Converting existing garage into a music room

Whistler

If you teach mostly during the day then natural would be a better choice. If you teach mainly in the evening then warm may be a better choice.

Lestratcaster

Yeah most of my lessons would be evening/weekends

Lestratcaster

Went for natural, its bright enough to do the trick. Just needs to be signed off by the spark.

Also any flooring experts here? The builders fucked off last week and haven't been back since clearing the rubbing and bringing in the damp proof membrane cut to the size of the room, they didn't fit it though, how does it work? Does the carpet underlay just go over that? I don't see how that's going to stop the  damp to be fair.

PolarityMan

I think the damp proof membrane is supposed to be under the screed...at least thats what i think they did in my garage conversion

Lestratcaster

Hmm they never supplied a screed for us. Its just concrete at the moment so something has to go over it, I've seen floorboards, but that won't keep the room warm enough, we want carpet but I'm not sure if they'll help fit it or not.

Lestratcaster

Would a 9mm underlay be sufficient perhaps? As seen in another thread some put a "false floor" using floorboard and some form of insulation. 

Lestratcaster

Got hold of a floor guy who will put a liquid membrane in and put a latex levelling cover on top. Bit easier than digging up the concrete or putting floorboards in, good price too.

absolutpepper

@Lestratcaster I’m a Chartered Planner. Pm me your details and the property address and i’ll check this out for you and let you know whether or not you’d require planning permission and what advice i can offer. Always happy to help a fellow fb’er

Milk

I have no idea about this sort of thing so this may be irrenelent if so just ignore me. but if the roof is getting insulated and soundproofed with the walls. i presume some plasterboard would go over it to make it more presentable. wouldnt weight be a issue and someone to check it the roof support can support the extra weight?

Lestratcaster

There is insulation in the ceiling but its underneath the roof, so in between the rafters. The room is pretty much finished just waiting for some carpet quotes and electrics certificate.

hotpickups

If the garage is separate to the house you will need permission from the council. I know because I have been contemplating doing a similar thing to my garage. Best keep to the rules otherwise if anyone gets wind of it they could ask you to tear it down again etc. I can't see any reason they would not allow it though except if you are running a business from it which councils aren't always happy about. I'm getting some silly quotes from builders myself though so it probably won't hap[pen but just sharing my findings 

Lestratcaster

What, even if its at the back of the garden at the back of a terraced house on a dead end road? I was told conversions don't need permission, only alterations to the structure of the building. There's no vehicle access to the back either so it doesn't affect parking/traffic.

I'm not really running the business in there its just a room to play some guitar in.

Whistler

If the answer to any of the following questions is 'yes', then permission will probably be needed:

• Will your home no longer be used mainly as a private residence?
• Will your business result in a marked rise in traffic or people calling?
• Will your business involve any activities unusual in a residential area?
• Will your business disturb your neighbours at unreasonable hours or create other forms of nuisance such as noise or smells?
• Will your garden building be higher than 2.5m?

Lestratcaster

The last one might apply, if it is referring to an existing building that's been here for 15 years? Its been marked down as a garage for storage for insurance purposes. 

Whistler

If you have insurance as a garage then that will become a reason for the company to not pay out any claim. Being straight with your local council's planning dept. is one thing; being honest with your insurance company is a separate matter.

Lestratcaster

I still don't see why I need planning permission if it wasn't used for parking cars in or the first place and the main shell was there already. I'm inclined to keep this low key. I'm not in there 24/7.

Danny1969

Lestratcaster said:

I still don't see why I need planning permission if it wasn't used for parking cars in or the first place and the main shell was there already. I'm inclined to keep this low key. I'm not in there 24/7.

As long as you don't use it as a bedroom or set up a pizza takeaway in it I can't see any problems or a need for planning permission since your not really building anything ... only improving what's there. 

I turned mine into a full on studio complete with professional standard recording equipment operated as a low key studio for a few years before building a real studio. 

Lestratcaster

Danny1969 said:

Lestratcaster said:

I still don't see why I need planning permission if it wasn't used for parking cars in or the first place and the main shell was there already. I'm inclined to keep this low key. I'm not in there 24/7.

As long as you don't use it as a bedroom or set up a pizza takeaway in it I can't see any problems or a need for planning permission since your not really building anything ... only improving what's there. 

I turned mine into a full on studio complete with professional standard recording equipment operated as a low key studio for a few years before building a real studio. 

Nah it’s literally a room to store some music stuff and play guitar. Very basic.

And yes all I’ve literally done is put new windows and a door on it, painted the walls and made it look nicer. 

I think the title of this thread may be misleading too as I’m not actually “building” anything.

Whistler

The two words teaching room in the title kind of suggest that this a business with customers rather than you simply storing your music stuff.

You know what you are doing; all the best.

Lestratcaster

Amended the title a bit. What if its split between social use e.g jamming guitar with mates and some storage? Wouldn't that be a subsidiary use of house activities?