OJ's Single

[lane meyer]

^^ exactly. I have one at my house, and it made a huge difference. I was finally able to get all of the non-garage related stuff out.

 

[CodeRedZ]

Just a little mini update with a side project that will stall any more garage progress. I've had 3 huge shed boxes sitting in there for months, and really need to get this thing built. It about 7 x 4, so not that big a structure, but it will let us get some stuff out of the garage and basement. First priority is garden tools and patio furniture cushions, then we'll see if there's any room left.

I wanted to pour a concrete foundation, but even with a friend who does concrete for a living it was still pretty expensive, and probably overkill. I decided to just go with gravel, screening material, and 2x2 pavers. It was significantly cheaper, and easy to do myself (with some help from my 2 year old, as usual).

We actually started digging the hole back in October. First I had to relocate one of the cedar trees from the right side where the hole was going to be, over to the left next to the fence where I had removed one that was dying. I forgot how much I hate digging, and then even moreso dealing with what has been dug up. Most of the soil I was able to redistribute around the back of the yard since it was low and a bit lumpy anyway. I shook and knocked off everything I could from the chunks of sod to make them lighter, and then slowly disposed of them a few at a time in yard waste bags.

Then slowly, a few buckets at a time I filled the hole with large crushed rocks. I actually took them from the alley between our house and the neighbour's because I made a path of patio stones from the front to back to make it safe for bare feet. Convenient way to dispose of the extra removed material in this case. My helper and I checked the level, and then I dumped a few bags of screening on top and got that nice and level as well.

(*at this point I got a new phone, so no more pinky-purple low light shots from now on*)

Once I had a good bed I lugged the 8 pavers around and put them in place, and miraculously they all went down well. I might have 1 or 2 to adjust slightly, but I'm basically ready to assemble now I think. I just need to find 5 hours +/- to give it a go.

I might have to do something this behind my garage hmmmmm

 

[OJ Bartley]

Thanks guys. Every little bit helps in a single-car garage. I'll update with pics of the assembly attempt when I get time to haul it all out.

 

[OJ Bartley]

Update time. It's been an exciting few weeks at home. I was really trying to get the shed out of the garage and into the yard where it belongs, but having trouble blocking out time with a busy 2 year old and a very pregnant wife. Nature took care of one of those things for me (sort of) and on November 12 we became the proud parents of a 2nd healthy baby boy. Most of our time since has been spent huddling inside watching him sleep or playing with his big brother, but I have managed to make some progress.

My brother was in town this week, and I recruited him to help me put the shed together, which we managed to almost complete on Tuesday. The shed is a Keter Fusion 754 wood-composite type. We liked the look of it, and it felt very solid when we saw the display model set up at the store. The assembly process was estimated at 4 - 5 hours I think, and it was probably a little optimistic but not too far off the mark if you were to concentrate and do it all in one chunk.

We spread it out a bit over the day, since there was a lot of family stopping in to meet the baby and we had more than a few interruptions. My brother set up his GoPro to try out a time lapse video of the assembly and it turned out not too badly except for a few minutes lost to a dead battery.

Overall I like the quality of the materials, and I think these dual layer composite walls seem very sturdy and tough. My main 2 complaints would be that the pre-drilled holes didn't always line up well, and that the screws rarely went in straight, even when we had clear access to the holes. It may be due to the type of material, but it made for some frustrating assembly moments. We'll see how well it holds up, but I have high hopes.

I'll have to do a little lawn modification in front of the doors, since the ground humps up and they don't fully open right now, but even if I get to that in the spring it should be fine. For now, the huge boxes are out of the garage and I can start moving yard tools out too when I can pry myself away from dad duty.

 

[Bessy]

Congratulations on the new family addition, OJ! Looks like a nice place you've got yourself there too! Much nicer than my area of TO by the looks of things. Looking forward to updates, but enjoy baby duty as well!!!

Cheers!

 

[OJ Bartley]

Thanks Bessy! It's a nice little neighborhood, although we don't have much in the way of land. This baby has been comparatively easy, so we're enjoying the start with him.

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk

 

[dubber]

Great vid

 

[sean Buick 76]

Wow, really cool projects thanks for sharing!!

 

[OJ Bartley]

Thanks Sean. Progress is slow, but I'm trying to chip away at things here and there.

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk

 

[OJ Bartley]

It's been a long time with no updates, and we've been finishing the basement so the garage is literally 85% full of "stuff" so there's nothing happening in there until maybe next spring. But I did get those storage hooks and shelves up in the shed and they've been working great. Makes it a lot nicer in there.

 

[Miss the Pontiacs]

Hiya OJ
Glad you revived your thread, I read through from beginning to end. One thing I noticed is your expertise appears to be escalating with the project. Nice job on the cabinets.
Having a shed will be great for the additional space.
The stonework on the hat on your garage looks great. Good choice!
Are you doing a thread on basement project?
Does you son now have a sibling? We should see how he is progressing with his tools and projects. Make sure we see some pics on how he is helping you with projects in your home.