First time homeowner garage

[tigerxj]

Yea post up some pics, and make sure to discuss with them their opinions on the type of grass to use. Bermuda and St. Augustine is used almost everywhere down here in Houston but most people don't take the time to research the sun/shade requirements of the type of grass they use. Bermuda is very intolerant of shade. Any areas under trees will be bare dirt and thinning out radially from the trunk.



I wanted to use Bermuda badly in my lawn but with the way my house is oriented, half the lawn only sees around 3 maybe 4 hours of sun a day which was not enough for Bermuda. Decided to go with Emerald Zoysia and haven't looked back since.



Are you looking for a picture perfect lawn, pretty good lawn, or a good enough lawn? You can also check out the forums at aroundtheyard.com . Those guys there are A++ with the knowledge on lawns. Helped me a great deal after building my house and sodding.

Thanks for he link. I wondered if there was a GarageJournal of lawns!

As far as the grass, I'm coming from "******". As in I would intermittently kill it off or now it super short in the heat so I wouldn't have to deal with it. My landlords yard looks like **** and our rental is no different. I refused to sink my money into someone else's yard.

I would love "picture perfect" but I know I don't have the time, money, or interest to maintain that sort of perfection. O/w I would go with fescue.

Here are some pics, taken at 1pm in full sun. Little more shade than I realized in the back yard. Our front door faces about 220 degrees southwest. So the sun rises over the back right corner and sets over the front left corner, as you are looking at it. First pic from directly across the street, and second from front door

The driveway will extend out from the garage straight to the street with a turnout on the side. The grassy area will be all between the driveway where the dumpster sits to the tree line.

these two pics were from opposite corners of the front of the proposed grassy area.

This one is looking directly across the front yard from the driveway area.

The other point with the front yard is that our budget includes a rather large 15' for the front yard, usually a red maple. These are really pretty but I think it might be a little much given how small the yard is. I think I'd like a smaller ornamental tree like a dogwood, but I think the maple will take up too much space, obstruct spontaneous front yard football, and be tougher on a sun loving grass. Also it's easier to add a tree down the road than remove one. If we cut that out it may open up a little to offset cost of irrigation.

Now our back yard is a little tougher. It gets more shade, and of course as the sun sets it will shade it more. The large shady spot should actually get more sun in the late afternoon sun because it is almost directly east from the house.

Overall shot
shady patch

house shade, which will progress from this point in the afternoon.

The other issue with the back yard is the largest, most level area is right where the shade is, which seems like it will be the hardest to grow Bermuda. Is it reasonable to have fescue in the rear and Bermuda up front? Will they cross-contaminate?


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[blkguyblkmach1]

Hmmm, your yard seems a bit tricky. I would run those pics past the experts in the aroundtheyard.com forums to get their opinion. My guess would be not enough sun in some areas for Bermuda but I could be wrong. Bermuda will definitely be toast in the areas directly under the canopy of the trees. I don't know how you plan to do your landscaping but I've seen guys put mulch or pine around base of trees up to the canopy and then grass.

This guy from aroundtheyard has a property that seems similar to yours, with trees all around the house. He has what looks like mulch landscaping around the base of trees but he also has zoysia and not Bermuda.

Also there might be some different variants of Bermuda which might be more shade tolerant but I knew Bermuda wouldn't work for me so I didn't bother to research all the varieties. Something else to look into.

 

[tigerxj]

Yeah I'm glad we went through this exercise. I went back by at 5 and we have more shade than I thought, especially the back yard. I think the front have will have pretty much full sun from 10a-4p or so. I'll have to go by in the AM this weekend and see.

Rear gets lots of shade from the house

Front is totally shaded by 5pm, but the sun is just setting over the tops of the trees across the street. I think we are likely to have good sun till 4 or so. Of course this is the long days of summer. In the spring it's probably shaded by 2.

I may need to look into more shade tolerant options.


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[tigerxj]

Hmmm, your yard seems a bit tricky. I would run those pics past the experts in the aroundtheyard.com forums to get their opinion. My guess would be not enough sun in some areas for Bermuda but I could be wrong. Bermuda will definitely be toast in the areas directly under the canopy of the trees. I don't know how you plan to do your landscaping but I've seen guys put mulch or pine around base of trees up to the canopy and then grass.



This guy from aroundtheyard has a property that seems similar to yours, with trees all around the house. He has what looks like mulch landscaping around the base of trees but he also has zoysia and not Bermuda.

Also there might be some different variants of Bermuda which might be more shade tolerant but I knew Bermuda wouldn't work for me so I didn't bother to research all the varieties. Something else to look into.

Do you have a link to that thread? I can't get those pics to load.


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[tigerxj]

Here are some pics of the interior finish trim

I guess this is a common trick to make the the crown moulding appear larger/fancier. They hang the crown then add shoe mold beneath it. They paint the drywall in the space between the same color as the trim. Makes it look like you have 8" crown when really it's just standard stuff. My dad does this in a lot of houses he builds.

Off topic, found this neat picture of my Great Grandfather's namesake building in Packs Tavern in Asheville, which is down the street from this building. Never have I seen a pic of it under construction. I wonder if he is one of the guys on the steel at the top. I new two of my great grandmothers but didn't get to meet him.

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[blkguyblkmach1]

Sorry, I re-uploaded the pics.

 

[bonecrrusher]

Looking good so far keep posting the updates!

 

[tigerxj]

Wife got antsy after I told her cabinets were delivered so she went up there while I was pulling a shift in the urgent care this evening

kitchen cabinets

guest bathroom

daughter's bathroom

boys bathroom

more kitchen cabinets

this isn't our house, we are going with this back splash, our granite will be similar to this one.

And since this is garage journal, I toured this showroom today. I think I'll have these guys do the garage. $3.75/ft installed. They empty your garage, clean, install, and replace all your stuff.

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[tigerxj]

So apparently our double wall oven is going here

I called the super and let him know he may have a hard time fitting a double in there, and that our quote included a double, not a single, or one of those two-door singles. His response was "they cut it to fit after it's delivered."

Standard double oven is 52", that space is max 31" (on the inside). If they cut it to fit, they will lose all 3 drawers, which includes cutting the current hole higher towards the upper cabinets. If they don't cut it higher, it doesn't fit. Is this a bunch of ****? Did they just order the wrong cabinet? I would think if you were going to use a cut-to-fit cabinet you wouldn't pay for the 3 drawers that you will have to destroy.


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[Riley]

Wonderful project!! You and your family will enjoy it for years to come.

One quick thought re: drive way garage interface; have them put some sort of drain there. It will eliminate a potential problem down the road with heavy rains and a down slope to the door.

http://www.lawnsite.com/

For any sort of yard info. Go with the irrigation now, even though you have to maintain it, it's much better than dragging a sprinkler around...

 

[UnionMan]

So apparently our double wall oven is going here

I called the super and let him know he may have a hard time fitting a double in there, and that our quote included a double, not a single, or one of those two-door singles. His response was "they cut it to fit after it's delivered."

Standard double oven is 52", that space is max 31" (on the inside). If they cut it to fit, they will lose all 3 drawers, which includes cutting the current hole higher towards the upper cabinets. If they don't cut it higher, it doesn't fit. Is this a bunch of ****? Did they just order the wrong cabinet? I would think if you were going to use a cut-to-fit cabinet you wouldn't pay for the 3 drawers that you will have to destroy.


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tigerxj - Its actually pretty common practice unless you have custom cabinets. Here is some pictures of my home I just finished up this spring. I personally installed all the cabinets and almost all interior work in my home. I had to modify the single oven cabinet to accommodate a oven microwave combo. I ended up losing 2 bottom drawers.

Before Modification.


After modification.






UnionMan

 

[bonecrrusher]

That granite looks great!

 

[polexican23]

must remember not to visit this page while in front of the wife. She will definitely want your backsplash.

 

[tigerxj]

tigerxj - Its actually pretty common practice unless you have custom cabinets. Here is some pictures of my home I just finished up this spring. I personally installed all the cabinets and almost all interior work in my home. I had to modify the single oven cabinet to accommodate a oven microwave combo. I ended up losing 2 bottom drawers.



Before Modification.





After modification.













UnionMan

Quoted because that's a fantastic looking kitchen. That makes me feel better, I thought they would make specific cabinets for that application. I guess from a non custom cabinet manufacturer viewpoint it probably streamlines production to make a single cabinet and cut to fit. We will likely lose all 3 drawers since we will have the double oven. We are doing a microwave over the stove vented to exterior.

We decided to go ahead and spring for the irrigation system. It will run us about $3000 because we will get a separate meter for the irrigation so we aren't paying sewer fees on the water. According to a few folks in my area the meter will pay for itself pretty quickly, especially when trying to establish a new lawn.

Speaking of the new lawn I met with the landscaper and the super. We were all in agreement that there was a lot more shade than I first thought, and he felt fescue was the best option for our yard. My neighbor has much fewer trees than I do, and his front yard is starting to thin out in the shady spots. Part of me always wanted fescue because of how great it looks year round, I'm just a little worried about the year round maintenance, etc. I've been doing a lot of reading. I think I'm up for the challenge.

We should get out driveway this week. Paint inside starts tomorrow, cabinets are done. Tile after the paint, then granite and floors next week or the week after. We are getting close. Then I will actually get to do some garage/shop updates!


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[NathanJax]

Just a quick pop in to say I like the way the house is coming along.

I have a few friends in the Clemson/Seneca area... and with that note I have to say GO *****!!!

 

[blkguyblkmach1]

You made a wise decision. Bermuda would have been a disaster.

 

[tigerxj]

Just a quick pop in to say I like the way the house is coming along.



I have a few friends in the Clemson/Seneca area... and with that note I have to say GO *****!!!

There's always one in the crowd! I used to have a lot more invested in this rivalry until I had kids. Put things into perspective for me. Losses used to actually ruin my week. Now it's a blip on the radar. I do struggle with the FSU game every year because my wife is an FSU grad.


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[tigerxj]

You made a wise decision. Bermuda would have been a disaster.

I'm glad you gave the advice to check into the amounts of shade I have. I took this at 11am the other day

That's like 60% of the rear yard covered, and by the time the right side is fully exposed, the shade from the house is almost fully covering the back yard.



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[tigerxj]

They sprayed some paint. I guess it's primer? They went in after the 2nd coat and patched the rough spots. I guess the next go around will be brushes and rollers? What do I know

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[tigerxj]

Visited with my grandfather today. He is 83 and has declined a good bit the last fee years. He's had a passion for guns and occasionally tools. I am one of two grandsons, my younger brother being the other, and so far I have the only great grandson bearing his name. Anyways he's got a few neat tools that have some real sentiment, as he bought them the same year my dad was born in 1954.

He is going to hang onto the band saw and table saw for now, which is fine with me because I already have a bandsaw and table saw. Though I would eventually like to get these, if only to hang onto them for my brother. The drill press he is going to let me take tomorrow, along with a ryobi router table, a wood tech cabinet trim belt sander, and a scroll saw. Pretty pumped. I'll probably get a floor standing drill press that I can abuse so that I can preserve this one for my son.


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[tigerxj]

Paint is just about done. Hopefully tiling tomorrow. Should get driveway this week if the weather cooperates


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[west_perf]

Looks great man. We were up there last weekend, weather was great and drove part of the Blue ridge parkway. Like the old tools too, my last grandfather died last year and I'm going to pick up his stuff this week. Cherish those moments.

 

[tigerxj]

Yeah I'm just hoping he can hang on long enough for my son to remember him. I remember two of my great grandmothers.

I love where I live, but everytime I am in Asheville I do miss the cooler climate


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[tigerxj]

Lazy lazy lazy. We had two ducts hooked up for the bonus room over garage. They have not been linked in the the central air because we did not decide to install them until 3 weeks ago. Well the insulation guys just blew the stuff in without bothering move the ductwork. Whatever.

The tile is in and grouted. The granite came today. Still waiting on backsplash tile. Sink bowls are in. Fireplace surround and mantle is in.


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[tigerxj]

Floors almost done in one day. Still need carpet

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[jbmatth]

I'm really liking this, I eagerly waiting for you get the house done so you can start on the garage.
JB

 

[tigerxj]

Me too. Unfortunately some of these change orders have killed the budget for the garage. That and the wife seems to think the floor/cabinets in the garage should come after new bedroom furniture for us, a new sectional in the LR, and a fence for the back yard. I don't get where her priorities are.

Good news though is with all the honey-do projects she has lined up the shop in the basement has to be top priority, so I'll get to finish (or at least start) that pretty quick after we move in.

Our goal is to leave the garage free for cars instead of junk. Probably gonna go with gladiator gear walls, and maybe a bench, two rolling carts, and one of their big lockers for the tailgating stuff. Also have a fridge going in there. I might stick all the yard tools in the basement for now.


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[Mr. Roboto]

Me too. Unfortunately some of these change orders have killed the budget for the garage. That and the wife seems to think the floor/cabinets in the garage should come after new bedroom furniture for us, a new sectional in the LR, and a fence for the back yard. I don't get where her priorities are.

Good news though is with all the honey-do projects she has lined up the shop in the basement has to be top priority, so I'll get to finish (or at least start) that pretty quick after we move in.

Our goal is to leave the garage free for cars instead of junk. Probably gonna go with gladiator gear walls, and maybe a bench, two rolling carts, and one of their big lockers for the tailgating stuff. Also have a fridge going in there. I might stick all the yard tools in the basement for now.


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Time for a shed! I have all the lawn and garden stuff out there. It all takes up more than you think, especially if you end up getting a tractor.

 

[tigerxj]

It's in the long term plan, especially when we finish the basement. For now I have 1800 sq feet I can store that **** in, but I would like a dedicated she's, that I'll build to match our house's style. Fortunately under 200 sq ft I don't need a permit, and there are no restrictive covenants prohibiting it in my neighborhood. We'll eventually but the ever expanding pile of kids outdoor toys in there too.


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[UnionMan]

tigerxj - What product are you using for your wood flooring? Looks almost like a white oak? maybe a #1 common or a #2 common grade? Regardless I like the look of it. Gives it a rustic feel.

 

[tigerxj]

I'll have to look at the box again. It's an engineered wood, with the top veneer a prefinished hand-scraped hickory. Veneer is about an 1/8" thick so we should be able to refinish once if we ever need to. We liked the look a lot more than the 3" oak, and the price was the same, so we went for it. My wife loves it. All smiles the day it went in.


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[Mr. Roboto]

It's in the long term plan, especially when we finish the basement. For now I have 1800 sq feet I can store that **** in, but I would like a dedicated she's, that I'll build to match our house's style. Fortunately under 200 sq ft I don't need a permit, and there are no restrictive covenants prohibiting it in my neighborhood. We'll eventually but the ever expanding pile of kids outdoor toys in there too.


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I hear ya...the place is really coming together nicely though. You must be getting anxious for the completion date!

 

[bonecrrusher]

Looks like they are making good progress...

Now comes the worst part - moving!

 

[tigerxj]

Yea, we can't do any more pre-packing. Our garage is full with a single aisle to get back to the shop area. All our non essentials are boxed and ready to go. It's pretty much just furniture and the kitchen stuff.


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[tigerxj]

tigerxj - What product are you using for your wood flooring? Looks almost like a white oak? maybe a #1 common or a #2 common grade? Regardless I like the look of it. Gives it a rustic feel.

This is the label on the flooring.

Today was a busy day. They got the toilets/sink fixtures installed, shoe mold for the floor, lighting delivered, installing the hvac 5-ton unit, and the correct colored boards for our board and batten that hey have to fix.

I added some 2x4 studs in the shop walls because the initial crew was so sloppy none of them line up on 4' or 8' for sheeting the walls. Had to add 5 studs. Might need 1 or two more.


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[tigerxj]

I guess somewhat of a garage shop update. Got out T8s delivered. 4' four-tube, wraps. 4 will be in garage, two in shop, plan to add more later. The other is for the master closet.

I think these were from Mobern Lighting

Hvac hooked up, but have to close up the attic access in master closet and install the knobs so we can close the exterior doors. Then we can actually condition the place.

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[Mr. Roboto]

I bet that AC unit is a sight for sore eyes!

 

[tigerxj]

Yeah it was nice to see it finally in, a week later than projected two weeks ago, then 5 days after the reschedule date.

Fortunately Erika decided to not screw up our schedule and instead shat on Charleston, so we *should* have our driveway poured this week. I have advised my wife not to hold her breath.


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[polexican23]

will that unit be big enough for this castle? I would have assume two units.

 

[tigerxj]

will that unit be big enough for this castle? I would have assume two units.

2700 sq ft, it's a 5-ton. I'm not certain but I think it's within spec. As long as my main floor where I sleep is good, I'm good. Down the road when we finish the basement we'll do mini-splits.


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