Basement Bike Barn Build

ZRX1040 · Oct 13, 2013

Been putting this project off for several years. Mainly because it's a big can 'o worms and I've been able to use the vacant house next door since the owner passed away. Well, about a month ago the son who inherited the place retired and moved in. No more upkeep of 2 places, mowing, snow blowing etc. BUT I lost the spare garage/driveway for winter storage and parking.

Here's the can 'o worms.

1. This trailer needs to go in this 16 x 20 detached basement garage. Aint happenin'.

2. I'm sick of this hip roof in the middle of the back yard.

3. The thing is ready to fall in.

rotted eaves, crumbled roofing

buckling walls

shifted foundation

old brittle lumber

All gotta go. Materials are ordered. Snow is coming and I have 10 days off.

kavisiegel · Oct 13, 2013

So what's the plan? Tearing it down and building it bigger? Fully underground?

scaron · Oct 13, 2013

what a curious design. that hip roof just sticking out of the middle of your backyard is one of the strangest things i've ever seen, LOL. so are you going to stick with a design that's built into the hill? or are you going to grade it all out (or do like a two-storey and connect it up to the house?) this build looks like it'll be interesting.

ZRX1040 · Oct 13, 2013

Part of the can o' worms is the "alley" is actually a street which have deeper setbacks than where the garage currently sits. I've been on the fence as whether to repair or do a total replacement depending on zoning. City gave me permission for a complete rebuild as long at it was no closer to the street.

The plan is same size 16' w x 20' deep, drop the floor a foot without having to rebuild the retaining wall on the side. Raise the ceiling to 9' for a 12' w x 8'9" h door. Gambrel truss with a 10' x 20' upper room (wood shop/storage) accessible from yard level. I drew up a pic somewhere...

ZRX1040 · Oct 13, 2013

I'm actually a couple days into this whole thing already. More coming. Time to download pics etc. Taking a little break today and thought I'd post up a bit. Stay tuned.

ZRX1040 · Oct 13, 2013

Day 1 Chop Chop.
Borrowed a friends dump trailer and went into demo mode.

Sidewall blocks popped right off by hand. Had them and the roof gone by the end of the day with only the little dump trailer.

Day 2 Rented this little guy. Fine little rig but no match for the nearly 1' of concrete the guys of long ago had poured behind the rear wall. Didn't see that coming. Never fails, just crack the lid and all the worms get out.

Pulled a favor, made a call and got the heavy artillery in to chew up what I had bitten into.

Check out the slab of cement that wall of block is firmly attached to.

Concrete out of the way. Hope these walls will hold until the framing is up.
Trying to keep backfill to a minimum as the only thing I can get in the yard is a bobcat.

purevil115 · Oct 13, 2013

This is awesome will be watching this one. A double decker garage with a shed on top would be amazing

Sunbimmer · Oct 13, 2013

Very interesting :thumbup:

, I'm following.

1/2 Cup · Oct 13, 2013

Fascinating, I am looking forward to your build!

ZRX1040 · Oct 13, 2013

Day 3

Transit time. Rented a little mini hoe. Gawd I like this thing. 4x4 hydrostatic turbo diesel. Ran it all day and used 3.8 gal of fuel.

Compacted for slab and footing dug for crushed pea gravel. Did I mention this will be a wood foundation?

Worked late filling the footings.

digging frost wall with the mini.

Frost wall built and half buried. It sits on pea gravel footings as well. Dropped a 12' section for a thickened slab at the door.

ZRX1040 · Oct 13, 2013

Woke up to 10 turkeys making racket in the front yard and pouring rain. Good thing I tarped the banks to keep them from getting saturated and falling in.

I was worried about this cliffhanger coming down.

One good thing about your daughters growing up...you can commandeer your son in laws to help!

2 walls up, 3rd getting close.

Tar and lift. Long day.

That's all I have for now. Took today to rest up. Hit it again Monday morning. Need to finish the front wall returns, drop in a sump for a floor drain and get ready for the slab. Truss shipment delayed until Wednesday. I'll try to get a pic of the progress in the daylight.

ZRX1040 · Oct 16, 2013

Got the return walls done. Then had a monsoon yesterday. Tarped a makeshift roof to keep it all dry. Poured cement today. Cold, wet, soggy, but got it done. Turned out nice. Put in a a 5g pail for a floor drain. Trusses arrive tomorrow. Camera died, all I have is a crappy cell phone pic.

ZRX1040 · Oct 18, 2013

Still no trusses.

Ordered 3 weeks ago. Said they'd be here last week. Holding up my backfill and losing time. :tantrum2:

Lost a nice day yesterday. Now rain for a week and start back to work tonight. Did get the header in, drain tile and a little backfill and laid out ready for trusses...maybe this afternoon. Also got the retaining wall back up. Just a few to go once backfill is done. Don't want to throw any more dirt in behind the wall until the other side is filled. It's all got to get done sometime I guess.

ZRX1040 · Oct 18, 2013

Got a couple off the camera that croaked from a few days ago.

Here's my rendition of the planned outcome.

ZRX61 · Oct 18, 2013

As the ground pressure cracked the concrete, what makes you think the wood will hold up?

HAY YOU · Oct 18, 2013

I'm hoping the best for you. But I was wondering the same thing.

ZRX1040 · Oct 18, 2013

It was old. When we tore it down, the block actually popped off without any problem. Mortar wasn't holding well at all. Bad mix? Froze before it could set? Who knows. It was at least 50 yrs old. Guy next door is 90 and he cant remember it never being there. It also had windows on the sides at one time but had been backfilled nearly to the top. I filled the right side myself and didn't help matters getting the loader so close to the wall. But it was already gone when I bought the place anyway. Drainage was an issue. Runoff went straight to the building. Thaw and freeze in the spring would push the walls in every year. There was no drain tile along the foundation/footings either which just made things worse. It will be properly landscaped when finished this time and gutters installed as well. They've been building wood basements around here for years. Only gotta last another 30 as far as I'm concerned

BTW Trusses finally arrived this afternoon. :thumbup:

ZRX1040 · Oct 18, 2013

I never was a fan of wood basements either but, all the people I know who have them really like it. Easy to finish, insulate etc. Building inspector is 2 blocks away. Everything is exact to code. All wood is .6 ground contact treated lumber, stainless nails ($9 lb.), foundation coated (tar), 6 mil plastic sheeting. We will see.

ZRX1040 · Oct 21, 2013

Trusses went up yesterday. Too windy today to start sheeting, snow in the forecast.

ZRX1040 · Oct 24, 2013

Roof sheeted, 2/3 shingled. Put joists between trusses for a nice solid floor. Threw in a few sheets of 3/4" for something to walk on until I can finish it to the edges.

sunsation288 · Oct 24, 2013

Wow !! , subscribed !

theoldwizard1 · Oct 24, 2013

ZRX1040 said:
... Drainage was an issue. Runoff went straight to the building.

And proper drainage of both the hill and around the footings will be what keep it standing straight !

BJ42LX · Oct 25, 2013

theoldwizard1 said:
And proper drainage of both the hill and around the footings will be what keep it standing straight !

Yeah. I don't know **** about building. But when I saw that last pic my first thought was, "put some gutters on it and get the roof water away from those walls..."

Great work!

Zeke · Oct 25, 2013

I think I would have used those walls as forms. A little bracing, some rebar and a staggered pour and there would be concrete, a hillside's best friend.

But, that's just the peanut gallery speaking.

ZRX1040 · Nov 10, 2013

Update pics

Backfill.

pain hauling from the back up and around the block. Buddy's dump trailer is coming in handy.

Finally, no more stepping over the hole.

North wall is dried in, door up but not adjusted, window framed and on order. Still need to return the eaves across the gable end, retaining wall complete. When the excavators came and picked up the pile of slab/footings they also took my big marbled rock that was to hold back the embankment on the left. Still have to figure that out. Finding it hard to match the retaining wall block.

filled to subgrade

top dirt and a little something extra to ensure water stays away.

poured rain overnight, too wet to come out of the trailer because somebody forgot to tarp it. Lots of fun raking out mud across the yard.

Topsoil down the west wall, installed some stringers in the muck for a boardwalk.

Plumber's crack warning....

raked out and seeded, hopefully some will take.

Get's dark about 4:30 cutting the day short. Just in time for a few snow flurries.

That"s it for a day or two. Glad to have the dirt work up top done before the cold hits. 17-27 deg for the next couple days.

AHotRod · Nov 10, 2013

WOW! What a project!

Very well done, so is the top going to be a work shop or storage shed?

ZRX1040 · Nov 10, 2013

A little of both.

xtremek · Nov 11, 2013

Subscribed. I'm liking it. Not my style, but I like it. I'm curious, why the wide boardwalk and why board? I can't wait to see it done, it should by very cool!

ZRX1040 · Nov 11, 2013

Not really my thing either but a gambrel roof circumvents a city restriction on 2 story garages. 1 1/2 story storage loft is acceptable as long as height restrictions are met.

Downstairs, bike trailer/motorcycle storage(aka Bike Barn) Upstairs woodshop with storage in the knee walls. 3 x 5' slide by window w/workbench overlooking the ski jump and the park. 6' double doors w/beveled 1/2 glass facing the house is reason for the wide walkway. Easy passage for table saw or big projects. Plus it'll double as a small deck for morning coffee in the sun on cool days. Easier and less expensive to go treated lumber than cement. No access to back yard, also the reason for the mini bobcat for backfill. And it's getting late to pour concrete, had snow on the ground this morning. Wheel barrowed and raked out 10 yds of topsoil yesterday, got 'er in just under the wire. Next thing, scribe the last 3 deck boards to fit the sidewalk, then frame/sheet/wrap the south wall, finish eaves, soffit & fascia, install garage door opener, gutters and siding, insulate upstairs, finish other retaining wall, run electric underground, pour driveway and install treated lumber staircase down the same side. The last 3 might have to wait until spring.

blazentrout · Nov 12, 2013

Thanks for sharing, this is a really nice little build. If you dont mind me asking, how close are you the mi/wi boarder?

Thruxton · Nov 12, 2013

I like your solutions to the situation you were faced with, especially the boardwalk connection between the house and shop - I can see a lot of coffee being drunk out there in good weather!

polexican23 · Nov 12, 2013

what are you doing for stair up to the back of the house? Do you park/use the garage portion then walk around the block to get to the front? That slope looks a lil rough to climb with some snow on it.

HOTFR8 · Nov 12, 2013

I like this. From the old to the new you have something with plenty of room to use.

xtremek · Nov 12, 2013

ZRX1040 said:
Not really my thing either but a gambrel roof circumvents a city restriction on 2 story garages. 1 1/2 story storage loft is acceptable as long as height restrictions are met.

6' double doors w/beveled 1/2 glass facing the house is reason for the wide walkway. Easy passage for table saw or big projects. Plus it'll double as a small deck for morning coffee in the sun on cool days. Easier and less expensive to go treated lumber than cement.

Pretty smart moves. As for the grass, don't hold your breath. I put seed down about a month ago, and I've got nothing. I just hope it sprouts before the spring rains wash away my topsoil. I can't wait to see this done.

ZRX1040 · Nov 12, 2013

blazentrout said:
Thanks for sharing, this is a really nice little build. If you dont mind me asking, how close are you the mi/wi boarder?

Mile or 2 as the crow flies. Iron Mountain, MI.

polexican23 said:
what are you doing for stair up to the back of the house? Do you park/use the garage portion then walk around the block to get to the front? That slope looks a lil rough to climb with some snow on it.

Prolly put stairs down the outside, opposite the retaining wall, and landscape with rock. Primary use for the bottom is a place to store the motorcycles and trailer.

xtremek said:
Pretty smart moves. As for the grass, don't hold your breath. I put seed down about a month ago, and I've got nothing. I just hope it sprouts before the spring rains wash away my topsoil. I can't wait to see this done.

Never got above 25 deg last 2 days. I don't expect grass until spring, but I wanted to get all the wet stuff raked out and ready. Never be able to do it now. At this point I can watch grass come up in May without having to muck around in it.

Got the floor finished out fully and the south wall framed, sheeted and wrapped today. Still waiting for the door and window. Pics tomorrow.

ZRX1040 · Nov 17, 2013

Soffit and fascia done. Finished scribing last of the boardwalk.

Brought in a few big rocks for retaining wall. Plan is to build stairs down over that side come spring.

Brow on north gable came out pretty well.

Dropped in a crimson maple while we were at it.

All for now, between work, wedding and weather, progress is slowing way down.

Tman · Nov 18, 2013

That looks great! We build some wood foundations in much worse areas. With that drainage you will be fine.

matouse3 · Nov 18, 2013

Very interesting, cool rebuild design. Much more useful (and pleasing to look at) than having a roof in the middle of your yard! Congrats on the build- got er done before the snow started flying too bad.

ZRX1040 · Nov 18, 2013

Yep, got a drain tile running the length of the retaining wall all the way around to the last big rock on the other side. Should take care of any seepage. Thanks for all the compliments.

Window and door came in today. Just need some days off.

Neighbor tossed some old drawers out on his burn pile. Looks like something his dad had built (Carpenters Mate 1/C, USS Vammen). Just enough for under the workbench. Nice first addition to my little wood shop. I'm pretty sure the wall of cabinets in my bedroom and my old kitchen cabinets now in the main garage were all built by him years ago. I'm sure he's in this pic somewhere. Miss the old guy, he was a gem. Everyone knew him as "Grandpa".

xtremek · Nov 18, 2013

ZRX1040 said:
I'm pretty sure the wall of cabinets in my bedroom and my old kitchen cabinets now in the main garage were all built by him years ago. I'm sure he's in this pic somewhere. Miss the old guy, he was a gem. Everyone knew him as "Grandpa".

Here's to "Grandpa", thanks for keeping mine safe! :thumbup:

So when's your next day off so we can see the next step? :drool:

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