My little 2 car garage

quasi_accurate · Jan 28, 2014

Hi all

Just purchased my first home late last year - a new construction. The garage is a little on the small side at 17.3' x 19.5' with a 9' ceiling. But I plan to add another vehicle to the stable, and I'm determined to park both cars in it. It came unfinished, so I got to working on it immediately. Here is what it looked like before:

Skipping forward the completion of Phase 1:

Upgrades:

Light orange peel wall texture
4 Sherwin-Williams paint colors (upper wall and ceiling are different colors)
Stainless steel base molding
GarageFlooringLLC epoxy floor coating
PIXI flat LED ceiling light
Zenaro 4000K LED bulb
Lutron motion sensing light switch
Framed artwork and various flags

Next Steps:

Since the garage is so narrow, pretty much everything has to come off of the ground to allow for 2 cars to park in it. So storage options will focus on wall and ceiling mounted solutions. After some research, and thanks to a lot of great advice on this forum, I plan to get all Gladiator GarageWorks garage furniture.

2nd LED ceiling light to light up the back half of the garage, which currently doesn't have a light.
Two additional outlets on the right side to mirror the existing two on the left.
Move the existing rack out of the garage
Work bench and stool to left side of the door on ledge
Two additional cabinets below the work bench, one on each end
Tall storage closet and multi-level tool chest to right side of the door on ledge
Two 30"x30" cabinets on the wall above the bench on the left side of the electrical box
12' of shelving above the door from the right side of the cabinets to the right side wall
Three 16' modular rails running in parallel on each side of the wall, spaced 18" apart. This will allow me to mount various hooks, hangers, and shelving, or even additional cabinets as needed.
Optional: 16' of shelving above the garage door
Optional: Two 4'x8'x2' ceiling mounted storage racks

I'm super jealous of those of you with super spacious garages. Perhaps for the next house!

Thanks for looking

1/2 Cup · Jan 28, 2014

You are doing a great job so far, keep up the good work. :thumbup:

55cadillacking · Jan 28, 2014

Looks great!

jason_etc · Jan 28, 2014

How deep is the ledge? Looks like its about bench-width. It might cut out the height you might get from shelving or cabinets (unless you're really tall) but then again it saves you from worrying about getting things off the ground. You're floor and paint came out really nice. Good looking so far.

quasi_accurate · Jan 28, 2014

1/2 Cup said:
You are doing a great job so far, keep up the good work.

55cadillacking said:
Looks great!

Thanks guys! I just looked at your garages as well. Both look incredible. Especially yours Rick. Wow! That is seriously impressive! How big is your garage, and how did you get your wall graphics/decals?

jason_etc said:
How deep is the ledge? Looks like its about bench-width. It might cut out the height you might get from shelving or cabinets (unless you're really tall) but then again it saves you from worrying about getting things off the ground. You're floor and paint came out really nice. Good looking so far.

Thanks Jason! The ledge is 30" deep. The bench is 24" deep with adjustable height, which I plan to set to 36" to accommodate the two under-bench cabinets (35" tall). I plan to put the two wall cabinets at 5' from the ground, giving me 2' of space between the bench and the bottom of the cabinets. I think that would work fine as my kitchen has similar configuration between counter and cabinets. My only concern is how far I can pull the stool out and still sit comfortably and not fall off of the ledge. I may construct a small extension out of 2x4s (the ledge is 4" high) and wrap it in stainless steel sheets (just for looks), and use that whenever I need to pull out the stool to work at the bench.

55cadillacking · Jan 28, 2014

quasi_accurate said:
Thanks guys! I just looked at your garages as well. Both look incredible. Especially yours Rick. Wow! That is seriously impressive! How big is your garage, and how did you get your wall graphics/decals?

Thanks. My garage began on paper as 20' wide with a split depth of 22' and 24'. We added 4' of width so we ended up with what is basically a 24' x 24', which makes for a pretty nice sized double.

I have had my fair share of decals over the years, but I currently only have a few. The SQ5 decal was something I had custom made by a guy I came to know through eBay and the "Quattro" and "Vorsprung" were just quick and dirty eBay transactions. The AUDI sign on the grey wall is a lettering kit I got of a guy on eBay, too. All of them are mounted on painted stripes I did by hand. Lots of trial and error over the years, but it keeps me busy.

When I saw your "before" photo is really reminded me of my blank canvas I began with back in 2010. You have taken things quite far in a quick time and your garage looks nothing like a "builder special". With some cleverness, I bet you'll be able to really maximize the space you have. Lots of design potential with BMW badges, logos, and color scheme, too! Have fun with it.

jason_etc · Jan 29, 2014

quasi_accurate said:
I may construct a small extension out of 2x4s (the ledge is 4" high) and wrap it in stainless steel sheets (just for looks), and use that whenever I need to pull out the stool to work at the bench.

Is your baseboard stainless as well or some kind of flashing? That'd look good if you wrapped a platform as well. I'm not sure how you'd protect it from staining and rust, but it would be pretty slick.

dubber · Jan 29, 2014

Great garage you have there.

If your still set on two cars in there I would get rid of that side shelving unit. All the storage should be at the end on the man door wall and then mounted high along the sides.

quasi_accurate · Jan 29, 2014

jason_etc said:
Is your baseboard stainless as well or some kind of flashing?

What do you mean by baseboard? This is the SS molding I used:

http://diamondlifegear.com/metal-base-molding.html

dubber said:
Great garage you have there.

If your still set on two cars in there I would get rid of that side shelving unit. All the storage should be at the end on the man door wall and then mounted high along the sides.

Thanks! My plans are exactly as you outlined

This post has given me some inspirations about how to maximize parking space:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=2185392&postcount=11

dubber · Jan 29, 2014

quasi_accurate said:
Thanks! My plans are exactly as you outlined

No problem, just something i figured out along my path to make my garage functional and still store a car (that i can get in and out of)

quasi_accurate · Feb 14, 2014

Say hello to my little friend

The J · Feb 14, 2014

"What is love... baby don't hurt me"
There's gotta be a backstory to your Haddaway license plate!

The place looks great. I'm subscribed and look forward to updates. That stainless steel floor molding is a really nice touch.

quasi_accurate · Feb 14, 2014

The J said:
"What is love... baby don't hurt me"
There's gotta be a backstory to your Haddaway license plate!

Haha not much of a back story. My friends and I think the song is hilarious and used to always joke about it. I thought it'd be fun to get it on a license plate

The place looks great. I'm subscribed and look forward to updates. That stainless steel floor molding is a really nice touch.

Thanks! Big updates are coming very soon. I'm gathering the parts right now

taumac · Feb 14, 2014

The garage looks awesome only way I see is put some shelf really high so car open doors without hitting it. Looks great so far....

Have a good one, Gerard

The 5 Stitches Garage part 1 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142100

The 5 Stitches Garage part2 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899

quasi_accurate · Feb 14, 2014

taumac said:
The garage looks awesome only way I see is put some shelf really high so car open doors without hitting it. Looks great so far....

Have a good one, Gerard

High shelves are coming early next month

I'm about to order a massive amount of Gladiator GarageWorks gear later this month.

The 5 Stitches Garage part 1 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142100

The 5 Stitches Garage part2 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899

Your garage looks awesome too. I love how organized it is. Still reading...

taumac · Feb 14, 2014

Thanks....

Have a good one, Gerard

The 5 Stitches Garage part 1 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142100

The 5 Stitches Garage part2 http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=211899

M17715 · Feb 14, 2014

That looks awesome!! The floor and the walls really look great. Good job. :thumbup:

quasi_accurate · Feb 15, 2014

M17715 said:
That looks awesome!! The floor and the walls really look great. Good job.

Thank you! :beer:

quasi_accurate · Feb 15, 2014

Got around to bolting the miter saw to the platform today:

About 104 linear ft, or 2/3 of the planned total of 157 linear ft of GearTrack:

quasi_accurate · Feb 17, 2014

I just pulled the trigger on a metric ton of Gladiator Premier stuff. There will be some updates very soon! I'm really excited!

dubber · Feb 17, 2014

Interested to see this update. Get to work!

quasi_accurate · Feb 17, 2014

dubber said:
Interested to see this update. Get to work!

Everything should get here this Friday :bounce:

My enthusiasm was slightly damped when I found out that Gladiator charges sales tax in all states except for Oregon and Delaware. But it was still a decent deal.

JustinS · Feb 17, 2014

Hey what work stand is your miter saw sitting on?

quasi_accurate · Feb 17, 2014

JustinS said:
Hey what work stand is your miter saw sitting on?

That is a Rockwell Jawhorse with the Miter Saw Station attachment. The Miter Saw Station also came with rollers for supporting longer pieces like crown molding, but I don't have those installed.

Sunbimmer · Feb 17, 2014

Love the Sunbimmer :thumbup:

quasi_accurate · Feb 17, 2014

Sunbimmer said:
Love the Sunbimmer

Thanks! I see you are a fellow Z owner :thumbup:

I love the thing, although it's not the most practical of vehicles. I had to recruit a friend's help to pick up those GearTracks from Sears :lol:

I would like to add a 2nd more practical car to the stable at some point. The new F80 M3 sure looks pretty. There is also the persistent rumor of a M2.

Sunbimmer · Feb 17, 2014

quasi_accurate said:
Thanks! I see you are a fellow Z owner I love the thing, although it's not the most practical of vehicles. I had to recruit a friend's help to pick up those GearTracks from Sears I would like to add a 2nd more practical car to the stable at some point. The new F80 M3 sure looks pretty. There is also the persistent rumor of a M2.

I know what you feel.
I bought a new HP printer one day, the only way to transport the thing was on the passenger seat. Had to leave my wife behind at the store

Picked her up an hour later, she was not amused

So it's not the most practical car no.
M3 or maybe an M2 are not that practical too I think but I'll bet sure as hell fun to drive :rocker:

quasi_accurate · Feb 17, 2014

Sunbimmer said:
I know what you feel.
I bought a new HP printer one day, the only way to transport the thing was on the passenger seat. Had to leave my wife behind at the store
Picked her up an hour later, she was not amused
So it's not the most practical car no.
M3 or maybe an M2 are not that practical too I think but I'll bet sure as hell fun to drive

I can see how the wife would object to being transported on the 2nd run instead of the 1st run :lol:

I think a M3 would be relatively practical - 4 doors, 5 seats, a good sized trunk, and backseats that can fold down for even more storage space.

G20-Budo · Feb 18, 2014

Quasi,

NICE garage! The before and after is already impressive. Can't wait to see how it will look with the rack gone, gear rack in place, additional lighting up and the bench/cabinets in place. I think the SS plat extension will look great with your current stainless floor molding.

As for your ledge, yes mine is about the same dimensions. I'm with you on saying no to putting Race Deck on top of it. Issue for me is, I have already spilled oil on my cement floor in many area's (including the ledge), and got wheel dressing (silicon based) on the cement. I doubt I'll be able to get epoxy to stick to it AND last. And I'm planning to go Race Deck in a year or two anyway.

In any case, I'm subscribed to your thread to check out the updates. Keep up the good work, I like where you're taking your garage. :thumbup:

quasi_accurate · Feb 18, 2014

G20-Budo said:
Quasi,

NICE garage! The before and after is already impressive. Can't wait to see how it will look with the rack gone, gear rack in place, additional lighting up and the bench/cabinets in place. I think the SS plat extension will look great with your current stainless floor molding.

As for your ledge, yes mine is about the same dimensions. I'm with you on saying no to putting Race Deck on top of it. Issue for me is, I have already spilled oil on my cement floor in many area's (including the ledge), and got wheel dressing (silicon based) on the cement. I doubt I'll be able to get epoxy to stick to it AND last. And I'm planning to go Race Deck in a year or two anyway.

In any case, I'm subscribed to your thread to check out the updates. Keep up the good work, I like where you're taking your garage.

Thanks for the good words!

Hopefully I can get started with installing the Gladiator stuff this weekend. I think in your case, you'd have to do some serious cleaning and degreasing before you can do epoxy (if you were to go that route). So RaceDeck should be way less work for you. I'm toying with the idea of putting RaceDeck on top of the main garage area (not the back ledge). Haven't decided if I would do that or not yet.

G20-Budo · Feb 18, 2014

Rick and dubber have me sold on the RaceDeck. After seeing their garage setup (and one or two others), I'm convinced it's the route for me. It's just a matter of $ and time at this point. Once everything is lined up, I'll get it.

Your garage is looking good though. I DO still have a ton of cleaning to do (not just the grease spots). The good news is, I have it in my head what I want to do, so it's just a matter of executing. =)

quasi_accurate · Feb 19, 2014

Just ordered this little beauty:

Now to wait 2-3 weeks for it arrive from the Phillipines...

G20-Budo · Feb 19, 2014

VERY nice!! I wanted to get a nismo caliper/rotor clock. But I didn't when they were available, and now they're not. I'll have to wait to see if they come around again?

That clock really looks classy. :thumbup:

Great job!

I might be going to the Philippines this year, I'll have to look around.

quasi_accurate · Feb 19, 2014

G20-Budo said:
VERY nice!! I wanted to get a nismo caliper/rotor clock. But I didn't when they were available, and now they're not. I'll have to wait to see if they come around again?

That clock really looks classy. Great job!

I might be going to the Philippines this year, I'll have to look around.

Like these?

http://www.legacydiecast.com/nismo-gt-r-brake-disc-clock?gclid=CO-d_vPd2LwCFUxp7AodgDgAyA

G20-Budo · Feb 19, 2014

quasi_accurate said:
Like these?

http://www.legacydiecast.com/nismo-gt-r-brake-disc-clock?gclid=CO-d_vPd2LwCFUxp7AodgDgAyA

YES!

I've been buying from Amazon for awhile and assumed they were just no longer made. I know what I'm getting for fathers day!

Thanks.

quasi_accurate · Feb 19, 2014

G20-Budo said:
YES! I've been buying from Amazon for awhile and assumed they were just no longer made. I know what I'm getting for fathers day!

Thanks.

Better not wait too long again

quasi_accurate · Feb 20, 2014

I've decided to try to improve the nearly useless dust collection on my miter saw. Seeing that the saws with >90% dust collection all have rubber dust collector boots like the Festool Kapex KS 120, Bosch CM10GD, and Bosch GCM12SD, I decided to rig my own:

Haven't tested it yet. It looks a little jury rigged, but hopefully with it and the dust port hooked up to a shop vac, I'll at least get half of the dusts that spew out :lol:

In other news, my Gladiator stuff should be delivered by freight on Friday! :rocker:

In preparation, I removed the shelving unit from the garage, as well as all of the art and decorations from the wall. I also speckled the nail holes and marked them with tape for painting. Probably unnecessary, as they are nearly invisible anyways.

I'm ready for a garage makeover!

G20-Budo · Feb 20, 2014

quasi_accurate said:
In other news, my Gladiator stuff should be delivered by freight on Friday! In preparation, I removed the shelving unit from the garage, as well as all of the art and decorations from the wall. I also speckled the nail holes and marked them with tape for painting. Probably unnecessary, as they are nearly invisible anyways.

I'm ready for a garage makeover!

Sounds like the OCD is already kicking in. :lol:

I have no doubt your space will be great once you have everything installed the way you want, hell it already looks good! :thumbup:

quasi_accurate · Feb 20, 2014

G20-Budo said:
Sounds like the OCD is already kicking in.

I have no doubt your space will be great once you have everything installed the way you want, hell it already looks good!

OCD never left :lol:

quasi_accurate · Feb 21, 2014

My goodies are here!

My little 2 car garage

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