Amazing Glazing

With the downstairs structurally sound now we need to get cracking upstairs says Kev. So while George get's going building the frames, we decide on and try numerous different layouts on the office and kitchennette front.

Finally, deciding on the layout with 3 interconnecting offices, and a "breakfast bar" style open kitchennette.

Initial progress on the second floor is relatively slow as methods for tidily integrating electrics, lighting, networking and Telephoine systems are "designed in" to the build, echa one presenting their own different problems to negotiate.

Each office being built as an individual unit so that the movement in the structure is eliminated in stages as each office gets built onto the last.

As with many a thing, there's a lot that goes on behind the scenes to bring something like this together, here we see Kev undertaking some behind the scenes work?

Rumours of a lost sausage roll were rife at this point though let me tell you!

So, first office nearly ready, time to move onto the rest now.

Moving on up!

So, with the ground floor well under way, and the first floor floorboarding down on the new extension, it's time to start laying up the framework for the new first floor.


That'll be 3 offices and a kitchennette/breakfast bar area then. We're more likely than not to be at work over long hours, evenings and weekends up here, so the environment needs to be suitable to make that as pleasant as possible.



While the details (and there are many) are pounded out downstairs, the basic framework and layout for the first floor is tackled by Kev Baldry assisted by George and with constant interference from Jase and Mike, I'm sure I keep hearing them telling Kev they're "helping" though?



From extensive experience, we know that what's going on in the workshop is often so complex, that even when we need to step away, we need to oversee how things are progressing.



As such, we decided that the ability to be able to view everything going on was pivotal. Both Mike and Jase have a direct hand in everything going on in the workshop, and we feel that these are the reasons that we excel where others don't.



So it's glass galore up there. We also thought it important that customers ought to be able to see their cars being worked on so a large protion of the reception area has been glazed to accommodate this.

Getting Board(ed)

With the basic reception framework up, and particularly the upper floor work in place, we now have a ceiling downstairs to start getting the lighting circuits into.




While we're at it, we may as well make it look nice as well, so we've decided to go for a "floating" ceiling in the reception, which will be back lit all the way around.

In the meantime, the double frames for carrying the inner and outer reception plasterboard surfaces can be assembled prior to fitting, the third sound proofing skin is sandwiched between these frames as they're installed into the structural steel shell.





The corner wall will have a viewing window, as will the wall adjoining the main workshop area, we think it's important that should anyone wish to, they can stay on the premises in relative comfort, while still being able to observe any works being carried out on their car.





The impracticality and potential safety/insurance risks involved in allowing open access to the workshop have therefore been adequately catered for.

Likewise, any customer having tuning or diagnostic work carried out on our brand new Dyno Dynamics 4WD rolling road, will be able to view any work on a dedicated monitor in the comfort of our fully serviced reception area.

Looks like Kev Baldry (Construction Project Manager) just gave somebody the thumbs up on their first piece of combined frame building and dry walling". Well done Mark, only a couple of dozen or so left to do.

Good Reception required

Not just more room for ourselves, but with our new premises being out of easy reach of Nottingham City Centre, we saw the requirement and opportunity to provide a more tolerable, even pleasant environment for our customers.


The new reception area also provides the upper floor space which would be the base for our own staff' offices and facilities.



To facilitate the required office space, we have temporarily removed both the immersion heater system complete, and the reclaimed water system (rain water stored to underground tank and re-used for water for toilets), These will be re-sited onto the office roof later.


With practicality in mind, we've had Kevin design the reception corner angled, to allow easier vehicular access into and out of the workshop area.

With a desire to keep noise to a minimum, we have also opted for a Structural Steel frame which will be sound insulated, of triple skin construction.

You've been framed

Structural Steel being collected for assembly of the Reception area, customer waiting room which will also carry the second floor where our offices will be located giving a panoramic view out over our workshop and Dyno cell.

Chosen method of construction as it is stronger and allows us to triple insulate against sound for the reception area.

Drilled measured and plated, ready to go.

And here is our Construction Project Manager, Kevin Baldry, (ground floor, back to camera, blue shirt) I'll take an early opportunity for thanking him for his expertise and un-wavering professional approach throughout.

Probably more so for his expert eye for the minutest attention to detail and the amount of patience shown in the face of a demanding client.

That aside, on with the show. Here we can see the outline of the reception area taking shape.

Not quite so obvious, is that it's dark outside; a substantial amount of the project will need to be carried out outside normal work hours and at weekends.

The plan is to not impact too heavily on our already busy workload at the current premises, while it's going to be impossible that day to day operations will be affected, we will be attempting to keep those instances to the absolute minimum.

Daniel, (resonsible for preparing and installing the Structural Steel), fixing a beam across to the existing building ironwork structure. A shame this beam won't be seen when completed as Daniel's welding was a work of art!

Lets get started

With a list so big, it's difficult to know where to start.



Maximum use of available floorspace was essential, so a plan was formed which made best use of space and provided us with what we needed from the premise.

While that was happening, we got to work painting the inside of the building. As the breeze block was "fresh" it swallowed paint at a surprising rate!

Each wall panel (between the white beams) soaked up 10 Litres of high quality masonary paint on the first coat!

We're keeping track of total materials used converting for our own Custom requirements which we'll no doubt itemise at or near completion of works.

With 8.2 Metre Eaves, we were struggling to reach from our step ladders, so we called in the big toys. (Thanks to Hi-Reach) who are conveniently located on our estate.







Mike, and Mark obtained another "gadget" in the shape of an industrial paint sprayer (boy those things are messy) and took around 5 (long) days to paint the walls, and another to do the Gloss border (by hand).


The ceiling lights were inspected and cleaned while we had the opportunity, along with the running of some VERY large armoured 3 phase wire over the main beam to a new distribution board on the far side of the building.




The view was great from 10 metres up on a scissor lift which could be driven while extended.


As can be seen, we've already got stairs up onto the original office (our new engine building room) roof, but at this point, there's a surprise if you get to the top of the stairs and are not concentrating!

Inside the new place

Well, we have posession now, it's early August and the planning is under way.

Mike and Jase are burning the midnight oil as now all the ideas they've had bubbling away for longer than I can remember, all come bursting forward to be sorted at once and boy are there a lot of them!

Like kids at Christmas writing their list for Santa. :D

Still, it's the best thing we could have wished for, the right location, a brand new building (well, nearly) a true blank canvas so we can build the place exactly how we need it to be, with no compromises.

How blank, well, you can see for yourselves. Circa 4,000sq/ft of blankness!