Redoing Dad's Garage

[Jim1932]

Well. my other garage project go blown up due to Massachusetts nutso prohibitions of being anywhere near water....like not within 200'..... So switching the house to a different piece of land which already has a well and this Cuckler steel building my Dad put up in the early 70's. Other than it being old and leaking, he modified it to get a mack dump truck in and added a small area for horses on the side. The original is 30X30. Yes it has had one car fire and one furnace fire without being cleaned (my car, Dad did the furnace).

Plan is to strip it back the the bones and pull the entry and horse barn off. Then new roof and siding (thinking rough sawn Pine siding). One issue is he broke out about 3' by 12 feet in the door way to get the top of the dump truck past the doorway. I am assuming I can cut this off square and repour that section? Along with an entry apron. Seems straight forward unless I am missing something.

 

[JoeMash]

Good place to start, concrete floor, straight bones and good ceiling height. Now just apply liberal amounts of elbow grease, good LEDs and some organizing and you’ll be on your way!


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[ambenz]

Wow you sure have your work cut out for you.
Never could understand how my Father could work in a dirty dusty unorganized mess.
But he knew where everything was. I still have small springs from stuff he saved.
Good luck with making it a nice place to work.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Need a trip to Costco for a couple 55 gallon drums of elbow grease! But the bones are certainly there for a very nice space when complete.

 

[Jim1932]

My Dad passed 5 years ago and hadn't been in it for 5 years before that. Been more of a big storage unit. Already did two of these BEFORE the photos.

 

[rixtrix1]

Great start for what you want, and the history is yours! Fantastic!

 

[CombatNinja]

The differences in people are amazing. I would look at that and say "No way, nope" and burn it down. You see the potential. I could never do it, but I wish you success.

 

[Jim1932]

Well I figure the Steel is good the cross wood is good. It is about the size I would build, I am just a couple steps ahead. I would have to disassemble it to take it down anyway and getting rid of the concrete is a hassle. BIGGEST plus is it is a renovation of an existing structure, not a new building. This is Massachusetts and the building codes are insane. It already has water service. The Electrical was an underground from my Parent's house on the adjoining lot. At one point I asked an electrician about upgrading the panel. HE took one look, laughed and said he wouldn't go near it. Since it is getting transferred to me, I am having the electric company string new power to it. A 200 amp panel for this building and a second 200amp drop for when I build the house.

I plan to have someone else put the roof on with insulated panels. I can do the sides and get a carpenter to drop in the windows and garage door. I am still considering how to get some insulation into the walls and then put up an inner wall to hang stuff on. I don't want to fully stud it out inside with dry wall or plywood. For heat I basically want something like a small heat pump to keep it above freezing then probably a wood stove for heat when I am in there.

 

[Jim1932]

The differences in people are amazing. I would look at that and say "No way, nope" and burn it down. You see the potential. I could never do it, but I wish you success.

We did do a control burn on the bigger barn......

 

[RogueFab]

That is a lot of work. But it will be worth it in the end I think!

 

[Jim1932]

I am headed there in a couple of weeks. I need to really assess whether I can save the main building metal. The roof has several leaks but mainly from old nail holes. On a bright day if you are inside you can see pin holes of light. There is some occasional rust around the bottom. Obviously the hideous front entry needs to come off and reinstall a garage door. All the windows need to be replaced. I wonder is I can get away with spraying the roof, doing some repairs on the sides and power washing the inside.

 

[Jim1932]

OK.... The spring for the garage door. If the door is off, does that mean there is no tension on the spring? I hear these can be pretty dangerous.

 

[madison069]

Nice starting point. I've been in worst garages and made it work. I could only imagine what I would of done, if I had a little more coin and actually owned the garages.

As for those springs, they are sometime in tension when the doors are removed. but if the tension has been release then it's not a concern. I'd do some research to get a better idea of how to control the springs when you're releasing the tension in them.


Cody

 

[Jim1932]

As for those springs, they are sometime in tension when the doors are removed. but if the tension has been release then it's not a concern. I'd do some research to get a better idea of how to control the springs when you're releasing the tension in them.

Cody

I have a dumpster coming next week, but I think I need to let whoever puts the new door in handle that one.

 

[Jim1932]

It isn't all junk......

 

[Jim1932]

back up this weekend. I had talked myself into just repairing the roof and sides..... then I looked at it. need a new roof, new siding, fix the floor, New windows and a garage door. meeting the power company this week. Stringing a new 200 amp line to the garage. will set it up with 120 and 240. The horse barn side will be redone as a storage area. The floor there is 2' below the garage.

 

[Jim1932]

Can this lift be installed in an existing floor? Have a chance to snag it. Car is already gone...LOL

 

[loganb]

If your slab thickness meets manufacturer requirements and you have headroom...sure. if not you can saw cut two squares out and dig out and pour more substantial footings for the posts if necessary. Make sure it gets doweled back to the surrounding slab

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[Jim1932]

also have some moisture issues down low. Going to order the stuff and tray to remove old roof and sides and add new on 4th of July week. Also talked to Power company about stringing wire for a 200 amp panel. Need to take down some trees to do the line but they will do primary to the pole as we will also feed the house off of this.

 

[Jim1932]

what happens when you don't pay attention to the **** growing around your garage. Backhoe was a fail. Going to sacrifice a chainsaw chain and try to get it below grade. After talking with a local builder, going with a metal roof and reverse Board and Batten siding. Getting a 200 amp service. will need to repour part of the floor. Going to add a sink and a toilet....wife frowns on peeing on the tree.

 

[Jim1932]

Well made some progress. Also got estimates on the metal for a new roof and for a new garage door and opener.

 

[Jim1932]

Killed a chain, but got the stump out... You can see the condition of the Steel. Also got the Power Company to survey for the poles. Need Some Trees down to do it, so it will be a few months before It goes in. Primary to the pole then a 200 amp to the Garage and another 200 amp to the House out back.

 

[kberjian]

Jim, did your tow rig get damaged when the chain snapped? I lost the back window of my truck when I had a chain snap trying to pull a tree. I had a 12' nylon tow strap from the truck to the chain and it sprung hard and fast when the chain broke...

 

[Jim1932]

Jim, did your tow rig get damaged when the chain snapped? I lost the back window of my truck when I had a chain snap trying to pull a tree. I had a 12' nylon tow strap from the truck to the chain and it sprung hard and fast when the chain broke...

Not that kind of chain. Killed a chain saw chain cutting dirt.

 

[Jim1932]

pulling the roof, sides, and front addition and replacing. Pull it back to the Cuckler frame and 2x6 framing.

 

[Jim1932]

Dad was not an electrician. Yes this is all going. new 200 Amp panel You can see the concrete work needs to be done too.

 

[Jim1932]

AM I in the wrong forum? I am new here.

 

[Jim1932]

Trying like hell to find someone to do the roof. If I was up there full time, I would do it myself....if I had a couple friends...LOL

Crazy how few people are available to do work.....

 

[Jim1932]

Well ordered a commercial overhead door today. First step. In July I rip the front part off and with luck the concrete, roof and outside gets done.

 

[Jim1932]

Demo and Clean up. Front roof off, old apron getting pulled this week and floor repair. looks bigger with the bench out. Also have the electrical lined up.

 

[Jim1932]

Old Apron going out so we can pour a new apron and repair the old floor.

 

[Riley]

Wow! You're getting a lot accomplished. Nice to see the progress. If I may ask, what are you going to do with the rehab space?

 

[Jim1932]

I am in to old school hot rods. I have a 32 coupe. Not national quality but what I feel a guy like me would build in the 30-40’s. I have more engine blocks so more builds to come. My last name is Rodda. So I am Naming it the “Hot Rodda Garage”. Board ant batten sides. Probably race deck floor. Will have a large hidden bourbon shelf. My grandfather had an esso station. I know where the huge road sign is with hangers. Trying to talk myself into paying the outrageous current prices..

 

[Chrisb62]

that deserves to be a bigger picture.

Nice Hot Rodda.....

 

[Jim1932]

Wow! You're getting a lot accomplished. Nice to see the progress.

I probably should have mentioned this originally. This is also part of me moving from Maryland to Massachusetts, so that is why the slow initial progress. I am 100% in Massachusetts now so should be a lot to post.

 

[BORING HOP YARD]

Great start, looking forward to the progress, thanks for sharing!

 

[Jim1932]

OH, and I have a driveway, just not the side part to the garage. 800' form the road to where the house will go, garage is about halfway up.

 

[Jim1932]

Things should really start moving now. Started to paint the roof with fibered roof paint. I am stealing a sheet of metal from the side to patch the part where the tree crew into the roof. 2x6's for 24'" center framing and the windows were delivered. I am hoping for the rough cut tomorrow. Still waiting on parts for the garage door.

 

[Jim1932]

here are the plans. The side addition is 2' lower than the main floor. I will have a parking/storage area in the back and a metal shop in the front.

 

[Jim1932]

Making progress one wall at a time, got the metal off, then the insulation, which was a maze of mouse tunnels. Changing the 2x6 supports to 2' on center. The sills were all termite infested so they were replaced with pressure treated. have to get the sides on before my wife sees it and decides she wants an open air pavillion...LOL