Texas Saltbox Garage

[TheShrine]

I've been lurking in the background and decided to send some pics of my garage project. I started in July and I am progressing to the end in about 2 weeks. It started as a garage and slowly turned into what my bride calls a "shrine". It's 30 X 37 heated/cooled space. 1,110 sq. ft. of shop and garage space and 510 sq. ft. of living space w/ full bath upstairs. It also has 515 sq. ft. of outside covered storage for yard equipment. I've taken many pics but I seem to be able to upload only 7 at a time. So...here's 7. If anyone's interested I'll send more.

D. J.

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

Yes,send more!

 

[rickairmedic]

DJ just reply to your post and you can post more pics in the reply as many times as you like .

Rick

 

[TheShrine]

Thanks Rick! I'm going to try that after I try this Photobucket URL.

URL removed.

These pics take the project up to the beginning of "throwing up lumber".

D. J.

 

[Togorashi]

Looking forward to more updates and details. I live in Austin, so I'm always curious how people are doing things here in Central Texas.

 

[porschedude996TT]

Very intersting foundation, what is that called with the individual cells.

Thks, K

 

[TheShrine]

Here in the TX Hill country we have a lot of rock. I'm on a hill ridge that is totally rock about 3 to 4 inches down.Code here says you need to go down 12" into undisturbed earth around the perimeter of the slab. Since we could not go down 12", and it is on a slope, we formed the slab with boards and build trenches 12" to 14" wide in the fill dirt (and with bags filled with dirt) around the perimeter and through the center of the slab at strategic weight bearing locations. Then we drill holes in the rock every 10" around the perimeter and insert rebar in the holes and then connect all of the surrounding rebar together establishing a firm non-moving perimeter. The "cells" you see are actually the trenches (we call them beams) that circle and intersect at various places in the slab. As you see from the pics the rebar is used exclusively, no wire mesh. All of the rebar in the trenches, in the slab and those connected to the solid rock base are all connected together before the slab is poured. Obviouslly, as the pics show we wrap the fill dirt with several sheets of plastic. Everyone says I over built the slab but I'm putting in epoxy floors and I wanted no dampness problems. Also, make note of the large square holes. These will be the footings for the 2 post lift I'm installing.

 

[scofo]

Hey DJ , are you close to 1431, man that last photo of the first series looks like my southern view. I'm guessing Whitewater Springs in Burnet county. If so holler if you need a hand.

 

[russlaferrera]

Great pictures! MORE, More pics. You are off to a great start.

 

[Bevis]

If anyone's interested I'll send more.

Ohh yes...keep them coming.

 

[TheShrine]

Hey DJ , are you close to 1431, man that last photo of the first series looks like my southern view. I'm guessing Whitewater Springs in Burnet county. If so holler if you need a hand.

Actually I'm in Kerrville off of Hwy 16 where it starts winding through the hills headed to Bandera. It's a horrible drive....unless you're in the Vette!

 

[scofo]

Bandera. That place is nuts on a saturday afternoon. Drink will flow, so will some horse ****.

 

[TheShrine]

More pics of the build........

Thor checking out the lift side..............

Storage/sound proof room......

 

[TheShrine]

OK, I'm going to try another pic posting technique. Hopefully it'll allow full size posting..................

Basic framing is completed and OSB is going up

 

[TheShrine]

Basic framing continues with HardiPlank being installed...............

Electricians laying conduit (in the rock) from service to garage..........

A rock saw was used to lay all piping since a shovel will get down to about 3 inches. It was the only way to go but I never realized the mess of the end result. The were pieces of rock about the size of a fist EVERYWHERE! It took days to clean up. Also, the end result of the rock saw is not a "dirt" that can be used. It leaves a very fine powder that disappears once it is wet. The white stuff (pulverized lime stone) you see around the trench was abundant but useless as a refill.

Lift side of project is beginning to take shape.................

More to come.

 

[TheShrine]

Rock has been installed, HardiPlank on and sealed, now we paint the outside.........

Some pics of the upstairs Man Room.................

 

[TheShrine]

Special care for the cedar beams..

Finally got the split ductless A/C systems delivered...

Rear entry/deck is going in...

Insulation is going in and OSB on top of it...........

My winch for lifting my camper from my Z71 P/U has been installed. It is really convenient and easy to put on and get off. It's out of the way and high enough (23 feet) that it will not interfere with anything I'll put on the 2 post lift.

The covered area below the deck/stairs will be wrapped with PVC lattice and that is where I'll keep lawn equipment and stuff I don't want in the garage. I've always had to share the garage space with lawn stuff and now I have plenty of room outside....

 

[JMURiz]

Wow, that's a damn fancy garage space!

 

[PAToyota]

Looks great!

A question on the siding. Is there a reason that the siding was ripped into strips like that with spaces left between them? We've always used the full 4x8 sheets and then just had the battens over the actual joints and then just spaced across the field of the panel to give the look.

 

[TheShrine]

Looks great!

A question on the siding. Is there a reason that the siding was ripped into strips like that with spaces left between them? We've always used the full 4x8 sheets and then just had the battens over the actual joints and then just spaced across the field of the panel to give the look.

Good question, several have asked the same. My goal was to duplicate as close as possible the original "board and batten" pattern that had been attained with older cedar structures. Many use the 4X8 Hardi and then use cedar batten appropriately spaced for the appearance. I went with individual 12" Hardi separated approx. 2", sealed, then a Hardi batten is attached and then they were sealed as well. I was committed to total Hardi on the outside and my builder had to look hard for actual Hardi battens that were the correct size. I did not want to just rip the battens from another piece and I did not want cedar battens which is relatively common around here. I considered the 4X8 sheet application but I just did not like the end result. It looked like......4X8 sheets covered with cedar strips. My builder wanted to use the 4X8 but now agrees that this way looks much better. There were some ways to save money but this was not one I was willing to consider. Once we're finished it will be like Fort Knox. Other than a change in paint preference, I'll never have to worry about the exterior. The expose cedar beams and the cedar post on the front have been treated and should never need additional applications. The only upkeep on the exterior will be an occasional pressure wash.

 

[PAToyota]

I guess I'm still a bit confused about the process - except if you definitely wanted the 14" o.c. spacing of the battens, which wouldn't work out with the 4' wide panels. When we use the 4x8 sheets, we do pretty much exactly what you did but space the battens either 12" o.c. or 16" o.c. so that the actual joints get covered as well.

After using the cement fiber trim, I've switched to AZEK (or similar) as I've found that particularly around doors or at building corners the cement fiber trim gets somewhat beat up over time - crumbling the corners of the trim in places. Once painted, it is hard to tell the difference.

 

[TheShrine]

Wow, that's a damn fancy garage space!

Thanks...I think. The project slowly morphed from a garage into a shrine. This is the 2nd garage I've built and I knew exactly what I wanted this time around. It's got satellite TV, satellite radio (XM), surround sound with a kicka _ _ Bang Olufson receiver/Amp driving it. I put my compressor in a sound proof room and piped compressed air to my work bench, the side of each car space, and from a drop down retractable hose located between the two car spaces. I put in 13 feet of general work bench area and had it elevated an additonal 6" (I'm 6' 4") for easy use. I love peg board over all of the new type stuff and put plenty of it in. I made a separate "heavy" work bench for beating stuff and attaching a vise. The flooring under the cars is a 3 part epoxy (white w/ graphite sprinkles) and I put black and white 12" vinyl tile with a red border in the work area. I put in a 14,000 BTU A/C and heater (heat pump) split ductless system in the work area. I've always felt that my past garage/work space(s) were under lighted and took care of that this time as well. Over the lift area I'll have 10, 4' florescents, over the single car area I'll have 8, 4' florescents, and over the work area I'll have 6, 4' florescents. And it goes on ....................


Here's where we are now with the work area

More to come.

 

[TheShrine]

I guess I'm still a bit confused about the process - except if you definitely wanted the 14" o.c. spacing of the battens, which wouldn't work out with the 4' wide panels. When we use the 4x8 sheets, we do pretty much exactly what you did but space the battens either 12" o.c. or 16" o.c. so that the actual joints get covered as well.

After using the cement fiber trim, I've switched to AZEK (or similar) as I've found that particularly around doors or at building corners the cement fiber trim gets somewhat beat up over time - crumbling the corners of the trim in places. Once painted, it is hard to tell the difference.

Yeah, my builder took the same position.....I just wanted total Hardi and I did not like the 4X8 sheet look. As for the corners crumbling and such, that is why I wrapped the house with the field stone wainscot. Hopefully it'll be protected from that kind of wear/abuse. Since it is wrapped in OSB we weren't so concerned with the stud locations and we could attach the Hardi as we liked.

 

[TheShrine]

The upstairs (Man Room) is coming together...........

I put in an 18,000 BTU ductless split A/C system up here as well.

The view from the Man Room deck...

Mounted compressors...

 

[TheShrine]

The interior wainscot is going in and looking good. This is something else "others" have asked me about, and there is no reason other than I like it.

A pic of the ongoing outside storage area wrapped in lattice.

Some pics of the work area. It's still needs a lot of work, but it's getting there.

An update on the Man Room............

 

[TheShrine]

A few more pics on work area progress, garage door motors installation,

 

[TheShrine]

Man Room update...

Make note of unusual placement of outlet boxes. I prewired the room for a theater. I put in Monster cables, HDMI cables, Optic audio cables, and such...

And one exterior update...

More to come!

 

[PAToyota]

Yeah, my builder took the same position.....I just wanted total Hardi and I did not like the 4X8 sheet look. As for the corners crumbling and such, that is why I wrapped the house with the field stone wainscot. Hopefully it'll be protected from that kind of wear/abuse. Since it is wrapped in OSB we weren't so concerned with the stud locations and we could attach the Hardi as we liked.

Not trying to beat a dead horse or trying to prove you wrong. Just always open to new ways of doing things and trying to evaluate whether I should consider a change to the way I've been doing things. The shop looks great and I give you credit for a really nice project.

I guess that I should back up and say that we actually use the 4x10 panels to reduce the "panelized" feel. We're considering using CertainTeed or Nichiha products as they offer a 4x12 panel. The horizontal joint is still an issue, but even traditional board and batten typically used a batten mold at the transition from first to second floor.

Not seeing it in person, I'm still a bit unclear as to what "look" differs between using the panels and individual strips as you have done. Once the battens are in place, you cannot tell if they cover a real or fake joint. Using the panels also reduces the actual number of joints and decreases the chances of water or pest infiltration.

 

[JMURiz]

Question:
What R-value insulation did you use on your ceiling/walls?

 

[Kevin54]

Well, after looking through all of those pics all I can say is WOW

 

[TheShrine]

Not trying to beat a dead horse or trying to prove you wrong. Just always open to new ways of doing things and trying to evaluate whether I should consider a change to the way I've been doing things. The shop looks great and I give you credit for a really nice project.

I guess that I should back up and say that we actually use the 4x10 panels to reduce the "panelized" feel. We're considering using CertainTeed or Nichiha products as they offer a 4x12 panel. The horizontal joint is still an issue, but even traditional board and batten typically used a batten mold at the transition from first to second floor.

Not seeing it in person, I'm still a bit unclear as to what "look" differs between using the panels and individual strips as you have done. Once the battens are in place, you cannot tell if they cover a real or fake joint. Using the panels also reduces the actual number of joints and decreases the chances of water or pest infiltration.

I understand and appreciate the questions. As I said earlier, "I just prefer the look.". I'm hard headed like that. Keep in mind I've planned this particular garage over about a 5 year period. There were some technological improvements/changes in garage stuff during that period, and I tried to update/adapt to as many as I could, but my opinion didn't change.

My goal was a single horizontal joint between my first and second stories. My panels are 13" X 12' (Could be 12" wide) allowing for a single horizontal joint span. You cannot obtain that look with 4 X 8 or 4 X 10 panels in any configuration. The 4 X 12 panels I found had the wood grain running across the short side. These could not do the job either. I admit the panels of any size would have been "easier and cheaper" than what I did, but it was the only application available to me at that time for the look I want. We did wrap the exterior (And interior) with OSB and then wrapped that with TYVEK/ProWrap, and then put silicone in EVERY crack and/or seam in the building.

I think the panel application is a good one and would recommend it....if you do not mind the numerous horizontal joint issue. I'll try to remember to get a good pic of the ext. walls and attached later.

Hope this helps.

 

[TheShrine]

Question:
What R-value insulation did you use on your ceiling/walls?

Ceiling = R 38 (High Density)

Walls = R 15 (High Density)

We put heat panel as well as R 38 on the vaulted ceiling in the Man Room upstairs. Here in Central Texas it doesn't get that cold...it does get HOT at times. I also "double stuffed" the compressor/storage room walls and ceiling and included an exterior metal w/ wood core door. Hopefully I'll still be able to hear my music (or anything!)when the compressor kicks on.

 

[67pete300]

What a fantastic space! Very unusual and all of it good! Beautiful. Awesome.

 

[rickairmedic]

D.J. I see you figured out the pic thing . I like the front of the garage almost looks like a standard house from the front not really like a garage .

Rick

 

[TheShrine]

D.J. I see you figured out the pic thing . I like the front of the garage almost looks like a standard house from the front not really like a garage .

Rick

That's exactly what it is. I picked out a house plan that would give me the height for a 2 post lift (I ended up with 21 feet), 3 car parking space, and decent living space above and I gutted the original plan and inserted my ideas. Additionally, since I live in a very hilly area I did not have any flat areas to build on but the selected spot right next to the road. I didn't want my neighbors to have to look at a "basic" garage that close to the road so I dressed it up a bit....less complaints that way.

It has gotten a little out of control though. My bride has been very supportive and has had some good suggestions as well.

 

[Bevis]

Wow...This is a great looking garage. Like to house look too.

 

[PAToyota]

My goal was a single horizontal joint between my first and second stories. My panels are 13" X 12' (Could be 12" wide) allowing for a single horizontal joint span. You cannot obtain that look with 4 X 8 or 4 X 10 panels in any configuration. The 4 X 12 panels I found had the wood grain running across the short side.

Ah! I now understand your problem. I knew I was missing something in the translation.

I'm not sure which product you saw that had the grain across the short side but both CertainTeed and Nichiha products run the grain vertically.

 

[TheShrine]

We're wrapping up the details now. Final electric, plumbing, and trim work. It all seemed so clear on paper. It has been a challenge up to this point but one that has been enjoyable.

Today the 2 driveways are going in and again the rocks or bouders, just under the dirt line, prove to be stubborn...but the hydraulics prevail........

This will be the drive in the front.......

I should be able to post pics of the completed garage/shop area tomorrow.

 

[TheShrine]

Here's a peak of what I've been working out of until now. Two cars in, two cars out and a garage packed beyond use.

 

[TheShrine]

The rocks continue to be a problem......

The driveways and storage ramp went in today............