2 car garage remodel

[Hutch]

My garage remodel

The early days

When my wife and I bought our first, and current house, having a garage was a purchase requirement, at least on my end. We ended up with a great place on two city lots with a detached 2 car garage. Here are some shots when we were checking it out…

From the street

From the yard

Inside as I visualize the potential, yeah, this could work

Existing built in shelves

This is as we were moving in

I could tell even then that the deep open built in shelves would collect a lot of junk.

After about two years, little had changed. A little reconfiguring of the built in shelves, and a couple nice steel-shelving units I picked up from work.

The biggest issue is probably lighting. Being in Wyoming, the winter days are short, and the summer nights are plenty dark.

I was able to pick up a set of oak veneer cabinets for free last summer, and am planning on phase one of the remodel this summer.

Here is the initial layout I drew on sketchup.

Phase one plans include:
• Install cabinets
• Layout wiring – currently on 1 - 110, 20amp circuit. I need to run 220 for my stick welder and future compressor and someday a 220 Mig.
• Power wash floor


With a few projects on the house in order and needing a place to work on the motorcycles and baja, I tore into the built in shelves this week. My wife helped me move stuff and hang the new cabinets to make some space. Then after a lot of sweeping and some effort to organize I got to here.

Phase 2 will include:

• Install wiring
• Increase # of florescent tubes – currently have 3 - 4’ x 2 tube fixtures scattered. Looking to go with 8-10 T8 4’ x 2 fixtures. Going with shorter tubes for ease of storage and changing.
• Insulate the walls at minimum, hopefully ceiling/roof as well
• Install natural gas hanging furnace – got free from a remodel in town.
• Cover walls. Leaning towards OSB right now just because of price, ease of install, and the fact that this is not going to be a show garage. Plus, as much as I love drywall work, I’m not too quick, so it would take me a while to get it hung, taped, mudded and painted.

For now I have a great place to park the bikes and baja, and i can get work done.

Check out more pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ryanhc/sets/72157605207301659/

 

[Steve in Mi]

I guess I would have modified the order some.

1. Decide where things will go and the electrical circuits you want.
2. Calculate total anticipated electrical load, size sub panel and feed wire - purchase & install.
3. Run your electrical circuits.
4. Insulate & moisture barrier.
5. Install interior sheeting and paint.
6. Purchase and install lighting.
7. Now it is time to hang cupbords. IMHO

Oops, forgot to run the nat. gas in the power trench and plum gas to planned heater location. Call it step 3b.

 

[Hutch]

Yeah, the order is somewhat convoluted, I know.

I unfortunately do not spend a lot of time at the house, my work has me down in AZ for 9 months of the year. For this summer, I have about a month and a half to work on things before I head back to AZ, the rest of the time I will be traveling. So I decided to make it workable this summer, which meant doing something with the cabinets that were sitting on the floor. I know it will mean pulling them down again when I finally run electrical and insulate

With all the projects around the house and a couple dirt bikes to maintain, it will be nice to have a clean organized work space.

 

[Steve in Mi]

Hutch, your work does really limit the time for EXTRA projects. I think you have a pretty good layout from which to plan the job now. Now to get the time needed to execute the plan. I wasn't picking on you about the order of things but rather feeling the pain of a redo. I've had my share of repeat performances for one reason or another. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Hutch]

Thanks Steve, I knew you weren't picking on me, and truth be told I would prefer to do a more logical progression, but the garage was working well as it was so this is already an improvement! I am excited to put the grand vision into action, probably will take a bit more time than some others, but in the end I am sure it will be what I want (although it's already too small!). Thanks too for sharing the order you would do things. I have picked up so many ideas from the board, and am always open to new ones. Hopefully I can plug away a little this summer between other stuff.

 

[Hutch]

Wow, two years since I started thinking about redoing the garage and got some cabinets up so I could actually work on stuff. In that time, I've moved back to Wyoming full time, so no more getting the garage organized and then leaving to travel to AZ.

With some time off this past week, I've finally made some major progress on a true remodel, not just moving cabinets and shelves

New electrical, 50A and multiple circuits. Also went with the chicken coop 4000w heater. Add some insulation and things are happening.


P1060099 by RyanHC, on Flickr


P1060102

I helped the electrician install all the electrical and learned a ton. Saved some money too, which is always helpful.

So that was Monday...

 

[Hutch]

Tuesday and Wednesday my buddy came over and helped me hang the drywall, a huge help, needless to say. The excessive screws in the field is all me though.


drywall by RyanHC, on Flickr

New lights installed with the rest of the electrical. I'm not doing any ceiling in the near future, but am getting insulation into the trusses between coats of mud.

Shot of the new sub panel


new sub panel by RyanHC, on Flickr

Finally some paint!

Paint! by RyanHC, on Flickr

I should have probably done one more coat of mud, and/or spent a little more time on the sanding, oh well, live and learn. Three coats of primer, two coats of hi-gloss casual white.

Started moving some stuff back to the walls to get into a corner I couldn't get taped and mudded yet


moving back in by RyanHC, on Flickr

That's where we are as of today, more work tomorrow, then having my buddy over for a thank you dinner for his help.

 

[wfochris]

Looking awesome!

 

[jam022316]

Very cool. Does your heater keep it warm enough?

 

[Hutch]

The heater is doing a great job so far. It has been a pretty mild winter here, and the days have been warm this week, so hard to say how it will do if it gets real cold like it used to. It's been keeping the garage around 60ºF while the mudding and painting has been going on, and the roof isn't completely insulated yet.

 

[John in OH]

You've certainly improved the garage from what you started with. The drywall looks great.

Got a question ... in the last two photos of your original post, under your blue work surface, you have a 4-wheeled cart with a shop vac on one end and what appears to be a stick welder on the other end ... what kind of welder is that??

 

[sscustom]

wow that looks great good job keep us updated

 

[Hutch]

John in OH,
it's a Solar 220v stick welder, for sale if you're interested.

 

[Hutch]

Got some organizing done and hung the upper cabinets in the corner today, trying to take a real critical look at things as I put them in their place, purging as much as I can to be able to be more organized and efficient. I go back to work tomorrow, but now that it's bright and heated in the garage, I'll be plugging away in the evenings.

 

[Hutch]

Got most of the roof insulated tonight, hopefully finish up the rest this week.

 

[IONH]

Nice organization!