Grunge Garage

[Bull]

Well, I'll be checking in on this one now. I just saw it, and read it, tonight.

You are 100% doing the right thing, and whatever the pains of the labor, the birth of your new, healthier, more functional life will be infinitely sweet.

I agree with what some others have said, in that you should really, seriously consider selling a lot of this stuff. The campers, the doubles of tools and equipment and whatever. The money would allow you to get a large dumpster which could, in one weekend, electrify you with the amount of progress possible in one short burst. The additional money would also allow you to hunt for, and buy, more deals. The thrill of the hunt is not likely to leave you, so what you need to do is hunt the deal, get the deal, sell the deal for profit.

I'll be as much moral support as I can. This is potentially epic.

 

[rickairmedic]

Bill I know my last couple of posts have been messing with you about " the bridgeport and southbends " . I have to say though I am pulling for you and am quite sure you will see this project to the end .I am looking forward to more updaye pics tomorrow .


Rick

 

[Kevin54]

Okay...I have to ask.....WHY do you have 18 popup campers? You hit up a trailer place going out of business

On another note, with all of the deals that you get, have you ever considered opening up a store of your own to sell second hand items? I would imagine that you could make some good money from it.

 

[TAftw]

Holy ****, I thought my garage was the most packed on GJ.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99198


I can see where you're coming from, in my case it is all stuff from my deceased grandparents' houses. It won't happen overnight, but if you keep working on it it's gonna turn out great. There are a lot of threads with storage solutions on here, I know they helped me. Be sure to use every available space you can. It will all pay off in the end! Good luck!

 

[bczygan]

Okay...I have to ask.....WHY do you have 18 popup campers? You hit up a trailer place going out of business

On another note, with all of the deals that you get, have you ever considered opening up a store of your own to sell second hand items? I would imagine that you could make some good money from it.

Hi Kevin,
We were long time tent campers and then my wife found an Airstream. We enjoyed that for a couple of years until our 2 Suburbans were stolen (We live in Detroit).
Looking for something lighter, we found an Apache Eagle on CL complete with add a room for $200.
The very next day CL we found an Apache Chief for $100.
It went on from there. Some cost as much as $485. Some were free. Some are ready to go. Some need new canvas which is a $5-600 nut. Not worth it for a camper worth $200-300. They are a very simple and light camper made in Lapeer, MI in the 60's and 70's. Just a box and bed(s) with a storage box inside. No heater, stove, icebox or sink. Bring your own porta pottie, microwave, heater, stove and cooler. You can pull one with any kind of car.
These are not the famous "hard side" Apache popups, but rather their tent top ones.
See them here:
http://www.apacheowners.com/
Here is a thread with photos of most of them:
http://apachepopupcampermessageboard.yuku.com/topic/1284/I-CAN-39-T-STOP#.Tk-wFmMZufU
Partial list:
61 Scout
61 Chief
61 Eagle
62 Scout
62 Chief
62 Eagle
62 Eagle
64 Silver Eagle
65 Silver Eagle
65 Raven
66 Eagle
67 Falcon
67 Mesa
68 Eagle
69 Falcon
69 Eagle
71 Eagle

First one (68 Eagle):

Second one (62 Chief):

 

[bczygan]

Holy ****, I thought my garage was the most packed on GJ.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99198


I can see where you're coming from, in my case it is all stuff from my deceased grandparents' houses. It won't happen overnight, but if you keep working on it it's gonna turn out great. There are a lot of threads with storage solutions on here, I know they helped me. Be sure to use every available space you can. It will all pay off in the end! Good luck!

Took a look at your thread.........VERY cool South Bend drill Press!!!

 

[bczygan]

Bill I know my last couple of posts have been messing with you about " the bridgeport and southbends " . I have to say though I am pulling for you and am quite sure you will see this project to the end .I am looking forward to more updaye pics tomorrow .


Rick

Rick,
It's gonna rain this afternoon, so right now I'm going down to take wood to sheds and cover it. After that and some sweeping, I'll photo. Look for them this afternoon or evening.
One good thing about this clean up is that it IS finite. It's a small garage, but even large garages have a beginning and an end to their cleanup. It has basically been a large unopened storage cabinet. Now it will be a working work space. The shed will be the storage cabinet for wood.

For the guys who are suggesting a dumpster and selling campers. Campers are most of them, 60 miles away on our property. Would be a very big project to deal with them, and they are all right as they are for now. I am trying to make this a small but doable project. I have 50 more projects to do after that, including building a shop where my sheds are now and demolishing the sheds. Yes, I will sort and sell, as soon as I can maneuver. Right now I'm trying to create open space and free up rooms to use for their intended purposes. And doing that without disturbing the neighbors or turning this into a construction site. Every can of trash I get rid of opens up things and makes it easier to work. In fact, the next thing I want to do is to clear off the back walk so I can take things in and out of the side gate to the back yard.
And the wife IS starting to do some things. She is starting on the bedroom, sorting piles of clothes to wash for camping. In fact, I'm going right now so she can start!

PS, Just remembered I have a parts washer in the yard. Gotta bring that around for the garage too!

Thanks for your help guys...........Bill

 

[TejasBimmer]

Great progress!!!.... my mom and dad were also hoarders... we had to rent two construction dumpsters to clear out the home.
Quick suggestion, have you thought of getting one of those Dumpster bags from Waste Management... you get it from HD and then call the WM to have them pick up at your own time.

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/cleaning/trash-recycling/wm-bagster/dumpster-in-a-bag-86457.html

Keep up the great work!

 

[BigWil]

Bill, keep up the great work. You are doing the right thing, and you will be shocked with how good it feels to live normally again. It's easy to get used to living differently, and when things are usable again, it's one of the best feelings in the world. I lived without a kitchen for 2 months, due to renovations, and when we had a working kitchen again, it was an amazing feeling. I know it's different than what you are dealing with, the biggest difference is it'll feel much better for you.

 

[bczygan]

Great progress!!!.... my mom and dad were also hoarders... we had to rent two construction dumpsters to clear out the home.
Quick suggestion, have you thought of getting one of those Dumpster bags from Waste Management... you get it from HD and then call the WM to have them pick up at your own time.

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/cleaning/trash-recycling/wm-bagster/dumpster-in-a-bag-86457.html

Keep up the great work!

Thank you!
You know, the first hard part is to apply the hoarder label to yourself. I just recently did it in a serious way. My wife and I joke about being hoarders between us, and we know down deep that we are, but to take it to heart and to self label, especially in a public forum is hard.
The liberating thing is that it now gives you a push to change things and REMOVE the label from yourself.
It is harder than just getting rid of stuff. It's a mind set that gives value to everything. I even tore apart pallets and surfaced them to use for wood! I've got doors off of junk piles I haven't used yet. And that is one of the problems. Thinking it is something I'll never get again for free, and I might eventually have a use for it. I've even dumpster dived for cardboard to use someday.
I need to learn to trust in the idea that I will be able to get things later when I need them. My wife uses the "It will be for a gift" or we can use it when we build our place in the country" or this is for the kids or grandkids".

BTW, I have adequate dumpster space. I just need to learn to use them and get rid of more drek.

I'm not saying I don't throw things away. Some weeks I fill 4 or 5 dumpsters or even more, especially in the fall when leaves come down from all my trees.
But I need to learn to let go of things. One way I am going to try is the free listings on CL. I have some stuff right now that is duplicates like an extra food processor.

 

[rickairmedic]

Bill I was actualy discussing this with my mom last night ( our families Hoarder tendancies ) . The discussion started as I was talking to her on the phone and she had just knocked a pile of I dont know what over and I mentioned to her that our family had " a problem " . She actually admited that she had gotten as bad as my grandmother ( who took 2 full sized Semi's to move to Fla. from Va. 15+ years ago .I know that my grandmother has a LARGE 3 car garage that is packed floor to ceiling wall to wall with boxes that have not been opened in those 15 years at least and many of them more likely 30 or more years . Mom mentioned the stack ( last time I was home it was almost as tall as me ) of newspapers she had been saving to clip out an article out of or something . I suggested to her that she get a pair of scissors and put them in the end table next to her chair so that she can cut things out while she has the newspaper in her hands and then she can toss the rest when she is done reading it . I have the disease myself and it is a bear to pass up a bargain . I am pretty sure I linked to my garage earlier in your thread I started my renovations and tossing back in April of 2007 and am honestly still working on it 4 years later . I have made ALOT of progress in those 4 years and am getting close to being happy with it . I will say again I think you are doing great and think that comming on here and putting it all out in the open will help you greatly to reach your goal . I would bet there are as many of us on here as there are guys with " showroom garages " and am also pretty sure you have shamed a few other guys into starting their own threads and " getting their garages back " .


Rick

 

[JMcFly]

Looks like a lot of fun. It's going to be worth it when you're done. I'd love to help! I have cleaned out and organized many a friends garages/shops.

 

[sams]

bczygan: I also have some hoarding tendacies and I came to a realisation after a while that might help you-

even if something is worth something if you can't use it then sell it, if it won't sell for anything worthwhile but it still has good vaule then throw it out anyway. If you mind says "oh I might need it" which is the catch-cry of any hoarder then just remind yourself you can just buy another one.

Heres a good one for people, what costs more- a new shed or having to rebuy something occasionaly. Or.. if there's a bargain and you buy something expensive for $10 and you don't use it well it's no bargain because you just gave $10 for nothing in return.

Your making great progress but one thing concerns me, your wife doesn't sound interested in change, from what I know of hoarders your free garage space will be wasted usable space. Your work area you worked so hard for can quickly be filled up again with her stuff instead.

Perhaps it's time you both sat down and decide to not go to any 'resale' store as you say, ebay, craig's list, whatever unless you need something specific. Basicly no place where you see a bargain. Or when you do go then go together to be accountable with each other.

 

[Bronson]

Keep plugging, You are making progress!

 

[rwhite692]

BTW, I have adequate dumpster space.

No you don't.

You are just not going to achieve and maintain any real momentum, and get all that done, with two little wheeled garbage bins. At least not within the next 15 years...

As someone already said, you need to stop picking up things four and five times, and just shuffling stuff from one spot to another.

You need to call the local waste company and rent a real dumpster, and fill THAT up. It will be liberating.

I still can't get over the 18 pop up campers! LOL! Well, good luck!

 

[bczygan]

Rick,
You jogged my memory. My mom was also a hoarder in some respects. When she died we threw out a large stand up freezer full of food she kept for "emergencies". Some of the food was a decade old. The chickens were so freezer burned and light, they could have flown. We filled 3 alley sized dumpsters with material she had accumulated. The only thing that kept her from getting more stuff was how often we moved.

Joe,
If you're near Detroit........come on over!........Just kidding. I wouldn't want anyone to see the whole of this. There is a lot more to come. It's not just the garage, but the whole house, yard and property. In fact it is everything from life goals to motorcycle maintenance that is literally out of whack. I'll invite you guys over when it's more complete.
Sams,
You hit some nails right on the head. I have, in fact, thrown out some things right after she brought them home from the resale because I didn't have anywhere to put them. Sometimes we keep them in the van for a week. Last trip to the resale I put back some things out of the cart without letting her know and she was mad later when she found out. Our method at the resale is to put everything we might like in our carts and then before leaving, sort them for the things we REALLY want. Trouble is, once it's in the cart it is "YOURS" and hard to part with. She equates buying what she wants with freedom and love. I love her if she can get whatever she wants. And she shows her love for me and her family with what she buys there. Hard to take that away from her. Plus, there are real savings from buying there. It has just gotten overboard. And I'm more guilty than her.
A heart to heart is going to be hard to do. Here is the reason. She is the breadwinner. That makes it hard for me to dictate spending. I can't tell her what to do. It becomes a power struggle. I am hoping to lead by showing.

Progress Report:
Well, it is about to rain and I have to get the dogs in. Except for the big pile of wood under a tarp in the front yard and a few long boards under a tarp in the back yard, I have just gotten all the lumber that was outside, stored in a shed.
Still to take out are a couple of bundles of trim and boards and those long maple boards for a bench top. Other than that all the lumber is out of the garage.
I would take photos, but to a camera it doesn't look that different.
I will spend this evening sorting and arranging and disposing of boxes of stuff in the garage. Then I will photo as it will look improved. Please bear with me folks......

And as a teaser........there will be a lot more to this story than just a garage clean up. I will continue telling the story, and taking photos as more work is done to clean and organize the rest of the house and yard. It is becoming apparent that this is more than the story of cleaning up a room. It's more about cleaning up the thinking in the room inside my head!

Bill (Starting to live in the real world, here in Detroit)

 

[bczygan]

No you don't.

You are just not going to achieve and maintain any real momentum, and get all that done, with two little wheeled garbage bins. At least not within the next 15 years...

As someone already said, you need to stop picking up things four and five times, and just shuffling stuff from one spot to another.

You need to call the local waste company and rent a real dumpster, and fill THAT up. It will be liberating.

I still can't get over the 18 pop up campers! LOL! Well, good luck!

I'm starting to see what you mean...........Moving stuff around allows me to avoid getting rid of it....... Give me a minute here. IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME FOR REALITY TO SINK IN!

 

[rickairmedic]

Bill your headed in the right direction and I am out here in the shop with you filling toters to go to the curb on monday . I should mention though I do have a pub table a 32" LCD and my laptop out here so it isnt quite the same since I am out here if I am home unless of course I am in bed ." I am out here cleaning though really " .


Oh yeah I never really noticed Moms problem growing up I think Dad kept her in check somewhat " although he wasnt much better " . Since Dad passed I have started noticing more and more rooms filled in Moms house that used to be usable rooms ( one of them was my bedroom in fact growing up and now I cant see my old bed ).


Rick

 

[bczygan]

Rick,
You and the others who have "been there, done that" are great moral support for me. It's started raining so I'm inside now. Before I start sorting, here's a couple intermediate photos of stuff.

Except for a few misc. pieces, and the kitchen cupboard doors and some loose balusters, this is the last of the lumber in the garage:

A couple of photos of lumber just before it went in the shed.

This lumber before being temporarily tarped. It's some nice oak boards.

Took the back door off it's hinges to get stuff out. Back porch is now clear of lumber:

These are some of the things I make out of the 1x2, 1x3 and 1x4 clear pine stock. They are tool racks for drill bits, forstner bits, chisels, screwdrivers etc.:

A preview of work to come. A stack of deck lumber and shingles with some ponds and cartop carriers on top.

 

[Bronson]

I have to ask.....Do You have rodent problems? Bugs? I can't see how You would avoid it. Get the big dumpster, You NEED it.

 

[rickairmedic]

Take my advice put thew ponds on craigslist quickly you wont miss them . Ponds are like boats once you start tossing money at them they just keep eating it . Trust me we have a pond . The last liner was $1000.00 all by itself ( yes I know watching the fish and listening to the waterfall is relaxing ) but you will need that solitude to cool down from the hole in the wallet .

Rick

 

[sams]

ah that's a tricky situation then. I guess you just need to as you said- lead by example and be persistant. You could do it another amusing way- take stuff out of the lounge-room and put it outside so you can have your space and then throw it out because it went bad, hehehe

Well anyay keep at it, there are so many of us on here that have an idea of atleast part of what your dealing with and you have our support.

As for myself I believe in a workshop for work and tools only, not storage. However when I had to take the years worth of good junk out of my parents place I had no choice but in my workshop. Heres my thread:


it all looks nice and all with the zoomed in shots, but get to post 27 and the truth is revealed. I can now drive a car in though and it's getting better all the time.

 

[bczygan]

I have to ask.....Do You have rodent problems? Bugs? I can't see how You would avoid it. Get the big dumpster, You NEED it.

Yes, Thank you for bringing that up. I was going to ease people into that ugly reality. That is a big part of the reason for starting this project. It is a part of what you get with too much stuff. Rodents are also attracted to dog food and poop, and with 4 dogs I have both. Harder to separate the wife from them than from me. I would like to just have 2. 1 is a mutt, 2 are Irish Setter adults and one is a Setter puppy. Hoping to find a home for the puppy this week. I would also like to re-home the mutt, but probably can't. People are dumping dogs right now in Detroit. No demand for a mutt so she would be killed if sent to a shelter. She is more of a yard dog but very sweet.

The house has always had carpenter ants since her mother let water leak problems stay unresolved for years. The back porch and deck above was completely eaten away. I'm talking 2x6 joists with half the joist missing. I have removed the entire thing and just have the slab left now. May rebuild someday. I have the equivalent of a big dumpster with 5 Courvilles. It's all I can do to fill them all once or twice a week.
I'm shoveling as fast as I can.

 

[sams]

ah forgot to add the link:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=95951&page=2

 

[bczygan]

ah that's a tricky situation then. I guess you just need to as you said- lead by example and be persistant. You could do it another amusing way- take stuff out of the lounge-room and put it outside so you can have your space and then throw it out because it went bad, hehehe

Well anyay keep at it, there are so many of us on here that have an idea of atleast part of what your dealing with and you have our support.

As for myself I believe in a workshop for work and tools only, not storage. However when I had to take the years worth of good junk out of my parents place I had no choice but in my workshop. Heres my thread:

it all looks nice and all with the zoomed in shots, but get to post 27 and the truth is revealed. I can now drive a car in though and it's getting better all the time.

Funny you should mention that. I took some bins of her extra old clothes outside and stored them in the yard during the winter. The stack fell over and the bins opened and the clothes got soaked and mildewed and ruined. I happily threw them out but noticed one bin was my just bought and never worn clothes.......!!! But you are right. Some stuff, like the 3rd dining room table she bought for $30, that was just cheap junk......I broke it up and tossed it rather than storing it. She probably thinks we still have it.

On a good note.............I said to her tonight, while she was folding piles of clothing we have on the bed, "So you think we are hoarders?"
She said "Sure". I asked, "So should we do something about it".
I just let the question hang in the air. Food for her thoughts.....we'll see where it goes. Right now her focus is escaping all this and going on vacation. As long as I facilitate that, she'll be happy.

 

[sams]

hey heres a crude idea: make a huge garbage pile in your back yard, that way you won't have the double handling as mentioned before and it will give you the space you desperately need. Every bin night you fill them up from your pile.

You have to be very strict though that things that are only for throwing away end up in it, if you have to sort through it again it's going to be something that you would want to put off.

 

[bczygan]

hey heres a crude idea: make a huge garbage pile in your back yard, that way you won't have the double handling as mentioned before and it will give you the space you desperately need. Every bin night you fill them up from your pile.

You have to be very strict though that things that are only for throwing away end up in it, if you have to sort through it again it's going to be something that you would want to put off.

I've accidentally done that. I put some boxes of stuff, including old books and magazines, out back and covered it with a tarp. Tarp blew off in a heavy rain storm and ruined it all. Trouble was, some of it was stuff to keep.......Oh well, in the big picture, I have plenty off stuff.

 

[Bull]

I have the equivalent of a big dumpster with 5 Courvilles. It's all I can do to fill them all once or twice a week.
I'm shoveling as fast as I can.

I'm not going to harp on this issue, because I don't want you to feel bullied. But, I see those trash bins you have and five of them, heck even twenty of them don't equal a big dumpster in my mind. I live on my grandparents old farm. They weren't hoarders, but when I moved in, the entirety of their lives' possessions, minus the really good stuff that people took, was here. Plus, there were multiple sheds, some of them large, stuffed with farming detritus. Oh, and a large barn.

I have been here since '99 and am STILL cleaning out stuff from their lives. There is still one nasty large shed to tear down, which I hope to do by next year. Until last month, this shed was full of old ****, most of which I heaved into a dumpster. Every single year that I have lived here, I have had at least one and more often two or several dumpsters delivered. Sometimes it's to take down a shed, or dispose of these possessions from my grandparents, or to deal with debris from remodeling.

Anyway, I found an awesome, family-owned dumpster company. The bin I just had here was here for several weeks. It was about 7' tall, maybe the same width, and probably 15' long or so. I don't know how many of your black trash bins it would take to fill it up, but I am sure it would be dozens and dozens. It only cost me $350 for him to drop the dumpster and then haul it away and dump it weeks later.

Perhaps having a large dumpster there would be too public, as it cannot hide what you are doing like the use of the regular trash cans allows you to do. I'm just repeating the idea because with the amount of stuff you have, it seems like the only way to make a real big, meaningful dent in a very short space of time. This would motivate you, and the stuff would be GONE, not shuffled into another shed or area.

Tone is hard to convey in text, so let me tell you I don't intend to sound arrogant, pushy, or preachy. I think you have huge balls for making this public, and are doing something which is very difficult to do mentally for a person who is a hoarder. I'm here to support you. You've already made visible progress in that garage, and you seem to have a pretty clear head about the whole process and the delicate balance in the relationship with your wife.

Keep on truckin'.

 

[Bronson]

One of Your signatures says, "I pick things up, and I put them down."
As several others have mentioned, You are wasting a lot of time and energy moving things multiple times.
Not picking on You, I am pulling for You.
Quit buying stuff, and start tossing stuff. LOTS of stuff.
This is now the only thread I am following on GJ.

 

[Lump]

GO for it, Bill. We're all really impressed by your determination and guts to handle this huge undertaking. I think that Bull and some others might be right. This "war" of yours may be too overwhelming to be "fought with conventional weapons." Think about going "nuclear" on this "battle." Get a big metal dumpster, and throw LOTS of stuff out in a short time.

Your Garage Journal buddies are pulling for you!

 

[bczygan]

Thanks all,
I will keep the big dumpster in mind. Right now the fight is with time. Wife wants to be ready to go on vacation at end of week. That is all she is thinking of. My focus is first get access to entry/living room, side yard gate and rear sidewalk.
It rained last night and this morning. Went out and got weeks food supplies and took an old man nap this afternoon.

Update:
This evening I did an hour or so and got all the rest of the big Maple slabs out o the back yard. Need to cover them. Took out seed starting trays and some plywood too.
What remains in the way of wood is loose balusters and kitchen cabinet doors. Doors need to go back on cabinets. Balusters out to shed. The garage will be free of wood.
The covered wood in the rear yard needs to go in a shed.
In order to move the wood pile from the front yard, I need to clear the rear walk to the side gate.
First task will be sorting and consolidating the boxes of stuff in the garage and sweeping the available floor area to make room in the garage.
A C'man table saw is the first thing in the way on the sidewalk. It will come around front and go in the mostly straightened garage. Then there is a shopping cart and 2 lawnmowers. They will go in the back yard. Then there is a pile of ruined stuff. It will all go in the dumpster. Then 10 concrete block. They will go in the back of the yard to be used in the shop build. This will clear the way for bringing around and sorting and disposing of the wood pile from the front.
Next will be taking tools out of the entry/living room and putting them in the garage. This will clear area to bring things in.
Next will be taking the file cabinet off the front porch.
Last item is to bring the fridge in off the front walk.

As soon as I finish taking out the balusters and consolidating the boxes and sweeping a little, I'll photo. Should show a visible difference.
Back to it.....................

 

[rickairmedic]

Bill take my advice and dont put anything new in the garage until you have gotten it completely empty. I am currently working in circles in my garage due to rearanging everything in here to new locations and honestly it would have been easier to empty the place out first and then procede to put things where I want them .


Rick

 

[bczygan]

Bill take my advice and dont put anything new in the garage until you have gotten it completely empty. I am currently working in circles in my garage due to rearanging everything in here to new locations and honestly it would have been easier to empty the place out first and then procede to put things where I want them .


Rick

Rick,
That is good advice. And also recommended for interior design as well as hoarding problems. My trouble is that I already have a back yard full of tarped things. I need to clear out space in the entry/living room. And I'm in a hurry to get things at least into the proper room. As long as a good portion of the garage is open to allow me a place to sort and toss from, it's OK.
As far as dumpster space is concerned, I have more than I am using. Right now they are all empty because the wood I have been moving isn't going into them and I haven't started sorting boxes and generating trash. Wed is trash day so my goal of sorting the garage and clearing the back walk to give me access to trash back there is what is driving me.
I just consolidated the lumber stack in the back yard and covered it. I took the seed starter trays out to the shed too.
Just had dinner so in a few I'll go out and start box sorting and tossing and floor cleanup.
I am trying to do a few minutes of work every time I go downstairs. Keeps things moving forward. The biggest hindrance to doing this before now was that every time I looked at it, the job seemed too enormous to even start. With GJ help I have gotten a bite out of a very focused part of the whole. I have seen enough progress to fire me up and I don't want to see it stop. So I keep biting at it. I'm even dreaming about what it will be like when finished!
Back to it..............

 

[bczygan]

Time for an update and a couple photos. Before the last work detail I looked up the sidewalk and say the neighbor 3 doors up had a new ghetto cruiser. Since this site is garage and car oriented, I thought you'd like a few photos.

It says "Lifted because fat chicks can't jump"!

Well, this part goes a lot slower since each box needs going through. Despite that, I have cleared and swept a little floor area. See photos:

Looks the same in this photo but notice no vertical stack of wood in the back to the left of the door.

Combined these 2 stacks of wood and covered them.

Leaning shelving units:

Empty floor area:

Still a lot to go, but over the hump inside the garage. Still more to do in the yard.

Gotta make Julies lunch and bring the dogs in. Maybe I'll do a little more before bed.

 

[rickairmedic]

Bill I got bad news no pictures to see just banners saying you have too many pictures on photo bucket .


Rick

 

[Bull]

It's not that he has too many pics, it's that his bandwidth has been exceeded! In other words, too many people have been viewing his photos, thanks to this active thread. At least, I believe that is what the message means.

 

[rickairmedic]

Bill if you have the pictures on your puter just put them on using the manage attatchments option and that will solve the problem.


Rick

 

[Red Leader]

Bill take my advice and dont put anything new in the garage until you have gotten it completely empty. I am currently working in circles in my garage due to rearanging everything in here to new locations and honestly it would have been easier to empty the place out first and then procede to put things where I want them .


Rick

Let me tell you, if I could have, I would have moved EVERYTHING out of my garage to do ALL the work that I've done so far. I have probably cleaned it about 8-10 times so far, and we are talking about 4-5 hour complete cleaning sessions, mostly from moving stuff around during a main project and then trying to gain access when starting another one. First it was the electrical...then it was the insulation, then it was the drywall... etc etc.

That is at least 40 hours of time that I could have spent doing something else.

This is a big deal. Thanks for mentioning it.

 

[rickairmedic]

RL I had the middle of my garage empty just last week and now I am in the midst of rearanging and painting and needless to say the middle of the garage isnt empty anymore and all I actually have available empty at the moment is one corner " where I am putting the seating/hangout area " . Which I need to get painted tomorrow simply so that I can get that area done and move to the next.

Rick

 

[Red Leader]

You know, I don't have a 'fix all' for what you are trying to do, but I can offer up some encouragement.

Think about it...you could have one of the most amazing garages here on Garage Journal, complete with new painted walls, great lighting, awesome ceiling, beautiful epoxy/tile flooring, and more. Just think of the transformation...just think on that for a bit. It IS within your grasp. The only thing that is standing in front of you is the time you have. Keep moving forward.

Perhaps a less-intrusive solution to the dumpster idea is the WM 'bagster'...it lays wherever you want it and you can put (I think) up to 3500 lbs of **** on it, then they come and lift it up and take it away. It might be cheaper than the dumpster. It might be more approachable.

I am not a hoarder, but I do understand the feeling of wanting to keep things that have some type of intrinsic value. For things that are 'non-garage' related, may I suggest a donation to charity. I work for a non-profit and I can tell you that the non-profit sector is having a tough time right now. Think of how awesome a donation of some of the things you are trying to get free of could be to a local charity. It would help a bunch of people and only add positive force to what you are trying to do with your space. Also, that way you won't have to feel guilty about throwing away something of value or usefulness.

Many times, they will even come and pick up your donation.

You're doing good. Keep it up! Don't give up. Stay encouraged.

We're with ya