Not the Garage

[purpurite]

We moved into a new townhome late last summer after we decided to downsize from a home too large for my wife and the two cats. It was a bit of a logistical organizational problem for me, as I'm a toy packrat. Besides losing my 2.5 garage, I lost my very large unfinished basement and workshop space. I spend a good chunk of the year working on, restoring and racing R/C cars, so my in-home workshop was key. I have a 12' x 15' small finished room in the basement of the new place, and before I get to my garage, I needed to finish my bat cave.

A bit of a retrospective look back at the build, but it's a bit easier for us with ADHD to work through.

From framing and pre-walkthrough paint to floor paint and wall paint...







It's got one window, and a couple of typical basement utility closets, as well as the mechanical room with the furnace, water heater, softener, etc.

 

[purpurite]

The floor turned out great [tuffsealtiles.com]. My only real complaint with the tiles is that they are essentially one-sided for installation. Once you start, they have a left, right, top and bottom. So if you have 3" remaining on the far side of the room, you have to waste a whole tile for a 3" strip cut down to only use the interlocking edge. I guess it's part of the cost for finishing the whole floor, but it seems like there is a better way. I have a dozen tiles of 80% more remaining that can't be used. I'll save them for jack stand mats in the garage, I guess.

Ignore the footprints, I was tracking in drywall dust from the stress-inducing chaos garage project...











After we moved in and the shop started to become a shop... still complete chaos without any organization, but I could work if I needed to.

 

[purpurite]

These are from earlier this past winter (I'll shoot some more soon, as it sits now...). We finally sold the other house in January, so I have finished my R/C hobby workshop, and in the next couple of weeks, I get to start on my messed up garage project. I'll document that summer job as I go.

 

[Dustoff 35]

Nice workspace!

 

[UN4GTBL]

Cool! I cant wait to see what you do with the garage...

When you installed the floor, did you start in the middle and work out, or did you start on a side/in a corner and work out that way?

 

[dcjredline]

Isnt is dangerous to have the outlets that way? Seems like the ground and hot would be able to be shorted if something were to drop on it if something were plugged in but not plugged in tight.

 

[purpurite]

When you installed the floor, did you start in the middle and work out, or did you start on a side/in a corner and work out that way?

Started in one corner and worked out, per their directions. It was a pretty easy install. Took my only about 4 hours for the whole room. I've been really happy with the durability and appearance of the tires to this point. A really good product.

Isnt is dangerous to have the outlets that way? Seems like the ground and hot would be able to be shorted if something were to drop on it if something were plugged in but not plugged in tight.

I'm not sure what "way" you are referring to. Outlets in my houses have been like this (horizontal) my whole life, and I don't think I've ever heard or seen any plugs shorted out that weren't plugged in all the way.



I had the outlets in this room raised to a height above counter top level so they could be easily accessed, which has helped a lot in a workshop. I would definitely do at least a few like this in a garage if I had the opportunity to do it over again.

 

[dcjredline]

OK I have never seen outlets horizontal thats all. We put them "upside down" in garages and work places around here for safety. Upside down is ground (3rd pole) on top. That way if something falls on the outlet while something is plugged in it wont cause a spark possibly more.

 

[e-tek]

OK I have never seen outlets horizontal thats all. We put them "upside down" in garages and work places around here for safety. Upside down is ground (3rd pole) on top. That way if something falls on the outlet while something is plugged in it wont cause a spark possibly more.

I have never seen the Ground hole on top myslelf - maybe you're either in Australia/NZ or you are upside down? As for something falling and shorting on a partially plugged-in plug....do you wear a bullet-proof air-bag jacket and helmet when you go out?

I've never seen such a well-orginized space! You have an obvious eye for detail!! Nice work.

 

[e-tek]

OOPs - I just re-read yours - you mean that they are side-ways on his walls...I don't think you can short out a power to a ground. It's if you cross two powers. Anybody?

 

[Kevin54]

I'm not sure what "way" you are referring to. Outlets in my houses have been like this (horizontal) my whole life, and I don't think I've ever heard or seen any plugs shorted out that weren't plugged in all the way.

Never seen outlets that way before. But it would make sense to have plugs side by side instead of the top one touching the bottom one.

OK I have never seen outlets horizontal thats all. We put them "upside down" in garages and work places around here for safety. Upside down is ground (3rd pole) on top. That way if something falls on the outlet while something is plugged in it wont cause a spark possibly more.

I don't know why, but it is a pet peeve of mine with outlets that are "upside down". for some reason it just isn't right. LOL!!! I have a couple on my garage that are like that, have not changed them yet, but pisses me off everytime I have to use one of them. I may just go out today and flip them over.

 

[flesburg]

15 amp 110 volt outlets should be mounted with the 3rd lug (ground) down. 20 amp 110 volt outlets should be mounted with the 3rd lug (ground) up.

I have not seen outlets mounted horizontally either.

 

[Steve in Mi]

OK I have never seen outlets horizontal thats all.

Take a look at ceiling outlets sometime, mine are horizontal.

I've seen a few homes with horizontal outlets in the walls - I haven't heard of any restrictions on orientation, other than someone's pet pieve.

 

[purpurite]

Considering this house is new, and would never have passed inspection if it weren't up to code, I doubt that there is any problem with the orientation of the outlets. Outlets bought off the shelf at Home Depot and installed in a standard wall box would look just like these do.

In 38 years, I've never seen outlets that didn't look like these in any house that I have lived in. I'm not really sure what you guys are talking about.