The Definitive Guide to
Marley Garage Repairs and Refurbishment
Compiled by Leofric Building Systems Ltd - December 2022
After WWII building materials were in short supply so concrete panels, easily moulded, started to become the material for small buildings. They were strong, fire proof, rot free, needed no maintenance and could be stood on a relatively thin base.
The post and panel concept was the first approach later followed by the panel only design. Gradually the post and panel design fell out of favour for a number of reasons. Although the panel was lighter the post was incredibly heavy and subject to breaking in transit.
The Marley Company was one of the first, if not the first, to introduce the panel only arrangement. Others copied this system and today only Leofric make post and panel buildings, as well as the Marley panel system, having bought out the buildings division of the Marley Group in 1988.
Marley’s first panel was only 6ft high and 16″ wide. To obtain a reasonable internal height Marley placed the 6ft panle on a 6″ plinth as can be seen in the photo. Later the 6ft panel was replaced with a new panel measuring 6’6″ in height. Later still Marley introduced the 7ft panel that we use today. The 6′ panels were unmarked. Some of the 6’6″ are coded “A63” on the inside of the panel, near the floor. The 7′ panels have no type number but the actual mould number so the any panel can betraced back to the actual mould used.
Marley kept all their panels to the original 16″ width. Other companies chose a 24″ width for speed of construction. However to keep the weight down they stayed with the 6’6″ height. Marley continued to employ the A63 panel in the rear wall of their rear sloping System Garages.
Most garage blocks slope to the front so that water is not drained on someone else’s land. To get the water away Marley designed a gutter/lintel in concrete with the downpipe in the post. This was secure and no one could walk off with a piece of guttering or downpipe for their shed, but over the years this system starts to crumble and disintergrate.
Early Leofric Model – all parts available. Can be converted to System X fronts and Roller Shutter Doors. For more information see Page 3.
Marley Economy Range. Available with 8′ or 9′ interior widths. All parts available. Can be converted to System X fronts and Roller Shutter Doors. For more information see Page 4.
Marley Economy Range. Available with 8′ or 9′ interior widths. All parts available. Can be converted to System X fronts and Roller Shutter Doors. For more information see Page 4.
Another early Marley design. Can be converted to System X fronts and Roller Shutter Doors. For more information see Page 7.
Current Marley design. All parts available and can be converted to System X fronts and Roller Shutter Doors. For more information see Page 13.
These garages have lintel/fascias that in many cases have completely broken down (having been constructed over 50 years ago).
In the photo below we can see that the entire fascia has become crumbled aggregate.
The shell of the garage is usually sound unless it has suffered from a collision and even this garage can be given a new lease of life by conversion to the System LX format.
Recently the lady using this System M-8G garage shut the door (perhaps too vigorously) whereupon the lintel on her garage, similar to the one on the right, crashed to the ground just missing her. Obviously this is dangerous to the person shutting the door or to children using the garage front for soccer practice or similar activity.
These System ME8/9 battery garages are current Marley-designed Leofric built Models and seldom need refurbishment for deterioration but often require repair following vehicle collisions and falling trees or base disruption due to adjacent tree growth. All parts are available, however System LX components will fit to these units to extend building life and enhance apprearance.
This System MH Battery Garage is based on the Marley (now Mayfair Garages) Heritage Model. It has an apex roof which sets it alone in the battery or system garage ranges. The model shown has a smooth panel finish whereas most have a dark, chipped stone surface as shown in the example needing repair! See page 35. All parts are available.
This System FMTR Battery Garage type is based on an early Marley Panel Garage and could be refurbished with System X components on the fronts with aluminium posts and fitted with Roller Shutter Doors. To the rear we would fit uPVC gutters and downpipes.This concrete garage has the flared side posts but not the tapered wedges that create the roof slope of the MQ.
This System MQ battery garage is a very early Marley design known as The Marley Master. The System MQ battery garage panels are 16″ wide and 6′ high, they are tongued and grooved and sit on a 6″ plinth .This particular example has been completely re-faced so only the end and rear walls give any indication of the type.
Note the posts located between the first and last three panels which are themselves slightly flared out towards the base. This type of construction is unique. Also note the wedge shaped concrete mounted on the side panels to give the roof drainage pitch.
These system M8F/R battery garages are still in our current range. Most are in good condition but they do suffer from collision damage from time to time. All parts are available.
This is how the M-8F looked after a repair. The Type indicates the slope of the roof, F slopes and drains to the front. The R slopes backwards and drains to the rear. The 8 or 9 indicates the internal width of the garage. All System M8F/R Garages can be converted into System X format.
There are certain concrete parts of Concrete Battery/System Garages that start to deteriorate badly after 15-20 years and if left for 35-50 years can and do pose a health risk with the advent of falling concrete. However it is almost always the front post and lintels that are the problem. The main shell of the garage is usually re-useable and retaining it can save thousands of pounds for even a small block.
There is another issue here. Liability in the event of falling concrete sections injuring people. Cases of this nature have occurred and the Insurance Companies deny such claims pointing out that the building was not properly maintained. Thus the owner is liable for the Court award sometimes in six figures in cases brought by the HSE . We are advised that even if a management company looks after the garage for the owner the claim would still be against the owner, however the owner may then have a claim against the management company.
In the main the concrete panels that have not been subject to collision and/or have not been subject to spalling can be left in place for another 30-50 years. This saves removal and disposal costs which are continually rising. Retaining the existing panels is a much more “green” approach and although we loose business by suggesting that the original concrete be retained we do not want to make work that is not necessary. A site survey soon shows which concrete needs to be replaced and which doesn’t. Inside the garage the purlins may have hairline cracks and they do need to be replaced for reasons of safety.
Here are some examples of concrete lintels and posts that are disintegrating:
Block Refurbishment
Block refurbishment allows for the latest approaches to a more usable product and the use of more modern materials that eliminate maintenance and have a more attractive appearance.
More importantly the use of custom-designed aluminium profiles eliminates future service and deterioration. Bringing the whole block up to date, with all new fronts, roller shutter doors with greater wing mirror clearance is often cheaper than piecemeal replacement of the original concrete downpipe/posts and gutter/lintels. A recent costing for a site with 19 old Marley System 8F garages would have cost about £16,000.- more to renew the defective concrete and doors than replace the entire site with new roller shutter doors and aluminium fronts.
Although the original shells are kept (saving substantial removal and disposal costs) the systems are not able to be mixed in the same block. It’s change all the fronts or none. However the RSDs can be used in the original 8F fronts although the WMC is slightly less than with the entire front change but still greater than that with a cassette Hormaan Door.
More problems with the concrete.
With some Marley models there is a problem with the upstand at the top of the post/downpipe. This extension “blade” at the top of the post breaks off and falls. I weighs about 20lbs. This could injure anyone standing below it.
From the first introduction of Battery/System Garages the preferred material was corrigated asbestos. When the health problems associated with this material were realised the material of choice switched to fibre cement although corrigated metal sheeting was used in some cases.
Both asbestos and fibre cement are porous and the build up of moss and other vegitation can take hold. by holding water on the roof longer then the roof material starts to break down and water seeps in. The dark part of the under roof photo shows where this is happening:
Unless the garages have been re-roofed in the last 15-20 years they will have asbestos roof sheets. These need to be removed. The cost of this work continues to rise and the number of sites that will take asbestos is deminishing hence higher prices are on the way. It is already against the law to sell a house that contains asbestos and this could include outbuildings and garages before long.
Fibre cement was the material that most people turned to when asbestos was outlawed. However both attract organic growth.
Gutters are important too and the original Marley’s had accessible gutters although they proved to be a bit too narrow and needed cleaning out quite often.
System or battery garages have very nearly flat roofs, usually only about two degrees. They are naturals for allowing moss and vegetation to take hold as shown opposite. The original asbestos material and the replacement fibre cement sheets are a suitable growth base for such organic material and the sheets become porous, break up and leak. Plastic coated steel does not provide a surface for such vegetation to attempt to root and therefore does not become porous and remains waterproof.
Rain has to be allowed to drain away rapidly and without the obstruction of leaves and blown debris filling gutters and downpipes. Gutters often need cleaning out depending on the location, under trees for instance. The gutters in concrete lintel/gutters are small and easily block causing water to rise over the gutter-to-post joint and into the garage. This water then runs over the spring/lever mechanism of the door causing it to rust and eventually fail.
With the System X the moulded concrete lintel/gutters are replaced with powder coated aluminium extrusions which will never rot, spall, rust or crack. The concrete posts which contain the downpipes are replaced by square section aluminium extrusions which are also powder coated. The aluminium downpipe channel cross section has an area of 5250sqmm whereas the downpipe contained inside the concrete post is only 2043sqmm, or roughly two and a half times the capacity. So the aluminium post/downpipes are less likely to block and even if it did then frozen water in the downpipe will not cause the pipe to crack or split which happens with the original concrete versions.
Anti-condensation sprayed-on material is a cost effective way to minimise the problem of condensation forming on a single skin steel or uPVC sheet. A compound is applied to the underside of the roof and this allows the sheet to absorb up to 1kg of water per square metre, reducing water dripping. This material can be applied to a variety of profiles both traditional corrugated and box profile.
Why condensation forms:
Condensation forms on un-insulated metal or uPVC sheets when the temperature and humidity conditions reach the dew point, moisture condenses onto the underside of the sheet. If there is a lot of condensation, drops of water form and start to fall. The traditional method for dealing with condensation is to try to insulate the roof so that the sheet temperature never reaches the dew point. An insulated roof is more expensive than a single skin roof and is not always the most suitable choice.
How anticon works:
Anti-condensation sheets reduce dripping by absorbing water and retaining it within the anticon material. When temperatures rise the water that has been absorbed by the material will start to evaporate back into the air and the material will dry out. It is vitally important to ventilate the building when using this type of sheeting for this reason.
As mentioned above the material can only hold so much moisture and if a wet vehicle with a hot engine is parked in a garage during cold weather the temperature of the air in the garage increases and can absorb more water which will be all over and under the vehicle. As the temperature falls during the night the moisture will be deposited on the coldest surfaces which can be so intense that droplets form and fall resembling a leaking roof which is not, in fact, leaking.
All about Doors and Locks
Door Functions and Security
We are all aware that today’s vehicles are, in the main, wider and higher that those constructed at the time when Marley Garages first came onto the market (over sixty years ago). Of all the limitations that these older garages possess wing mirror clearance (WMC) between the door posts is the biggest problem for most of today’s users. At the time of their introduction and in order to provide maximum wing WMC, Marley designed and built their own doors, which went from post to post with no frame, however the operating mechanism decreased the WMC by 94mm (47mm on each side). Thus their WMC of 2273mm was reduced to 2179mm.
Part of the problem here is the post width used by Marley (and others using the same concept) to accommodate their rainwater downpipe. This measures 235mm in width and frames the door. This concrete post not only reduces the WMC but splits or spalls with time. This is as a result of water freezing in the blocked downpipes (more later). With a roller shutter door the post/downpipe is the same thickness as the garage dividing wall only the roller shutter door guides protrude into the WMC thus increasing the WMC to 2294mm. Therefore the extra WMC obtained over the original Marley door is 2294-2179=115mm (nearly 5 inches) and over a Hormann door 2294-2024=270mm (over 10 inches).
In recently the German door manufacturer, Hormann, have taken over the market, even to the point of buying out the last remaining UK manufacturer, Garador, so that low cost up and over doors no longer exist. Furthermore in order to sell a replacement product that is easier to ship, Hormann place a frame around their door and have labelled that format a “cassette door”. Whilst this is a practical solution that helps keep the door in good shape during transportation and fitting, it does mean that the WMC is substantially reduced. The apparent door width of 2108mm is further reduced by the operating mechanism to 2024 mm(42mm on each side).
With our roller shutter door there is no mechanism. The spring and other parts are contained within the roll of slats. And, as an added benefit, there are no levers and springs exposed which could be a safety hazard. Plus all of the interior space is available for storage and shelving.
With our roller shutter door we offer two locking systems. Either or both can be fitted. One is the simple hasp and clip padlocking the base rail to ground which can be employed singly, or in pairs, the other is a plunger that engages with one of the solid slats in the door at mid-height so that locking and unlocking is possible without bending down. Cutting these side locks with an angle grinder is not so easy and very noisy. Even cutting the slats doesn’t work as the linkage continues in the guides which would require a 7′ long vertical cut to remove (difficult).
Doors – Up and Over
The problems
Once one of these doors suffers impact they distort and as they cannot be straightened. Then they jam and/or no longer lock properly. Also with time the lever/spring arrangements jam and the doors stick and require significant force (often beyond that of seniors) to operate.
Doors – Roller Shutter
The benefits
If the fronts of our new System LX Garage looks like its nearly all door, well it is! This is due to the use of customised roller shutter doors to make entry easier over conventional up-and-over doors. In real terms the side-to-side clearance increases by as much as 13 inches and the pass under clearance increases by up to 8 inches over that provided by current system (battery) garages. This is a valuable benefit as today many new vehicles are higher and wider.
Then on bottom edge of the base rail we have chosen a foam rubber seal as used in industrial applications to keep ground water out, and, as this is a standard industrial product it will be available for years to come, unlike purpose-made seals that cannot be found some years later. This seal is just visible under the base slat of the door. By comparison, up-and-over doors have a knife-edge “wiper-blade” seal that does not follow the minor bumps in the floor concrete.
Then there is the matter of opening and closing the door. To this end our roller shutter door has a handrail slat that can be seen in the photographs at just about waist level. This slat enables the door to be opened and closed without bending down or reaching too high. It was positioned by an MS sufferer.
The doorslats and frame are made from powder-coated aluminium extrusions so they can never rust. The single coil spring that counterbalances the door can be adjusted but from new the door requires very little effort to raise and lower. Ideal for older folk!
One final and huge benefit relates to damage rectification. One sees dented and damaged up-and-over doors all too often. These doors cannot be straightened and have to be replaced or they jam or can no longer be locked. Our roller shutter doors require only new slats to be slid into place at a cost of a few pounds each, as opposed to around £900 for an up-and-over door with fitting!
System Garages are often used for general storage and not for vehicle garaging. To provide more options for community storage Leofric have developed two new ranges. MiniStores see page 39 and Community Storage Units (CSU’s). Call 01386 430 121 for further details or check on this site under Our New Models – MiniStores
Maximising the use of land area is in the interests of everyone, and with many garages used as storage units the possibility arises to fill-in with our MiniStor’s where space does not permit an extra garage. Note how Colchester Borough Homes used an area, not big enough for garages to erect our MiniStor’s and gain extra revenue.
Some renewals have taken the form of a major width change from 8′ to 9′. This is useful for the occupier but loses rental units and, if on a sloping site requires drive-in ramps to be installed as shown here. And at the end of the same block a MiniStor could have been added for not much money, probably recoverable with just three years revenues.
Note the aluminium joining post in the centre of the rear wall. In this garage this post has increased the width by 76mm (3″) which means 3″ of extra wing mirror clearance when driving in. Also on the outside of the building the post has sockets to support solar panel arrays or lighting or security camers, even flower baskets! These posts can be inserted into the walls at any point giving a multitude of options.
There are certain signs related to the deterioration of Battery/System Garages that should not be ignored. Here are the most common that occur with the Marley Range and a type from an unknown manufacturer that we refer to as “System B”:
Breakup of the front fascia/lintel/gutter.
With the two main brands the type of failure is different. The Marley fascia/lintel/gutter has an intricate wire frame and seldom collapses along its length, instead chunks fall off either above or below the centre line, sometimes both.
So the ideal System or Battery Garage would have non-corroding lintels, non-corroding downpipe posts to carry the rainwater away, a component to stop under panel water ingression and inexpensive, current guttering to add a modern look at very low cost. Our new System LX meets all of these criteria.
With any of the failures listed above, injury can occur. Currently the owner would be liable and we are informed that this would not be regarded as an insurance loss or claim. Thus a personal injury claim would be payable by the property owner. Where the building is under management the property owner should take legal advice on whether the management company has any claim exposure. Claims for personal injury usually run into six figures. Insurance companies take the view that they do not cover unmaintained buildings and will deny any claim either for repair or for personal injury.
As manufactured, up and over doors rely on rods actuated by a handle to enter sockets in the frame. This sounds secure enough but in reality it offers a low level of security. We have the video of a break-in that took less than 80 seconds to can open the skin of the door, move the operating rods and gain entry to the building. A bar at the base of the door would have stopped this, but such a bar can be cut off with an angle grinder.
The fascia gutter cover on the right (not ours) needs to be removed for gutter cleaning. This envolves removing and replacing 30-40 self tapping screws, which after a few removals will have opened up their hole so that they no longer hold and larger screws will be needed. With our gutters you just blow or brush them out. See the roof view on page 25/26.
Yes, this is the front of the garage. In our System 8FX we use accessible square flow uPVC guttering that is easily cleaned by anyone with a short ladder and no tools.
Look at any group of up-and-over doors and you will see evidence of collision damage. with a minor “bump” the door may remain usable but any distortion of the door panel will cause it to become unlockable and often to jam.
These doors are virtually unrepairable and have to be replaced. Today that cost with labour is in the region of £700 to £900 depending on the location and the model.
With a roller shutter door (RSD) only the damaged slats need changing and these cost about £12 each at current prices. With labour changing 3-4 slats should cost no more than £100-£130, and can be carried out by the owners/property managers maintenance staff where available.
After dented doors concrete posts are the next casualty. Shown here is the effect of a sideways hit on an interpost. The interpost has moved to the left. The dividing wall has been buckled and the end wall and post also moved to the left. This is clear from the exposed break in the line of the floor filet. If an end post is hit it normally cracks in one or more places.
There are two kinds of expense related to battery/system garages – one off repairs and block refurbishment and the approach is different. See page 23
Before we can undertake any roof work on existing garages we are required to see a Laboratory Test Result. If you do not have such a report listing the work site location, we can get a test carried out for you from a sample that we will collect. There are many myths abounding as to what is “safe” and what is not. The most common form of asbestos in roofing material is Chrysotile, often referred to as “white asbestos”. While this material is not as hazardous as “blue” or “brown” asbestos, it is still highly carcinogenic and requires legally enforced controls to be observed in connection with its removal and disposal. For more information on this subject go to the following web documents:
A0 – HSE documentation on Advice on non-licensed work with asbestos
Em1 – HSE documentation on What to do if you uncover or damage materials that may contain asbestos
Fact Sheet – IOSH on RESPIRABLE CRYSTALLINE SILICA: THE FACTS
Frequently Asked Questions – HSE – All Asbestos related questions answered or with additional leaflets to download to provide more information.
L143 – Managing and working with asbestos
Trade Names of ACMs – all possible names from a brand point of view and the type of asbestos and % contained within.
However the fastest way to update yourself on this subject is by visiting the UK Government website on this subject at:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/dangerous.htm
Leofric Building Systems Ltd have on their staff Licenced Operatives to remove and bag asbestos and have a Hazardous Waste Transportation Licence to facilitate its removal to an accedited waste centre.
For over 60 years the construction of Battery Garages that feature built-in gutters and down pipes have continued to be constructed in the same pattern. Repair experience has shown us that a better arrangement was needed hence we have designed and released System LX.
System LX outfeatures and will outlast any other battery garage system available today. Here you can read how and why:
System LX retains the original interlocking concrete panels (these have held up flawlessly) but System LX incorporates a new front lintel, new front posts, integrated roller shutter guides, a new roller shutter door and triangular extruded purlins, all in extruded aliminium, which is then powder-coated giving a maintainance free finish.
The front post which doubles up as the down post with 2.8 times the capacity of the current pipes that are encased in concrete. Virtually no chance of a blockage.
The roller shutter door guides slide into the front post. This gives an integrated lintel support section equal to an “I” Beam measuring 200mm by 150mm and 5mm thick. Which is massive.
The “Z” shaped alumnium lintel which supports the roof sheets is fixed to the post/guides combo.
Square-Flow open guttering drops into the open top of the posts and is fixed at the back to the lintel.
How about cleaning? See overleaf:
The aluminium downpipe/post will not block easily, unlike the interpost pipes of earlier models. In fact the new post/pipe has about three times the capacity of the original Marley design or the System “B” Type .Debris drops out of the pipe and is easily brushed away.
Our new aluminium base plate has an internal upstand which prevents water going under the panel and into the garage. A double-sided bitumen tape under the base plate resists water going under the plate but the efficacy of the tape seal depends on the flatness of the concrete base.
Cement fillets crack-up. This is no laughing matter. Often in the past a cement fillet was laid along the inside of the exterior walls. It only takes one severe frost to break the fillet away from the panel base and the floor and in comes the water.
MiniStores – These buildings use our conventional concrete panels combined with double (mother and daughter) doors with an opening of just under four feet. The roof is made from uPVC that resists high impact conditions without cracking (see our video).
Community Storage Units (Sheds!) – New to the market these buildings (CSU’s) combine an aluminium-framed unit with wall panels of LeoWood, a material composite of puverised wood fused with pulverised plasic bottles. A small unit consumes over a thousand 500cc plastic bottles.
New Modena 3 Range – This type of CSU can be supplied in either the TD (Twin Door) execution or the RSD (Roller Shutter Door) Version. The RSD version has the advantage of no threshold making them perfect for Disabled Scooters or Motorcycles. These can be built in any combination, in any order and in any length.
For instance, a range of sizes – As the panels measure 1′, 2′,or 4′ sizes can be in any combination with side post giving unlimited length
Variable Bed Depth – Up to 22′ by attaching floor boards under the soil with brackets under the corner profiles
Vertical Support for Trellises – Note the aluminium corner sections . These can take posts to support higher units
Mini Greenhouse Covers – Can be fitted over the earth in the planter
No Maintenance Concrete Construction
No Wood to Rot
So please re-visit us shortly or call 01386 430 121 for more details.
Thank you from the Leofric Team at Mickleton
Read the following battery garage FAQ’s to find out many answers.
Why do I need a site visit?
Experience has shown us that many people will see the external manifestations of failing concrete but are often unaware of where further deterioration can exist. Many times we are asked to “just repair the roof” and we find on examination that the old purlins are cracked and are about to fail. And, of course, identifying asbestos has to be done and removed before we can proceed. More details concerning the presence and removal of asbestos (usually in the form of Chrysotile) can be found under the “All About” menu heading. This is very important reading.
Our charge cost about 50% of our real cost and is imposed to limit the number of requests for such inspections to those who seriously intend to have work carried out.
What does an insurance claim cover?
Generally insurance companies will pay for damage caused by materials (like trees) falling onto the building or as a result of something hitting it (like a vehicle). What they will not pay for is deterioration, corrosion (like rust or rot) or disintergration like cracking or spalling concrete. And more importantly, if personal injury results from any such deterioration they will deny any liability. Therefore if the flashing around a roof has bent slightly and has rust patches insurers will want it straightened not replaced.
Deposit Payment
When a job has been quoted Leofric will await the payment of the deposit before the work is put into our work programme. No materials will be ordered and therefore if any item that is on an extended lead time (such as special colour doors} can delay fulfillment considerably.
Further Payments
These depend on several factors including the length and extent of the work and our prior relationship with the client where applicable.
Site and building clearance
Buildings have to be empty. Leofric specifically takes no responsibility for any items left in the building in any regard includung damage or theft.
Charges for denial of access
Where we or our sub-contractors are unable to carry out their work for whatever reason such as lack of access but excluding weather conditions, then a charge will be made in line with the loss suffered.
Legal Position
Few garage owners realise that they are liable if part of their (deteriorating) garage falls onto a person.