Duck's 3-car Dream Garage

[Duck72]

We finally did it! After 7 long months on the market our Historic home sold. That same week we made a winning offer on an 8 year old home that is literally twice the size of our previous home. We just moved in last week and it was hotter than hell. I'm still unpacking and trying to find all of my tools. I know I have even more thinning out to do since I got to see all of my stuff move out of the old house and into the new house.
Well enough blabbering. Here are the initial naked pics of the garage before I packed it with junk. I'll post measurements and some other details later.

Plans to begin immediately:
1. Paint the walls to get rid of that beige. I have already purchased some Behr Ultra bright white and the lower 4 ft of the wall will be Behr Pencil point both in Semi gloss. A red stripe will follow later. I haven't found the shade I want yet but Craftsman red or close to it would be nice. Any suggestions?

2. Install Craftsman Versatrack panels and accessories to get the lawn gear off the floor and the bikes off the floor. I purchased enough of this to get the job done just this week. I haven't checked our HOA by-laws but I am pretty sure it excludes sheds. At least I have yet to see a single house in this subdivision with one. More research to follow. EDIT 7/13/2012 Looks like sheds are not allowed but a small storage shed maybe approved. I'll have to look into that more and ask some of my tenured neighbors. My yard is not fenced so I guess it needs to be up against the house.

3. Assemble and install the 3 18x48x72 heavy duty 6 tier chrome racks from Costco for the wall closest to the interior door.

4. Hang my extension ladder on the beam on the ceiling. I already bought hooks and have a great idea in mind.

5. Fix the single garage door. It doesn't want to stay up. The springs have green ends on them for those inquiring minds. Not sure how to fix it so I may need to seek some professional help.

6. Tune up the double garage door. It is a little noisy in the tracks and could use some TLC this house was vacant for almost a year.

Plans for the near future:
1. More organization and clean out
2. Flooring. I am really considering Race Deck if I can get the funds gathered up. (Updated 2-14-2013)
3. Build my workbench. I have a 29"x7ft stainless steel top my dad found for me. I'm still working out the details on paper with how I want to build it. This should store my air compressor as well as some of my power tools and the shop vacs.
4. Watch for deals on some overhead Gladiator cabinets.
5. Lighting. Not sure how much or what kind I want yet.
6. Harbor freight 13 drawer tool chest. Oh yes this will happen

And I call this my dream garage because I have never had a garage before that I could park a car in. The last garage was basically a shed with a dirt floor. It just had a garage door on the front of it. It's a dream come true.
Stay tuned more to come!

 

[NickTheNut]

Looks like you have a nice blank canvas. Have fun!

 

[weems]

Any plans for lighting?

 

[Duck72]

Any plans for lighting?

Not sure what I want yet. It definitely needs some. I am hoping the ultra bright white paint will help illuminate the area. But I know I won't be able to rely on that alone. I have 3-single bulb light fixtures on the ceiling right now. I need to change them out for some better looking daylight buls or similar. Wondering if I can swap those fixtures out for some better light fixtures without any major wiring rework?


I have an electrician brother in law who can help me with any wiring or installation issues.

I have one open outlet on the ceiling next to the chamberlain opener. Then I have 2 others on the back wall. 1 has a gfci outlet and the other must be on the same circuit as I had to reset it to get my sprinkler system back online the other night.

I would be glad to hear any recommendations for lighting if you have any. I've heard of some guys having issues with interference to their radio from using fluorescent light fixtures. Is that a big problem with newer fixtures? I do plan to have at least one fluorescent light fixture located over the bench. I already have that leftover from my old basement workshop. It uses 2-4ft bulbs.

I am curious if LED could be a reasonably priced option. Long lasting, low energy usage is appealing. Not sure how long it would take for return on investment though. I doubt I would be in the garage every night. But I can imagine using it at least 3 nights or more a week depending on the project.

Sadly, the ceilings in this house all have the blown on popcorn ceiling. Not sure why as this house is only 8 years old. I thought that was a feature of houses from the 70's and 80's? I don't plan to paint them in case I get an itch to scrape them smooth. I imagine a bright white in semi gloss on the ceiling would help the lighting situation. It has to have a decent light source to reflect first. Of course this would be after I scraped the ceiling smooth.

 

[Duck72]

I half half the garage painted with my base coat of Behr Ultra White. Time to get the lower area painted the rest of this week. I'll get some pics posted after I get another color on the walls. Right now it is just bright white. I am still debating the height of the rail and how wide to make my stripe.

After that wall and the adjacent wall are finished I plan to start hanging the craftsman versatrack for my bikes and lawn gear. Then I will have more freecell space to finish painting the rest of the garage.

I also changed the regular bulbs out for some cfl bulbs in daylight temperature. That really helps brighten the place up.

No decisions on any lighting changes yet. That will come later.

Chrome racks are assembled and loaded. - Check
I have removed/given away the 4 flimsy shelf units they replaced. - Check
and also sold a display cabinet and a few other small items out of the garage.

I fixed the single garage door too. It was as simple as adjusting the cable a little further down the track on both sides. Now the garage door stays up and is easy to open. - Check!

Its coming along slowly but surely!

 

[Duck72]

Here is a pic with the Ultra white.

And here is one with the "Pencil Point" border. It looks black but I assure you it is dark grey and is easily recognized as grey in person.

 

[cgall]

Congratulations on your move. Your garage is very similar to mine, my builder put only three light sockets across the back ceiling, just like yours. I took those down and put j-box covers over them, then put up three 4' fluorescent fixtures. Plenty of light and no radio noise.

Here is a storage solution I have posted before that you could use.

 

[Baada]

Sadly, the ceilings in this house all have the blown on popcorn ceiling. Not sure why as this house is only 8 years old. I thought that was a feature of houses from the 70's and 80's? I don't plan to paint them in case I get an itch to scrape them smooth. I imagine a bright white in semi gloss on the ceiling would help the lighting situation. It has to have a decent light source to reflect first.

Just be glad that it's not an old asbestos popcorn ceiling!

I would be careful with semi-gloss on that rough ceilng surface. I'm not sure it would turn out quite right. I would reccommend a super flat or flat ceiling specific paint.

Love the color plan for the walls. It doesn't take much effort but it's going to look awesome.

 

[Duck72]

Yeah, I won't paint the ceiling unless it is stripped. The popcorn comes off easier when it isn't sealed so I have heard.


Cgall I really like that storage idea. I'll have to measure and see what I can fit in there.

 

[Duck72]

I liked cgall's idea so much I went ahead and used it but in a different way.

Before....

After...

It is 10 feet wide by 16 inches deep.
I also made progress on painting today.
The dark part looks blue but it is gray.

 

[55cadillacking]

I'm in. Can't wait to see how it all turns out. Seeing all these 3-car transformations is almost making me call my realtor.

 

[Duck72]

Ooh ooh! I pulled tape tonight! I have only painted about a third of the garage so far. The rest will come as I get things moved into position and rearranged.

And the inspiration piece......

Lessons learned?
* Use quality tape. I used some regular 3m Blue tape. Although it faired well I think I could have done better with something more upscale.
* Pull the tape slow and easy and at an angle. I didn't pull up any paint with this method.
* Use wide tape or do a second line next to the first line. My roller accidentally went over the line a few times which left me with some light cleanup.
* wiping the tape down with a damp towel before painting seemed to help seal the tape.
* Don't put tape over the chalk lines. Do it over or under. I can still see some chalk embedded right close to my stripe. I was able to wipe away most of it but some still remains.

 

[Duck72]

I hung the ladder this weekend. I also hung the lawn tools and bicycles on the wall. Floor space is starting to open up in the garage. I have more cleanup plans coming soon.

 

[Duck72]

I didn't get too much done this last weekend other than getting my Harborfreight 44" 13 drawer tool cabinet purchased.

I am still sorting through tools and getting it organized. It feels great to have a nice place for my tools to hang out. Before they were all scattered around in plastic tubs or boxes.

 

[marty_p]

Man, you have done A LOT!!!

So, how have you got out your honey-do list?

 

[Derrickwade]

Looking great! You have been busy. Keep the pictures coming!

 

[Duck72]

I have been doing my Honey-Do's as well. Those take up most of my weekend time. So far I have installed a new kitchen sink, a new dishwasher, painted the entire finished basement and bar area as well as continued to organize and unpack things from the move. I find time to mow the yard somewhere in there.

I have really been doing the garage stuff at night after the kids go to bed or while they play in the driveway after dinner. I swear I had a week full of painting half the garage each night in the evening.

After some more clean out, organizing and rearranging the other half will get painted too. Hopefully, sooner than later...at least before the weather turns cold.

I also have a deck project about to start too. My stair treads need to be replaced and I have the decking that also needs to be replaced. I have the lumber for both and that will soon take up some weekend time for me and Dad. Next spring the railing will be replaced with different spindles and railings. So a 3 phase deck remodel plan is in the works.

Ok back to the garage...I plan to do more rearranging tonight to free up some wall space for my drill press and buffer. The goal is to be able to get both of our vehicle parked in there before winter. As the deck project gets underway more space will get freed up. I will snap a few pics showing what the entire garage looks like now before I get started.

 

[SiGmA_X]

Loving it man.

 

[jkeyser14]

How many kids do you have? That's a lot of bikes!

 

[IGO2XS]

I like the bike rack. Where did you purchase it? Your making great progress and looks great!!

 

[Homebody]

How many kids do you have? That's a lot of bikes!

Ditto! LOL I hate bike storage. Glad the kids are older now and they can be stored in the "Not used" barn.

Garage and paint looks great.

 

[Duck72]

Thanks guys. The bike rack is really just Craftsman versa track. I hung 1x6's on the wall then attached the track to it. I felt this gave me the most strength.

TIP: is you like the versa track stuff, buy the accessories off Sears.com and pick it up in store. It is much cheaper that way. I've also heard of the track going on sale but so far have not seen it myself. I believe the Husky line of track at Home Depot is the same exact stuff.

I am married with 2 kids but most of those are mine. I kind of restore, build, customize them. I've been known to show them at Old School BMX bike shows as well. Although in the end I really enjoy riding them and tuning them. Fun machines! The ones we ride the most are in racks on the floor.

 

[Pop larking]

that is a very tidy paint job you have managed on the walls.

 

[striper]

I got a little excited when I saw the Supergoose hanging there. Very similar to my old bike, except mine has black wheels, seat etc. It was as tidy as yours too, until it spent the last 30 odd years stored in various sheds. Maybe I should restore it.... Along with the next 3 car projects I have waiting.

 

[Duck72]

Striper, The SuperGoose is always worth a restore. You should definitely do it! Let me know if you have any questions on restoration.

If you don't plan to restore it or keep it I know a guy in Sydney who is a SuperGoose collector and may give you a fair price for it.

Mine is an 82 and nothing is really original on it except for the neck and bearings. Even the decals are new repros from BMXproducts. I purchased the bike from an old rider and it was covered in mud with no decals.

 

[BlazenXLT]

Great progress! Reminds me a lot of my garage.

 

[flybefree]

Good job on the paint...looks better than mine turned out!

Shaun

 

[Duck72]

I cleared some space in the last couple of days and rearranged some items. Nothing that would photograph well enough to show at the moment. But today I hung a 2'x4' piece of pegboard for my bike tuning area. I am looking forward to adding my bike tools to it.

I also added wheels to a work bench that is meant to be somewhat mobile in the garage. I was able to snag a few 3" locking casters for $1.99 each from the HF this weekend and put them to good use. Pics to come later after a few more bench mods.

 

[e-tek]

Liking the striping and bike rack! Keep it up.

 

[striper]

Striper, The SuperGoose is always worth a restore. You should definitely do it! Let me know if you have any questions on restoration.

If you don't plan to restore it or keep it I know a guy in Sydney who is a SuperGoose collector and may give you a fair price for it.

Mine is an 82 and nothing is really original on it except for the neck and bearings. Even the decals are new repros from BMXproducts. I purchased the bike from an old rider and it was covered in mud with no decals.

I'd be unlikely to sell it, but I'm curious what it would be worth. Any idea?

 

[Duck72]

Striper, I know that some guys on the BMX forums are not keen on "What's it worth?" threads but I am sure you could find more about it here. www.vintagemongoose.com The forums there might be able to help you out. What year is it? Lots of cool info and pics there. They also have catalogs from many of the years so you can see how they were built from the factory.

 

[n2ocamaro]

I recognize some of those frames from my freestyle BMX days in the late 80's. I had a Haro. Like the color scheme. I am doing something similar (2 tone gray with red strip).

 

[JimVonBaden]

Looks great! Lots of work in a short amount of time! I particularly like the stripes!

One suggestion, this is what I did, but with more supports. I checked the ratings, and 16" spacing gives 300 pounds per square foot. You should keep the bins light in your configuration. My racks are 16" deep. Also, you could run a 2X4 along the top of your current header, and then add more supports that way.

Yours:

Mine:

It's been up for 6 months like this, and some of those bins are pretty heavy. I used screws into the studs for both the hooks and the rod supports.

Jim

 

[Duck72]

Thanks for the tip on the rack supports. I do have the bins pretty light at the moment I plan to add a few more supports to it soon since I will be putting more stuff in the bins soon enough. It's been a busy winter and I have not had the time or extra energy to spend on the garage. But I am starting to get the itch again to get done so I can work on some of my other house projects.

I'm currently working on a work bench. My dad found me a 29.5 inch by 7 ft stainless steel top. I started working on plans weeks ago but have just started gathering materials. So my monster bench is now underway.

Also working on some lighting ideas with my brother in law. I am still working on cleaning the rest of the clutter out from the garage. After all, I cannot put down a floor with all that stuff in the way. }: >

Hoping to be ready for some larger garage projects in May when I have 4 weeks off.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I added a wooden screen door to the door that enters into the house from the garage. Now I can leave the heavy door open without letting bugs into the house when I have the big garage doors open. Once we get a little warmer I plan to prime and paint it. I bought the nicer one at Lowes that has pet resistant screen . The screens are removable as well instead of the cheapy screen doors that have the screen stapled or splined in place.

 

[Duck72]

After doing some clean out today I realized that my wire shelves are sagging where they are not supported. So I will definitely be adding some supports at 16" like you mentioned Jim. This is most likely to happen before the end of this weekend.

I am also going to put more wire shelves up above the big garage door within the next few days as well. I want to see way less stuff on the ground.

I am thinking of relocating the ladder. I don't like where it is now. It just seems to add to the clutter I am fighting. Options include on the other side of that beam above the garage door opener track which could cause issues putting it away or getting it down. That is a rare event in itself. I am only keeping it around so I can help paint the house in a year or two. Or place it on the wall behind my chrome 4ftx6ftx18inch deep shelves from costco. I'm embarrassed to show any pics of them at the moment. They are rather cluttered up and disorganized. Since I already have a 3 inch deep raised concrete footer it would only push my racks out another 2 inches. I think I can live with that clearance.

I also purchased a few materials for the monster bench today. I am finalizing the plans for it now.

More to come once the racks are up and the bench is in progress.

 

[55cadillacking]

Yes, this ladder issue is now causing me internal strife! J/K. I would leave it where it is versus putting it behind your storage rack. On the other side of the beam sounds like it will be a nightmare to access. It doesn't look bad where it currently is. Just my $0.02.

 

[Duck72]

The last thing I want to do is cause anyone strife over a ladder. Haha! Thanks for the feedback on it.

I did get some things done this weekend. My hands are raw and my back is tired but I think it was worth it.

I painted the areas above both garage doors and mounted wire shelves above the double door. 16ft of over head storage. I already have some tubs purchased that will work out nicely up there.

I am still painting above the single door. I removed the wire shelving since I hated the way I mounted it and it needed some reinforcement anyway. Plus, I knew once I started to paint again it was going to be an issue So I just decided to go ahead an paint. Once more coat of semi gloss and it will be ready to have the shelf mounted once again.

Here are the pics.

I will post better pics shortly. I just snapped these with my phone real quick since the nice camera was not any place near.

As I start to get more cleaned out and organized I plan to finish painting the rest of the garage. Half of it is still beige.

 

[Ch3No2]

Very nice progress.....I'm a little partial to the paint scheme...lol...looks good!
Painting can consume one's life it seems...I used the green "fine line" tape when I did mine and it worked a little better at sealing to prevent paint bleed.
Keep up the good work!

 

[dubber]

Nice, i like those racks above the door. Been toying with that idea, its definitely a great space to take advantage of.

 

[Duck72]

Thanks guys and thanks to JimVonBaden for the idea on the support spacing. This definitely feels a lot sturdier than I had it before.

I forgot to mention that these are 16" deep. I had to purchase two 12foot sections and have them cut down to 8 ft. So I have two 4ft sections left over for another area in the garage. It was also way cheaper to buy the support legs in the 20 pack than it was to buy them in the 3 pack. I think it came down to around $2 a leg in the 20 pack vs nearly $6 a leg in the 3 pack or singly at $4 and change. The 20" shelving only came int he tight mesh version and was twice as expensive as the 16" shelving. The 12" would have been too shallow for how I intend to use it.

I should have the other door done by Wednesday night. Final coats of paint above the door tonight along with measuring and cutting my boards. Then mount tomorrow night. Then I can spend the rest of the week filling them up thus freeing up floor space in the garage.