A Garage Rehabbed
This building has been a lot of different things since 1945. It was the first residence on the property. The owner built this and lived in it with his wife while they built their home. It was a very basic place. Water came from a creek and drained out the wall and onto the dirt. No bathroom, they used an outhouse.
Over the years it got one electrical circuit. It had 3 light bulbs and 3 outlets. I used it that way for a couple years. While it was hardly ideal, I probably only popped the 15a breaker (which was also shared with the kitchen) a handful of times.
The way I was using it just didn’t work for me. Here’s the way it looked on a clean day.
That was not often.
It was a place that was doing too many things. I used it as storage, which got in the way of tools and machinery. I used it for working on projects, which created mess and a juggling/tightrope act that always frustrated me. A lot of times it was an overflow area for home projects. Tools/materials would get put in an empty spot as I continued on with the project. But, when I needed something in the garage it was a task getting to whatever I needed.
I dreamed of making it a shop but I didn’t do anything to make it work as one. I was woken from that dream, continually, every time I tripped over something, stubbed a toe, whacked my shin, tore a pant leg, got grease on some part or me or my clothes or spent way too much time looking for something. I was my own worst enemy.
Over the years as I completely remodeled my home, landscaping, had two children, and did a lot of work for other folks the garage project evolved in my mind. Every summer I take on one larger home project and this year I scratched the plan for a pergola and patio area to get the shop done.
And here it is… well underway (June 10, 2016 start day).
The plan:
The plan wasn’t much different than a lot of other projects I’ve accomplished over the years. Take something old, worn out, and rejuvenating it.
My planned improvements were:
- replace the ceiling with floor joists that were up to walking and storing items.
- Upgrade electrical with a 100a subpanel
- Remove everything that’s not a tool or shop specific – no more storage
- Insulate
- Install a compressor and run air lines
- New man door and deal with the old windows
- Free up floor space with a more appropriate sized work bench and equipment layout
- Create a comfortable space that’s comfortable, yet industrial.
o Use reclaimed materials whenever possible
- LED lighting, lots of it
- Outlets, lots of them
- Everything else – that where you get nickel-and-dimed and spend the most time.
The project couldn’t begin without emptying out the garage of stuff that didn’t belong in a shop. That in itself was a big project. I’ve had a storage condo nearly the whole time I’ve owned this place but for some dumb reason I didn’t utilize that place very well.
Here’s some of what I was dealing with:
Can’t walk between the boxes and the Sami. This was something I wanted to change. In the future, my goal was to keep this wall blank.
A pic that describes how I was my own worst enemy, it was so frustrating.
This was AFTER I had removed 2 cantilever racks and 2 hot rod projects. There was still a ton of stuff up in the loft area.
Seriously, how could anything get accomplished here?
This building has been a lot of different things since 1945. It was the first residence on the property. The owner built this and lived in it with his wife while they built their home. It was a very basic place. Water came from a creek and drained out the wall and onto the dirt. No bathroom, they used an outhouse.
Over the years it got one electrical circuit. It had 3 light bulbs and 3 outlets. I used it that way for a couple years. While it was hardly ideal, I probably only popped the 15a breaker (which was also shared with the kitchen) a handful of times.
The way I was using it just didn’t work for me. Here’s the way it looked on a clean day.
That was not often.
It was a place that was doing too many things. I used it as storage, which got in the way of tools and machinery. I used it for working on projects, which created mess and a juggling/tightrope act that always frustrated me. A lot of times it was an overflow area for home projects. Tools/materials would get put in an empty spot as I continued on with the project. But, when I needed something in the garage it was a task getting to whatever I needed.
I dreamed of making it a shop but I didn’t do anything to make it work as one. I was woken from that dream, continually, every time I tripped over something, stubbed a toe, whacked my shin, tore a pant leg, got grease on some part or me or my clothes or spent way too much time looking for something. I was my own worst enemy.
Over the years as I completely remodeled my home, landscaping, had two children, and did a lot of work for other folks the garage project evolved in my mind. Every summer I take on one larger home project and this year I scratched the plan for a pergola and patio area to get the shop done.
And here it is… well underway (June 10, 2016 start day).
The plan:
The plan wasn’t much different than a lot of other projects I’ve accomplished over the years. Take something old, worn out, and rejuvenating it.
My planned improvements were:
- replace the ceiling with floor joists that were up to walking and storing items.
- Upgrade electrical with a 100a subpanel
- Remove everything that’s not a tool or shop specific – no more storage
- Insulate
- Install a compressor and run air lines
- New man door and deal with the old windows
- Free up floor space with a more appropriate sized work bench and equipment layout
- Create a comfortable space that’s comfortable, yet industrial.
o Use reclaimed materials whenever possible
- LED lighting, lots of it
- Outlets, lots of them
- Everything else – that where you get nickel-and-dimed and spend the most time.
The project couldn’t begin without emptying out the garage of stuff that didn’t belong in a shop. That in itself was a big project. I’ve had a storage condo nearly the whole time I’ve owned this place but for some dumb reason I didn’t utilize that place very well.
Here’s some of what I was dealing with:
Can’t walk between the boxes and the Sami. This was something I wanted to change. In the future, my goal was to keep this wall blank.
A pic that describes how I was my own worst enemy, it was so frustrating.
This was AFTER I had removed 2 cantilever racks and 2 hot rod projects. There was still a ton of stuff up in the loft area.
Seriously, how could anything get accomplished here?
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) I decided to do the right thing and knock out a big ole house to-do list before really digging in. It took ten days to earn that check mark. I have another list brewing (kids wear out everything!)
. Just an aside, pretty much everything I do, is solo.
