From tornado downed trees to a new garage

[GeorgiaHybrid]

OK guys,

I promised a few of you a build thread and here it is. It will be a long one as I took a LOT of pictures during the build. As most of you know, we had several tornados that came thru the neighborhood last year that cleared most of my trees from the backyard. I will make this several posts in the same thread with this one ending with the foundations in and stem walls done.

Here is what I started with after a month of cutting, burning and hauling stumps away with the bobcat I rented:




All cleaned up and the stakes are in for the new garage location:


The little baby excavator arrives to dig footings:

Meanwhile, the backyard looked like a bombing range from the stump holes left so I needed a few loads of fill dirt.....The wife liked what she saw so I kept that guy busy for a while...

Footings dug and rebar in the ground ready for concrete:


Meanwhile in the backyard....

Footings going in:


Remaining rebar for the floor slab:

The forms for the stem wall show up and start going into place:

Meanwhile in the backyard, the wife REALLY likes the new yard getting flatter and flatter without the gulley we used to have back there...

The forms are up, the rebar is in the walls and 4,000 psi pump mix gets pumped in. Two days later, the forms start to come down and the stem walls are starting to show:






Decided to go up on the mountain in the background and take a picture from on high....If you look close you can see the track of the 1st tornado at 9 AM going from right to left across the bottom of the screen and the little one that came thru at 1PM going the same direction but it hit behind the house with the red roof, went up the hill towards the top of the photo and then joined back up with the track of the first one coming back down the hill on the left side of the picture.

Stem walls revealed, fill brought in and compacted, and a gravel bed is down for the building materials to be put on. Didn't want everything getting Georgia red clay on it...

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Here we go forward with the framing getting started and the first day the framing crew showed up:








Roof trusses up...



Decking and shingles go down:





Meanwhile, in the backyard......The wife really likes the look after 300+ tandem axle loads of fill dirt.



And decides to fill in the side yard also.



I have been busy along with some helpful friends by putting down a vapor barrier and tying a LOT of rebar getting ready for a slab pour that is 5" of 3,500 psi concrete. I also have a LOT bigger footing than I asked for the future two post lift. they contain about 2 yards each with 4 levels of rebar.



Did I mention the wife likes fill dirt?? After doing the side yard, she went "Why not the front?"....there are now just over 350 loads of fill dirt down. It took 54 loads of top soil to cover everything and get something that grass would grow in. You guys in the mid west have NO idea how lucky you are with nice, black dirt to play with.





back at the garage, the slab is done and we are leveling out the gravel and getting ready for the apron pour.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Here we go forward with the electrical rough in and sheetrock being done.

New 200 amp service center run. There are 6 20 amp wall circuits and almost everything has a home run instead of a combined circuit.



The pile of 2x6 oak that will become my new workbenches after another year of drying out.



The grass is starting to come in nicely;



Interior walls going in, the supports for the Liftmasters and garage doors and the mess of light switches and door openers at the man door.











Outside, the siding gets started and the drywall starts going up inside:















Sheetrock gets finished, ceiling paint goes on, the lights start getting hung and plastic over the door openings so I can get some heat in the shop.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Closing in on the finish line, the outside gets completed and the interior gets finished up and painted:





This is my next project, getting the rest of the downed trees burned/cut and then start helping with the neighbors









Move in day with the trim saws and nail guns competing for space with my tools....













Even a working crapper:




After two days of cleaning up, moving around and generally getting things out of the way for the lift install that should happen late this week or next week, this will be the cleanest you EVER see this shop....













Blast and grind room roughed in:




Still junk on the bench but plenty cleaned up for the install:







I still have a bunch of items to complete (baseboards, paint, airlines, etc) but at least the new space is useable. The lift was installed today and the new storage cabinets should be here soon (14 gauge industrial storage, nothing fancy...).

[Domel]

This is awesome!
do you have any "blueprints" of this garage ?
size ? height ?

Great work !

[tinbender 66]

That's about as close to perfect as I've seen. Beautiful piece of land too!!

[55chevy]

Outstanding. North Georgia is beautiful.

I know you are proud of the new shop.

Now, get to work.

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Originally Posted by Domel

This is awesome!
do you have any "blueprints" of this garage ?
size ? height ?

Great work !

It's 32x52 with a 12' stud wall on top of the stem wall. The way everything worked out, there is 15'-8" clear to the drywall on the ceiling. The doors are 10'x10' Clopay with Liftmaster 3800's. If you noticed the wall outlets, each circuit has its own color of face plate and outlet. The side and back wall have 4 circuits (white, grey, almond and brown) while the front wall and outside have 2 circuits (black and orange). That way a glance will tell you what circuit might have too much crap plugged in when a few buddies are working over here. I always hated popping a breaker.

There is a "whole house" fan in the back right corner for venting while welding and during the summer months and hopefully before next winter, a sterling propane heater will go in. I had one print of the layout for the entire build as there are no building permits required here, no inspections (other than the load center for electrical before Georgia Power will hook it up) and if you screw up, it's your fault, not someone elses.

I just need to find one of the project cars I'm interested in and start building fun cars again. It's been way too long since I had a rod so, with the girls graduated and gone, it's daddies time to play.....

[1991Syclone]

I noticed there's a down slope towards the garage but no drain at the door. Are you concerned about water flowing into the garage during a severe storm? It's a beautiful place you have there.

[Nighttrain]

Very very nice. Great way to get your wife to buy in on the construction with 350+ loads of dirt. Also I like the detail on your electrical wires using the romex cover for labels. Thanks for sharing.

[Domel]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaHybrid

It's 32x52 with a 12' stud wall on top of the stem wall. The way everything worked out, there is 15'-8" clear to the drywall on the ceiling. The doors are 10'x10' Clopay with Liftmaster 3800's. If you noticed the wall outlets, each circuit has its own color of face plate and outlet. The side and back wall have 4 circuits (white, grey, almond and brown) while the front wall and outside have 2 circuits (black and orange). That way a glance will tell you what circuit might have too much crap plugged in when a few buddies are working over here. I always hated popping a breaker.

Thank you

[KCarGuy]

WOW! Go Big or Go Home!
Nice Job.
Tons of work and alot of thought and planning.

[bluesman2a]

Wow, that's BEAUTIFUL!!!
I know what I spent on dirt (nowhere NEAR that) and I can tell, you really LOVE your wife. Dirt work is often unappreciated and people don't understand what goes into it. That aspect alone is amazing.

The concrete is great too...

The overall plan is one of the best I've seen on this board. Clean. Simple. Workable. It's not super snazzy, it's not super large, but just looking at it, you can tell it will be a great actual "working" shop.

I know I've probably asked before, but whereabouts in NW Georgia are you? Looks like some of the area up between Blue Ridge and Young-Harris maybe?

[Mmfh]

Man, I wouldn't change a thing! Except maybe the lights above the bay doors. JK. I love the setup, the colors, everything. Especially where its located. Beautiful!

You now have I think one of the coolest shops on GJ. Really nice job!

Mm

[CHRIS P]

Holy sweet garage batman. Thats a sweet build man

[Red Leader]

Wow, that looks great GeorgiaHybrid!

I'm always in admiration of the garages that can show just empty studs and then BAM, everything is sheetrocked - I needed at least 3 pages to dedicate to my drywalling adventures

Looks absolutely fantastic!

[Drunken Yak inc]

That is awesome! I bet you have a grin on your face every time you open a door into it!

[Falcon67]

Very, very nice - great space!

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Originally Posted by 1991Syclone

I noticed there's a down slope towards the garage but no drain at the door. Are you concerned about water flowing into the garage during a severe storm? It's a beautiful place you have there.

It doesn't look like it but the way everything is sloped, I haven't had any water in the garage after as much as 5" of rain in 3 hours. The guy doing the dirt work sloped and cut everything as well as any I have ever seen.

Originally Posted by Mmfh

Man, I wouldn't change a thing! Except maybe the lights above the bay doors. JK. I love the setup, the colors, everything. Especially where its located. Beautiful!

You now have I think one of the coolest shops on GJ. Really nice job!

Mm

The ceiling lights above the doors (when the door is raised) is one of my sore spots. I missed the location by 6" and only one light shines thru the windows of the door when they are open. 6" more to the rear ans they would have been dead on.

bluesman2a, We are in the "missing county" on the back of the state quarter and about 15 miles from the TN and AL state lines.

Thanks for all the complements everyone, this past year has been a nightmare in a lot of ways but like one comment stated, I get a big grin on my face every time I walk out into the garage.

[SuperSocket]

I saw this today (see image below), reminded me of your build. The logs in the picture below was from an aftermath of Cyclone Gudrun. Good reminder to show us how strong mother nature really is.