Hour At a Time Garage

ChaseDE · Sep 2, 2016

Hey all I want to start a topic here for my lowly garage. Hour At a Time garage simply because that is about how much time I have to work on it. Between work, wife's in work and college, kids are in 1 to 2 sports each, I leave home around 7am and get home around 8PM each day. I usually work on house stuff on the weekend when we aren't going to a concert or the beach or something.

This leaves not much time for house stuff which I really enjoy doing. We bought this house a year ago and plan to stay here forever.

I mainly do work on the cars, some carpentry work which I would like to do more of in the future.

The garage is a standard if small 2 car, I plan to add a 10x8 shed in the back yard for lawn equipment but don't have that now. HOA is very strict which keeps the hood looking nice but also limits things, one being that the shed can't be bigger then 10x8 which is fine.

Garage is 20'6 x 20'6 and I would like to park one car in regularly. Garage has concrete floor and is fully drywalled.

Things I have in my garage that take up space.

Small box - 1980 KRA-429B
Medium Box - 1976 KRA-61C
Big Box on rollers - 1968 KRA-378

The conundrum with those is they don't really "go" together, the big chest is small then the top box, etc. This gives my OCD problems haha so I don't know how to place them in the garage.

More things...

SS side-by-side fridge/freezer - this is the garage fridge
Vertical craftsman air compressor 12 gallon
42" troy-bilt pony lawn tractor
standard size push mower
need to store and keep fairly accessible 2 adult and 2 kid bikes
random craftsman toolbox
random craftsman plastic cased socket set that I have got by with for years

I started using sketchup last night to try to plan but im not sure what a good layout would be honestly with the mis-matchy boxes. i would like to stay as modular as possible in case i buy an old car i can move stuff around and put a car in the 2nd bay if needed (after the lawn equipment moves)

I'll attach some pictures of stuff and of the layout of the garage, any advice would be appreciated. there is tons of junk in here right now i have been steadily throwing out and still am. i bought lumber for a real workbench last night that came from this plan but with this much lumber i could build a different table, maybe with casters.

also thinking about doing some overhead storage like seen here CLICK

small box

medium box

large box

fridge

compressor

terrible existing setup with folding tables

sketch as you are looking at this plan view, the parked car would be on the left side leaving the right for tools, etc.

bczygan · Sep 2, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

First thing is a master plan.

What are zoning restrictions on your lot. That will tell you setbacks and height restrictions. Also examine the HOA rules.

You need to examine all available options. Adding on to the garage may be a better option than a shed. Or do both. How tall can you go?

We need photos of the lot and garage.

Can you add a lean to for the compressor to get the noise outside?

Is the garage full of parked cars? Can they park outside? Can you add on to the garage to provide real shop space and still have inside parking?

Separate functions. Storage elsewhere. Kids toys elsewhere. Yard tools elsewhere.

Bill

ChaseDE · Sep 2, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Thanks for the post Bill, I know you guys (and I) really like the posts here with someone's huge awesome garage so I appreciate any input on my meager plans here.

Good points. With the HOA and my budget I am limited but do have options.

10x8 is the biggest shed I am suppose to have in the neighborhood and it must be behind the house (from the street) and in the shadow of the house (not off to the side of the lot, not in the back of the lot) basically so you can't see it from the street.

My basement is 3/4 fully finished and has about a 15x12 room that is unfinished for storage. It is currently full of junk but I am throwing stuff away like a mad man, my trash guys I am sure are not amused.

no cars are in the garage now, ideally we would fit my wifes small acura rdx (183" x 74") in it.

pictures! (i love pictures)

my lot backs up to a creek and woods and i love it. my neighbors are really cool. from the street the back left side is where the shed would go.

here is a picture of the outside of the garage. the house was nice when we bought it but a fixer-upper. we bought it from some kind of trashy people who didnt care for it. that is their cars. i have painted the garage doors, resealed the driveway and painted the shutters since.

this is the deck. to the right is a lower level of the deck, to the left is an open area that is fenced in around that tree, the shed will fit in here somewhere.

this was when we first moved in, be afriad. 3/4 of this junk is now out and working on the last bit. the shelves you see up there by the garage door arms are about useless being so close to the arms.

bczygan · Sep 2, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

I always look for unused volumes of space that can be used.

One is the area in the trusses over your garage.

Light storage can be done up there. And with restructuring, you could use the space for heavier storage. A substantial pull down stair would give access. You could even open it up so you could install a lift. Lots of good examples on GJ. Some others include storage racks over the garage doors and under tall decks.

Another thing I notice is all the nice unused back yard. Would they allow you a small deck or gazebo or just a patio area way back near the stream? Seems an ideal place to be able to spend time with some outdoor furniture. Read the HOA rulesd carefully, with an eye to what has not been prohibited. You could create a patio and pergola with a seating area.

Bill

ChaseDE · Sep 2, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

I could probably get away with a pergola in the back by the creek i am sure. my neighbor to the right has a tall deck on his house and fits his mowers/tractor under there and i am super jealous haha. my deck is maybe 2' from grade.

other issues with the garage

lighting, i have a light each on the openers and 2 more light fixtures, just basic bulbs in the ceiling on a switch. this is decent but needs an upgrade.

electrical outlets, would you believe me if i told you there is 1 wall outlet in the entire garage? because that is it. where the fridge is plugged in. each opener has a ceiling mounted outlet.

nterry1957 · Sep 2, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Hey Chase.. Good luck on this project!
My kids both played multiple sports growing up so I can relate to the time issues. They are both in college now so although I miss watching them play, the transition into more free time is really nice. In face, I'm finally building my shop that I have dreamed about for decades!

ChaseDE · Sep 2, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Thanks Terry, actually all my family is from MO hah. St. Louis, Springfield, Dexter, etc, etc. My parents nearly bought a house in the Ozarks when I was younger but decided to stay in Delaware.

nterry1957 · Sep 2, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

LOVE SW Missouri! It's been home most of my life except for a stint in the Air Force.

dhubbard422 · Sep 5, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Chase,

The creek setting is nice.

My 2 cents, if it's even worth that much... :willy_nil

it'll be a lot easier to make progress on the garage after you move most of the garage stuff into a shed. From my experience it is much, much easier to update the garage when it is mostly clutter free, else you will spend a lot of your available hour, moving stuff out of the way.

Create a plan. I expect that you can find inspiration on this site, perhaps some of the amazing modest-sized garages on display here can help guide your plan.

Overhead storage. Wall storage. Storage above the garage door... getting stuff off the floor really helps.

Look forward to seeing your plans and the garage take shape!

Cypherian · Sep 5, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Well some thoughts from slower lower DE

Can you get away with the shed and say a deck storage cabinet? Get more kid stuff out of the way. Do you have access to the over head area to run more power down ? If not two 3 outlet electric reels one hung between the doors plugged into outlets for the garage door openers and use the open plug from them. Just remember you should not operate the doors when your also using power from those outlets. Hang the bikes on pulley systems get them off the floor. Get the right top box for your largest box used of course sell off the others as you consolidate.

Cypherian

ChaseDE · Sep 5, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Thanks for the comments dub, and Cypher, good to see a local, I was down at the beach today

I think the ceiling above the garage is open joists, have yet to look. I know the attic above the house has like 2 feet of loose fill insulation on it but not decked. I would like to run some more boxes down that way, I have only ever done basic electric so I am thinking of who I know to help run some stuff for me haha.

A 10x8 shed would be more than enough for the extra stuff I need to stow away, just the tractor, mower, and bikes would be a huge help.

Been tinkering with sketchup the last few days trying to get some layouts together....

Cypherian · Sep 5, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

ChaseDE said:
Thanks for the comments dub, and Cypher, good to see a local, I was down at the beach today

I think the ceiling above the garage is open joists, have yet to look. I know the attic above the house has like 2 feet of loose fill insulation on it but not decked. I would like to run some more boxes down that way, I have only ever done basic electric so I am thinking of who I know to help run some stuff for me haha.

A 10x8 shed would be more than enough for the extra stuff I need to stow away, just the tractor, mower, and bikes would be a huge help.

Been tinkering with sketchup the last few days trying to get some layouts together....

Oh so you added to the traffic down here how nice let me guess your from ABOVE THE CANAL lol just busting chops. I live between the two main drags down to the beaches and know the back ways every where down here lol. Anyhow, YES if your not comfortable running power and definitely get some one who is especially since this garage is attached to your home. I run my own but.. only up to the box then a friend who is an electrician and has cheap taste in beer comes and checks my stuff then hooks up to the box.:} And my larger garage is separate so if anything bad happens well with luck that's all that will go up.

Looking at your sketch up the refer is that used for extra house hold stuff or garage beer stuff? If it is house hold what would happen if you turned it 90 Deg and put it on a raised platform with a plywood and peg board back toward the benches so you come out of the house door turn left and tada refer is there.. It would free up 2' +/- on that back wall. you cant use the space in front of it now since you wouldn't be able to open the doors so ... Just a thought.

Oh and perhaps a barn roof style shed for storage of ladders etc with an access door they said 10'x8' but ..are you limited on height ? HOA says they don't want to see it from the street right.

Cypher

ChaseDE · Sep 6, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Ha yes I live in Wilmington on the line for Hockessin. The fridge is kind of a mix between house overflow and beer, usually more beer.

Yeah 10x8 no height restrictions per say as long as you can't see it. Thing is in that back corner next to the deck I have an 8' long window looking out my back living room into the backyard and woods, which is nice, and it is about 7 or 8 feet to bottom of the sill. Still working on arranging a nice spot for the shed right now.

ChaseDE · Sep 8, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

I plan on adding an enclosure onto the back deck next spring so I am trying to plan how I will do that and add a shed that I desperately need.

As I am sketching it up I have 2 options, maybe. Enclose the porch and add a simple 10x8 shed or .... maybe .... make the shed tie into the porch kinda like a lean-to.

Is this a terrible idea? Tell me I am crazy....

The existing porch is just as it's sketched in the screenshot, to scale. For an idea of scale the lean-to shed's door is 6' tall.

Cypherian · Sep 8, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

No sure of the stand alone with the porch roof dumping rain on the shed roof and then it is down between the two structures but you know your land up there not I . The lean too meh doesn't look right to me but it is your home not mine so if you like it do It . With the lean too the roof is contiguous so you have less chance of water ponding between the deck and shed and if you do it right perhaps have access to small storage cabinets from the deck???

Cypher

ChaseDE · Sep 8, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

right i worry about 1, the water pooling between the two and 2, looking at a shed roof from the porch.

if i have the leanto the view is blocked, but i could build in cabinets or something, maybe a tv or something interesting. it does look a little off, still conceptualizing right now....

ChaseDE · Sep 9, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

also looking at the house from the back like we are here. there is a slider on the left by the left set of stairs on the deck and there is a door from the laundry/mudroom on the right inside what would be the enclosed porch already.

then there would be a door of course between the enclosed porch and open deck.

good things are the land that butts the back of the house where the deck is now is pretty flat and slopes very slightly to the backyard. from the edge of the deck back it slopes a little more, then that goes to the creek so i do not have any major drainage issues at all.

ChaseDE · Sep 12, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

made some good progress on the garage this weekend although i signed myself up for even more work outside the house, i am now my kids volleyball coach too haha.

i took out a awkward 4x5 folding table and moved the new workbench into its spot, loaded that up and got rid of more junk, i can actually walk around now and its getting close to fitting an actual car on one side yay!

ill take pics later.

ChaseDE · Nov 6, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Well it's a little tight but this is a milestone!

Bib Overalls · Nov 7, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Can you bump the garage out in the back? Make for a nice work shop.

With the size of your lot I am surprised the HOA will not let you build on it.

Watch your neighborhood. If you see some construction going on stop by and find out how they got HOA permission.

ChaseDE · Dec 5, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Houston, we have cabinets!

Freebies from my neighbor's kitchen remodel

fowldarr · Dec 5, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Good find. Are they going to fit in with your overall plan?

ChaseDE · Dec 6, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

eh, i will make them fit haha. i got...

1 pantry type tall deal there
2 base cabinets with matching countertop
5 i think wall cabinets of various sizes

i woulda liked more base cabinets but you take what you get. i think i can mount the wall cabinets so their top is level with the bottom of my garage door tracks and they will be the right height, out of the way, and work well.

Magnum517 · Dec 6, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Good deal!! Free is always the best!

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ChaseDE · Dec 26, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

We are sloooowly getting there, one hour at a time xmas

MINIz guy · Dec 26, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

I'm going to follow this intently. I just moved to DE and am looking for a house now. Everything in my budget seems to have either a single or small double (1.5 really) garage. Going to see how you do given the space limitations.

CoyoteDuster · Dec 26, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Watching this one. Mine's about the same size.

ChaseDE · Dec 27, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

MINIz guy said:
I'm going to follow this intently. I just moved to DE and am looking for a house now. Everything in my budget seems to have either a single or small double (1.5 really) garage. Going to see how you do given the space limitations.

CoyoteDuster said:
Watching this one. Mine's about the same size.

Thanks guys and MINI welcome to the neighborhood. Not sure what your price range is but I am up near Pike Creek and Hockessin, homes here range from 250-550k. For the same price in Bear where I grew up you can get acres and a real nice house, or Middletown where I used to live as well.

Depends on if you have kids, all that fun stuff, Middletown and Hockessin/Pike Creek have excellent school districts.

My garage progress is slow, be ready to wait haha!

MINIz guy · Dec 27, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

ChaseDE said:
Thanks guys and MINI welcome to the neighborhood. Not sure what your price range is but I am up near Pike Creek and Hockessin, homes here range from 250-550k. For the same price in Bear where I grew up you can get acres and a real nice house, or Middletown where I used to live as well.

Depends on if you have kids, all that fun stuff, Middletown and Hockessin/Pike Creek have excellent school districts.

My garage progress is slow, be ready to wait haha!

That's exactly what I'm seeing shopping the market. Currently rent an apartment in Pike Creek but I'm looking to move further south to Newark or Bear. Don't need a good school district as I've just graduated and am looking for a starter house. Easy to resell and a garage is what I'm looking for!

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Will S. · Dec 27, 2016

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

See we got a few First Stater's here. :beer:

Chase, looking at your sketchups,, if you take the 'lean-to' and turn it 90 deg, and make it an addition to the house structure, it's roof and the roof of the back part of the house, would tie together and form a valley, which would ship all the water from both roofs, away from the house.

Also, doing an addition instead of a detached shed, would then still allow you to have another "out-building" later; e.g. you could still have a shed.

The other thing to consider is to apply to the county for a variance, to build or place a larger structure further from the house. From the view of you lot, there seems to be ample room further back. A variance might be approved, which would allow it. Typically here in De, variances are spproved unless a neighbor has a compelling reason to object.

Good luck with the projects.

ChaseDE · Jan 4, 2018

Re: Hour At a Time Garage (need help)

Thanks Will but the HOA in my neighborhood is crazy strict and enforced, which is fine, I will work with what I am allowed.

When we moved in our basement was finished but kinda like old school. Ugly 4'x1' or so floursecent tube lights recessed in that look weird, old crusty carpet, etc. So I am working on that, putting new can lights in and all that fun stuff.

I plan to use those 4'x1' fixtures in the garage when I get them taken out, so more garage lighting is motivating me to get the basement done quicker haha

ChaseDE · Jun 12, 2018

Had a few hours of the last few weeks and made some progress, still looks bad but....

Got all the cabinets hung properly, and the countertop and base cabinet in.

Moved my big 2' x 8' rolling workbench up against the wall where i want it.

Got grandpa's old stacker snap-on boxes moved over out of the way.

Still so much junk to get rid of but it's getting there....

welderman2 · Jun 12, 2018

Out of everything I have in my garage, the fridge is the best tool out there. Nice thread, keep up the work. I like the title as that's how I have been working, every spare hour or night.

ChaseDE · Jun 12, 2018

Haha I was lucky that the new house came with a new fridge so that one came with us and is the overstock/beer fridge. As you can see the bottle caps on the floor there...

ChaseDE · Jun 13, 2018

I can actually see the countertops! :lol_hitti

Cypherian · Jun 19, 2018

ChaseDE said:
I can actually see the countertops!

Give it a day or three you won't have to worry about the glare of the counter tops :}

Cypher

ChaseDE · Jun 21, 2018

Cypherian said:
Give it a day or three you won't have to worry about the glare of the counter tops :}

Cypher

Ain't that the truth, been working on getting my grandfathers old snap-on boxes refinished. the top box's drawers are all done and i stripped down the cabinet hardware to get it ready over the last few days.

george · Jun 21, 2018

I have a similar box I have been thinking of refinishing. The drawers look great btw. Is that Snap-on paint or did you decide on something close? I found Snapon touch up paint but it was expensive and only came in small amounts.

Congrats on the progress btw. I know how slow it can go sometimes. I'll get mine posted soon.

ChaseDE · Jun 21, 2018

That is actually tried and true Rustoleum rattle can Sunrise Red. It is very very close to the SO red and goes on nice after some cleanup, sanding, etc on the metal.

Dried pretty hard too, I did maybe 3 coats on a smaller drawer, let it cure for about a week and threw some cruddy old 1/2" ratchets in it and shook it around really good, no scratches were seen.

tapered-pin · Jun 21, 2018

lookin' good..

tagged..

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