Advice on how to line and floor a double garage

[Pauls321]

Hi there all building mates.

My son who lives in central western nsw has just bought a house there and wants to convert the "under the main roof double garage" into a rumpus room. And naturally he is looking at his dad (me) to help him. I haven't seen the house yet, actually contracts exchanging are still a few weeks away yet.

Anyway, this house has a double garage, with just a single skin brick wall. He wants to line the brick wall with gyprock and then put a floating imitation timber floor on the existing concrete floor.

I am looking for your advice on how to attack this and in what order. The brick wall has the columns that protrude out every now and then. Would we erect a frame inside the brick wall. Floor plates, studs etc,...? bring the gyprock down to the concrete?,.....or bring the floating floor to the studs and the gyprock on top of the floating floor,...etc etc,..??

Any advice would he appreciated and give me something to think about before we get serious to tackle this job.

Regards, Paul

[Wrongwayfirst]

Gyprock to the floor, I would put battens onto the brick wall to take the Gyprock. As for the pillars I would sheet out and around them it will give you spaces to hang stuff. If it's a rumpus room things like dart board etc (do kids these days know what a dart board is?)
floating floor onto concrete easy as lay down the foam then lay down the boards add skirting see ya all done.

[rwbuild]

Gyprock to the floor, I would put battens onto the brick wall to take the Gyprock. As for the pillars I would sheet out and around them it will give you spaces to hang stuff. If it's a rumpus room things like dart board etc (do kids these days know what a dart board is?)
floating floor onto concrete easy as lay down the foam then lay down the boards add skirting see ya all done.

The method you propose is not allowed under the BCA (Building Code of Australia)

The proposal to make it a rumpus room will be deemed to be a "habitable room" under the BCA criteria and definition.

2 major factors are to be considered here:
a) vertical distance from top of slab to external ground level measured 0.3m from the external wall min required 300mm
b) location of DPC (damp proof course) in relation to the slab in the existing brickwork

Any modification to create a habitable room MUST be approved by council, it affects the house insurance, if a mortgage is involved the lending body has to be notified and the alteration noted/approved by the lender.

If you do unauthorised modifications and the property is re sold, there is a strong possibility that it will create legal / council problems with extra costs involved

PLEASE CONSULT THE LOCAL COUNCIL BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING, then depending on what they say, then seek qualified expert advice on how to achieve it if allowed.

I have a standard BCA / council approved detail to achieve what you propose doing if you PM me after checking with council

[Pauls321]

Thanks for the replies Gentlemen,

Certainly gives me a lot to think about. I'll check all this out

Thanks, Paul