath near me.

Mick

You must not be using the right kind of Velcro Ed.

The 4 ton skip is full to level with the clay capping from inside the room. Just got to sort the level now ready for pouring some ready mix concrete.

It's been a hard few days but I think the worst is all over with for now.

I'll get some help with laying the base but that's the last big job. Then I can just tidy up and store things away.

It's been a good project but hopefully the last big job I will have to do. But her indoors may have other ideas lol.

Mick

I have made some progress but been halted by the total collapse of our business due to the virus. We have lost all our bookings and income for the foreseeable future so are on a financial lockdown.

I can cope with a mud floor for a while and use up any spare bits I have laying about rather than spend on new stuff.

It fits my tractor in and a few other bits so in satisfied with the job.

Awful times Mick, but you must be very pleased with the results, looks good and very useful.

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It's bad for everyone, so many people affected whether they have it or not. But that's for another thread.

I am very happy with the storage space so far. I can fit the machines in I intended to and I've made it usable to do some servicing and repairs in on the mowing machines.

I'm just deciding on the concrete floor, for the size of it I think I can mix my own gear and take my time laying the floor. If I had a mix delivered I'd be up against the clock.

Mick

Good luck Mick,

Neil

Certainly a useful addition to the house, rather like the Americans who all seem to have big basements.
In the initial photo it looked like the DPC was above the airbricks. With a bare floor or drying concrete there will be a lot of moisture and subsequently also from the walls below the PDC so remember to take precautions.

Certainly in the North. Same in Canada. You need the foundation deep enough to get below the frost line so you may as well go all the way and do a full basement.

Great for workshops (Winter and Summer).

Thanks for the advice Bazyle, I was worrying about damp, as the soil floor is quite wet.

I'm going to put down a thick membrane before I concrete and hope that will contain any damp.

Decided it will be far easier to get dry ingredients and mix in batches myself.

Let's face it I have plenty of time on my hands.

Mick