So, I recently purchased a property w/ 2.2 acres up in Owings Mills, MD with my wife.
Before I bought the house, I rented a 24x27 garage in which I could do engine swaps and other modification work. I have the lease there until April 2015.
With that said, I really need to think about what I can do to the garage at the new place by that time. I can't spend a whole lot of cash since I need to focus on putting a new roof on the house and some other odds and ends. I am hoping you guys can help me ball park pricing for what I'd like to do or tell me i'm an idiot and I can't do it the way I want, etc.
So anyway, info on the current garage at the new place
- it has one electrical outlet... ONE!
- one receptacle in the outlet is used by the garage door opener (which works, thankfully)
- the other, i had used for my work light until I replaced the fluorescent bulbs in the overhead lights recently
- the garage is L shaped because of a big *** tree preventing one from building a rectangle... I'll need to cut that tree down at some point to do what I want to do
- The garage floor looks like it is part of the driveway... as in whoever it was just built a frame over part of the driveway. It has like a -15 degree grade so things w/ wheels such as engine hoists will roll on their own, making heavy repair work almost impossible.
Plans for the new garage
- Run a main from the utility company to bring in 120 and 240 & install breaker panel(s)
- Hook up plumbing drain to septic system
- Hook up water supply hot and cold from house
- Have a 30' x 60' slab of concrete or other, flat, level flooring that is fluid, temperature, and pressure resistant
- Get at least a two post lift in there.. i typically work on import hondas, so 3000 lbs max weight is plenty
- I need to fit a craftsman air compressor (upright), engine stand, workbench, cherry picker, Millermatic 180, as well as a nice rolling tool chest and some shelves and cabinets in there as well as 4 cars. Two of these cars will be involved in a massive car project in which they'll need to be placed one in front of the other, on stands, potentially on one big frame jig.
- I would like to some day add a second floor which will be the man cave... you know... HDTV, beer fridge, couch, mini bar maybe... tap room, definitely a bathroom!
- One wall may eventually be shared with an in-law suite, so I am looking for input on how to sound proof this wall. I need to be able to have a compressor on full blast and have a sleeping person undisturbed beyond the wall
So, on to immediate concerns:
- Do i need to rip up the asphalt floor to pour the concrete or can I clean the asphalt and pour concrete on top?
- I have read that the concrete slab must be separated from the brick forming the walls... Could I pour a slab to replace the current floor and pour a slab outside the current structure on which I could park additional cars and then someday build a structure over both and then seal the gaps between the slabs w/ additional concrete?
- How easy is it to regrade land? To pour the outdoor concrete slab, I know I need to regrade it to make the land levelish before putting down gravel and such, but do I need special tools for this or can it be done w/ basic hand tools?
- Concerning the asphalt, how do I properly cut into the asphalt to preserve the section of driveway leading up the garage, but dig up the section of driveway in the garage (assuming it has to come up before concrete pour)?
More questions to come, haha!
Before I bought the house, I rented a 24x27 garage in which I could do engine swaps and other modification work. I have the lease there until April 2015.
With that said, I really need to think about what I can do to the garage at the new place by that time. I can't spend a whole lot of cash since I need to focus on putting a new roof on the house and some other odds and ends. I am hoping you guys can help me ball park pricing for what I'd like to do or tell me i'm an idiot and I can't do it the way I want, etc.
So anyway, info on the current garage at the new place
- it has one electrical outlet... ONE!
- one receptacle in the outlet is used by the garage door opener (which works, thankfully)
- the other, i had used for my work light until I replaced the fluorescent bulbs in the overhead lights recently
- the garage is L shaped because of a big *** tree preventing one from building a rectangle... I'll need to cut that tree down at some point to do what I want to do
- The garage floor looks like it is part of the driveway... as in whoever it was just built a frame over part of the driveway. It has like a -15 degree grade so things w/ wheels such as engine hoists will roll on their own, making heavy repair work almost impossible.
Plans for the new garage
- Run a main from the utility company to bring in 120 and 240 & install breaker panel(s)
- Hook up plumbing drain to septic system
- Hook up water supply hot and cold from house
- Have a 30' x 60' slab of concrete or other, flat, level flooring that is fluid, temperature, and pressure resistant
- Get at least a two post lift in there.. i typically work on import hondas, so 3000 lbs max weight is plenty
- I need to fit a craftsman air compressor (upright), engine stand, workbench, cherry picker, Millermatic 180, as well as a nice rolling tool chest and some shelves and cabinets in there as well as 4 cars. Two of these cars will be involved in a massive car project in which they'll need to be placed one in front of the other, on stands, potentially on one big frame jig.
- I would like to some day add a second floor which will be the man cave... you know... HDTV, beer fridge, couch, mini bar maybe... tap room, definitely a bathroom!
- One wall may eventually be shared with an in-law suite, so I am looking for input on how to sound proof this wall. I need to be able to have a compressor on full blast and have a sleeping person undisturbed beyond the wall
So, on to immediate concerns:
- Do i need to rip up the asphalt floor to pour the concrete or can I clean the asphalt and pour concrete on top?
- I have read that the concrete slab must be separated from the brick forming the walls... Could I pour a slab to replace the current floor and pour a slab outside the current structure on which I could park additional cars and then someday build a structure over both and then seal the gaps between the slabs w/ additional concrete?
- How easy is it to regrade land? To pour the outdoor concrete slab, I know I need to regrade it to make the land levelish before putting down gravel and such, but do I need special tools for this or can it be done w/ basic hand tools?
- Concerning the asphalt, how do I properly cut into the asphalt to preserve the section of driveway leading up the garage, but dig up the section of driveway in the garage (assuming it has to come up before concrete pour)?
More questions to come, haha!
