SHMO's 24x25 Crafstman garage

[shmo]

A little landscaping going in


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[shmo]

How it looks today


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Neighbors side of the fence

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[shmo]

i

forgive me if this question has already been asked, but what do you do for a living? looks like you have some nice skills there.

I am a partner in our family business. We have owned and operated a KOA campground for 35 years. During that time I have also spent many years doing hot rod fabrication and automotive restoration. I also spent some time doing custom bike building. However, I think my knack for construction (and really just understanding how things should be put together) came from following my Dad around our campground when I was a kid growing up. Now that man could build anything. I only wish he could have seen our house get to the stage it is at now. He passed away during the early stages of construction from a long battle with Cancer. He was a huge help in many aspects of the designing stages. I could have never done it without his knowledge and support.

SHMO

 

[shmo]

Camera phone pics of the finished masonry.


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[Trey T]

Beautiful. The stone made a huge different in the appearance.

 

[pwright]

SHMO- beautiful work.

What kind of stone is that exactly? I'm trying to decide what to use on our house/garage, and need to decide soon. Was originally going to go with the fake stuff, but am finding that real stone veneer may not be that much more expensive. Did you consider both manufactured veneer stone and natural veneer stone, and were there major factors that made you choose one over the other? Again, gorgeous workmanship on everything.

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

SHMO, YOU'VE DONE YOUR DAD PROUD!

Fantastic attention to detail, taking an honest simple design of a home and making it into a Craftsman Castle!

 

[Zeke]

Nice choice on the stone. It was that or river stone in my mind.

 

[PureSilver]

Beautiful work on a beautiful home. Can we see your workshop? And why did you offset the bannisters/handrail on the garage staircase "to make it feel wider" when you could have just made the stairs wider?

 

[DZL JIM]

Your attention to detail is astounding.
I wish I was 1/2 that disciplined.

 

[shmo]

SHMO- beautiful work.

What kind of stone is that exactly? I'm trying to decide what to use on our house/garage, and need to decide soon. Was originally going to go with the fake stuff, but am finding that real stone veneer may not be that much more expensive. Did you consider both manufactured veneer stone and natural veneer stone, and were there major factors that made you choose one over the other? Again, gorgeous workmanship on everything.

The stone is a blend of Cambrian and Cambrian copper. I purchased through, http://www.pangaeanaturalstone.com/

I originally intended on using a manufactured stone, basically because that is what everyone else is doing. However, I found that the prices were not that much more to go with natural stone veneer. Mine was roughly $500 more for materials. When you place the two products next to each other there is a noticeable "falseness" to the manufactured product. They look good overall, but real stone has a noticeably different look in regards to color variation and grain, just something you cannot duplicate with concrete and stain. Furthermore, every natural stone is different. Manufactured stones repeat themselves and if you take the time to look, you can find the same rock over and over again. It isn't totally obvious, but still something I considered. Another big thing that I notice on a lot of manufactured applications is the cuts. You can find them very easily if you look. They are filler pieces, usually done with a straight cut on a masonry saw. The side view shows the obvious concrete interior of the product and the cuts themselves look unnatural in a field of jagged rocks. I hate that! Natural stone can be chipped with a hammer to give the exact same appearance as every other stone in the field, regardless of size. The last deciding factor for me was the durability. I have seen many homes with chipped or cracked manufactured stone and it looks bad. There is no hiding that it's a faux product. Real stone, even if it were to crack or get chipped (which isn't nearly as common) still looks like real stone. One last thing, if you hit manufactured stone with a pressure washer, or even just over time from normal wear and tear, it looses it's color. Real stone does not. That was it in a nutshell for me.

SHMO

 

[shmo]

Beautiful work on a beautiful home. Can we see your workshop? And why did you offset the bannisters/handrail on the garage staircase "to make it feel wider" when you could have just made the stairs wider?

Hahaha....you don't want to see my workshop. It is an old converted chicken coop with additions here and additions there, So crowded and cluttered inside you have to watch where you walk. I don't even know how I would go about photographing it.

The reason I offset the handrail was due to a lack of planning on my part. The attic trusses over my garage were a bit of an afterthought. I put them into the plan at the last moment. Unfortunately, I didn't give enough thought to stair placement and space requirements at the time. I just offset the trusses and buttoned it up for a later time. I thought I would have plenty of space. To my surprise when I started mapping it out, I found that if I would have made them wider (with the same L-shaped design), the access into the upper room would have to move over several inches, making entrance up there too tight for comfort. You would basically get to the top of the stairs and there would be no pleasant way to enter the room due to where the door would have to be placed. To make a long story short, I either had to keep the stairs narrow to fit the space, or I had to branch out further into the garage to allow for a completely different design approach. I decided on keeping them narrow (just under code actually), and offsetting the handrails to give the feeling of a much wider staircase. It actually worked out great. In retrospect, I would honestly opt for this setup. It provides a smaller package, more garage space and fully functioning stairs...a win, win and win....Just don't tell the building inspector

SHMO

 

[flybefree]

SHMO, great choice on the stone...I am impressed with the huge difference in looks for the small price difference.

Shaun

 

[94SRUNNER]

Re: SHMO's 24x25 Craftsman garage

What a wonderful home and garage SHMO. It is great inspiration!

 

[zer0cell]

Very classy... I like it a lot, especially the color scheme and material choices you used for the project.

 

[1989k1500]

Wow your house and garage are incredible. Awesome work SHMO.

I come on here once in a while and just cruise through and look at some of the garages. But after reading through this thread I decided to register so I could comment.

 

[blue dog]

Thanks for the pics of the baja bug. The eco tec has become popular in spec class racing in off road this year.

Where is your property located, i see washington plates on the bug.


Beautiful place, you have done very well, quality construction, attention to detail, and a place to very proud of. I love it and commend you sir.

 

[shmo]

I am located in NW Washington, Lynden actually. It is about 2 hours north of Seattle, right on the Canadian border.

The Baja was intended to live most of its winters in San Felipe Mexico, but unfortunately we have not been able to get down for several years.

SHMO

 

[stf]

I wish I could see the pics. Sounds nice tho.

 

[shmo]

With the stone finished up, I am considering adding hinges and handles to my Garage doors. I planned on using them since the planning stages of the doors, but never got around to installing any. These are the ones I thought worked well with the rest of house.

How does everyone feel about hinge location, little higher, little closer together or just right?

SHMO


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[Vernmotor]

I think about 8" more apart. top 4" more up and bottom 4" more down.. Now that just me..They look fine where there are..after all your the one who has to look at it ever day .

 

[shmo]

Is this more what you were thinking? A little blury, but you get the idea.

 

[stf]

Finally I can see the pictures.

Good Lord, that place looks awesome.

I like the hinges farther apart.

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

I would do three things:
-Move the handles so they line up horizontally with the line of the capstone.
-Buy a third set of hinges and mount them in the same line as the handles.
-Mount the top and bottom hinges equidistant from the center set. The position of the top and bottom set would be determined by the seams of the panels and what looks 'balanced' in relation to the center set.

 

[Wingnut65]

I just love those doors. My 2₵, either 3 hinges as O. suggests, or 2, but closer together as you had them the first time.

I'm assuming the door head clearance will allow the handles to pass by... I have so much stuff above my doors that handles that stand off like that would rub.

 

[5lima30]

Very classy looking! The details are what sets it apart!

 

[shmo]

After I got a chance to really step back and look at the difference, I totally agree that the hinges look better farther apart. Thanks, Vernmotor

Adding a 3rd hinge has me intrigued. The only concern I have is making it look "too busy". I want the look to tie into the door style, without making them stand out too much from the other details of the house. I will do a mock up later and post some pics.

I also like the idea about keeping the handles in the same line with the capstones. Great point. Usually my Obsessive tendencies would have forced me into that anyway....haha. Thanks for pointing it out, Omphaloskeptic.

 

[shmo]

Here is my first approach at the third hinge and repositioning the handles. Definitely like the handles more in line with the capstone. however, it looks REALLY unbalanced with them in that location with the 3rd hinge. Let me know what the verdict is....thanks for your input guys.

 

[shmo]

After looking at these pics, I think I might have to add a piece of 1/3 cedar to the bottom edges of the doors. Originally I decided not to do that for weatherproofing reasons. However, the doors just look like they are missing that element. And the saga continues.......

 

[peelman]

I agree that you probably need the lower piece of cedar to "box" the doors in and make them look more authentic. But when you do that you'll have to move the hinges (and probably handles) again

-nick

 

[Omphaloskeptic]

SMHO, I agree with you, balance the position of the three sets upon the door as you see fit. The door is the center of focus after all, not the capstone. I also like your thought about adding a trim piece to the lower edge; seems like it would finish it off visually and perhaps be an authentic touch to the 'look' of the door. Would it be a simple piece of flat stock? Would you think it needs a bead or some kind of profile to better suit the Craftsman motif? The devil's in the details, as they say.

The stonework truly looks great and the entire front facade looks so 'just right'!

 

[RoySC]

Professional looking...and a nice VW.

 

[shmo]

SMHO, I agree with you, balance the position of the three sets upon the door as you see fit. The door is the center of focus after all, not the capstone. I also like your thought about adding a trim piece to the lower edge; seems like it would finish it off visually and perhaps be an authentic touch to the 'look' of the door. Would it be a simple piece of flat stock? Would you think it needs a bead or some kind of profile to better suit the Craftsman motif? The devil's in the details, as they say.

The stonework truly looks great and the entire front facade looks so 'just right'!

I'm leaning towards the look with two hinges. I realize an authentic door would probably have the third hinge assembly, but it really starts to make it look busy. What do you think?

In regards to the lower trim piece, I would probably just do a simple square stock. The remainder of the door does not have any beading or extra trim profile, so ginger breading it up would look out of place. The only thing I did do was route a groove down the center section to give the appearance of it being two individual doors. The lower trim would definitely add a little more realism to the appearance. I was just worried about it being a dirt and moisture collector. I don't want these doors to weather out any time soon....haha

SHMO

 

[VHF]

I thought the handles were too high in the original two-hinge picture. I like the 3-hinges with the lower handles.

I think it looks good as-is w/o an exterior trim on the bottom... I bet a lot of out-swinging carraige house doors were built that way. Why would they add trim on the outside that would catch water & snow?

But I'm sure it will look fantastic either way!

Say, how did you create the gray stripes in the driveway?

 

[shmo]

I see your point about the handles looking too high in the first pics. I was flip flopping on which looked better, above the seam or below the seam. I thought it looked more balanced having them above the seam. I guess that really shouldn't matter. I will just try placing them at normal door handle height and see how that looks.

The jury is still out on 2 hinges versus 3 hinges.

The gray stripes on the driveway are just borders of stamped and colored concrete. I framed up the borders, including the walkway, and poured and stamped those first. Then, I pulled the forms and used the borders as the form to pour the broom finish concrete. I think it gives it a nice look, waaaay more work though.

Not the best pics to show it off, but here you can see what it going on with the concrete.

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[Omphaloskeptic]

Shmo, I would give the bottom trim piece as simple profile at the top to help shed water, dirt, and snow. The bottom edge definitely have a saw kerf groove to act as a drip edge. Personally, a door with that visual mass would not look busy with three sets of hinges; and to lessen their impact, you could paint them the same color as the trim stain hue. Just my $0.02.

 

[Vernmotor]

Well I agree that 3 hinges might look to busy.Not sure. But no matter what you do. It's going to look great.. I do like the idea of the trim on the bottom.

 

[VHF]

Thanks for the driveway pictures... I am searching for ideas for the parking pad in front of my 36' wide 3-car detached garage. Not only does your driveway look great, but it also rather neatly eliminates the need for control cuts!

Do the stamped concrete "stripes" cause any problem with snow removal?

 

[shmo]

My driveway is 25x65. The grids I laid out "almost" eliminated all of the control joints. However, there are a couple that needed to be cut. When I did the driveway, I added 2'x2' grids of 1/2" rebar to tie it all together. I didn't want any possible cracking to move, or to allow frost heave to open up the joints. Rebar will make a huge difference on the longevity of a large area of concrete. If you get hard winters or park heavy vehicles in your driveway, it will be money well spent. I would also not skip on the control joints. "Too many" is better than "not enough". I skipped one on the curved portion of my walkway and now I have a hairline crack running across it.

If snow removal is a major consideration, stamped concrete is something I would probably steer clear of. It will make removal more difficult, and it is fairly easy to damage with tractor blades or metal shovels. Salting will discolor it almost immediately and cause it to pit, making it look beat down and worn out in a short time. Old concrete never looks good, but nothing looks worse than old beat up stamped concrete. Luckily for me, we only get a few scattered days of snow per year. On those days my driveway is off limits. I don't even want a "scuff" from a studded snow tire spinning off a patch of ice.....maybe I'm ****

 

[peelman]

Stamped concrete would never work here then Pity, as it really does look fantastic.

Agreed on the rebar. While there is a line for "too much", rarely is enough put in. Mesh can't compete with properly chaired, tied, and spaced rebar. When I was 19 I spent a week helping with the rebar in a parking garage. I don't think I have ever been more sore or tired in my life, but its amazing the **** you take away from even a brief time on a job like that