Windows & Doors for Detached Double Garage Conversion to a Home Gym, Rickmansworth

Location: Rickmansworth

Our clients had recently purchased this stunning Rickmansworth property, and they were keen to enhance the property with a double garage conversion.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, gyms and leisure facilities across the UK closed for many months. There was a huge trend with homeowners to convert their garages into a home gym to feed their fitness and seek sanctuary from the pandemic stress.

The Rickmansworth homeowners were eager to have a dedicated space within their home for keeping fit, so they were keen to convert their detached garage into a home gym with a utility room and storage space for the gym equipment.

The family home is set in the midst of a beautifully landscaped garden and is located in peaceful, tranquil surroundings on one of Rickmansworth’s most popular residential roads.

When the clients contacted Thames Valley Windows for a quote, their architect and structural engineer had already carried out the calculation and prepared the structural drawings for their existing garage for building approval.

Our architectural project designer Marcus contacted the homeowners and spent time understanding their double garage conversion project and discussing their vision and glazing requirements in more detail. Part of their brief was to replace their garage door with a cost-effective, energy-efficient bifold door solution for their double garage conversion, but they were not looking for an up and over door.

Marcus is highly experienced in designing architectural glazing solutions for home renovations and new builds, so he visited the Rickmansworth property to understand the project.

The detached property featured Georgian windows and doors, so Marcus recommended a glazing solution to harmonise the double garage conversion with the existing house.

The homeowners were happy with Marcus’ design ideas and quotation and confirmed that they were keen to proceed with their order.

The Georgian French doors and windows are from our Halo Rustique / uPVC System 10 range. They are finished in smooth white on the inside and outside. The homeowners wanted the long-lasting security that Halo offered and chose white handles with high-security multi-point locks.

Part of the double garage conversion included the removal of the garage door, taking up part of the driveway at the aperture to expose footings and laying one course of bricks with a damp proof course on top before installing the white Georgian windows and doors.

Thames Valley Windows assisted with the brick matching of the garage conversion and scheduled the external work with our recommended home improvement builder to commence a few days before our installation team arrived on site.

The double garage conversion also included internal stud walls, insulation, plastering, lighting and new underfloor heating to the existing structure which the homeowner organised with local trades.

Marcus worked closely with his clients on designing the perfect architectural glazing solution to meet their garage conversion project requirements and personal needs for converting an unused garage into a fantastic home gym. And what a transformation!

The end result is stunning. The home gym has been finished with the high specification with real attention to detail that oozes luxury. The floor to ceiling windows and French doors with slim profiles and narrow sightlines provide a plethora of natural light to fill the room, providing a true sense of opulence, splendour and spaciousness.

The slim sightlines of the double glazing minimise heat loss and allow the garage conversion to reach exceptional thermal performance. The A-rated, toughened double-glazed units have a Low E coating. The units are filled with argon gas between the warm-edge spacer bars to reduce energy consumption and create a sustainable and comfortable living space.

Halo uPVC products are eco-friendly and designed with sustainability in mind. They are manufactured from100% recycled uPVC components to reduce carbon footprint.

Their range of high quality and durable uPVC window and door frames are designed and tested for weather resistance. They offer low maintenance and are naturally resistant to rot, mould and atmospheric corrosion, which means they have a long lifespan. Neither do they fade, peel or warp in hot temperatures

Converting a garage into an extra habitable room is popular with homeowners for additional living space as garage conversions costs tend to be more cost-effective than side or rear extensions.

When converting a detached or integral garage into a habitable room, you will need to check there are no conditions (i.e. covenants) within your property deeds preventing a garage conversion.

If your family home is within a conservation area or is a listed building, it is recommended to consult with a local authority building control officer at the early design stage of your project.

While some garage conversions will fall under permitted development, It is worth contacting your local planning authority to discuss your project and check if planning permission is required.

When changing the use of your garage, you will need to submit a building regulations application to meet the requirements for a habitable extra room.

The final result of this project has exceeded the Rickmansworth homeowner’s expectations. The combination of large windows and French doors offers a glass wall’s aesthetics and is the focal point of this garage conversion.

We are thrilled to have designed a glazing solution for this bespoke garage conversion project that has added the true wow-factor appeal to this beautiful family home. The gallery above shows the dramatic before and after photos.

Halo offers a beautiful collection of innovative window and door styles available in an array of RAL colours and finishes to complement modern and traditional properties, and all come with a 10- year manufacturer guarantee

Products used

• Halo Windows
• uPVC Double Glazed Windows

You may also be interested in reading our blog articles ‘House Extension Ideas’ or ‘How To Match Windows and Doors to your Home’