My multi-purpose attached 1.5 car

fireberd350 · May 7, 2015

Attached to my split level home is a 13x20 garage with modest 7.5' ceilings. The garage is attached to our Family room and the path to the sub basement is through the garage. The goal for this space is to be multi-purpose. It will be a space for the kids to play around in and will also house a vintage car during the cruising season. The space should be comfortable and clean so the kids are safe but also 'manly' enough to house a muscle car.

Here's my starting point from when I bought the home 2 years ago. Regretfully I didn't take too many detailed photos of the 'before'. The garage, like the rest of the house, was a disaster. 2 double hung windows that were missing and only a piece of 3mil plastic in it's place. Junk everywhere. Rotten door w/ no springs or lock.

fireberd350 · May 7, 2015

After 6 months of a full gut rehab, here's what it looked like when I moved in. The interior pictures are recent but it's been untouched since moving in (too many other projects).

changes: New garage door, belt driven opener, partially drywalled ceiling over the existing plaster, blown in insulation in ceiling, new windows, new basement door.

fireberd350 · May 7, 2015

First step is to get the ceiling and walls sealed up. I started by framing and insulating the exterior walls. I had some leftover product from the renovation which was just enough to get the job done. The product is called Insofast and it's basically 2 inch foam with plastic 'studs' that fit together to form an insulated, air tight wall. I'm really pleased with the product. My house is all cinder, furring strips, plaster with no insulation so this was a good product to get some quick R value without sacrificing too much square footage. It really does go in so fast

Next was to insulate the ducting and build the soffit. Forgot to take pics of that.

Finally drywall.

fireberd350 · May 7, 2015

I decided on doing Race Deck for the flooring. I started my flooring quest with Epoxy but the concrete is too beat up. Next I considered tile but again too beat up. Race Deck ended up being perfect for what I need. It will look great and perform its intended duties under a car, but also enables the garage to be a kid safe zone. Plus it's super easy to install and maintain.

I decided on a minimalist design in gray-scale free-flow tiles. Take a look at dubber's 2 car garage, he was my inspiration.

I also took Justin's recommendation and bought a concrete waterproofer for under the free flow tiles. http://www.garageflooringllc.com/b4-garage-floor-mat-tile-prep-solution/

I plan to put this down once the walls are painted.

dubber · May 7, 2015

/\ Sweet! Glad i could help you visualize the look you were going for. Man you did a great job on the outside fascia of your home, including garage door. Looking forward to seeing the inside progress. G/L!

taumac · May 7, 2015

That's some great progress. The RD should look great in there.

fireberd350 · May 19, 2015

Busy weekend and last night. Walls were prepped, primed, painted, and some millwork and lighting/electric done.

Getting close! Racedeck arrived last week which lit a fire under me. I can't wait to lay it down. Next steps are more painting, concrete treatment, flooring, baseboard, trim doors, touch-ups.

fireberd350 · May 19, 2015

more pics

fireberd350 · May 19, 2015

I started my lighting quest with the 4' LED fixtures from Costco (GJ recommended). I didn't like the idea of plugging them in so I decided to look into ways to hardwire them. Thats when I found (also on GJ) that is illegal and fixtures plugged in are typically lower quality and throw away. I ended up getting 2 8' T8 hardwired units from HD. I'm super happy w/ the light output. I used raceway to do the wiring and I'm pleased w/ the outcome.

Also I had some shadows in the front corner under the soffit and I just replaced my bathroom LED with a vented lighted so I popped that in and it works very well.

Fixture: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lithonia-Lighting-Tandem-4-Light-Flush-Mount-Ceiling-Electronic-Fluorescent-White-Strip-Light-TC-2-32-120-1-4-GESB/100192753#product_description

Finally one last photo of the primer. I was torn about what color to do the trim/doors. I decided with my grayscale scheme that black would be best. Fortunately I had some tinted Aklyd primer on hand which is a perfect base for my bare wood.

Hostyle · May 19, 2015

Wow! That's one hell of an improvement, seeing what you started with.

fireberd350 · May 19, 2015

I'm always interested in the product people use so here's a dump of what I've used so far.

Primer - Zinnser Gardz - This stuff is impressive. It's super hard to find unfortunately. Luckily I had a gallon leftover and it did the entire room w/ extra leftover. It is the color and consistency of skim milk. It glides over the thirsty joint compound and spread with ease. When it dries there's a hard clear satin finish that is sand-able and smooth. HIGHLY recommend this product.

Ceiling Paint - Glidden - Goes on Pink, dries White. This feature was key when painting in this dark space. Makes keeping track of your coverage very easy.

Walls - Ben Moore Aura Bath in Behr Dolphin Gray - Criteria for the walls was: Flat, washable, durable, good under humid conditions, and neutral gray in color. Fortunately the paint I used in my kitchen and bath met all those criteria so it was an easy decision. I'm a big fan of all Ben paints but this Aura Bath paint is the best I've ever used. Goes on so smooth and covered the fresh wallboard and rough masonry in a single coat.

Concrete - TrueLock B4 from GarageFlooringLLC - Recommended by a GJ vendor so why not. Haven't applied yet so no feedback

Trim Primer - Some Sherwin Williams Alkyd primer tinted dark gray - This was leftover from when I built my ******** set a few years back. Worked out perfect as a base for my gloss black final coat

Trim Paint - SW Superpaint in Tricorn Black - Ditto from the Primer

fireberd350 · May 19, 2015

Im hoping to get the flooring prepped today while the primer continues to set up. I'm not sure how long before I can walk on the B4, does anyone know? I'd like to get in there later tonight to coat the trim in final black.

Bassfishing54 · May 19, 2015

Wow! Very noticeable change from where you started! Looking good!

fireberd350 · May 19, 2015

Any tips for cutting this metal door. I'll need about 3/8" off the bottom for the race decking. Here's a pic (and inadvertent selfie) from the top.

I have the following tools. Not sure what's best.
Sawzall
Jigsaw
Rotozip
Dremel
Oscillating tool
Pneumatic cut off

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fireberd350 · May 22, 2015

Here's a before shot from applying the B4 treatment.

I applied it with a roller. I dumped out puddles and spread it around. I did 2 passes one after another. After sitting for a few hours most of it was dry but some puddles remained in low spots. I spread em out with a leaf blower and it all dried evenly.

Afterwards the floor looked and seemed cleaner. Don't get me wrong it's still beat up but for whatever reason it felt cleaner. Hopefully it will help with future cleanups.

Next I made some progress on the trim work and got 2 finish coats of gloss black applied to the doors, windows, and baseboard.

And I couldn't wait to see the race deck on the ground so I layed a few out late last night. Sneak peak

My floor is uneven and pitched to a center drain. I think that's causing some enhanced clicking noises while walking over the tiles. I picked up some landscape fabric today and will try using that as an underlayment. If nothing else it will look good.

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fireberd350 · May 22, 2015

I'm not sure how I feel about the graphite center. My initial impressions are, meh. I'll hold final judgement until the entire floor is done.

It looks better in the pictures. You see clear boundaries between it and the Alloy. In person it's kind of a fuzzy line and not pronounced. I'm leaning towards replacing them with black.

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fireberd350 · May 26, 2015

Weed barrier underlayment. This did help a good deal w/ the 'clicking' noises and added benefit was the visual enhancement of a solid black through floor. For $25 you can't go wrong laying this stuff down.

Finished product. I'm still not sold on the Graphite. It's growing on me but I may opt for black instead. What do you think?

The Racedecking is very workable. In that I mean if you take your time you can really get a nice finished edge along any obstacle. Here's where it butts into my interior carpet. The edging tapers to a point and the carpet has an edgind that is about 3/8" thick. To avoid a valley and height deviation I trimmed the edging length wise about 7/8". The carpet and edging are mostly seamless now.

Here's some details around the door track and such

Roxy approves

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fireberd350 · May 26, 2015

Here's what I mean by multi purpose.

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cynicalrider · May 26, 2015

Looks good! I like the graphite, but that's just me. It's amazing how much flooring can transform a space. What did you use to cut the door? Personally I would opt for an angle grinder/cut off wheel but that's just because it's my favorite tool.

fireberd350 · May 26, 2015

cynicalrider said:
Looks good! I like the graphite, but that's just me. It's amazing how much flooring can transform a space. What did you use to cut the door? Personally I would opt for an angle grinder/cut off wheel but that's just because it's my favorite tool.

I started w/ the angle grinder. My pneumatic wasn't cutting it (zing) so I went to my Makita electric. I dont' think I had the correct cutting wheel (masonry one maybe?) so while it was cutting it, it was slow and messy. I switched to my trusty sawzall and it cut like butter. Hardest part was securing the door to prevent vibrations.

dubber · May 26, 2015

I approve the colours you went with. :thumup: Obviously hahaha.

Black in the middle would look dirty all of the time.

fireberd350 · May 26, 2015

dubber said:
I approve the colours you went with. :thumup: Obviously hahaha.

Black in the middle would look dirty all of the time.

dubber, I thought you'd approve :p123

Let me ask you a question: do you find that the pictures show more delineation between the alloy and graphite than in real life? I really like the pictures I took but in person I find it very fuzzy between the Alloy and Graphite, almost to the point that I cannot tell a difference at some angles.

fireberd350 · May 26, 2015

RaceDeck buying tip: Figure out if you will need male and/or female edging and order accordingly.

Seems silly in hindsight but I ordered edging for 3 sides of my floor. I only ordered based on linear foot and didn't account for male/female. 2 of the sides were female and the third is male. I'm lucky because I simply need to get an additional 3' of male edging to terminate under the basement door. The garage door and family room doors are all edged up.

fireberd350 · May 29, 2015

Started adding some beer art I have laying around.

Found some time to get some electric and plumbing done as well.

Hot and cold water lines added to Pex Manifold. I did my whole house in this stuff, it's a great product.

Cleaned up the media rack too. On the other side of this wall is a wall mounted TV and soundbar. All the components are on this rack in the garage and out of sight.

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fireberd350 · May 29, 2015

It's a few weeks from delivery but the hot and cold line will terminate at this faucet.

It's pricey but having hot water at the outside faucet will allow me to wash the dog, fill the kiddie pool to comfortable temp, and wash cars in the winter.

bczygan · May 29, 2015

fireberd350 said:
It's a few weeks from delivery but the hot and cold line will terminate at this faucet.

It's pricey but having hot water at the outside faucet will allow me to wash the dog, fill the kiddie pool to comfortable temp, and wash cars in the winter.

What a transformation!

Does that faucet stay usable in the winter if it's used outside? OOoops. If I could just read! Where can you get it?

I went to elementary school in Chadds Ford. Ever get down that way?

sean Buick 76 · May 29, 2015

Nice work, great transformation! I say leave the graphite, it looks good....

fireberd350 · May 29, 2015

bczygan said:
What a transformation!

Does that faucet stay usable in the winter if it's used outside? OOoops. If I could just read! Where can you get it?

I went to elementary school in Chadds Ford. Ever get down that way?

Chaddsford is right down the road. I have family there and am there often.
The faucet is a Woodford 22. Details @ http://www.woodfordmfg.com/woodford/Wall_Faucet_Pages/Model-22.html

You can get it horizontal or vertical, copper or pex termination, 1/2" or 3/4", and various lengths to account for different walls.

It's a 'freezeless' model so it could be left on all winter but it's easy enough for me to shut off the pex manifold when not in use so I won't be leaving it pressurized all winter, only when in use.

Thanks for the kind words!

sean Buick 76 said:
Nice work, great transformation! I say leave the graphite, it looks good....

Thanks for the kind words. The graphite is here to stay. It has grown on me and the wife both.

cynicalrider · May 29, 2015

fireberd350 said:
Started adding some beer art I have laying around.

Found some time to get some electric and plumbing done as well.

Hot and cold water lines added to Pex Manifold. I did my whole house in this stuff, it's a great product.

Cleaned up the media rack too. On the other side of this wall is a wall mounted TV and soundbar. All the components are on this rack in the garage and out of sight.

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Love the organization of the PEX and media rack. I stored all my TV stuff in the hallway closet with my TV across the room above the fireplace. My biggest worry was running 50' HDMI cables.

fireberd350 · May 29, 2015

cynicalrider said:
Love the organization of the PEX and media rack. I stored all my TV stuff in the hallway closet with my TV across the room above the fireplace. My biggest worry was running 50' HDMI cables.

Thank you

I'm kind of OCD w/ tidy wiring so this media rack somewhat bothers me. I keep telling myself it's just the garage, leave it be, but I want to tidy it up even more.

I'm lucky to have the ability to simply mount on the other side of the media wall and not have to worry about long runs and other creative solutions. I have looked into long HDMI runs and I believe you can use multiple CAT6 wires and terminate HDMI ends on them. If you ever have to do another long run it might be worth looking into.

Here's the other side of the wall.

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bczygan · May 29, 2015

fireberd350 said:
Chaddsford is right down the road. I have family there and am there often.
The faucet is a Woodford 22. Details @ http://www.woodfordmfg.com/woodford/Wall_Faucet_Pages/Model-22.html

You can get it horizontal or vertical, copper or pex termination, 1/2" or 3/4", and various lengths to account for different walls.

It's a 'freezeless' model so it could be left on all winter but it's easy enough for me to shut off the pex manifold when not in use so I won't be leaving it pressurized all winter, only when in use.

Thanks for the kind words!

Thanks for the kind words. The graphite is here to stay. It has grown on me and the wife both.

I like the PEX. Going to redo mine in PEX. My garage will need surface mount everything since it is double wythe brick walls.

I remember going to West Chester once.

We lived on Harvey Road just a 1/4 mile north of Route 1 behind the Brandywine Battlefield land. Dan built a modern house there during Hurricane Hazel. I went first through 4th grades at Chadds Ford Elementary (56' to 60'). Fished in the Brandywine River. The Wyeths lived just down the road and went to school with Jamie. Dad worked at DuPont. Got mushrooms in Kennet Square and went to Dilworthtown. Went to Longworth Gardens. Got our milk from WaWa and shopped at Strawbridge and Clothier in Philly. I miss the scrapple.

Bill

fireberd350 · May 29, 2015

bczygan said:
I like the PEX. Going to redo mine in PEX. My garage will need surface mount everything since it is double wythe brick walls.

I remember going to West Chester once.

We lived on Harvey Road just a 1/4 mile north of Route 1 behind the Brandywine Battlefield land. Dan built a modern house there during Hurricane Hazel. I went first through 4th grades at Chadds Ford Elementary (56' to 60'). Fished in the Brandywine River. The Wyeths lived just down the road and went to school with Jamie. Dad worked at DuPont. Got mushrooms in Kennet Square and went to Dilworthtown. Went to Longworth Gardens. Got our milk from WaWa and shopped at Strawbridge and Clothier in Philly. I miss the scrapple.

Bill

Wawa and Scrapple, pretty much sums up Philly burbs

christdw · Jan 24, 2020

fireberd350 said:
Attached to my split level home is a 13x20 garage with modest 7.5' ceilings. The garage is attached to our Family room and the path to the sub basement is through the garage. The goal for this space is to be multi-purpose. It will be a space for the kids to play around in and will also house a vintage car during the cruising season. The space should be comfortable and clean so the kids are safe but also 'manly' enough to house a muscle car.

Here's my starting point from when I bought the home 2 years ago. Regretfully I didn't take too many detailed photos of the 'before'. The garage, like the rest of the house, was a disaster. 2 double hung windows that were missing and only a piece of 3mil plastic in it's place. Junk everywhere. Rotten door w/ no springs or lock.

I checked out your story... Great story. You have done a better job than me at organizing your shed!

My multi-purpose attached 1.5 car

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