Garage conversion - regularisation certificate If you want to know how your DIY projects could be affected by building and planning regulations, click here to post questions and view answers

[maddyboy]

Hello, has anyone had any experience of dealing with getting a Regularisation Certificate from building control in the following circumstance. We have recently purchased a house where the garage has been half converted into a utility room, a cavity wall was erected to divide the garage, building control now want proof to confirm that the support of the cavity wall between the remaining garage and utility room is adequate. I'm of the opinion that if the garage was built to hold the weight of a car then it can easily support a cavity wall, has anyone come across this issue and does anyone have any advice that they can offer.

Thank you

[SPUD1701]

Hi

When you purchased the property did you get a copy of any building warranr from the previous owners, if not then the works maybe deemed as unauthorised under building regulations and then the offciers are quite right to ask the question.

This wall will probably be a separating wall between the house and the garage and then should be constructed off a foundation, usually min150 - 200mm thick.

What you will have to do is establish where the garage floor is suitably constructed to act as a foundation, most garage floors tend only to be 50 - 100mm thick concrete, they are there to hold ant DPM in place, garage floor concrete tends not to be structural, original builder could have put paving slabs in they would support the car, the concrete only cover for the compacted construction underneath.

Check thickness of slab at door opening best place to get idea of thickness.

Building Control are asking you to prove that the garage floor is adequate .