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My little 2 car garage

quasi_accurate

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Oct 31, 2013
Messages
196
Location
Austin, TX
Hi all :bounce: Just purchased my first home late last year - a new construction. The garage is a little on the small side at 17.3' x 19.5' with a 9' ceiling. But I plan to add another vehicle to the stable, and I'm determined to park both cars in it. It came unfinished, so I got to working on it immediately. Here is what it looked like before:

garage_before.jpg


Skipping forward the completion of Phase 1:

garage.jpg


garage2.jpg


Upgrades:


  • Light orange peel wall texture
  • 4 Sherwin-Williams paint colors (upper wall and ceiling are different colors)
  • Stainless steel base molding
  • GarageFlooringLLC epoxy floor coating
  • PIXI flat LED ceiling light
  • Zenaro 4000K LED bulb
  • Lutron motion sensing light switch
  • Framed artwork and various flags

Next Steps:

Since the garage is so narrow, pretty much everything has to come off of the ground to allow for 2 cars to park in it. So storage options will focus on wall and ceiling mounted solutions. After some research, and thanks to a lot of great advice on this forum, I plan to get all Gladiator GarageWorks garage furniture.


  • 2nd LED ceiling light to light up the back half of the garage, which currently doesn't have a light.
  • Two additional outlets on the right side to mirror the existing two on the left.
  • Move the existing rack out of the garage
  • Work bench and stool to left side of the door on ledge
  • Two additional cabinets below the work bench, one on each end
  • Tall storage closet and multi-level tool chest to right side of the door on ledge
  • Two 30"x30" cabinets on the wall above the bench on the left side of the electrical box
  • 12' of shelving above the door from the right side of the cabinets to the right side wall
  • Three 16' modular rails running in parallel on each side of the wall, spaced 18" apart. This will allow me to mount various hooks, hangers, and shelving, or even additional cabinets as needed.
  • Optional: 16' of shelving above the garage door
  • Optional: Two 4'x8'x2' ceiling mounted storage racks

I'm super jealous of those of you with super spacious garages. Perhaps for the next house!

Thanks for looking :)
 
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jason_etc

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Mar 2, 2012
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50
Location
Longmont, CO
How deep is the ledge? Looks like its about bench-width. It might cut out the height you might get from shelving or cabinets (unless you're really tall) but then again it saves you from worrying about getting things off the ground. You're floor and paint came out really nice. Good looking so far.
 
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quasi_accurate

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Messages
196
Location
Austin, TX
You are doing a great job so far, keep up the good work.:thumbup:

Looks great!
Thanks guys! I just looked at your garages as well. Both look incredible. Especially yours Rick. Wow! That is seriously impressive! How big is your garage, and how did you get your wall graphics/decals?

How deep is the ledge? Looks like its about bench-width. It might cut out the height you might get from shelving or cabinets (unless you're really tall) but then again it saves you from worrying about getting things off the ground. You're floor and paint came out really nice. Good looking so far.
Thanks Jason! The ledge is 30" deep. The bench is 24" deep with adjustable height, which I plan to set to 36" to accommodate the two under-bench cabinets (35" tall). I plan to put the two wall cabinets at 5' from the ground, giving me 2' of space between the bench and the bottom of the cabinets. I think that would work fine as my kitchen has similar configuration between counter and cabinets. My only concern is how far I can pull the stool out and still sit comfortably and not fall off of the ledge. I may construct a small extension out of 2x4s (the ledge is 4" high) and wrap it in stainless steel sheets (just for looks), and use that whenever I need to pull out the stool to work at the bench.
 

55cadillacking

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Messages
1,959
Location
Calgary
Thanks guys! I just looked at your garages as well. Both look incredible. Especially yours Rick. Wow! That is seriously impressive! How big is your garage, and how did you get your wall graphics/decals?

Thanks. My garage began on paper as 20' wide with a split depth of 22' and 24'. We added 4' of width so we ended up with what is basically a 24' x 24', which makes for a pretty nice sized double.

I have had my fair share of decals over the years, but I currently only have a few. The SQ5 decal was something I had custom made by a guy I came to know through eBay and the "Quattro" and "Vorsprung" were just quick and dirty eBay transactions. The AUDI sign on the grey wall is a lettering kit I got of a guy on eBay, too. All of them are mounted on painted stripes I did by hand. Lots of trial and error over the years, but it keeps me busy.

When I saw your "before" photo is really reminded me of my blank canvas I began with back in 2010. You have taken things quite far in a quick time and your garage looks nothing like a "builder special". With some cleverness, I bet you'll be able to really maximize the space you have. Lots of design potential with BMW badges, logos, and color scheme, too! Have fun with it.
 
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jason_etc

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Mar 2, 2012
Messages
50
Location
Longmont, CO
I may construct a small extension out of 2x4s (the ledge is 4" high) and wrap it in stainless steel sheets (just for looks), and use that whenever I need to pull out the stool to work at the bench.

Is your baseboard stainless as well or some kind of flashing? That'd look good if you wrapped a platform as well. I'm not sure how you'd protect it from staining and rust, but it would be pretty slick.
 

dubber

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Dec 31, 2012
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Canada's Capital
Great garage you have there.

If your still set on two cars in there I would get rid of that side shelving unit. All the storage should be at the end on the man door wall and then mounted high along the sides.
 
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quasi_accurate

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Austin, TX
Is your baseboard stainless as well or some kind of flashing?
What do you mean by baseboard? This is the SS molding I used:

http://diamondlifegear.com/metal-base-molding.html

Great garage you have there.

If your still set on two cars in there I would get rid of that side shelving unit. All the storage should be at the end on the man door wall and then mounted high along the sides.
Thanks! My plans are exactly as you outlined :)

This post has given me some inspirations about how to maximize parking space:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2185392&postcount=11
 

The J

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Mar 4, 2010
Messages
152
"What is love... baby don't hurt me"
There's gotta be a backstory to your Haddaway license plate!


The place looks great. I'm subscribed and look forward to updates. That stainless steel floor molding is a really nice touch.
 
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Q

quasi_accurate

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Messages
196
Location
Austin, TX
"What is love... baby don't hurt me"
There's gotta be a backstory to your Haddaway license plate!
Haha not much of a back story. My friends and I think the song is hilarious and used to always joke about it. I thought it'd be fun to get it on a license plate :p

The place looks great. I'm subscribed and look forward to updates. That stainless steel floor molding is a really nice touch.
Thanks! Big updates are coming very soon. I'm gathering the parts right now :)
 
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quasi_accurate

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Austin, TX
The garage looks awesome only way I see is put some shelf really high so car open doors without hitting it. Looks great so far....

Have a good one, Gerard
High shelves are coming early next month :) I'm about to order a massive amount of Gladiator GarageWorks gear later this month.


Your garage looks awesome too. I love how organized it is. Still reading...
 
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Q

quasi_accurate

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Austin, TX
Got around to bolting the miter saw to the platform today:

bosch_4310_mounted.jpg


About 104 linear ft, or 2/3 of the planned total of 157 linear ft of GearTrack:

geartrack01.jpg
 
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Q

quasi_accurate

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Austin, TX
I just pulled the trigger on a metric ton of Gladiator Premier stuff. There will be some updates very soon! I'm really excited!
 
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quasi_accurate

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Austin, TX
Interested to see this update. Get to work! :)

Everything should get here this Friday :bounce: My enthusiasm was slightly damped when I found out that Gladiator charges sales tax in all states except for Oregon and Delaware. But it was still a decent deal.
 
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Q

quasi_accurate

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Hey what work stand is your miter saw sitting on?

That is a Rockwell Jawhorse with the Miter Saw Station attachment. The Miter Saw Station also came with rollers for supporting longer pieces like crown molding, but I don't have those installed.
 
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quasi_accurate

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Austin, TX
Love the Sunbimmer :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
Thanks! I see you are a fellow Z owner :thumbup: I love the thing, although it's not the most practical of vehicles. I had to recruit a friend's help to pick up those GearTracks from Sears :lol: I would like to add a 2nd more practical car to the stable at some point. The new F80 M3 sure looks pretty. There is also the persistent rumor of a M2.
 

Sunbimmer

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Thanks! I see you are a fellow Z owner :thumbup: I love the thing, although it's not the most practical of vehicles. I had to recruit a friend's help to pick up those GearTracks from Sears :lol: I would like to add a 2nd more practical car to the stable at some point. The new F80 M3 sure looks pretty. There is also the persistent rumor of a M2.

I know what you feel.
I bought a new HP printer one day, the only way to transport the thing was on the passenger seat. Had to leave my wife behind at the store :eek:
Picked her up an hour later, she was not amused :D
So it's not the most practical car no.
M3 or maybe an M2 are not that practical too I think but I'll bet sure as hell fun to drive :rocker:
 
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Q

quasi_accurate

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I know what you feel.
I bought a new HP printer one day, the only way to transport the thing was on the passenger seat. Had to leave my wife behind at the store :eek:
Picked her up an hour later, she was not amused :D
So it's not the most practical car no.
M3 or maybe an M2 are not that practical too I think but I'll bet sure as hell fun to drive :rocker:
I can see how the wife would object to being transported on the 2nd run instead of the 1st run :lol: I think a M3 would be relatively practical - 4 doors, 5 seats, a good sized trunk, and backseats that can fold down for even more storage space.
 

G20-Budo

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May 31, 2013
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Chandler, AZ
Quasi,

NICE garage! The before and after is already impressive. Can't wait to see how it will look with the rack gone, gear rack in place, additional lighting up and the bench/cabinets in place. I think the SS plat extension will look great with your current stainless floor molding.

As for your ledge, yes mine is about the same dimensions. I'm with you on saying no to putting Race Deck on top of it. Issue for me is, I have already spilled oil on my cement floor in many area's (including the ledge), and got wheel dressing (silicon based) on the cement. I doubt I'll be able to get epoxy to stick to it AND last. And I'm planning to go Race Deck in a year or two anyway.

In any case, I'm subscribed to your thread to check out the updates. Keep up the good work, I like where you're taking your garage. :thumbup:
 
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quasi_accurate

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Messages
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Austin, TX
Quasi,

NICE garage! The before and after is already impressive. Can't wait to see how it will look with the rack gone, gear rack in place, additional lighting up and the bench/cabinets in place. I think the SS plat extension will look great with your current stainless floor molding.

As for your ledge, yes mine is about the same dimensions. I'm with you on saying no to putting Race Deck on top of it. Issue for me is, I have already spilled oil on my cement floor in many area's (including the ledge), and got wheel dressing (silicon based) on the cement. I doubt I'll be able to get epoxy to stick to it AND last. And I'm planning to go Race Deck in a year or two anyway.

In any case, I'm subscribed to your thread to check out the updates. Keep up the good work, I like where you're taking your garage. :thumbup:
Thanks for the good words! :) Hopefully I can get started with installing the Gladiator stuff this weekend. I think in your case, you'd have to do some serious cleaning and degreasing before you can do epoxy (if you were to go that route). So RaceDeck should be way less work for you. I'm toying with the idea of putting RaceDeck on top of the main garage area (not the back ledge). Haven't decided if I would do that or not yet.
 

G20-Budo

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987
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Chandler, AZ
Rick and dubber have me sold on the RaceDeck. After seeing their garage setup (and one or two others), I'm convinced it's the route for me. It's just a matter of $ and time at this point. Once everything is lined up, I'll get it.

Your garage is looking good though. I DO still have a ton of cleaning to do (not just the grease spots). The good news is, I have it in my head what I want to do, so it's just a matter of executing. =)
 

G20-Budo

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Chandler, AZ
VERY nice!! I wanted to get a nismo caliper/rotor clock. But I didn't when they were available, and now they're not. I'll have to wait to see if they come around again?

That clock really looks classy. :thumbup: Great job!

I might be going to the Philippines this year, I'll have to look around. :)
 
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quasi_accurate

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Austin, TX
OP
Q

quasi_accurate

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Messages
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Location
Austin, TX
I've decided to try to improve the nearly useless dust collection on my miter saw. Seeing that the saws with >90% dust collection all have rubber dust collector boots like the Festool Kapex KS 120, Bosch CM10GD, and Bosch GCM12SD, I decided to rig my own:

miter_saw_dust_boot.jpg


Haven't tested it yet. It looks a little jury rigged, but hopefully with it and the dust port hooked up to a shop vac, I'll at least get half of the dusts that spew out :lol:

In other news, my Gladiator stuff should be delivered by freight on Friday! :rocker: In preparation, I removed the shelving unit from the garage, as well as all of the art and decorations from the wall. I also speckled the nail holes and marked them with tape for painting. Probably unnecessary, as they are nearly invisible anyways.

garage_panorama.jpg


I'm ready for a garage makeover!
 

G20-Budo

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Messages
987
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Chandler, AZ
In other news, my Gladiator stuff should be delivered by freight on Friday! :rocker: In preparation, I removed the shelving unit from the garage, as well as all of the art and decorations from the wall. I also speckled the nail holes and marked them with tape for painting. Probably unnecessary, as they are nearly invisible anyways.

garage_panorama.jpg


I'm ready for a garage makeover!

Sounds like the OCD is already kicking in. :lol:

I have no doubt your space will be great once you have everything installed the way you want, hell it already looks good! :thumbup:
 
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