Which oak frame garage is right form

[dt_quote type=”blockquote” font_size=”big” animation=”none” background=”plain”]For many people adding to their current home is the preferred option than moving to a new one.  It may be that more space is needed or that a dedicated space for a specific reason is required.  It might be that the homeowner wants to add to their home and make it more attractive for sale in the long term.  Whatever the case, when work is being done it may fall under the official system known as planning permission – but what work requires planning permission and what can be done without it?[/dt_quote]

Which Oak Frame Garage is Right Form

When you are considering adding an oak frame garage to your property, there are a few questions to answer and considerations to help you decide which form to go with.  Some of the questions come from the size of the property and surrounding land while others are about the uses for the garage now and in the future.

Style considerations

One reason that the oak frame garage is a popular choice for adding an outbuilding is that it can easily be made to fit in with surrounding buildings.  This is one of the first considerations when planning a garage – for example, an ultra-modern affair with lots of glass and metal won’t always look right beside a period property.

There may even be stipulations that mean you can only add certain types of garage, such as if you live in a conservation area or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).  The process will be even more complicated if your property is a listed building.

Planning permission

In terms of planning permission, a garage is considered an outbuilding and therefore often falls under the Permitted Development Rights – this means you don’t need planning permission as long as you keep within certain rules.

Examples of the rules include:

• No part of the garage can be forward of the front wall of the house
• The garage must be a single storey that is no higher than four metres and a maximum eaves height of 2.5 metres
• If the garage is within 2 metres of the boundary, it can be no higher than 2.5 metres
• You can use more than 50% of the land around the ‘original house’ for outbuildings (this means before any existing extensions or outbuildings were added)

Building regulations

While planning permission may not apply to your project, building regulations always will.  These are more towards the standard of construction as well as fire and safety issues and will need to be complied with or you can run into trouble with the local planning authority.

As long as the garage is less than 15 square metres with no sleeping accommodation, then you don’t normally need to apply for building regulations approval.  If the garage is up to 30 square meters and is more than one metre from the boundary, you normally don’t need to apply either as long as it is constructed substantially from ‘non-combustible materials’.

If you want the garage to do more than be a storage area or somewhere to park the car, then you will need to go through the building regulations application process to get approval for the project.

The benefits of oak

Oak frame garages and other buildings have seen a resurgence in recent years for a number of reasons.  Timber frame buildings aren’t a new idea but developments in how forests are managed have made it a sustainable option for building material and this means that it appeals to those who are concerned about the impact they have on the environment.

Good quality oak framed structures will use PEFC certified timbers – this means they have been approved for the sustainable management of the forests that the wood is sourced from.  This is an internationally recognised common standard and criteria that is a mark of quality and eco-friendly products.

As well as the green credentials of oak frames, they also have practical benefits for the homeowner.  Oak is naturally very strong while still having moisture within it.  This is a good thing because as the wood dries over time, it pulls the structure closer together, ensuring the structure is even stronger.  Oak frames are versatile and can be finished in a range of different ways to ensure the garage is well insulated as well as looking fabulous.

Styles of garage

There are three main designs for the oak framed garage – one, two or three bays.  There are also variations within this grouping that allow you to further personalise the look of the garage that you add to your home.  As the names suggest, a one bay garage has a single bay within it, while a two bay has two, side by side.  And a three bay is one of the largest styles, with three bays side by side.

The full hip is one example – this the classic look of a house with a central high ridge and a pitched roof that is the same on all sides.  A rear catslide adds a little extra space to the garage with its own roofed area, called a catslide.  A gable end is the same style as seen on roofs – a flat end at the garage that makes it ideal to sit against the house.

Conclusion

Oak framed garages are an ideal way to add a quality garage to your property.  You can add these in many cases without planning permission and quality oak kits make it easy to construct and very long lasting.