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overkill 19

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Apr 19, 2009
Messages
397
Location
Red Deer, Alberta Canada
Do you sell crop insurance?
5ce350dd27ee0610638b20a1e6800897.jpg
 
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overkill 19

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Apr 19, 2009
Messages
397
Location
Red Deer, Alberta Canada
I've got some RR stuff, my Bro inlaw was mr Jersey City so I had a Family discount.

Do you have room to store boat outside? We did the big white condom , shrink wrap it! I think it was $450 with the extra vents. 21ft Vlx worked great
 

shopnut

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Feb 22, 2006
Messages
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Location
Florida
/snip/
My desire is to get all three, plus my Chevy Avalanche, stored indoors for next winter because stuff like this keeps happening:
/snip/
FWIW when you get to the little details of your planning phase...

Here is my Avalanche under a BendPak HD-9XW lift. Not a lot of room, but it fits. Keep in mind that most lifts need to travel up several inches past their last "lock height" for the locks to engage. They may state a max lift height, but this is not where it will rest when dropped down on the highest safety lock.

Mine is a stock 2013 Z71
attachment.php


About 2.5" from the luggage rack to the lift cross-members:
attachment.php


A tad over 3" between the mirrors and columns:
attachment.php
 
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JohnnieMo

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Calgary, Alberta
@overkill

Yes there is room to store outside. That's where it lived up until it went into the garage 4 weeks ago. I don't mind it being outside.... I even planned out a whole carport before this, but I find that I like to work on it during the winter and that's the reason I put it inside this winter. In a few years I may not care anymore but since I need to expand the garage for a variety of other reasons, why not.

The big downside is that the parking pad the boat fits on will be gobbled up by the garage. There just isn't that much room on my lot!

I was too cheap to spring for the boat wrap so I did my own poor man's version. It worked perfectly.




@shopnut

Thanks for that info. The lift I'm looking at is 99" between the columns and 75.5" "lifting height in top lock position" measured to the bottom of the runway. I expect to see 1.5" of clearance. It is tight but will work. I will test it in their showroom before ordering though.

How wide is yours? Do you find it hard to get the truck in there? Life would be easier if my wife would park her Vibe there but she's rather adamantly opposed to it.


Sent from my Passport
 
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overkill 19

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Red Deer, Alberta Canada
I hear ya once ya start working on that stuff in a garage it's hard to go back. Did ya ever price out the wrap in YYC? The $450 was in Kelowna so I assume there was a " your a tourist in BC Tax"
Your wrap looks great, we thought about doing similar thing but we are not there to maintain in heavy snow takes over tarp. The wrap guy guarantees it won't crater. Plus I liked the ventilation option.
 
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shopnut

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@shopnut

Thanks for that info. The lift I'm looking at is 99" between the columns and 75.5" "lifting height in top lock position" measured to the bottom of the runway. I expect to see 1.5" of clearance. It is tight but will work. I will test it in their showroom before ordering though.

How wide is yours? Do you find it hard to get the truck in there? Life would be easier if my wife would park her Vibe there but she's rather adamantly opposed to it.

You're welcome.

Space between columns on mine is 100.25" according to the BendPak spec sheet, which I have not verified. Although not really needed, I normally fold the driver side mirror in and park biased a little that way to give me extra clearance. Kinda wish I had the power folding mirrors that my 2003 Avy had on this new 2013, but oh well, I'm just glad I found one before production ended.

BendPak lists a max lift on mine of 82.0". They don't seem to state the top lock height anywhere, but it drops ~4 or 5" down from the 82" before it sets firmly on the topmost locks, so that puts the runways/crosstubes at roughly 77-78" off the ground.

Testing your vehicle on/under the lift is definitely a good idea if you think it is going to be that close.

Good luck with your build, whatever direction you go.
 
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JohnnieMo

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The boat wrap at Bass Pro Shops was about $350 with vents. I actually priced out a custom cover build but it was over $1200. I'm glad I saved that money for the garage. This picture doesn't show it, but later I wrapped a small rope right under the rub rail. This kept it tight enough to keep birds out, but flapped just enough in the wind to get airflow. The slope was high enough that the snow would just fall off after collecting. I also sprayed it down with silicone lube. In the end, like I said, it was flawless.

I'm not usually cheap, but sometimes I get that way. Saran wrap for my boat just seemed like throw away money.

@shopnut - the power mirrors on the Gen 2 Avy's are garbage. One of mine broke and I barely use it. There is a good thread about it on the Avalanche forum. (are you on there?)
 
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JohnnieMo

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Okay, so I ran all of the numbers for each option. Here are the results.

Option 1: Replace existing garage

This means physically removing the existing garage and selling it for a small profit (I assumed $3500) and using that money for the new build. The new build will be a bit larger (37x26x10) and a bit simpler to build. It will be taller, to accommodate a storage loft with about 6' of height on the one end and the scissor trusses again on the other end.



The price for this build is:
Materials: CAD $26,417
Labour: CAD $8,300
Total: CAD $34,717 (GST included)

On the labour side, it is quite subsidized as I am using friends and relatives for concrete and framing. Plumbing into the main sewer and house water will be done by professionals. I would also hire out a drywall mudder for cash because I hate doing that. Everything else is done by me.

It's possible I could get a package price for the new build at a reduced price. I am going to look in to that. Right now it is priced out 'per board; from Home Depot.

Option 2: Retrofit Existing Garage.

This means removing the roof, drywall, insulation and expanding the garage to a new size of 36x24x10. I would then add a new roof, with scissor trusses to get my vertical hoist space. It also involves increasing the size of the existing 16x7 garage door to 16x8, and adding a new 9x8 door for the truck. I will use 2x4's off the old roof to add my 2' of height to the walls. There will still be a lot of waste.



This garage is heated, plumbed with water and sewer and is insulated for the Canadian climate.

The price for this build is:
Materials: CAD $23,139
Labour: CAD $6,800
Total: CAD $29,939 (GST included)

---

In both builds, the big ticket items are:
Siding (vinyl)
Shingles (Malarky 50yr to match house)
Trusses

If anyone has ideas to reduce cost on those, I'm all ears. In fact, the entire $5k difference between Option 1 and 2 is the cost of vinyl siding. I'd love to see what other options are out there for zero maintenance siding.
 
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Rodney Schultz

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Mar 20, 2014
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28
Location
Leduc, Alberta, CANADA
Following with interest. Check with your building department if they will allow you to "add-up" on the walls. Not all jurisdictions will allow that. Most want continuous framing plate to plate. That may force your decision making...
 
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JohnnieMo

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Following with interest. Check with your building department if they will allow you to "add-up" on the walls. Not all jurisdictions will allow that. Most want continuous framing plate to plate. That may force your decision making...

The building department doesn't seem to like me calling them. I call and ask for the "rules" frequently. They seem to prefer I hire a contractor who already knows the rules. I find it a bit ridiculous, because I pay them for advice, so they shouldn't whine when I call in.

My plan is to create both designs and take them in and see what they say.
 
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JohnnieMo

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Well I had a good news bad news call with the city today. The good news is that I finally have an answer to my Option 1 and Option 2 dilemma.

In the City of Calgary, any garage over 55m^2 (24'x24') requires a frost footing of 4' depth. My garage is 24x22, obviously to miss this limit. As such it would be foolish to pour footings under the existing garage.

So this means I have to build new if I want to do this.

I also learned that the 15' height limit is strictly enforced. They said I could ask for an easement, but its unlikely. It seems to depend on your community in the city. Mine is likely a more forgiving area as the lots are larger, but it remains to be seen.

Another point of note (for other Calgarians who happen to read this) - your slab can be no closer than 2' from any property line.

The good news in all this is that my slab is 11" inside of that 2' limit, so I could pour footings around the existing slab and not have to destroy it. It can become "filler" for a new slab.

One last point - any wall within 1.2m of the property line must be fire rated. That means 5/8" drywall from the slab all the way up, through the rafters, to the roof sheathing.

If you get lucky enough to talk to Tom at building codes, you are lucky!! Great guy.

At least I know which direction to go!
 
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overkill 19

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Apr 19, 2009
Messages
397
Location
Red Deer, Alberta Canada
City of Red Deer licensing/planning Dept said same thing.."we won't support it" "you cant build that high" "you can only build 15' high. That is the bylaw"

I walked out sad and rejected. If not for my sister who told me they say that so 99% will not even try ..or even know that they can try to get approval. Not one city worker in that dept said a word about the applying process or that it even existed. It makes work for them, so that's why the push so hard to steer you away from applying!
They work for you...but you'd never know it.
I understand the need for rules around these things, red Deer got bit hard about 8 years ago a guy submitted a plan and built a huge UFA style shop in town and runs a welding company out of it... But city had very weak rules around it then and slipped it threw the cracks.. It looks hideous!

Do some research, drive around takes some pics of garages over 15'. Build a case, I told them I want bigger to keep all my stuff inside , my goal is zero eye sores on lawn or in back alleys. They liked that. Tell them your trying to add value to the community not create a used car /boat lot.
 
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JohnnieMo

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Calgary, Alberta
Thanks Overkill. I intend to submit plans to the city once I finalize them. I will ask for 18'. The truss company I talked to said that they have never seen an approval over 15'. But whatever.... I shall try!

@Rodney - they had no issue with the wall add-on but he had a variety of recommendations to make it stronger.

Sent from my Passport
 

RickP

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Jan 15, 2013
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Location
Annapolis, MD
I like your plans for the new garage, but wow, that really sounds expensive for indoor boat storage, especially when your existing garage is in pretty good shape. Have you considered building a really nice carport for the boat? Maybe with a shed roof tied into your existing roof about halfway up to the peak.

Then you could modify the existing garage to add water/sewer and increase the ceiling height on one side for the lift.

How long are you planning to stay in this house? It just seems to me that the return on investment for a rebuild is too long to make it worthwhile.
 
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JohnnieMo

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It is pretty expensive.

Thanks for the "boat-port" thought. I did run a complete design for it last year and it would have been do-able. I think it comes down to several factors though:
- Existing garage is too small for auto-work
- We don't have enough storage (ever)
- Can't fit a lift in the existing garage.
- Existing garage is sloped terribly and fills with water every winter
- Boat storage
- Want to store all 4 vehicles indoors.

And overall, as the title of the thread suggests, this is my dream. So its hard to justify it with dollars and cents. With that said, I can't just recklessly spend money.

Our intention is to be in this house for another 15+ years, outside of unforeseen circumstances.

@Overkill - I only found one garage in my neighbourhood over 15' That particular garage had the lot itself raised up 4' from the grade of the lane. So it's likely that was his argument for getting the exception.

I did some more work with Sketchup today (I love this program!) I built up the lot around the garage. I have a slight pie lot, so it took some heavy thinking to get it modelled properly. Placing the garage in the right spot is critical, given that things aren't quite square.




 
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JohnnieMo

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I've been scratching my head trying to determine the best way to save money yet still get a good result. The thing that has me throwing on the brakes is the fact that I am throwing out a perfectly good garage. It's hard to move, it's hard to sell, and it's impossible to build on to.

I came up with two new solutions:

Solution A:

Rather than knocking down the existing garage, I could leave it exactly as is, and add a second garage in the right side of the lot. Instead of scuttling the garage, I could sell my shed. It is a nice little structure that is 16'x10'. That would pave the way for a complete new build - probably a big single garage. I could go up 15' and go wide enough for a workshop, lift and anything else. Another benefit is that I would not need to pour footings if I stay under 55m^2.

The downsides to this option are few, but large. Firstly, the gas line to the house runs directly underneath the existing shed. I would need to "sleeve" it to meet code. Given that I am already digging a hole for water, this isn't a huge deal, but it's not nothing either.

The other downside is that my wife will likely want to cut off my head for having not one, but TWO heated garages. I'd still need to modify the existing garage for the swim platform, but that is a small job when it's the only thing needed. The sucky part is I couldn't put the tower up while inside, but I think I could live with it.

As a side note, I wouldn't even be the first guy on my street with two garages off the alley. Ironically I tried to buy that house 12 years ago, failed, and ended up in the one I've got now. I think 2 garages is harder on re-sale, but in Calgary, you can sell a cardboard box and make money.

Solution B

I could take down the existing garage and pour 2' tall footings. I could then re-use all the existing walls again to achieve my 10' wall. This is somewhat the same as before, but rather than adding to the wall tops with wood, I add to the wall bottoms with concrete.

The downsides to this approach are also few - but mainly all the windows would be too high up. However I could retain the siding, sheathing and studs. This isn't a massive cost savings, but it keeps me from wasting perfectly good material and I still meet code.

I'll run the designs on both options and see what I come up with.
 

overkill 19

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Red Deer, Alberta Canada
4833ad969a197024587fd4f06d76c950.jpg
5eaf38cffdab8c97d9bf77004f99fd43.jpg

Pics kind bad. But ya get the drift

Add to the top and put slope roof and get 4 feet instead of 2 feet. Unless you don't like the look.

Can you add a shed truss to frt of garage to house the swim platform ?
 
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JohnnieMo

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I'm still limited to the 15' limit, unless the city grants me an exception. I don't mind the design...

I'm not sure what you mean about a shed truss for the swim platform. Basically I need to create a "cubby hole" for lack of a better term, in the wall, to make room. It's not a big issue really.
 

overkill 19

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Red Deer, Alberta Canada
I'm still limited to the 15' limit, unless the city grants me an exception. I don't mind the design...

I'm not sure what you mean about a shed truss for the swim platform. Basically I need to create a "cubby hole" for lack of a better term, in the wall, to make room. It's not a big issue really.


Ya I've seen those shed truss at Home Depot. They are basically a half a shed truss that you attach to garage wall and run them along for as far as ya want. I would thing truss place could built you any width within reason. So you could run across for 10-16feet and stow garden stuff. My garage is 20x32 beside a 24x24 beside my shed 16x8..best thing I did all the garden stuff in there
 
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JohnnieMo

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Ahhhh I get it now. Very good idea!

I would only need about a foot so this could be overkill. Also I need to reinforce the wall.

What do you do for a floor in the lean-to shed? If I go right to the ground I need a floor solution too. The cubby hole could just be between 3 and 4 feet up the wall.

Honestly I'm leaning towards my Solution B right now. It's the cleanest option. I'm going to run some more numbers and designs. Once I get the truss quote I can finalize the plans and the budget:

Sent from my Passport
 

shopnut

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Feb 22, 2006
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Florida
@shopnut - the power mirrors on the Gen 2 Avy's are garbage. One of mine broke and I barely use it. There is a good thread about it on the Avalanche forum. (are you on there?)
Well, maybe I glad I didn't get the folding mirror option on the new one after all :). I used mine everyday backing into the driveway for 10 years without a problem on my Gen1. I'm on the ChevyAvalancheFanClub, but haven't posted much there. Probably should have shared my custom folding bedslide or my latest swing out rear steps with the group though.

BTW, I measured the height underneath the lift cross tubes and they were exactly 78.5" off the ground in the top lock position. That puts my Avy at a 75.5" height - better check yours closely before selecting a lift.
 
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JohnnieMo

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Got a quote from Atco Gas to sleeve the gas line. Basically I'd have to remove the shed, then let them come in and yank out the old steel line and replace with a plastic one inside of a sleeve. In the process I could use the trench to run the new gas line (and whatever else I want to run from the house).

Cost for sleeving the gas line is $2500 to $3000.

I'll work this into my pricing and post the results soon.
 
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JohnnieMo

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Well I've completed my budget and designs for the two solutions. I started this thread with two Options - retrofit the existing garage or build new. The retrofit has since turned out to be impossible due to needing 4' deep footings. As such, I have two new options. For simplicity, I'll call them Solution A and Solution B.

Solution A:
This is leaving the existing garage pretty much as is and creating a new garage in the far corner of the lot. There would be about 8' of space between the structures. The downside of this is that I have to get rid of a really nice 16x10' shed that is currently there. I could build a new one, but it wouldn't be as large.

Size 18'x26'x10' - with scissor truss roof. 15' total height.
Designed to be a workshop with high rise 4 post lift
Includes floor drain, plus water/sink.
Heated and insulated.
Requires a new sleeved gas line to be run by the city since this site has a gas line under it. The good news is I can re-use their trench to run my own gas line to the garage itself. (and likely other things as needed)
Only needs a pad (no footings)





Costs:
Overhead (Permits, Engineering, Waste Disposal, Gas Line)
* also assumes selling the shed for $1000
= $2,200 CAD

Materials (Floor, Structure, Roof, Siding, Utilities etc.)
= $12,811 CAD

Labour (Framing, Plumbing, Concrete, and Excavating)
*everything else done by me. I have friends who do both framing and concrete so that is discounted.
=$7,550 CAD

TOTAL FOR SOLUTION A = $22,811 CAD

Note that this does not include any furnishing.

Solution B

This option is the dream garage. I would completely get rid of the old garage and salvage whatever I could (which isn't much). I would then pour new footings around the existing pad, stretching it out to 37x26x10 height. I would then build up a new structure.

Features:
Loft on South end (hoping for 18' total height exemption from city)
Scissor truss on North end for vehicle hoist
Heated and insulated.
Water and Sewer including floor drain
One Dual door, one Single Door









Costs:
Overhead: (Permits, Engineering, Waste Disposal, Tool Rental)
= $1,350 CAD

Materials (Floor, Structure, Roof, Siding, Utilities)
= $21,959 CAD

Labour (Framing, Plumbing, Concrete, Excavating)
= $9,300

TOTAL FOR SOLUTION B: $34,580 CAD

So there it is. If guys want to see my detailed, itemized spreadsheet on these costs, I can find a way to post it.

Obviously much cheaper to build the smaller structure. There is less material, but also no need for footings. However the magic level is far less.

As lame as this sounds, I did up a presentation for my wife to pick. Maybe I'll deliver it with flowers and 3 glasses in to a bottle of wine.
 
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overkill 19

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Messages
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Red Deer, Alberta Canada
When I built mine, I really had to do some soul searching and be truly honest with your self. If your going to stay in that house ...build your dream garage!! If your waffling,go cheap.

My original lay out was 38x20 beside 26x24 beside 16x8
My wife brother and his wife lost their mind on me ...said I was nuts! You will never need that much room. So I cut it back 32x20,24x24,16x8

Got all our stuff in..first words out of my wife's mouth...we should have kept it bigger!!
She still says it!

Anyways. Good luck! And Merry Christmas!
 
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JohnnieMo

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Calgary, Alberta
That's a sharp boat. 21 footer?

We usually do Shuswap a couple of times per summer. But yes, it can surf. I just added more ballast. :). Let's do it.

Sent from my Passport
 
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JohnnieMo

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Nice, I'm still too lazy and not good enough to pitch the rope! Very nice boat / wake! We are still messing with the surf gate and tank weights.

I'm not very good either. This was one of my first attempts wireless. We had 10 guys in the boat, full ballast, plus another 750lb bag. The wave was incredible. I added more ballast this winter so that I don't need 10 of my heaviest friends each time I go out.

I've never surfed a gate'd boat before, so I'd love to try. I hear they are all the rage. I've only ever surfed a couple Tige's (awesome) and an '08 Enzo (******).
 
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