How to convert a garage into a liveable room?

[muntas2028]

So iv'e been living in this home for over 3 years and theres always a problem in my garage. Water leaks in every time it rains and little insects appear from i don't even know where. We've tried to fix that and it just doesn't work. My eldest daughter is in need of her own room and can't bear to stay with her siblings any longer. this garage is a perfect fit and size for her but the problem in that the garage floor is very low compared to the flooring of the house. i want to try renovate this garage into a room with no water coming in from outside, its a struggle cleaning up the flood of water often. 

if anyone is having similar problems or knows how to fix the water issue please do let me know. 

also recommend products for me to use

thank you, Muntas

[JacobZ]

Hi @muntas2028,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

It would be very hard to offer advice without seeing the garage. Could you upload some photos of the garage with some details about where the water is getting in? This would help our members offer advice based on your specific situation.

There are a number of garage conversion projects on Workshop including this Garage converted into library room from @Dave-1 and this Formal entrance created using single car garage from @Nailbag.

The main thing when converting a garage to a living space is weatherproofing the room. This often requires the removal of the garage door and the construction of a framed wall. Creating a weatherproof seal with a framed wall is not too hard, but the specific process will differ depending on the circumstances of your specific project.

Does the water get into the garage under the garage door? Or are there other areas where it is getting in? 

The water entry is going to be the most important issue to fix before any other construction can be carried out.

Once we have some images for reference, I'm happy to offer more specific advice.

Let me know if you need a hand uploading images, I'm more than happy to help.

Jacob

[JacobZ]

Hi @muntas2028,

I forgot to mention that it is always a good idea to check with your local council to ensure what you are doing is compliant with local building regulations. A quick phone call can save a lot of heartache from starting a project that is subsequently deemed non-compliant.

It's always better to be informed before you start.

Jacob

[Dave-1]

Good Morning @muntas2028 

Loooove converting garages to other uses But as @JacobZ has said council frowns upon it. My council dosnt like the idea because it means the car that was in the garage space is pushed outside, that car that was there then gets pushed to park on the road. So it comes down to more cars on the road and the council has to deal with complaints about parking. I was surpprised when I found that out. Its not a defininite No BTW

Looking forward to some photos of the general area, from outside, front on, and interior walls plus ceiling.

I had gone to the trouble of framing and lining my walls before I had water seaping into the garage. I now know that bricks can be porus, also have fine cracks in them and if you have soil up against the wall you could have a problem. I solved mine by removing the soil.

Bugs and stuff.... Ahh when bees make a beeline for the air gaps for the building between the bricks you know you need to stop it.

I have an open style ceiling as I wanted that look. It also makes the room feel larger. Creating a sealed ceiling will go a long way towards stopping bugs.

Looking forward to those pics

Dave

[Nailbag]

As with @JacobZ last post, I would start anything without first checking council as your converting a non-living space into one. It's all most likely going to be doable, but they probably won't give an answer without some form of drawings with elevations etc. You can get your house plans from council for a small fee usually around $30. In my case, I then used my local draftsperson to come to the home and go over my ideas to work out what the requirements will be. I had plans drawn up which I submitted for a builders permit.

A few photos inside and out will help us give some thoughts prior to going next steps.

Nailbag