If you own a car, you probably already have a garage or are planning to build it. On the site, you can build a metal structure, which will cost less than the rest. However, before starting work, you must familiarize yourself with the technology. Some home craftsmen note that prefabricated metal structures have their advantages, among them:
- relative cheapness;
- high fire resistance;
- protection against vandals.
Metal garages are not considered capital, therefore, before construction it is not necessary to obtain a special permit. If you intend to engage in such work, then they will be able to be completed in the shortest possible time. This is due to the fact that you do not have to lay out brick walls, it will only be necessary to assemble the frame into a single structure and install it on the base.
Do-it-yourself metal garage can be made in the form of a frame or welded structure. The latter is more durable and stable, while the former is easier and faster to line up. If necessary, this design can be disassembled and transported to any convenient place. If you cannot decide which type of building to choose, then you should determine for how long you plan to put it.
It should be remembered that such buildings have their own characteristics: in the summer they are quite hot, while in winter the room is instantly filled with cold. That is why the garage will need to be well insulated, this applies not only to the walls, but also to the ceiling, as well as the floor. You can use a variety of materials for this. However, it is better to choose those that do not burn, because it is important to save the car and prevent the spread of fire, if there is such a possibility.
Seat selection
If you will be building a metal garage with your own hands, then first you need to find a place. This stage is one of the most responsible. The building should be located at some distance from the house and not adjacent to the windows. The building should not be located in a lowland, because in this case it will be flooded by rain and melt water.
The staircase should be as convenient as possible. The area of the building itself will depend on the car, however the most common parameters are the following: 3.6 x 7 m. It is important to consider the dimensions of the car and the place for tools, spare tires, accessories and a pump when planning.
Material selection
Do-it-yourself metal garage will be able to build any home master. To do this, prepare:
- sheets of metal;
- bearing elements;
- Profiles
- casing;
- ingredients for concrete;
- fasteners.
As for the supporting elements, profile pipes and products of circular cross-section should be included here. The metal sheets must be galvanized, so you can protect the structure from rust. The most suitable material for the garage is professional flooring. It is characterized by durability and reliability, but it is important to take into account its drawback, which is expressed in high cost. The primed sheet will be cheaper, but it is characterized by low resistance to atmospheric precipitation and temperature extremes, so it will not last long.
Project creation
You can start building a metal garage with your own hands after the project is ready. Its creation is considered the beginning of construction. For this, there is no need to prepare rolls of drawings, however, the structure is best depicted on paper, having determined the dimensions. At the same time, the master will need to decide what functions the building will perform.
Sometimes a garage acts only as the place where the car is stored. But if you want to carry out repairs yourself, you will also need a viewing hole. It is important to determine the size of the building, taking into account the area of the territory, its characteristics and tasks that will be assigned to the owner, as well as the size of the machine. A parking garage with dimensions of 3 x 5.5 m is quite enough for parking. This is true, unless you are the owner of the Hammer. The size of the building should be increased if you plan to place additional equipment inside.
Location breakdown
Before you make a metal garage with your own hands, you must break the terrain. To do this, use 10 pegs, the length of which is 40 cm. You can use pieces of reinforcement with a diameter ranging from 10 to 12 mm. You can stock up with a heavy hammer or sledgehammer, a nylon cord of 40 m, and also a 5 m tape measure.
In order to tie the garage to a specific area, it is necessary to determine the point where one of the corners will be located. The placement of the garage in space will be determined by this mark. In some cases, the garage is attached to the existing line of such buildings, but there are other options when the structure is freestanding.
Foundation and flooring
If you wondered how to make a metal garage with your own hands, then the next step is to start building the foundation. Carrying racks are dug in at the corners of the site. If there is a viewing hole in the garage, then they dig it out in advance. Inside the racks, the space is poured with concrete. The thickness of such a pillow should not be too large, this parameter is a limit of 10 to 15 cm above ground level.
In order to prevent water from entering the garage, it is necessary to make a foundation on a raised platform. Concreting the floor is easier to carry out in a metal structure than in a stone building. As practice shows, for pouring a garage floor with the above parameters, you need about 3 m 3 of concrete.
Construction of a strip foundation for a metal garage
The metal structure will turn out to be quite light, therefore, it is possible to perform an unfilled strip foundation for it. Under the ground, it will be located at a level ranging from 15 to 20 cm. For this purpose, you can use several reinforced concrete slabs that will protrude from the floor.
The dimensions of the garage will determine the parameters for the breakdown on the ground. The site is cleared of vegetation, the upper fertile soil layer is removed, and a trench is dug around the perimeter. Depth and width will be equal to the bayonet of the shovel. Sand or gravel is poured at the bottom, such a pillow needs to be well tamped. If you want to make a floor elevated above ground level in a metal garage with your own hands, then you will need to additionally install a formwork that raises the floor above the soil.
Pit waterproofing
A pit in a metal garage can be bricked up. After completion of installation, you can begin to waterproof the outer walls. Carry out manipulations after 3 days. Brickwork is primed with a roller on a long handle. Walls are left to dry.
Next, you will need to warm up the bitumen mastic and use a roller to apply it on the walls in a dense layer. The free space outside the walls of the pit must be covered with soil, however, these works can be carried out only after the mastic has completely dried. Clogging voids with soil is necessary in layers, compacting the soil, otherwise the earth will sag under the concrete coating, cracks will form.
Garage assembly
We build a metal garage with our own hands, guided by a certain technology. At the next stage, it provides for the assembly of the structure. First you have to form a frame. With the help of mowing, you will need to connect vertical racks to each other, the first are located in the central part, above and below. The frame is welded, however, it is permissible to connect it with mechanical fasteners.
In such a garage, the roof is sloped, so a ceiling in the form of triangular profiles is built on top of the frame. The structure is sheathed with metal sheets that are welded or screwed with screws. If you use the latest technique, then the garage can easily be disassembled if necessary.
Gate installation
If you have a question about how to build a metal garage with your own hands, then you should know the nuances of installing a gate. This stage can be called the most time-consuming and responsible. If you don’t want to make gates yourself, they can be purchased ready-made. The frame is made of metal corners, which are welded to the racks. The gates are sheathed with metal sheet. The width of the gate is usually 2.5 m or more. Special attention should be given to castles. It is recommended to use two main ones and one that will block access to the opening for the key of the main lock.
Warming
After completion of construction, you must definitely decide on how to insulate a metal garage with your own hands. The metal will quickly heat up in the sun and cool in the cold, so this design is particularly acute problem with thermal insulation. To carry out such work, it is better to purchase mineral wool. The main advantages are low thermal conductivity and fire safety.
In the role of thermal insulation, you can use polystyrene, which will reduce the cost of construction. However, this material is combustible. On sale you can find a foam that has the ability to attenuate. The insulation can be coated. Classify it in several varieties. For example, plain steel is coated with primer. As for corrugated board, it is made on a steel basis and has a zinc coating. This option is more reliable. As a casing, you can use:
Additional recommendations for garage insulation using slab insulation
Insulation of the metal garage from the inside with your own hands can be carried out using plate heat insulation. Such materials are much more convenient to stack, but they are more expensive than others. For example, mineral wool has a high density, its thermal insulation properties are better compared to wool in rolls. For the reason that the metal does not resist the passage of heat, it is better to choose polystyrene for high-quality thermal insulation, the thickness of which varies from 50 to 100 mm.
Insulating walls and a roof is quite simple, but certain problems can arise with the floor. In this case, you can not do without a coupler with reinforcement. This is due to the fact that no insulation will be able to endure the weight of the car. Use strong material such as 50 mm thick foam or extruded polystyrene foam.
Thermal insulation is laid on a flat surface, and then poured with concrete. If the insulation of a metal garage with your own hands is carried out by a home foreman, then he should know that at the initial stage of thermal insulation work it is necessary to lay a waterproofing film. In this case, a mesh of periodic profile reinforcement is laid in the monolithic structure. The diameter of the rods should be 8 mm or more. Elements are interconnected by wire. The thickness of the poured concrete can vary from 100 to 120 mm. If the garage is movable or has an iron floor, then it will not be possible to insulate it from below, it will be possible only before installation in a new place.
Ventilation system
Doing the ventilation of a metal garage with your own hands may well be equipped. For this, at the first stage, the area of the system holes is determined. Given the norms, the holes should be 27 cm in diameter, if the size of the garage is 6 x 3 m. If there are two holes, then their diameter should be equal to half the result. The holes should be made in the walls where the ducts from the pipes will be installed.
Holes should be 15 cm from the floor. When a metal garage is being built with your own hands, it is recommended that you consider the photo. This design implies the need for ventilation. On the opposite side you need to arrange the holes for the outlet pipe. They should be 10 cm below the ceiling. The pipe must be led out of the roof. The higher it can be withdrawn, the more air exchange will be.
The minimum pipe height above the roof surface is 50 cm. After installing the pipe in the openings, the gaps between the wall and air ducts should be sealed. External openings are closed with bars to prevent the penetration of rodents. Rainfall can be prevented by installing a special cap.
Conclusion
When a prefabricated metal garage is built by one's own hands, subsequently the owners still have the opportunity to disassemble the structure and transport it to any convenient place. If you do not plan to engage in such work, then the elements can be welded together, reliably sealing the seams and insulating the structure.