I'm looking for a bit of building advice....
I'm looking to build a gym at the bottom of the garden where there is currently a concrete base with 2 sheds on it.
The base is knackered so i'm going to have to replace it, i thought i'd do away with the sheds and put a block building up and stick a gym in there instead

My question is:- Can i just lay a base or do i need to dig footings ?
The structure would be about 6mtrs x 7mtrs
The building will never be used for anything other than a gym or maybe posh garage for the lawnmower in years to come...


Thanks
Tony

 

Not sure if footings would be required? Not into the rules of constuction? But maybe just a weld mesh maybe suffice layed into the concrete.To aid as reinforcement. to sop the concrete cracking into two.
One thing would be required is a required is a membrane to stop the damp rising.
Also there are issues regarding the position and the height of the building. Unsure of these, but sure someone will help you with this.
Maybe your local building control. They advised me regarding questions I had regarding a contract with fire doors.

Good luck Paul.

 

probably need footings if its block or bricks .
im going to have my garage extended in the next few months and planning permission is required, so drawings will be needed x5 apparently plus £166 for the application + whatever the architect charges.
do check out if you will need planning because it only takes one ****** to complain and you might have to pull it down

 

phone your local council, you may only need building regs, and save a few quid

 

you can build a house on 9 inch of concrete,, just get a couple of tonne of harcore, compact it with a whacker plate and then drop a 6 inch thick concrete base on it matey,, job done

 

If you build it out of blockwork then it's likely to need planning permission as it's a permanant structure. You could buy a secondhand sectional garage (picked mine up for £50) these usually don't need planning. As WRX5705 says check with your local planning department.

As for footings, I would dig some as you want the building to last the years. Dig a 1.5ft deep trench and fill it 1ft full of concrete. Then lay one course of blocks on the footing. backfill the base and layer some sand ontop, lay your DPM on the sand and over the blocks, fill with concrete, and then build your walls ontop of the DPM. If you want to see some pics then click on the renovation tab on my website (link below) you may have to skip through a few pages.

 

thats a bit over egged matey,, the regs state 9" deep for a 2 story elevation,, 12" deep for a block garage/gym is well exessive, 6" is more than ok

 

Spoken to Swansea Planning Department today and they have confirmed that i will not require planning permission for the structure, as long as its over 5mtrs from premises and doesnt go higher than 3mtrs flat roof, or 4mtrs for a pitched roof

Happy Days !

 

One thing though to remember is ventilation, My next door neighbour has a 5m X 6m flat roofed gym at the bottom of his garden and it's a sauna in there most of the year as it has 1 large window with 1 opening and the door. he's going to rip it off and fit a pitched roof next with a velux in it.
At the moment he has the window and door open whilst training but it's still too hot to spend any length of time in it.

Plus it stinks of sweaty old bloke and mildew .!!