A Humble but Long Anticipated 24X24 Detached

Mackey · Oct 16, 2011

I bought an older fixer upper home back in 2006. It had a garage/shed which was torn down just before I found the home, due to set back issue and rot. Over the last several years, wrestled back and forth with whether I should rebuild a garage. Much of my focus has been on the interior of the home, but being a garage/shop guy, not having one has been VERY tough.

After living vicariously through others (like Rick S on this site), I decided about a month ago that it was time to make it happen. I wasn't going to go through another winter without a garage! Because this won't be my long term home, I won't be investing in my dream shop, or even a a good sized 36'X30' or some other upsized unit. Not a lot of space, and the final investment needs to respect overall property value so I can resell the thing at some point.

So, here are the basic specs, and many pictures will be to come:

Tear out 25'X31' existing slab, which was cracked and heaved.
24'X24' curbed slab poured
8' sidewalls
1 Service Door on front
1 16'X7' OH Door on front
No windows planned (at this time) to maximize wall space. May reconsider once closed up if it is too depressing inside! ;-)
Currently planned to be used for one smaller car, my ATV, motorcycle, work space, etc.
Planning to insulated and sheet the walls and ceiling using OSB.

So, the slab was poured a few weeks ago, and since then I've had a lot going on that have kept me from this, but I've usually gotten 1-2 days each weekend to get lumber, frame and erect.

Most days I've been able to work on it, I've been lucky enough to have an extra set of hands of varying skill levels. All in all, in the little time I've worked on it, I'm very pleased with the results so far, even after correcting my own mistakes, but there is MUCH to go.

Stay tuned for pics to come- this is the Garage Gallery after all!

Mackey · Oct 19, 2011

This is the old slab- 25' wide, 31' deep.

The slab is gone after 5 years!

...and the new one is in!! Curbed 24'x24' with service door and overhead door on front wall.

Now comes the fun part...

Day One: Rick S came over, despite some mid day rain & limited hours, we got three walls framed and standing.

Day Two: My brother came to visit, had him help lift the front wall in place and install header, finish top plates, etch.

Day Three: Bro and I sheeted the walls with OSB. Below is also a pic of the jig we created to place OSB. It clamps over the double top plate, one in each stud bay (3 per sheet), with an overhang that prevented the osb from rising too high, allowing a sheet to be placed and nailed by one skilled person.

At the end of the first weekend, this was the result. Service door sheeted over for strength...

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orange02ss · Oct 19, 2011

not seeing the pics.

Mackey · Oct 19, 2011

At this point life got hectic, so I only had one day a week that I could work on it, but they were productive days between myself and one other set of hands (which varied from one to the next).

Walls braced and trusses up!!

Still learning to use a hammer, I guess...

Roof mostly sheeted thanks to Rick S coming over last Sunday, even though the Packer game was on! Will be finished and should Brit shingling this weekend!

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Mackey · Oct 19, 2011

Sorry Orange- Anyone else able to see them? I can see the thumbnails and enlarge them on both my phone and on my laptop, which I am currently using... all looks normal on this end...

MarcB · Oct 19, 2011

I can see them. Looks good too :beer:

Mackey · Oct 19, 2011

Thanks MarcB! It won't be my dream shop as I'm not planning to be here for many years to come, but I also have no immediate plans to leave, so I want to keep it humble but functional. Even one year with it would be great, and worth what I plan to invest in it.

Purchased the remainder of my materials tonight, so shingles, siding and more will be in progress soon! Hoping the overhead door arrives in time to be included in the delivery coming in this Saturday morning.

Falcon67 · Oct 19, 2011

I have one of those "hammer marks" too. Great build pics, it's going to be a nice place to work it. The OSB tool you made is excellent engineering.

Mackey · Oct 20, 2011

As the old saying goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention"... which is a more graceful way of saying "If you don't have the patience, strength, knowledge or tools to do what needs done with the resources available, you had better darn well figure it out!" Every step of this project has been a 1-2 man effort, so there have been several opportunities for jigs, bucks or other handy helpers to make life a bit easier.

One such example was Rick's buck for making the sheeting accessible from the roof. While any construction pros will likely consider this gradeschool stuff, I will share it for the rest of us. It was basically two long 2x4s (I think these were around 14', but they only need to be long enough to reach the roof and support the material). Space them about 3' apart, tack a ledger across them around 5' up (one 2X4 flat, another standing on edge to create the shelf), and lean it up against the eve overhang. Now you can load several sheets onto the shelf, standing on end, and pull them up from the roof as needed.

rburke65 · Oct 20, 2011

In reference to your finger, I think you hit the wrong nail! nice build.....good luck.

Falcon67 · Oct 21, 2011

>One such example was Rick's buck for making the sheeting accessible from the roof.
I screwed two 2x4s to a couple of wall studs spaced 24" apart and put some legs on the ends sticking out the side of the building. It was about 3 1/2' off the ground. Used that as a staging platform for getting decking sheets up the back roof. In the front, I just backed the car trailer with the remaining sheets into the 16' hole for the big door and my wife flipped them up on the eve for me to drag up. Still - lotsa work.

Mackey · Oct 22, 2011

Got the fly rafters up today, got the roof decking cut true, drip edge up on half, and about 1/3 of one side shingled. Was hoping to get more done, but it was a productive day when I look at all we accomplished, especially knowing that 95% of it would have been VERY tough, if not impossible, to do alone. Thanks Rick S!!

We worked to dark, and not much to take pics of, but more to.come.soon!

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Mackey · Oct 22, 2011

Falcon, sounds a lot like our makeshift scaffold today! Rick tagged one out the face with a vertical leg, then another horizontal 2x4 on a nailed ledger on the sidewall. Connected the verticals to keep them from abandoning their purpose of holding us up, and then planked across to two step ladders to cover the entire side of the building. Not the most confidence inspiring of surfaces, but all in all it was solid and made life easier.

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Mackey · Oct 22, 2011

rburke65 said:
In reference to your finger, I think you hit the wrong nail! nice build.....good luck.

Yep, and I'm sure its not my last! Don't often do the hammer crush thing too much, but I often find ways to crush fingers and toes. Not a smart thing for a guitar player, but it happens when you start rushing, and I can do that from time to time...need to remind myself to slow down and do it right to save work in the long run! (Not to mention my fingers and toes!

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Mackey · Oct 29, 2011

Status Update (Pics to come, perhaps later tomorrow).

Garage roof is virtually complete. Need to run the cap tomorrow- but it's supposed to rain all day. Hopefully it will be a mild rain.

Got the trench dug today- hoping the aforementioned rain won't fill it all back in before I get the chance to run the power out! The ground is not dig-friendly- buried rocks, bricks (old paver walks, etc). I do NOT want to have to go through that again.

Service Door was also installed.

Next up:
Finish roof cap
Install track/Overhead Door

Goal By End of Next Weekend:
Power run
Fascia, Soffit Complete
J Channel, Siding Starter Strip?! We'll see how weather and schedule holds up...

Rick S · Oct 29, 2011

Sounds like you got alot done today.All with NO injuries? Now that is something to be proud of!!!

Mackey · Oct 29, 2011

No injuries, just a stiff back and wrist! Up for some IT testing tomorrow morning between 5-6AM, then if all goes well, off to Menards for another bundle of shingles...

Red Leader · Oct 30, 2011

No injuries :thumbup:

Mackey · Nov 4, 2011

The weekend is upon me. Tonight has been lost to normal house work (laundry, etc) and some shopping for materials, but as a result I do think I came up with a good idea for my workbench- more on that later!

The OH door wasn't installed last weekend, but I am hoping to tackle it tomorrow. Will just take a jig or two to make it easier for 1 person to do it without having a panel drop, and I might need to rework the rough opening a bit to get it to a perfect 16'. From there, door install should be pretty straightforward.

After that, I'll pick up my wire and conduit and get that laid in the trench and mounted so I can get that covered. We'll see how the day goes and how many other items I can get done.

Sounds like Rick is stopping by on Sunday to help with fascia and soffit, starter strip, etc, which will be a huge help. If I can walk away from the weekend with all of these items completed, I'll be a very happy boy! I can start taking care of electrical during the week this next week, and then next weekend get my siding done!

Oooh... what once seemed a far off dream and then a never ending to-do list is finally taking shape! Once it is functionally complete, then the REAL fun begins... insulating, sheeting, and then layout of shelving, storage, tool plans, etc. I live for that stuff...

BwBrown · Nov 5, 2011

Mackey said:
Still learning to use a hammer, I guess...

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I was working on a home I built for my family some 30 years ago, a friend who in his youth had lost an arm in a farm accident was visiting the site, helping some, when I BLASTED my thumb with the hammer.

He laughed, said "That's something I never do." Always loved his sense of humor. I bought a pneumatic nailer soon after that.

Keep up the good work.

Mackey · Nov 5, 2011

^^Now that's a great sense of humor, and one that makes you appreciate all of your digits, even the smashed ones!

The day has started...off to the races for me!

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Rick S · Nov 6, 2011

A balmy 59 today in November in Wisconsin it seems like a great day to work on the garage! Sounds like cold rain and snow for the end of the week,oh boy we can hardly wait!

Mackey · Nov 7, 2011

Its a good time of the year to have a closed up building!

Here's the status report...the overhead door is in, conduit and electrical is in the trench and covered, and the eave corners are boxed in (not shown). We also got chalklines struck for the F channel, so that is ready to go.

Spent last night redigging with a handheld gardening spade the last 6' of what was a 24" deep trench due to some cave ins. Of course it was also the most clay laden, with other debris to boot. The trenching shovel did ok, but too much was backfilling. Easier to do by hand. But, the conduit work is complete at both ends and electrical is in place.

Hoping to steal a night or two this week to finish more, but with other commitments and big client meetings next week, my nights this week don't much belong to me.

Next weekend will be wrapping up loose ends and other projects on Saturday, and apparently the ever talented Rick S and his lovely wife (who could probably run circles around many of the men out here when comparing skills and tool experience), will be coming over to help put up siding!

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Mackey · Dec 5, 2011

Quick update; I will sit down at some point to upload some better pics and descriptions, but there's where I currently sit!

All siding work is complete, the soffit is up on all sides but the front peak (ran short due to decision to run 24" overhangs on the gable ends, versus the originally spec'd 12"). Need to finish fascia, but it is lower on my priority list for now.

Lighting is in (interior and exterior) but I will be adding a 2 head halogen to my peak for snowblowing, etc.

Have started to bring up tools from the basement, and have my workbench put together. Its a mess in the pics, serving as the work center for several projects and staging for parts coming in or going out for the projects to come.

What I did was pick up a pallet rack style shelving unit from Menards. Its 24" deep. Three courses of 8' horizontals- 1 for the upper shelf, one for the bench top and one for the bottom. I picked up some great cabinets at the local Habitat Restore, repainted them and put some large grip pulls (for gloves). Modified the bottoms to fit within the footprint of the bottom standards, and raised them off the floor with 2x4 stock. I had a couple of countertop pieces in my basement, so I used them for the bottom shelf and for the bench top as well. I know that many hear might not like the laminate top, but this is more of a work center, not a work bench for my projects. I usually set up a temporary table on sawhorses for that type of work.

Add in some new florencent lighting that I also had in stock, and this was a fast, easy, cheap and very functional workbench!

What I also like about the Menards shelving is that it is expandable. I only need one more vertical to double my storage.

More updates to come!

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Mackey · Mar 24, 2012

Great day to be in the garage! Using our long string of 65-80 degree days to get some work done outside. Painted the trim and door, hauled in a load of top soil (much more to come), and generally pick up around the yard.

Here are some updated pics...View attachment 175293 View attachment 175294
View attachment 175295 View attachment 175297 View attachment 175298
The size can always be bigger, but for a 24x24, I think I've managed to make a good use of space for all that is kept here for vehicles, tools and materials.
View attachment 175296
The wire baskets on the lights were a nice find at Menards, and have already paid for themselves.

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Mackey · Mar 24, 2012

The pictures didn't cone through, will try it again...

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Mackey · Mar 24, 2012

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Mackey · Mar 24, 2012

View attachment 176789
Pictures still not loading properly through Tapatalk. Used to work great, now saying it is an administrator issue. Will try again later when I have time to. Do it old school with the laptop...

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A Humble but Long Anticipated 24X24 Detached

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