Marcel's a garage can never be too big garage

[mvusse]

First some history:

My last house had a 24x24 attache garage as well as a 24x32 detached in the back yard. The house sat on 4 lots, so there was lots of space.

Then my wife left me, I was forced to sell the house, and bought the only house I could afford after the divorce pretty much cleaned me out. I now owned a 1910 fixer upper on a single lot without a garage, but it was a roof over my head and it had (some) potential.

About 5 years ago I decided to build a garage. two years ago I finally pulled the trigger and cut down the tree that was in the way. I then downloaded the zoning ordinance to find out the constraints and started planning. When I had a solid plan I put everything on paper, found the corner stakes of my lot and flagged them, flagged the corners of the proposed garage and called the zoning inspector (and old acquaintance of mine) to see what else I needed to do for my permit. He looked at the yard, looked through my stack of paperwork, and thanked me for doing his job for him. Money exchanged hands and I had my permit.

Now the work started. Stretched a string between the flags, painted lines in the grass following the strings, borrowed a friend's backhoe and started digging. Counterweight in the front bucked helped a lot.

I figured if I could get the footer, foundation and floor done before winter set in I should be able to go to town as soon as winter broke. So two days of digging later I brought the machine back to it's owner, started on a materials list and kicked myself (hard) for a little oversight. The lines I painted marked the OUTSIDE of the garage, not the center of the walls.

So then I spent three weeks with a shovel digging the trenches out another 4 inches on the inside. Before I could get anything else done winter happened.

 

[captain14]

That’s too bad. Looks like everyone else on the alley has a garage too.

Do you think you can get anything accomplished before
Spring?

 

[mvusse]

Winter lasted a lot longer than usual. This was April 7th:

And then it rained every time I had a day off. But finally I could dig out what collapsed and pour the footer. I had planned to do everything myself, but pouring the footer (9 yards of concrete) I was reminded real quick I am not anywhere near qualified to do the floor myself.

A few trips to the lumber store for a pallet of concrete mix (to fill cores), mortar mix, rebar and block and I started on the foundation. It was now the middle of June.

Turns out I'm not a very good stone mason (I'm more at home with wood), but a month later I was done.

Rented a machine to get rid of the tree stump

Digging for the footer I came across an old water well, filled in with slate shingles. Turns out there was another well, this one more modern, using steel well casing, That one was dealt with by planting a tree on top of it.

And then the fill. Load 1:

Jeep parking only:

Load 2:

And the final load:

58 ton of bank run. The delivery cost more than the material.

I also decided to pay someone to do the floor for me. A little over $5000 later this was the result:

Nearing the end of August and I'm finally where I'd hoped to be before last winter.

 

[mvusse]

That’s too bad. Looks like everyone else on the alley has a garage too.

Do you think you can get anything accomplished before
Spring?

That was last year. October 19, 2017 I broke ground.

Out of 12 neighbors on my block, two don't have anything, two have car ports, and everybody else has a garage.

 

[sawduststeve]

Hi Marcel

Looks like a good size garage, and you’re correct there’s no such thing as a big enough garage. Hope the build went well.

I feel your pain about the divorce, I’ve bought two ex’s houses, it certainly makes your eyes water, however it’s only money.

Steve

 

[mvusse]

So it's now early September. A truck stopped by and unloaded almost $13000 in materials, I build the first wall, and brought my forklift home from the rented building I used to run my furniture shop out of.

Misjudged the weight of the forklift and bent one of the axles of my 7,000 pound trailer

Used the forklift to stand the wall up, worked like a charm. Wasn't even all that difficult to line up the holes in the sill plate with the bolts sticking out of the foundation.

Went to bolt it down when I realized I had forgotten something.

And stood the wall up a second time, now with the foam between it and the doundation.

 

[mvusse]

Standing up that 24 foot wall in one piece worked so well, I decided to try it with a 50 foot wall.

I had it up in the air, turned it 90 degrees out of the 180 I had to go, and while it was hanging over the neighbor's fence and the alley I heard cracking. Looked up and saw two 2x6s in the top plate breaking. Realized there was not nearly enough time to finish the turn I turned back where I came from, but had shifted over about 6 feet in the process somehow and hit the already standing wall. Moved forward to try to get clear of it and the wall came down breaking into 4 pieces. Next door neighbor had been watching the whole ordeal, and after making sure I was okay let me that that "It's okay, I got the whole thing on video!".

So I stood the wall up in 4 pieces. Piece 1:

Piece 2:

Piece 3 (one stud):

and the 4th and final piece:

Having learned my lesson I stood up the other 50 foot wall in two sections. First section:

Finally got to park in the garage. A bit draughty, though, and the roof seems to leak:

And the second section:

Last wall also went up without a hitch:

 

[mvusse]

Called in a couple of favors to help set the trusses. I got the end trusses up before the help showed up:

And with help got all the rest of them set in one day:

And most of the deck on the second day:

The next weekend I finished off the deck:

That's pretty much where I'm at now. Tomorrow morning I should be able to mostly finish the roofing felt. And go pick up one more piece of drip edge.Then calling hours for a friend's mother who passed away and have to be at work at noon.

Unless it warms up substantially I'm not installing the shingles until spring. It has been consistently 15 to 20 degrees below the temperatures we should be having this time of year for over two weeks straight now.

 

[mrstop]

I would go ahead and get the roof dried in if you can. You don't want that plywood exposed to the weather for too long as it will warp and delaminate. If you are worried more about the shingles not sticking than working in the sucky cold, I wouldn't. While not quite ideal, the sun should heat up the roof sufficiently to allow the shingles to adhere.

Looks good BTW!

 

[mvusse]

I was thinking the 30# felt should keep it dry and last through the winter.

 

[mvusse]

The roof has been covered in 30# felt for about two weeks now, with just a few nails here and there to hold it in place for the time being. Today I finally finished nailing it. Even if we get a storm it should stay in place now and last until spring when I can get the shingles on.

 

[mvusse]

I also got this installed, but still need a heat shield for the wall behind it.

And started installing the Garage doors.

 

[bad_idea]

I see you have a couple Cherokees. Any Comanches kicking around? I have a 90 Cherokee and a 90 Comanche. The Cherokee is lifted, bumpers, sliders, etc - the off road toy. The Comanche is the latest project. Plan to lower it and v8 swap it. It's 2wd and plan to keep it that way.

Garage is coming along nicely too. I am in process of building a 30x40 myself. I just need to finish up the siding and the building will be complete. Once I get that permit signed off then I will pull another for the electrical work as funds become available.

Did you discuss the wood stove with your insurance company? I am considering using one also. I have read a lot on the forum that most insurance companies will not cover a fire if you have a wood stove. I still have yet to call my insurance company and ask.

 

[mvusse]

They want to see the stove in person, but (with the heat shield installed) it should be fine. I just have to remind me to call it a "shop" and not a "garage". If it were a garage I can't have any open flame less than 4 feet off the ground. In a shop that is no problem. Go figure.

I do have a 87 Comanche, 4 cylinder stick daily driver, but it's about gone. I had another 87 Comanche that was my off road toy, but it ripped itself apart trying to climb a waterfall.

I have a 99 XJ that I moved all the parts from my 87 MJ over to: 4.0 mated to a THM400 followed by a 231J, front axle from a 89 F350, welded, rear axle from a 92 F350 with a lockright, 37s on recentered H1 double beadlocks, fuel cell behind the back seat, 3 link with panhard bar front, triangulated 4 link rear, and hydraulic assist steering. Last trip off road it ripped the Iron Rock Offroad double sheer track bar bracket in half, I have a Rubicon Express one I still need to install.

I also have a 96 XJ lifted 4.5", 32s and a 242 transfer case daily driver/sometime toy that I originally built for my daughter. I still need to weld a lower control arm bracket back on the front axle and replace the transfer case and upper control arm after driving through the engine compartment of a Mazda6.

One day I will build a rust free MJ with a stroker and 5 speed that will never see salt. Don't even care if it's 4wd or not, but probably will be. All three current Jeeps started out as 2wd and they are all 4wd now.

Back on topic, I did get the man door installed. Also finished the garage door install, but too dark to take a photo. Still have one more garage door left to do.

 

[MacTexas]

Nothing better than an old house with a big garage.

 

[C_F]

Nice work on your SHOP! I think Lowe's needs to be paying you some sort of advertisement fee this winter, until you get your siding on.

 

[mvusse]

So here is the first garage door installed:

And the second door I installed last Saturday:

Currently in Canada for a week, but in January I should be able to get the windows in so I can start on the vinyl siding,

 

[mvusse]

Short update, got the lights installed.

 

[mvusse]

The roofing felt is doing a great job keeping the garage dry, so I decided to do the siding first and the shingles last. This spring, though, just like last year, every time I had a day off it was either raining, or had just rained, and I did not feel like standing in mud installing my siding.

It did eventually dry up a bit. Two weeks ago I got the first wall done:

And two days ago I got the second wall done:

 

[mvusse]

Wall #3

 

[rixtrix1]

Lots of work but it should be a great spot for all those Jeeps.

 

[mvusse]

Finally got the siding done on the last wall. Still need to do the soffit and shingles, but first I need to get the Jeep back on the trails and I now have a deadline to get my equipment out of the old shop (and in the my new garage).

 

[mvusse]

So after fixing the Jeep, breaking the Jeep, stuffing an 8500 sq ft wood shop into a 1200 sq ft garage, and fixing the Jeep again 2 months had gone by before I finally got the shingles onto the roof.

I got about half the pallet unloaded like this, until the mast got in the way for the remaining bundles:


So then I turned it around and got the rest. Sure beat carrying them up a ladder. About 4000 pounds worth.

 

[mvusse]

I then started on the shingles.

Day 1:


Day 2:


Day 4, ran out of shingles before I ran out of roof:


But after a quick trip to Lowe's I finished:



A few days ago I got the ridge vent and cap shingles on:



Just the soffit left, but first we go on vacation In Georgia to visit my daughter (and a few GA state parks),

 

[bad_idea]

Roof looks good. More stamina and patience than me. I had a roofer put my roof on.

 

[sean Buick 76]

Good job and nice recovery from the divorce!

Love the Jeeps!

Do you work at Lowes?

Where in Canada did you visit??

 

[Notgrownup]

Nice shop Marcel. I missed this and stumbled across it today...that damn forklift was a savior I bet...I built my own 24x24 couple years ago myself. All I had done was the concrete. I had a couple friends come help with the trusses. Wish I had a lift but did it with some scaffolding and ladders. I know your loving the roof being done before winter...

 

[mvusse]

Roof looks good. More stamina and patience than me. I had a roofer put my roof on.

I've done a number of roofs in the past for Habitat for Humanity, enough to know I didn't want to be a professional roofer. Mind you, it's been more than 10 years since I've done shingles
and I can definitely tell I'm ten years older. It took me about 3 days to recover from day 1...

 

[mvusse]

Good job and nice recovery from the divorce!

Love the Jeeps!

Do you work at Lowes?

Where in Canada did you visit??

I work for one of the big box auto parts stores. I have a commercial account at Lowe's an it's on my way to work.I divide materials up more or less 50/50 between Lowe's and Menards.

As for Canada, we visited my parents halfway up the Lake Huron coast line, then we continued on to Warsaw Caves Conservation Area to go camping with my brother and a Meetup group from Toronto that he's a member in.