Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT My 1st Garage Journal

[Idle Serge]

Started doing some wrk a few hours after work and got some things done

My brother lent me his spare yet BRAND NEW DeWalt Miter Saw and I started on the shelves (not done yet) along with putting up the rest of the post with the exception of one post which will allow me to finish the rest of the shelves. I will more than likely stain em and clear em with some outdoor stuff.



Gonna be in Chicago for about a week but as soon as I get back, I will keep at it and finally start clearing out the garage!

 

[Idle Serge]

Man, I can't believe it's been almost 7 years since I've updated here...tons has happened but unfortunately, most of it outside the garage.

I hope to change that in the coming months and one of the 1st things I HAVE to do to make that a reality, was begin a storage shed build.

Decided on a 10' X 16' lean to with a loft area. Initial plans where for the walls to be 13' and 11' tall, however; after trying to stand the 1st wall up, it was coming in contact with the existing roof. So we had to notch 2' off.

Anyhow, we got the ball rolling and moving forward with updates.

Cleared out the tarp car port and built in shelves:

20220330_171640 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Not the best time to purchase lumber due to increasing prices but I couldn't wait any longer:

20220331_160430 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Progress over 2 days - gonna continue this afternoon and work on the roofing:

20220402_190942 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr



With that...I did receive a few packages for my garage flooring...but we'll get to that in due time. Glad to be back on updates.

20220405_120719 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

 

[Idle Serge]

Got a few hours in yesterday afternoon - won't be able to do much till next week but we'll keep at it.

20220406_174816 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

 

[Idle Serge]

We've had some absurd weather patterns here in the NW - we got about 4" of snow yesterday which is unheard of into mid-April; meaning I haven't been able to do anything else on the shed as of late.

Anyhow, I did finally get the garage wired up a few years back - 6 fixtures total in the middle, 2 above garage door and 1 above the tool chest. I wish I had gone with more but adding some will be easy enough. Also added at least 3 outlets to each wall and plenty of space left in the 100Amp panel.

2019 - 1st day of snow but still got power, no prob.

20190204_135913 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Lights need better placement but happy to finally have light:

image-20190518_134957 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Before we installed an outlet above garage door and had both connected:

image-20190518_135025 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Above the Chest:

image-20190518_135009 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

The garage is an utter miss...been focusing on house projects and the garage is being utilized for unnecessary storage. We will change that soon.

Happy Friday, GJ.

 

[Idle Serge]

Got a little more work done on Saturday - still have loads to do but it's coming along.

20220423_180813 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Still have to do the doors, trimming and metal roofing. (plus insulate and add a few outlets)

20220423_180833 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Gonna have to move things in sooner rather than later - I need to room in the garage asap.

That is all.

 

[Idle Serge]

Things are simply dragging - just not enough hours in a day to properly execute.

2022-11-10_09-06-05 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Already filled with clutter...mostly done with insulation with the exception of the doors and the rafter areas. Lights with a few outlets were added:

2022-11-10_09-05-11 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

I'll keep pluggin' away at it in hopes of getting to the garage sooner rather than later.

 

[Idle Serge]

Mostly insulated but after doing the rafters myself, I decided to get a bid for the garage as I do not want to deal with that headache. In the meantime, I'm trying to get a little organized and added an extra shelf above the tool/workbench-to-be area. More than likely do the same to the opposite side.

2022-11-16_11-23-36 by Sergio Zapien

 

[Idle Serge]

Shifting gears into the garage, finally. The majority of the junk was stuffed into the shed - things that had wheels, I rolled out the morning of insulation day:

20221128_074025 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Cleared out and ready for insulation:

20221128_074020 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20221128_074044 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

A 2 man crew showed up at 8:30 am and by 3pm, they were done:

20221128_152045 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20221128_152103 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20221128_152123 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

I obviously have to do something about the man door but in due time. Next, I have to start on the sheetrock and go from there. We're expecting some snow this week - hope to have some supplies by today and work on it when time permits.

That is all for now.

 

[Idle Serge]

Started putting up some drywall yesterday after work - to no surprise, nothing is square, spacing is horrid but it's coming together. Keeping the drywall level as possible and the gaps from top and bottom are evident. I'm sure it could have been done much better, but eager to do the best I can.

20221129_191939 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20221129_191950 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Once I get a new door, this section will have to be redone:

20221129_192003 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

That's all folks - it's been a learning experience but plenty more to pick up.

 

[Idle Serge]

The top was a challenge in itself - shorter on one end than the other and so forth. In hindsight, it would have been ideal to start from the middle and work out but being so out of whack, it was bound to be a headache for a noob like myself.

Anyhow, brother came over and lent a hand to finish the top portion:

20221130_180632 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20221130_180642 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20221130_180657 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

It'll need some finessing with the tape and mud but it's coming along.

 

[Idle Serge]

It seems I completely forgot to take pics of the mudding process lol it was a PITA and a learning experience. I do feel that I improved as I went along but the west wall really shows my amateur skill level. Initially, I wasn't "wetting" the tape enough so it bubbled. I was under the impression that I wasn't supposed to add too much mud behind it, but I was simply not adding enough.

Anywho, the bid I received for drywall install with finished look was just shy of $3500...I'm about $500 in with primer which I still have 3 gallons of...I'm not mad with the situation thus far.

Up to today, I'm just about ready for the 1st coat a paint - just one last fine sanding to the primer and we're ready to go.

Didn't think I was going to use a whole bucket of mud but I just about did...

20221209_152308 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

As I mentioned, I didn't take any pics of the mudding but it had taken me several days to get it semi-ok. Did verticals one day and horizontal on other days for a total of 2 layers each. Some areas had 3, if I'm being honest...ha.

2 coats APV Primer, essentially wet on wet - I didn't think it was covering up very well...

20221211_165834 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20221211_165909 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20221211_165940 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

However; once dry, it had fairly good coverage - there are plenty of imperfections throughout and being that this is the garage, it doesn't bother me so much...this time around.

20221212_105130 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Onto the next task - I'll update in due time.

 

[Idle Serge]

Decided on a paint, narrowed it down and went with "English Castle" from Clark and Kingston brand from the local ACE hardware store - $40 bucks a gallon (bought 2) but received 25% off one due to a misprint in their ad.

2 coats with about a half gallon left for touch ups:

20221213_172917 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20221213_173001 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20221213_173034 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Time to do some clean-up and start the RaceDeck flooring - I also need to come up with an idea for the baseboard/trim at the bottom to cover up the gaps...not entirely sure which route to take, yet.

 

[MadeByMiller]

It looks very nice, great job! I went with rubber cove base in my shop. I like the look and protection. It's also nice and low profile so you can push things closer to the wall. It's easy to install as well, and cheap!

 

[Idle Serge]

It looks very nice, great job! I went with rubber cove base in my shop. I like the look and protection. It's also nice and low profile so you can push things closer to the wall. It's easy to install as well, and cheap!

Thanks for the suggestion, Miller - I've been mowing this one over but since it adheres to the wall, I'm unsure how it'll do with the spacing under the sheetrock:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFCRKTJH/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I guess, I would have to fill in that 1/2" gap so it had something to stick onto?

 

[Chrisb62]

I don't think you would need to....your link above is for a 5-inch-wide trim so 4 1/2 inches will be adhered to the wall . of course if you are playing hockey in that space you may need a backer for fill.

 

[MadeByMiller]

Since it's going to be hidden anyways, it would be pretty painless to cut down some drywall strips to fill out that gap, obviously you wouldn't need to mud/tape the joints and fasteners.

 

[Idle Serge]

Pictures may be deceiving - I actually have about a 3.5" gap in some area. This garage was a mess; to my understanding, it was once a smaller shed, cut down the middle where a section was then added. Finally, it was turned into a dwelling with 2 rooms and an open area where it would be considered the "living room".

Anyhow, since I came in, I tore the inside apart, fixed the foundation on the west wall, added the garage door and so on and so forth. The footings are inconsistent in size for the lack of a better explanation (excuse my ignorance - I have just about zero knowledge about this stuff). And to keep the sheet rock level as I installed it, I started at the highest point and ran with it, resulting in a 3.5" gap in some areas. In addition, I was under the impression that I should keep the sheetrock away from concrete to avoid moisture absorption, which can cause mold.

So yeah, maybe I'm making it harder than it needs to be but that's what I'm dealing with.

 

[MadeByMiller]

Pictures may be deceiving - I actually have about a 3.5" gap in some area. This garage was a mess; to my understanding, it was once a smaller shed, cut down the middle where a section was then added. Finally, it was turned into a dwelling with 2 rooms and an open area where it would be considered the "living room".

Anyhow, since I came in, I tore the inside apart, fixed the foundation on the west wall, added the garage door and so on and so forth. The footings are inconsistent in size for the lack of a better explanation (excuse my ignorance - I have just about zero knowledge about this stuff). And to keep the sheet rock level as I installed it, I started at the highest point and ran with it, resulting in a 3.5" gap in some areas. In addition, I was under the impression that I should keep the sheetrock away from concrete to avoid moisture absorption, which can cause mold.

So yeah, maybe I'm making it harder than it needs to be but that's what I'm dealing with.

Even with the 3.5" gap between the bottom of the current drywall and the floor, you can fill it with drywall strips like I said and the cove base will still cover it since it's taller than 3.5". As far as the moisture wicking up into the drywall, that's true, but you don't need to go all the way to the floor. You can stay .5"-1" above the concrete and not have any problems. You just need a backer for the cove base or whatever you choose for a baseboard finish.

 

[iceman510]

Good to see the updates. Your side shed has given me some ideas for expansion (I need a separate space to store yard equipment) that I can do.
Regarding the baseboard gap, your floor is likely not level and garage floors often have a slope. Mine has a mild slope over the 30' depth.

 

[Idle Serge]

Good to see the updates. Your side shed has given me some ideas for expansion (I need a separate space to store yard equipment) that I can do.
Regarding the baseboard gap, your floor is likely not level and garage floors often have a slope. Mine has a mild slope over the 30' depth.

Thank you and I'm super stoked to hear you were able to gather some ideas from stopping by - I, too, have gathered a tremendous amount of ideas, simply by checking on this forum. I have some odds and ends left of drywall that I'll fill in the bigger gaps with and go from there.


Finally got the @RaceDeck1 installed - some minor tweaks from original design but it's in. This was the initial plan/sketchup I came up with:

Goldfish Garage Interior by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Reality...:

2023-01-03_09-09-53 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

One of the adjustments was I needed to make the blk square one foot shorter and I was afraid the car was no longer going to fit but I think it still looks OK:

2023-01-03_09-10-08 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Still have a lot of organizing and details to do but I'll get to em in due time.

 

[Idle Serge]

Finally made time and started on the man door install. Had a buddy stop by and lend me a hand...or more so I lent him a hand as I had no idea what I was doing.

After loads of trial and error, we finally got it in a fairly decent position, given the circumstances.

20230122_114223 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

I'm almost certain the header is not a proper header but I'm relieved to finally have a door since it's something I wanted to have done since I moved in back in 2013...

20230122_170138 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Not sure what I'll do for paint scheme yet but I'll prob add some pavers to the right side of the door to fill in the exposed dirt area:

20230122_170216 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Next on the list are some details in the interior, start organizing tools/shelves before shifting in a mini split install.

 

[Idle Serge]

Pluggin' away as time permits...or as energy permits.

Was originally going to put up individual planks but stumbled across these panels at 35 bucks a pop at home depot - not a bad option for 70 bucks. Still have some finishing touches but you get the idea:

2023-02-13_09-40-02 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Another big detail checked off the list - genuinely content with the outcome:

2023-02-12_08-48-31 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Loads more to do...

 

[ODIS]

Looking good! Yes, more to go but look at all the work you have completed! Nice.

 

[Farmall450]

Looking great. Agreed on the header, but no weight bearing - the header the rafters/trusses are on is what really matters.

 

[Idle Serge]

Looking great. Agreed on the header, but no weight bearing - the header the rafters/trusses are on is what really matters.

Ah, very well; thank you!

Looking good! Yes, more to go but look at all the work you have completed! Nice.

Thanks, Neighbor! Plenty to keep me busy...

 

[Idle Serge]

Still trying to get organized but got hit with the seasonal flu so I been out of it for the last week and still fighting a cough.

Have to finish the details around the door and so far I have gone thru one tote of the dozen I have to go thru and begin clearing stuff out. This isn't a shop so I'm going to throw a bunch of junk away and continue trying to get better organized:

20230218_102346 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20230218_113912 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Added a Stanley power strip and and some usb ports on the left side - may throw up some peg board and utulize the space here; def want to add a cabinet or 2. Perhaps just build a shelf across the storage cabinets?

20230218_113714 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

As I mentioned, I've gone thru one of the dozen totes and it's already looking packed :/

20230218_133532 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Have a solid week, y'all.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Everything is looking really nice, congrats!

I know you're not asking buy hey - that's what we're all here for right? Unsolicited advice, ha ha. I'd put full depth 2x lumber across the two large cabinets and a 1x sorta lip on the front just to appear more finished.I assume paint the edge black to match. Then maybe a tv in the space above the bench if you don[t end up using pegboard?

PS: I've had really good luck with the metal pegboard you can get from Amazon. It ain't cheap but it's powder coated and very solid.

Amazon.com : metal pegboard panels

 

[Idle Serge]

Dan - I genuinely appreciate the insight; I really like hearing ideas and that sounds like a solid solution!

The TV was going on the north wall as sketched up on the "Sketch-Up" draft; but you have me thinking now...

I been looking on amazon for Peg Boards. Undecided if I wanted to stick with blk or go with blue.

 

[Idle Serge]

Life has been kickin' *** but we're still pluggin' away at it. Spring is finally around the corner and so much yard work to do. Started clearing out some space in hopes of making a "zen" area for my wife - loads to do but starting with a clean canvas:

20230416_132653 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr


Not much done in the garage but after failing to give my old 55" Samsung TV away (no one wanted to pick it up lol) I decided to give it some repair before tossing it in the bin. TV's have got so inexpensive I was hesitant for years on trying anything with this TV, granted it was only 2 years old when it went out. Anywho, 55 bucks later for a main board:

20230416_134838 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Kicking myself in the *** as it was literally a 15 min job...

20230416_140338 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Took me longer to put the mount up than actually replace the main board:

20230416_144347 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Going to focus on things around the house for a while but I did pick up some peg board for the garage and been jotting down some ideas. Till next time.

 

[captain14]

Coming along.

What did you do for the shed roof? Metal or asphalt shingles?

 

[Idle Serge]

Coming along.

What did you do for the shed roof? Metal or asphalt shingles?

Metal - same stuff that I used on my wall a few post up.

 

[Idle Serge]

Plugging away at the details as time permits.

Thru up an old game console (for streaming TV) and old soundbar (Bluethooth connection) for the time being. Need to clean up the wires but wanted to make sure everything was working properly prior to making it permanent.

2023-04-28_07-39-53 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

It's been a battle trying to get the garage situated while the shed also needs organized and on top of all that, yard work is mandatory. We'll keep fightin'.

 

[Idle Serge]

Putting in a few hours a day after work on the "zen" area. Loads more to do but it's coming together:

20230502_193213 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Also decided on some Wall Control pegboards...the accent color may have been a touch much but I'm extremely happy with the product itself - still need to install it, obviously:

20230502_201008 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

 

[Idle Serge]

Wall Control customer service is phenomenal - I still need to get some hardware which I'm leaning towards a blk set. Also debating where to put the other two panels; I'm inclined to retro them onto the sides of the cabinets and utilize them for a couple hand tools at most:

2023-05-11_09-18-20 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Still focused on yard work and staining maintenance so not much else being done to the garage as of late...

 

[Idle Serge]

Well they're up...

2023-05-19_08-18-47 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

That's about all I've done since yard work is in full swing:

2023-05-19_08-52-21 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

 

[Idle Serge]

Still have a ton of organizing to do but pluggin' away at it as time permits...

2023-05-21_09-54-43 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

 

[Idle Serge]

During Amazon Prime Day, I ordered the Mr. Cool DIY mini split, only to discover it was cheaper the following day...so I canceled my pervious order and ordered it again...

20230714_120946 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Anyhow, being that it was a 115v system, I was under the impression I would be able to simply plug it into a wall outlet...shows how incompetent I am when it comes to this stuff...

Fortunately, I still had some wire and misc. supplies left from wiring up the shed but I did have to buy a disconnect, plus a 30amp breaker. Not ideally where I wanted to place it but it was the best option I had:

20230905_170956 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Have it set to eco mode @75°F but I'll more than likely set it a little higher as it feels pretty cool in there:

20230905_171026 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

That's all I've done - still need to get organized...

 

[Idle Serge]

Spring Update - just adding some stuff in here for my own records, as it is not Garage Related

I've been running a "poor-man's" sprinkler system for about 10 years now (just garden hoses around the parameter, Y splitter at each of the 6 sprinklers). As I was collecting the hoses last fall, most of the hose was so brittle and dried out, that it cracked/split as I rolled them up. I knew it was time to explore at other options as the old setup had done it's job for the last decade...

I came across the "DIY" systems from RainBird and Orbit a few years about - looked a little deeper into them and decided to go with a 2-Zone and single zone (for the back yard) DIY system from Orbit due to their Blu-lock design (no glue needed and reusable fittings). Found both kits on eBay (open box and only one sprinkler missing) for just a little over $200 delivered to my door.

2 Zone:
20240318_145409 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Single Zone:
20240318_144947 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Roughly 75psi at the spigots, and 5-gallon fill at about 40secs.

20240318_150247 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

20240318_150602 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Initial design for the front (I ended up making some changes to provide better head to head coverage - 5 heads on Zone one and 6 on Zone 2; might add the 6th on the 1st zone if I'm getting dry spots during the summer).

20240325_112158 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Didn't want to use a trencher - had already put down some pre-emergent, so seeding was not going to happen. So I looked around for some options and surprisingly to me, there were ppl out there with the same idea of not using a trencher for such a small line...Wilton Trench Spare was the solution. I went with the 6", though if I were do it again, I would go with at least a 10". Spades where on sale for about 80 bucks a piece.

20240401_133124 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Home Depot carried some of the Blu-Lock fittings, picked up some extras, along with some 3/4' PVC parts to run along the garage and the front of the house for Zone 2 - I'll admit, not the prettiest thing to look at but I didn't see any other way around it - I sure as hell wasn't going to break up the concrete...(I did a similar setup to the front - the spigot is on one end of the house, no centralized, so I ran the PVC pipe along the house and right next to the pathway). Spent about 60 bucks on PVC fittings/glue and another $50 on the Blu-Lock parts/extra hose that I didn't end up needing but kept regardless since it was 10 bucks for 50'.

20240325_160614 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

As mentioned, the single zone setup was missing one if it's original rotor sprinklers (I only planned on using 3 of them anyhow and switching the other 3 to a different type) and also had one faulty auto-drain valve. These valves were not available at any of the local stores, so I had to improvise and use what I could find:

20240401_134631 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Improvision:

20240403_133245 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr


Back yard overview - adjusting these things was horrendous...or perhaps I'm incompetent. I didn't see a way of adjusting these things while they are on and to place the starting point, the top of it has to be unscrewed, popped off then inserted at desired point...sounds much easier than it actually was...granted, I would now just tighten the sprinkler at the base a little more which would simply move the starting position without having to remove the head...I hope that made sense...

Anyhow, utilized 3 of the rotor type sprinklers and 3 adjustable pattern sprinklers to get decent coverage:

20240527_075842 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Front Lawn - used 5 of the 6 rotor sprinklers in zone one. Used all 6 in Zone Two, though I may take the 6th one out and replace with a pattern style in the future. We also out in some shrubs - every year our neighbor across the street has these outdoor concerts and one of their visitors always seems to runover one of the sprinklers; doubt these shrubs will prevent that but it's a thought. You can see where the PVC pipe is ran along the house and up to the front for the 2nd Zone:

20240527_075941 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

The sprinkler in this corner is being considered to change out to a pattern style as the rotor isn't watering this area well enough...

20240527_080033 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Can you spot the PVC pipe?

20240527_080118 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

I'm not a huge fan of the rotor sprinklers. Any bit of wind, sends the stream off course and I've seen a few dry spots. On a calm day, head to head coverage is good but we get a lot of wind in the spring time. Currently have the zones set to 40 mins, as I was seeing way too many dry spots and we haven't even began to see hot temps yet. I'll need to explore nozzle options and maybe even consider switching to some impact sprinklers but I know those require much more water/pressures...All in all, I spent about $500 and 2 evenings of digging the "trenches". I'll be content if it gets me by for a few years.

I knew the weak points of these kits were going to be the timers. Sure enough, after a few weeks, the 2-Zone timer was already cooked - Zone one would not close and remained open. Fortunately, caught it the day it happened and reached out to Orbit. They simply gave me a $50 dollar coupon code and free shipping. "Upgraded" to the b-hyve 2 zone but I should have gone with the 3 zone to accomedate the shrubs...

20240506_180922 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

In case this question comes up, I've been using Scott's since 2014. Does ok for the time and money I put into it.

20240527_074043 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

Lastly, we freshened up the alley way - I was threatened by the City that I would get fined if I continued to drop my yard clippings ontop of the overgrown weeds (not shown here - I wanted to start a compost of sorts, and the clippings also kept the weeds down but the city informed me that it interfered with their weed spraying regiment...talked to my neighbors who have lived in the area since the 60s and they said they have never seen them spray before...) Anyhow, it looked terrible and I got tired of it - had some extra material in the shed to put together a parameter. Also dug out some soil as the water door was nearly covered. Went out and bought a yard of rock and 5 plants. Everything else, I collected from the shed. It's better to look at then before:

Durning cleanup:

20240424_183339 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

End result:

20240428_103410 by Sergio Zapien, on Flickr

That's all I got - I want to do more in the garage but life is lifin'. Till next time.