20X20 The Slow Build!

[psychobillycadillac]

looks good so far. Tile is going to be tough to do with that mix but as previously stated I agree with the black border and grey in the center. When you throw it down see if you can get dupont enviroglue for vht tiles. Ive used it before and its near impossible to get those tiles up. Once again looking good.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Thanks! I am looking forward to it. Where can you find that particular adhesive?

Here are the three top runners for my design.

My current favorite.

My wife's favorite. The independent lines will be in front of the man door and main door.

A compromise.

My current plan is to have the workbench on the top left (back wall), and the cabinets on the left side middle wall.

Thoughts?

Jim

 

[BSK]

Jim,

how badly will dark tile hide screws that were dropped on the floor? My concern would be that dropped stuff will be hard to find with darker colors.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Jim,

how badly will dark tile hide screws that were dropped on the floor? My concern would be that dropped stuff will be hard to find with darker colors.

Hi Stephan,

I don't think it will be bad unless the screws are black. Shine a light sideways and the shadow will show them.

Jim

 

[BSK]

I guess that works. When are you moving in? I need to stop by and check out the place!

 

[wlspdshop]

Looks really good....congrats

 

[JimVonBaden]

We should be in by the end of the month!

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Even Steven]

Why did they make the concrete pad (for the garage floor) stepped where the door sits?

 

[Thruxton]

I agree with your wife, I like the 2nd design best.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Why did they make the concrete pad (for the garage floor) stepped where the door sits?

It is hard to see in the photo, but the driveway slopes gently towards the garage. The step into the garage, and the step where the door goes down, allows the garage to resist water intrusion.

Jim

 

[JimVonBaden]

Yup, the second one it is. I will start installation late this coming week.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[Even Steven]

It is hard to see in the photo, but the driveway slopes gently towards the garage. The step into the garage, and the step where the door goes down, allows the garage to resist water intrusion.

Jim

Hmmm...okay. But then the next logical question is why they didn't elevate the entire pad a bit so that the driveway would end up sloping away from the garage?

 

[NewShockerGuy]

Looks awesome!

Where in Northern VA are you?

I'm in gainesville, and just closed on a house about 2 miles from where we live... however the first picture of your single car garage I love the storage that you have on the top... how did you do that?

Thanks,
-Nigel

 

[JimVonBaden]

My new place is in Alexandria, VA near 95 and off Seminary. About 4 miles from DC.

A few pictures of the shelf build on my Woodbridge house:

Lagged to the studs.

Helped to have a stock of 16' 2x4s. My brother is a carpenter and designed the self sustaining cross bracing on the inner corners so we only needed to ceiling end supports.

My brother.

The two hanging ends were attached through the sheetrock ceiling to the roof rafters with screws. It easily holds 1000 pounds hanging off it, six friends hanging on it, no pics.

Thanks,

Jim

PS If you need a hand, let me know. I am moving into mine this coming week, but would be happy to lend a hand.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Closed today, and the build is on!

Jim

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Since you already have a French door in the garage, why NOT put windows in the door?

Also, I see you had perimeter shelving in your previous single car garages, so I'm immediately thinking you should consider doing the same with 2x6 framing to allow for task lighting on perimeter benchs ala THIS:

I apologize that I can NEVER remember this GJ'er's name but I ALWAYS remember his garage. Someone will come along and post his name then you really need to search his thread for details. The task lights as I remember them are very low cost big box items.
His methods of making the door slide was very simple and low cost too. All in all, one of the nicer garages here in my opinion.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Interesting you say that, because that is exactly my intention.

Thanks!

Jim

 

[Nophix]

Hey Jim, looks nice!

just out of curiosity, are you on ADVRider? The pics look familiar.

 

[racerbob4]

Are you in the Bluemont section of North Arlington? My son is at Jerrerson and 8th Street but is moving into his new house about 2 miles away end of March. There are several houses that look like yours in that neighborhood. Those lots are very expensive.

 

[JimVonBaden]

Hey Jim, looks nice!

just out of curiosity, are you on ADVRider? The pics look familiar.

Thanks!

I am on ADV. You can usually find me in ******!

Jim

 

[JimVonBaden]

Are you in the Bluemont section of North Arlington? My son is at Jerrerson and 8th Street but is moving into his new house about 2 miles away end of March. There are several houses that look like yours in that neighborhood. Those lots are very expensive.

I don't think so. I am very near the crossroads of Beauregard and Seminary.

I believe Bluemont is closer to 66.

Jim

 

[JimVonBaden]

I DID say SLOW build, right?

Well, after getting moved, always a major pain, and setting the house up with 22 sets of blinds, and buying new furniture, and putting up 19 pictures, 6 clocks, 2 TVs and numerous other things like shelving and hooks in bathrooms, I finally got started on the garage.

I got all the stuff moved to one side so I could start cleaning the drywall of messed up drywall mud and dirt. In a couple days I will be able to paint one side, and do the VCT flooring, them move everything and do the other side. (Exactly why I wanted to do this BEFORE we moved in!)

I expect to have some photos soon!

Jim

 

[Kevin54]

since you already have a french door in the garage, why not put windows in the door?

Also, i see you had perimeter shelving in your previous single car garages, so i'm immediately thinking you should consider doing the same with 2x6 framing to allow for task lighting on perimeter benchs ala this:

i apologize that i can never remember this gj'er's name but i always remember his garage. someone will come along and post his name then you really need to search his thread for details. The task lights as i remember them are very low cost big box items.
His methods of making the door slide was very simple and low cost too. All in all, one of the nicer garages here in my opinion.

"xyz"

 

[navin]

Sorry - longtime lurker, but first post.

I also live in Northern VA (fairfax area) -- really nice looking garage build so far, and love the house! Hope to move inside the beltway soon enough as well!

Any reason your doing VCT tile over Racedeck?

 

[JimVonBaden]

Sorry - longtime lurker, but first post.

I also live in Northern VA (fairfax area) -- really nice looking garage build so far, and love the house! Hope to move inside the beltway soon enough as well!

Any reason your doing VCT tile over Racedeck?

Thanks, come by some time.

I like the idea of VCT over racedeck for a couple of reasons. The biggest one is price. The VCT I am using will cost me under $1 a sq foot. It will also be easy to clean and very durable. I wont be epoxying it, or polishing it, but I will be cleaning and mopping it.

My garage is a working garage, so it will get all kinds of chemicals on it, and have motorcycles and parts all over it. It will get scratched, scraped, and I imagine eventually a few tiles will be ruined. Easy and cheap to replace.

While I really like the look of Racedeck, the cost, along with other minor issues such as damage from long term exposure to all the above, lead me to believe I would eventually not be happy with it.

Thanks,

Jim

 

[JimVonBaden]

Spent a few hours smoothing the drywall mud on one side, then adding a second skim coat. I do not plan on much sanding. Hey, its a garage!

I also rewired my ceiling lights to plugs and added two LOA lights. Makes a HUGE difference over two 75 watt bulbs, and leaves room for at least two more ceiling lights. I might later add up to 4 more!

Screwed them directly to the ceiling beams.

Tomorrow I clean up the new mud and put on the first coat of primer!

Jim

 

[JimVonBaden]

A little more progress, drywall work is slow!!!

Plus I am pretty new at this. I have done patches and small walls, but never a whole room.

Anyhow, a guy on ADV suggested I use a wet sponge to smooth out the very rough work left by the contractors. It worked pretty well, but I learned fast that it can make it worse if it gets too wet.

Anyhow, this side is ready for primer tomorrow night.

A few phone pics!

The walls are still a bit wet, and it is smoother than it looks. Plenty nice enough for a garage, not nearly nice enough for a house!

I'm going to spend a little time on the other half documenting the process. To be honest I am learning fast and I expect the second side to go faster and look better!

Jim

 

[JimVonBaden]

Still moving slowly!

Because I need to literally do half the garage at a time, I have begun half the painting.

But first, to show the quality of the mudding I have to deal with, I will show you the side I have yet to prep:

As you can see, major gaps, missing mud, edges that are as much as 1/4", etc. This is what I have delt with on the right side, keeping in mind it is a garage, so I didn't put fanatical time into it like I would a home.

The after wet sponge treatment. I also added a lot of additional mud to fill cracks, holes and gaps.

After the first coat of drywall primer. That took forever as it soaked up a LOT of primer. 2 gallons for half the garage, and two coats.

And the finish for the evening. The second coat of primer, with touch-ups in spots that appeared thin.

I think it is looking pretty good so far. Tomorrow I apply the paint. White semi-gloss in eggshell on top, and blue/gray to match the tile on the bottom. I expect to put a red stripe inbetween.

Jim

 

[R1chy]

JimVB - Looking good and if you're going to clean up their work, now is the time to do it, cause once you get settled in you'll never go back and do it.

I have a pole sander that you can use if you want, it'll help it go faster. Let me know.

R1chy

 

[JimVonBaden]

Thanks Richy, I might take you up on that for the second side. It is a lot of work, maybe more than if I had done it all myself, but worth it. Like you said, if I didn't do it now, it would never get done.

Jim

 

[JimVonBaden]

My garage is now painted in half, photos tomorrow when I finish the last of the VCT.

Jim

 

[47ford - 1.5ton]

I'm be watching Jim.... I'm basically a few months behind ya

 

[JimVonBaden]

Well, I didn't finish the VCT until today, but I have almost done photos! The paint is still drying in some of the photos, so it looks blotchy. It looks great today, but after I finished the VCT I moved all the stuff to the finished side of the garage.

Here are some photos of the work done to date:

Taped the line at 30" even, used a laser level from HF. Cheap at $45, but worked great!

Painted the top off white, and the bottom a custom color that is as close as I could get to the floor tile. After it dried today it is about a shade off, but damn close.

Next to the VCT. Keep in mind, I did everything you see here is from noon to 10:00 PM.

Started with the center front, and went back from there. Of course I shouldn't have trusted the contractor's centerline because it was half inch off by the other end, but it shouldn't show much.

The last shot is where I stopped last night. I finished the rest today.

So far I am pretty happy with it. I am going to go with a black stripe between the colors, and am adding black rubber base"board" all the way around.

This week I prep, paint and tile the other side.

Jim

PS What you see is about 40 hours worth of work.

 

[Richie Pretto]

Looking good, any plans for a bathroom in your garage?

 

[JimVonBaden]

Looking good, any plans for a bathroom in your garage?

The Garage is too small for a bathroom, but I plan an 18' X 15' shop attached to the back of the garage. It will have an industrial sink and toilet in the plans!

Thanks,

Jim

 

[patent pending]

JVB...nice work. Garage is coming along nicely! Will keep watching to see how it goes.

We just moved (two years ago, wow!) from Alexandria and lived right off Beauregard in the Millbrook apartment complex. You are right about the price of housing/land...its crazy up there! I had to move to Charleston, SC before I could afford my house w/ 20x20 haha. Still working for the USPTO though...just not in Alexandria any more

 

[DRhodes]

Very nice work. I will keep checking back for the finished product. BTW you have a very nice home. Congrats on the new garage.

 

[Ole_Red]

i need to convince whoever I buy a house from to build me a garage! effin A Johnny Ray. Nice set up!

 

[FXDawg]

how much you got into this garage?

 

[JimVonBaden]

Thanks guys! I think they did a pretty good job on the house, and the exterior of the garage. They let the quality slide on the sheet rock, but not bad.

Dawg, the garage work I have done so far includes drywall mud, primer, rollers, paint, VCT (400 sq ft), mastic and a few basic tools, plus two lights from wallmart. Total right now is just under $400. It will go up another $500 or so for a few cabinets and shelves.

Not bad if you do it yourself.

Thanks,

Jim