4-Car New Construction Finish

[tachyon]

A decade ago I finished a double deep two car garage after a new home build. Added heat, lighting, cabinets, water, etc... fast forward to today and I’m doing it again, but on a proper 4 car.

Starting with a simple fire taped Sheetrock interior, I dug into my favorite task, mudding and sanding Sheetrock. Ok, it’s obviously not my favorite, but I’m doing it myself just because I can.

This weekend I finished the majority of painting, 9 gallons of Sherwin Williams industrial white on top of 8 gallons of primer, which is on top of 20 gallons of joint compound.

More posts to come, but here’s a taste of my work to date.












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[tachyon]

Here are a few more...I am pointing to where I’d like to put some new tall storage cabinets. I’m considering Durham, and also custom “wood” cabinets... and maybe others. It’s a tough decision. The wall is 9’6” long, so I could fit two 48” x 84” tall units there. Or three 36” units.

I’m also looking to get cabinets that wall mount. I wash cars and equipment in the garage all the time, so keeping things off the floor is key for me. If you have any tips, let me know!









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[jimmie jam]

It's a good feeling to give it a "proper" finishing, right?

 

[tachyon]

Bingo!

I snapped a few more pics tonight. Still pondering cabinets...and yes, I still need to finish the area by my workbench... just waiting to decide if I need to shift the walls a bit.




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[tachyon]

I found my cabinets on eBay. I’ll pick them up in a week. 13’ long by 8’ tall by 18” deep. I’ll have to build interior shelves, but they’ll look awesome when I’m done.


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[dirtybrownracing]

did they have any more of the cabinets left????

 

[53PontiacSD]

That idea to hold the broom and dust pan was great. What is the metal screen and where did the clips come from?

 

[tachyon]

did they have any more of the cabinets left????

Yes, three more. They aren’t inexpensive, but they are sweet, and I already have two upper cabinets that are from the same manufacturer, so I thought I’d go for it.

You can find all sorts of stuff like this on eBay, by the way. Search Hoffman electrical enclosures.


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[tachyon]

That idea to hold the broom and dust pan was great. What is the metal screen and where did the clips come from?

The grid that I used was a scrapped machine guard that I bought from work. Not straight enough for a machine, but perfect for my garage. You can find similar things on amazon. Search grid wall. They use similar panels at retail and clothing stores. Actually, I purchased grid wall for a rabbit cage I built my daughter last fall and it is even heavier duty than the stainless panel I’m using.

It’s useful stuff!

I had my son 3D print some cylindrical spacers that I used to mount the grid to the wall. You can find mounts on amazon pretty easily too.




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[53PontiacSD]

Thank you. I see some great ideas in your garage.

 

[tachyon]

Big day yesterday. I picked up my “new” cabinets. Here’s a short video to show what you do when you buy a 2,000 lb set of stainless steel cabinets...

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[Terranova]

Pretty sure that's how they built the pyramids. Two engine hoists and a gator winch. Lol

Well done. Ingenuity with a dash of "hold my beer"

 

[tachyon]

Coming along nicely, I am prepping the wall for the new 13’ long 4-door stainless cabinet. I’ll move the 120” long upper cabinets to the wall at the right (in front of the garage stalls, then the large cabinet goes right on the front wall.

I could use some help finding 120” of tool chests drawers to put under the uppers. The wall is exactly 120” long as well, so I could use 3 x 40” cabinets or maybe 3 x 39” (which seem easier to find). I’m thinking black, but open to other ideas...







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[tachyon]

The uppers will go on this section of wall on the right.




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[tachyon]

Bought myself a few presents today... (3) 40” long 5 drawer chests. These will go on 7.25” tall concrete piers that will put the tops around 38” off the ground. Above these I’ll wall mount my stainless wall cabinets (also 120” wire). Hope to pour concrete tomorrow....




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[tachyon]

Poured supports for my toolboxes and my cabinet today. 16 bags of concrete, lots of time making square and level forms...


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[Deezler]

Nice garage!

But uh... why.... would you pour concrete piers to hold up the cabinets? Awfully permanent, no? I saw the forms first and thought... nice cabinet pedestals, haha.

 

[tachyon]

Nice garage!

But uh... why.... would you pour concrete piers to hold up the cabinets? Awfully permanent, no? I saw the forms first and thought... nice cabinet pedestals, haha.

They are pretty permanent, as is the 2,000 lb stainless cabinet that will be placed on them. The floor slopes aggressively away from the walls, so I needed a structural support with a level platform on top to place the cabinets.

On the plus side, they are not anchored to the floor, so I could always chisel them up and polish the floor flat again...


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[tachyon]

A few progress pics...




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[notjustamini]

The concrete stands look great, very industrial. Anything sitting flat on the floor always collects dirt.

 

[rixtrix1]

Looks great. Cool idea for cabinets, too!

 

[Sects1986]

I just admire how you do it very clever! Found some interesting things that you mentioned here in your work. Hope I can start mine soon and share it to others as well.

 

[tachyon]

Some more progress... and a new toy to keep in the garage...(it just fits...)View attachment 1

And my son insisted we hook up the automatic lights in the big cabinet. LOL

Just some trim left, some caulking, and some organizing. All of my vehicles are back inside at last!




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[sdavis622]

Wow that is awesome that it fits! I love the mega cabs! Your shop is looking amazing!

 

[James-W]

Looking really nice. I am more than a little impressed.

 

[Dirtydan69]

Interesting. There are some cabinets on eBay now for a good price.

 

[PCMusicGuy]

We use Hoffman panels all the time at work. They are great for their purpose, but if you like adjustable shelving, you have to do some work to get a system in there for that, especially with their stainless enclosures. There are tons of manufacturers out there that you can get cheap if you know what to search for, e.g. Rittal, Stahl, Hammond, etc.

That said, your garage looks great. Do you plan to paint the stainless enclosures?

 

[tachyon]

We use Hoffman panels all the time at work. They are great for their purpose, but if you like adjustable shelving, you have to do some work to get a system in there for that, especially with their stainless enclosures. There are tons of manufacturers out there that you can get cheap if you know what to search for, e.g. Rittal, Stahl, Hammond, etc.

That said, your garage looks great. Do you plan to paint the stainless enclosures?

No painting these cabinets! I’m going to pull the labels, scotch brite them (with the grain) to shine them up a touch, then call it good.

You are right on with the shelves. I had to spend another $700 for the adjustable wire shelving. It fits like a glove, but drilling and installing over 50 self-tapping screws was a major project in itself.

Now that it is done, I’m loving the space.

I have consolidated all of my piles into one now, covering my workbench top. I’ll sort it tomorrow, then probably put up the last of the trim in the garage this weekend. It will be great to get all of the construction materials out of the garage once and for all!


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[tachyon]

...and round TWO! This Spring I decided to build another garage to help house toys, tools, and equipment. It’s almost a duplicate of my current garage, 26x38 with 11’ walls....and a vaulted ceiling to allow for a car lift and to have a “cool” feel inside.

Only one problem...it can only fit in one spot in my yard, and I’ll need a lot of concrete and a lot of fill...(I found out later this meant 8’ poured walls and 55 end dump trucks of dirt (500-600 yards!!!).



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[tachyon]

Here are a few photos! More to come!

The sketch shows the general driveway layout (and concrete bid prices... [emoji51]) relative to the house and existing 4 car garage.





Placement



Design of current garage... the new one will match (and it has to, with our strict covenants).



After some tree cutting and clearing





Excavating






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[tachyon]

And a few more....I rented this T630, and love it...it makes quick work of moving sand and dirt!






Had so much fun on the rental (and spent a lot of $$$), so I decided to invest in a unit I could keep for myself! I decided on tires to keep the investment (and maintenance dollars) low... but those tracks were sweet on the rental!









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[tachyon]

And then the framing started. I used Legacy (local Minnesota contractor) and they did an awesome job getting the concrete in and the shell up. I very highly recommend them - AND they had the best price! Win-win. [emoji106]

Those are 9’ high 16’ wide entry doors. Perfect to fit in the boat and (future) enclosed snowmobile trailer.



The windows and flower boxes will face my backyard.





The wind load on this wall is high... they used 2x8 LVL’s 12” on center, from sill plate to roofline. It’s built like a tank.






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[tachyon]

And a few more....

Getting ready for shingles & siding now. Also researching pallet racking, as I’d like to be able to put my snowmobiles up for the summer and lake toys up for the winter. We are limited to 1,000 sq ft outbuildings here, so I need to make the most of it.

Shaft mount door openers will run the overhead doors, and they will be installed “low profile” tight up to the vault.

I’m currently looking for ideas for interior walls. Was thinking some sort of rough cedar or 1-by lumber to give it a bit of a rustic feel. Maybe some sheet siding? I’ll be poking around GJ to see what I can find!

Ultimately it will be heated and will have a 4-post lift for storage and some light work on cars. I have a Mega Cab Cummins that I’d like to be able to service as well...so it’s going to have to be a heavy duty unit.




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[tachyon]

The roofing was put on yesterday, it’s starting to look like a real garage...

Next up, electrical. I just found a great link to the MN NEC codes (abbreviated), so I’ll be getting started this week.

https://www.dli.mn.gov/business/electrical-contractors/electrical-codes-and-standards





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[xViViDx]

Awesome garage and beautiful home! Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work. I would probably just sheet rock the walls of the new garage. Maybe one wall or ceiling in planking. I wouldn’t want to darken it up too much since it’s also a workshop. Lighting was always a problem for me when I had dark ceilings.

 

[big_Greasy_Taco]

Did you put a work surface ontop of your tool chests? They look nice

 

[sean Buick 76]

Looks amazing, congrats and keep up the great work!!! Going with a 4 or 2 post lift?

 

[tachyon]

Thanks for the kudos. Yes, the work surface on top of the tool chests is just a piece of laminate countertop from Menards with 1x boards under it for support. I used a few glue spots to secure it in place (PL400 or similar). I then caulked it to the wall. Granted, it’s not suitable for hammering or heavy work, but it’s a nice clean surface and works for my needs.

For the new garage I’m going with a 4 post lift, as it’s primary use will be storage. The back wall will get pallet racking, and I’ll use the Bobcat for my forklift. More pics to come!

Also, just picked up my third “new to Me” snowmobile.... 2009 IQ800 Polaris. Should be fun!


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[ovscrider]

keep an eye on the compression of that poo 800, that gen lost it quick and doing a top ends cheap before it goes.

 

[tachyon]

A few updates: gravel driveway is roughed in, turned out nice so far! Siding arrived, and I just finished running gas and electric. Triple zero gauge aluminum wire for 100A service (bought online), 1” gas line, and shielded burial rates Ethernet (2 strands...just in case). Hopefully will get to backfill everything by Friday PM if the inspector gives the OK.



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