New garage, looking for advice...

[buddha]

I finally moved out of my 1920's bungalow, after 12 years of essentially no garage. Been lurking on the forums on and off for a while, but didn't have anything to work with until now.

The new place (to me, the house was built in 1913) has MUCH better garage/mancave potential. Here's a shot of the 2-car detached garage behind the house:

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Nothing special, but fit's my wife's Highlander and my VW GTI with ease. But where's this stairway leading to?

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Ahhhh.... secret mancave that opens up to the alley:

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So I've finally got it cleaned out, ran a couple loads of "gifts" from the previous owner to the dump (thanks for all the scrap rebar and drywall. good times). With the weather finally improving, it's time to start the transformation. I'm thinking powerwash floor and walls, repair/repoint motar joints, paint with dryloc, and maybe some VCT if S515 can really hold up on a wet slab... it's pretty damp down there.

Looking for suggestions before I get things cranked up - I think it's a cool space, all james-bond and such, but I'm not the best at making things look cool. I'm an engineer, I make them work cool. Looks are someone else's department

 

[buddha]

Thought I'd add in the Visio floor plan that shows the floor layout, including the positions of the I-beam supports for the upper floor. Engineer ****...

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[jktruck150]

Man, the ideas are flowing, daytime garage upstairs...secret "shop" downstairs...of course where all the magic happens! Is the Jeep yours too? I would make the bottom the working shop, and the top a parking spot.

I would also remove the dead vines. Those could be problems waiting to happen.

 

[Square2.0]

The first thing any garage needs is lighting. The 4 foot florescent type is cheep and effective. The lights and more importantly the bulbs can be found at any Lowes or Home depot on the cheep. Some of these lights are the plug in type, others are ready to be hard wired in. If you’re going the hard wired path I would either study up on your wiring or have a pro do it. Its not hard but given the age of the home you might want to be safe and have it done. Those old homes are known for bad wiring.

After you can see and what you’re doing . You have the right idea about sealing the walls and floor.

What are your hobbies’? That will determine what your next step should be.

I would also wire in a cheep audio set up. cheep speakers and radios can be found on Craiglist all the time for next to nothing.

 

[buddha]

Yep, the Rubi is mine as well. We're thinking the same thing: upstairs garage for parking/rakes/mower/bikes and such, and the lower garage as a dedicated shop/bar/mancave/lair.

I'm with you on the vines, but unfortunately they're not dead, just dormant. Grapevines, so bird%^#* will be an issue if I don't get them torn down.

 

[Addrock]

two words: fireman pole! From second floor to first. Cool garage, I look forward to seeing progress.

 

[Square2.0]

two words: fireman pole! From second floor to first. Cool garage, I look forward to seeing progress.

DO IT.

 

[buddha]

Joking aside, the fireman's pole brings up an interesting "challenge"...

There's no mandoor, no windows, just solid concrete block walls, and an i-beam and concrete ceiling. And I want to put an automatic door opener in, of course... but what happens if it breaks? I've seen some units that have battery backup, which helps, but I'm worried about having to break through a garage door if I have a run of the mill glitch with an automatic opener.

Anyone else ever run into this?

 

[rickairmedic]

You could do a garage door with a man door built into it . I know I have seen them on here somewhere .


Rick

 

[scuba0459]

You can get a external release for your garage door opener.

Albert

 

[daveroy]

Get the grape vines off now while they are dormant! much easier than with all the mess in the way (leaves/grapes!)... If they are growing on the house, then the roots/nibs are pentrating your siding!

Access... can you cut an emergency access in the floor from above.. then if the opener broke, just pull the plate out of the way and lower a ladder...

 

[BEAVO]

im not sure how your gonna have a entrance down there wouldn't cutting a hole in that floor weaken the floor structure above in the upper garage??

 

[Gareth]

If you can safely make an opening in the floor I think it would be great. I think it would be incredibly useful.

Very nice setup though, hope you manage to cure the damp problem with the floor.

Good luck with the project!

 

[mrstang69]

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And the first thing I notice was the "Farm Light". Awesome!!

 

[Addrock]

I would look at cutting a man door into the block wall perpendicular to the overhead door. I think that it would open onto the ally. To do so you would want to employ a local structural engineer, but it LOOKS to me that this area between the I-beam and corner is the easiest location.