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Surprise Garage Makeover

HelisandHarleys

Well-known member
Joined
May 16, 2013
Messages
50
Location
Ohio
I've been a lurker here for some time after I happened on a thread during a Google search for some garage thing or another. I've been researching and planning a surprise garage remodel for my husband. We both tinker on cars and our motorcycles and have a 10 month old boy who likely will have his first project car in a few years. We moved into this house a year ago, and while we love the house and location, we did compromise a bit on garage space from our previous home. The biggest compromise was on ceiling height - the garage is below grade and directly under my kitchen/living/dining area.

The plans are finally coming together. I originally planned to do this in June when he was to be out of town for a week for work, but the trip cancelled. My window of opportunity has come again in 2 weeks when he will be gone for 3 days. My brother (electrician by trade, welder/fabricator on the side) will be helping me - just the two of us doing all the labor. I figure we will need another day or so, even working around the clock, so we'll figure out how to keep my husband out of the garage if need be.

My spare/guest bedroom closets are overflowing with materials and the goodies I have been collecting for this project. I need to get started! The plan is to do a Harley theme with black and orange. I have Racedeck flooring set for delivery the day after he leaves as well as a MaxJax system. My brother will be upgrading all the electrical with a separate panel in the garage, new lighting/additional lighting, more outlets, new Liftmaster garage door openers with all the Wifi goodies, and building an outbuilding to move the air compressor outside. The freezer will get moved inside to an unfinished storage area of the basement. We will also custom build additional work space tables and cabinets (repurposed from some shelving I have) and get a dedicated welding table cart set up. I've got a parts washer in the closet, as well as some misc. tools we needed to add to the collection. We also have 2 infrared heaters to go in and are talking about an exhaust fan. Because the garage is essentially a basement with only one exposed outside wall and it sits in a heavily shaded part of the house, AC is not necessary. It's a working garage, so I don't want to get to froo froo, however I do want it to have some style. After prowling here for ideas, I've seen some awesome design elements that I want to use such as galvanized roof panel wainscoting, and then the basics of paint, and a few posters/pictures of significance.

Any suggestions or thoughts from you are welcome.

Here are some "Before" photos so you can see what I have to work with:

http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/Laurie_DuPuis/library/Garage

Couldn't upload directly - says I'm missing a security token?
 
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tommudd

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 11, 2010
Messages
287
Location
Central Ohio / Tanzania
Here ya go or a couple of them at least
DSC_4086_zps9ceba7b3.jpg

DSC_4087_zpsb7e431bf.jpg

DSC_4090_zpsb7d03183.jpg

DSC_4091_zps4e5a960c.jpg

DSC_4092_zps4c999ce9.jpg
 

nolimits76

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 11, 2013
Messages
959
Location
Oklahoma
Very cool.

FYI, to help pay for the remodel I'm sure a few of us guys would gladly pay for you to be our wive's friends and plant these type of ideas in their heads. :lol:
 
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HelisandHarleys

Well-known member
Joined
May 16, 2013
Messages
50
Location
Ohio
Can your brother build the outbuilding in panels (Including the floor) that just need to be brought on site, nailed together and roofed?

I considered that, but where I'm building this will be seen, somewhat, from the backyard/pool area. I'm planning to just frame up an area a bit bigger than the air compressor (in case we upgrade to a bigger one someday) and side it with the exact siding that matches the house. It will sit amongst a little landscaped area and will be semi-hidden behind some bushes/flowering plants of some sort - no idea what they are but they are big and bushy in the summer. I really want it to blend in to the house and be as un-noticeable as possible.
 
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HelisandHarleys

Well-known member
Joined
May 16, 2013
Messages
50
Location
Ohio
Looks doable, no huge clutter to fight back.

Keep us posted.

Yeah, since we moved in a year ago, it hasn't gotten out of control. That's the reason this is the first house project - get to it before it does due to lack of good storage and add some nice extras for the hubby that I get to use as well. Me buying tools for my hubby is a lot like the typical male buying lingerie for the typical wife - you both get enjoyment out of it. :D
 
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HelisandHarleys

Well-known member
Joined
May 16, 2013
Messages
50
Location
Ohio
No sisters, sorry.

Work began Saturday afternoon and progress is good. Will upload progress pics tomorrow. The electrical work is almost complete. We replaced the 2 fluorescent light fixtures with 12, 1X4 recessed T8 fixtures. Holy ****, I can actually see now! The infrared heaters are wired up, as is the new switch for the air compressor. I poured the outside pad for that yesterday and will be framing its new home tomorrow. Tons of outlets are going in and the new garage electrical panel is installed.

I had to have the tracks replaced on the garage doors and that got done yesterday. We had a reverse track system not compatible with the Liftmaster jackshaft openers. I'm hoping we get those installed tonight once I get kiddo to bed.

On a positive note, discovered the concrete in the garage is 6 inches thick and reinforced with rebar. I had everything set up to pour a new section for the Maxjax, (using Edelweis' photos/explanation) but it appears we don't need to. This house was built in 1979 by someone who owned a lumberyard, so I wasn't entirely surprised.

The Maxjax and Racedeck showed up Monday, and we are on schedule to install both on Friday. Today the pegboard and wainscott got put up, primed, and painted and I'm about half done with the ceiling. More painting tomorrow to finish the ceiling and trim.

It's coming together nicely.
 

madoc1

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
1,242
Location
spicewood, tx
wow. thats fast work. you must be really organized! this sounds like it will be a garage version on a chip foose rebuild.
 
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Mr. Brooks

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 11, 2012
Messages
311
Wow, wow, wow!

I love the following comment - "I'm planning to just frame up an area a bit bigger than the air compressor (in case we upgrade to a bigger one someday)"

Not only a wife that rebuilds the garage, but one that plans and approves for future tool upgrades!
 

Audicon

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 12, 2009
Messages
139
Go back and click the link in post #21 and you will see the Race Deck
 
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