Recent content by SouthVA

Time for an update. Long past time, actually. Nothing new happening inside, except that it's slowly accumulating stuff. I still haven't sealed the floor, as I want the lights installed before I do that. But there are no lights or wiring as of yet. However, the trench for the power line from the...

Update: Found a local contractor that will supply and spread the asphalt millings for the apron. While he's at it, we'll have him create a driveway through the back yard. We were going to use gravel, but the millings seem like a better choice. He suggested waiting a few more weeks to put them...

Interesting! I hadn't thought of rolling scaffolding, but can see how it would be a reasonable alternative, especially since it can be used for storage afterwards. Thanks!

Well, I finally looked into renting a scissors lift, and was surprised to find that it's actually quite reasonable. $125/day rental plus a $175 one time charge for delivery and pickup. Even better, if I rent it on a Friday and they pick it up Monday, they only charge me for one day. So cost...

After going back and forth on which material to use for the apron, I've decided on asphalt millings. The plan is to install a 20' deep apron across the 40' width of the building. Because of the proximity of a mature oak in front of the garage, about 24' away, I'm concerned about covering up...

Finished the lighting plan: I considered high bay fixtures, but apparently my ceiling height is too low (13’ 4”) for them to be truly effective. So I went with 4’ LED shop lights, rated at 10,000 lumens, sourced from amazon. I ordered 16 of them. 12 for area lighting, and 4 for task...

And the doors are installed! I elected to go with manually operated for now. At some point I may add one or more motors. We'll see. Anyway, I'm pleased with the work they did, and would recommend them to anyone in south central Virginia. Now I can focus on the remaining steps to make this...

At long last, the bay doors are scheduled for installation next Thursday, the 15th.

My go-to utility knife is an HNK, that I bought maybe 20 years ago when I was working as a finish carpenter. I recall choosing it from among the various utility knife options, many of which were cheaper. I did so because it fits my hand, is really comfortable to hold, and doesn’t require a...

Cutting out cardboard templates proved to be a useful exercise. Fortunately we had an ample supply of large cardboard pieces on hand, so I didn't have to drive all the way into town to scrounge them up. One unexpected benefit was that as I was cutting each piece of cardboard to size, I found...

That is an amazing picture!!

Thanks. Sounds like a nice project you have going there, as well. I wish I could have gone with a stickbuilt building, but the cost was prohibitive. The garage doors are still looking to be here in a couple of weeks or so. They're going to install them with hi lift tracks, and I'm not sure how...

Not much progress to report, as I'm taking a break from the garage while working on some things that need my attention here on the farm. Plus, it's rained heavily several more times, and the ground is even more sodden than it was. No aprons or gravel in the immediate future. I'm also taking...

The apron is now in the works. Because of the proximity of an old but still healthy oak tree directly in front of the garage, the apron will only be about 6' long so as to minimize covering the tree roots. With some additional grading and gravel, it should be long enough to accommodate the...

While the Suburban was in the bay, I noticed a leak on the inside of the passenger side front tire, which turned out to be brake fluid. I should have dealt with it right there, particularly since it was already where I could work on it. Working on a smooth concrete floor, with a roof overhead -...