Above 1200 Sq/FT My Final Garage

[hoyt]

Other than my home garage, I have had two previous garages: 2004-2011 in an 1800 sq. ft. commercial location I rented and from 2011 through 2024, a 3,000 sq. ft. commercial space in a larger building I owned.

In January 2024, I sold the building --a deal I could not refuse -- which is now being used as a golf-cart dealership.

It took some time for me to move out (with a financial assist from the purchaser) and some time to locate a suitable location that was still a reasonable drive from my home.

The place I found had been used as a clubhouse for a motorcycle gang, one of 40 office/warehouse condo units. It is two floors of 1,500 sq. ft. with the upstairs configured as office space.

The first order of business was to repair the electric service. It does have 3-phase service, but the original panel (a Federal Pacific unit had been deemed obsolete and uninsurable and replaced with a shoddy installation of a single phase Square D panel) had to go to be safe.





Next was to remove the bar and refinish the floor with a gray epoxy finish as well as painting the interior walls and ceiling white.


That stairway to the right has been removed. It led to a secluded second floor room separate from the rest of the second floor. That dividing wall has been removed and the second floor opened up.

You'll notice that a portion of the ceiling (and second floor) has been removed in the back right to allow extra height for the 4-post lift. A Benwil 2-post lift will be installed towards the front. I can work with the 10-1/2 foot ceilings since my previous garage had ceilings of the same height.

For now, the equipment, tools and sundries have been moved into the workshop, some of which will be relocated to storage upstairs.

Next, I have some work on the second floor to organize it for storage, but it all seems to coming along nicely.

What a chore this has been to move. At 70 years of age, I intend this to be my final garage

 

[GlennSullivan]

New floor looks nice, what did you use?

 

[hoyt]

New floor looks nice, what did you use?

The contractor used Macropoxy 646 after grinding the floor. I gave it a full week to cure.

 

[hoyt]

I'm starting to get organized and that begins with repairing the damage to casters on tables and shelves. The movers were a little rough on them when they tried to force them over the raised thresholds. I have replacements on order. I need to get the fasteners and bolt bins back in order. That will eliminate several moving boxes.

 

[hoyt]

The stairs to the office space on the second floor are coming along. Just some trim between the steps and the walls. Then, sanding and paint and I'll be ready to modify and install the Acorn chair lift and install it and, of course, install a handrail.

 

[Skellyii]

That stairway to the right has been removed. It led to a secluded second floor room separate from the rest of the second floor. That dividing wall has been removed and the second floor opened up.

Hmmnnn...a secluded room separate from the rest of the second floor?

Wow! If that wall you just tore down could talk! Probably more than a few good stories.

 

[hoyt]

I'm slowly getting organized downstairs. Most of the stuff on that shelving is going upstairs and the crew to prepare that space starts on Monday.

 

[hoyt]

I'm making progress on the office/storage space so that I can put away all the shelved items.

 

[hoyt]

Some progress made on the upstairs area. Floors painted, baseboard down, vinyl floor down in kitchenette, stairway almost done. The walls are ready for paint.

 

[hoyt]

More progress. Walls and floor and stairs painted. Kitchen cabinets placed. Couch moved in (it was heavy).

 

[bugnut]

@hoyt looking pretty livable! Progress is made.

 

[hoyt]

I'm finally installing the Acorn Stair Lift. It's surprisingly simple to get the track installed and get the power supply wired up. Next up is installing the chair itself, again that looks pretty simple, but if it doesn't work fir some reason I can't solve, a service call is only $300, much less than the $8,000 quote for a new installation.

Hard to see, but the track curves up like a ski jump about halfway down. Some experimentation revealed that sliding the mounting brackets towards the top of the stairs will lower the track, so I'll do that. I won't share a picture of the leveled track since for you, it won't look much different, but it will be done right. Well, right enough . . .

 

[hoyt]

Electrical complete! The original wiring used bullet connectors ( they look like bullets ) and I have some but cannot #$%& find them. But electricity is not very smart, so any mechanically sturdy connector will work, so I used a piece of that fancy terminal strip that I COULD find.
Next up is to install the actual chair.

 

[thammel]

$8000 for the chair lift?! Wow! Is that how much you paid for it? And how long is it? Reason I ask is that my wife's step-mom may need one installed. My sister has one to her basement as she thought it was $3000 (less than a year ago). Wonder if I could buy the parts and install - assuming that's what you did.

 

[hoyt]

$8000 for the chair lift?! Wow! Is that how much you paid for it? And how long is it? Reason I ask is that my wife's step-mom may need one installed. My sister has one to her basement as she thought it was $3000 (less than a year ago). Wonder if I could buy the parts and install - assuming that's what you did.

$8k is how much they wanted to install a new one in a commercial building. I purchased two used ones for $1200. I needed two because of the stair length. Most residences are 11 to 14 steps; mine is 17 steps, so I needed an additional track. The bare track was $500 without the geared rack and extra parts to mount and attach it, so it was worth an extra $600 to buy two used units.

If you want to buy a used one and install it, the Acorn lifts appear to be the easiest for DIY. Measure from the ground floor to the top step and add 8 inches: that's your track length. Tracks are easy to shorten. I've seen places (like eBay) where you can buy track by the foot, but it's about $500 for an 8-foot section without the connectors. Buying used, make sure you get the end caps, all the hardware, the manual, the remotes and the special knob to manually move the chair -- that's a $40 item on eBay. Also note that the lifts are made in left- and right-handed versions and are not interchangeable.

 

[bakmopar]

$8000 for the chair lift?! Wow! Is that how much you paid for it? And how long is it? Reason I ask is that my wife's step-mom may need one installed. My sister has one to her basement as she thought it was $3000 (less than a year ago). Wonder if I could buy the parts and install - assuming that's what you did.

In 2021 my mom had one installed. I do not recall the exact cost but it was $2,500 to $3,500 for the unit and installation. Additionally she had to have an electrical outlet installed. Great purchase and gives piece of mind.

 

[thammel]

Thanks for the info on the chair lifts! Not sure if we're going that way but it's nice to know. At my sister's house to the basement I always put the chair to the side because I'm still mobile. It's a nice option as one loses mobility.

 

[hoyt]

In 2021 my mom had one installed. I do not recall the exact cost but it was $2,500 to $3,500 for the unit and installation. Additionally she had to have an electrical outlet installed. Great purchase and gives piece of mind.

It was expensive for me because my location is in an industrial park. As well, there were more stairs 17 versus 11 to 14 in a residence (because of the 10-foot ceilings). It took an extra 8-foot section of track at $500+ just for that.

 

[hoyt]

I have not posted in a while due to illness. Pancreatitis put me in the hospital in May. I was sick several months before that and lost 70 pounds inclusing muscle. Long story short, I just got home yesterday from rehab and still have maybe 3 months to go before I am healthy again, walking around and driving and working in the shop.

In the meantime, my daughter supervised the movement of the contents of several storage units into the new shop. I had the 4-post and 2-post lifts installed. She managed to take a few pictures, plus I have some from before I got sick, so I'll post some.


This is the reception area at the top of the stairs. That's a Simmons sleep sofa that my parents purchased in the 60s. It's very heavy and a much-needed replacement memory foam mattress for the original one is about $300. My unit is part of an owner's association which forbit living in the units, so I have not installed a shower -- yet, since having one at the shop would be nice.


There's a 45-inch VIZIO TV mounted on the wall opposite the couch. It was the one from my house that was several years old and broke; fixed with a $90 board from a guy I found on YouTube. The second TV is for my office.


This is the kitchenette behind that passthrough behind the sleep sofa with a microwave flush-mounted in the wall, a fully functioning range put on the curb by a neighbor doing a re-model, a free FB Marketplace refrigerator, a free trash compactor and a salvaged stainless steel sink. Wall cabintes are sitting in another room waiting to be installed. All the cabinetry was left behind by a previous tenant (as was that marble passthrough counter). I paid $200 for the fancy microwave on FB Marketplace and I'll need to pay for countertops, so not bad for a lowbuck kitchen.


I added an ADA-compliant restoom upstairs, but am using a non-compliant utility sink, black because it doesn't show stains like a white sink.



Right before Christmas 2024, a JimmyJohns Jeep backed into my 1988 Chevy 1500 Silverado. Oops! Looks like I ran over a Christmas Elf! I can't to this day find a body shop to do the work.

 

[bugnut]

Get well and good to see you posting!

 

[Ford52PU]

Sorry for your health issues glad you’re getting stronger and posting again.
I just had a Acorn lift put in Friday first quote was $4900 for standard size lift told them too much and they were open to negotiate $4200 installed.
Keep on healing!

 

[hoyt]

Sorry for your health issues glad you’re getting stronger and posting again.
I just had a Acorn lift put in Friday first quote was $4900 for standard size lift told them too much and they were open to negotiate $4200 installed.
Keep on healing!

They are cheap here on FB Marketplace, about $600. Super easy to install, many YouTube videos available. When I finish with mine (when I'm better), I'll post a HOWTO providing details.

 

[Lou's Garage]

Sorry to hear you are ailing. Hope you get cleared up and back to doing what you enjoy soon!

Lou Manglass

 

[hoyt]

The four-post lift was installed at the back of the shop and the '36 Auburn Boattail Speedster put up top and the '39 Plymouth Phaeton stored underneath. That's a 2008 Kikker 5150 in the foreground.

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The last two to go in were a '60 and a '61 Triumph TR3 -- and two storage units full of TR3 parts.

I'm hoping to be back on my feet by Christmas and back in the shop by January..

 

[hoyt]

As you can see, there is no bridging between the second-floor joists and the floor above is a double layer of plywood. Should I be concerned? Should I add bridging? Or maybe something like a purlin running perpendicular to the joists? Or do nothing?

 

[hoyt]

Health UPDATE: I'm walking around on a walker, on track for full recovery by Christmas -- assuming I don't fall and break something, but I'm being very careful.

 

[bugnut]

Be careful and keep moving!

 

[hoyt]

I'm still recovering from my illness from a year ago, but am slowly improving all the time. I did have the contents of six storage units moved into the workshop to save some money while I'm out, but I also had the two-post and four-post lifts installed. The upstairs office/lounge area remains unfinished but the 800 square foot storage area is also full of personal/family items. When I fully recover, I can organize or sell this stuff and get back to work on the cars.

 

[Prospecter]

Glad to hear you are feeling better and making progress. Your shop is very cool. Looking forward to more posts when you feel better.