How an Oak Frame Garage is Designed - A Case Study
Cheshire Oak Structures were asked to design an Oak Frame Garage for a property near Frodsham which looks out over the River Weaver. The Oak Garage needed to house two large cars, a Range Rover and a Land Rover Evoque and provide a workshop / store for garden equipment, plus be in keeping and sympathetic to the existing property and surroundings.
To achieve each client’s requirements we take them through a step by step process to design and select the best Oak Structure for the intended use and style of property. The step by step process varies depending on each project but considers the following choices:-
Type of Oak Frame Garage – what style of frame and roof are required, for example, Gable, Catslide, Ridge or Hipped Roof.
How many bays are needed, what size are the cars, what is the turning circle? Our standard bays are 3.1m wide designed especially to accommodate the larger vehicles such as Range Rovers or Bentleys but we do design custom sizes.
We offer two standard depths for our Oak Garages of either 5.2m or 6.0m which is usually sufficient to fit most plot sizes and vehicles.
Depending on the use of the Oak Garage the client can choose a range of styles for each bay using partition walls, double doors in Oak or softwood, roller shutter doors, sectional doors, personnel doors, French Doors, windows, etc.
Most clients select the Larch weatherboarding as it is weatherproof, cost efficient and weathers to match the Oak. Other popular choices include Cedar and Oak. If the part of the Oak Structure is going to be used as a gym or office we can clad the interior in a range of finishes, from plyboard, softwood, Cedar, Oak or fit insulation and a Fermacell finish.
Clients can choose from a range of roofing materials which work well with an Oak Structure both structurally and aesthetically to match the property. Slate, Tiles, or Cedar Shingles are the most popular and work out very similar price wise.
All of our Oak Frame Buildings have full structural calculations. These ensure the stability of building, that the Oak Structure meets building regulations which are important if you come to sell the property.
Also on the Cheshire Oak Structures checklist is to assess whether planning permission is required. We have designs for Oak Structures where the ridge height falls under the requirement for planning permission. However, if other factors determine that planning permission is necessary we can supply drawings and information to help you with this process or manage the application on your behalf.
Once the design, quotation and contract were agreed for this Three Bay Oak Garage and signed off, a production slot was booked with the workshop to produce the frame and our groundworks team went on site to undertake the process of preparing the site, laying the re enforced concrete raft base and building the brick wall on which the Oak Frame sits. The brick wall and staddle stones are important to keep the Oak posts out of any moisture. All our Oak structures are built with full technical and constructional drawings.
Next our team of time served joiners arrived on site to start the construction of the Oak Frame. The build takes place in several stages, in summary, first the principal Oak Frame, then the stud walls and wind bracing fitted, next the roof is cut on, followed by the weatherboarding, depending on the design the joinery is fitted and last but not least the roof and guttering were installed.
The final and most important step of all, was seeing the client move everything into the garage so quickly and start using and enjoying it. Knowing your vehicles are safely under cover and valuable garden machinery secure provides great peace of mind.
Find out more about how you can design a bespoke Oak Garage by Cheshire Oak Structures Ltd to suit your needs by completing our enquiry form or call the office on 01829 250919.
