shortykorte
Well-known member
Love seeing the build process again. If I remember correctly there’s the GJ tour when completed. Lol.
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The Concrete Underground
- Thread starter ConCretin
- Start date
BoilermakerFan
Well-known member
Woohoo! Doug is back!
This area has given my one of my biggest design challenges and a solution I've never been 100% thrilled with; How do I cover the back of chase for the gas fireplace?
It is one of the first things you see coming down the driveway and when you step back, it looks like it should be a solid concrete mass supporting the chimney above. Not the best pic to give you perspective but the best I could find for some reason.
Making the challenge more difficult, it would be really nice to be able to access this area. At a minimum, the TV wiring goes through here and that will likely need to change. So this is what I came up with..
I fabbed up a big steel frame.
I used a 3x3x1/4 angle top and bottom with square tubing cut to be flush on the front.
Then I drilled some 1" round stock and attached it to the upper corners. I made the pins removable so I could get the frame into the opening.
After I carefully drilled a couple holes in the concrete to accept my pins and hung the frame, I attached some plywood to the face for rigidity.
So if you are wondering if the pins actually allow this thing to swing open for access........Yup it does! Did you really expect me to do something as simple as frame in the opening and call it good?
So how to lift the thing? Well we need removable eye bolts for lifting of course. One top.
And one bottom.
After a layer of exterior sheetrock and we are getting closer to a solution. We used a PVC strip around the perimeter to cover the raw edge and provide a rub surface when the panel moves.
Once it was finished and painted, we at least had the chase enclosed.
I welded on a little sleeve to the lifting insert that I could mud around to get it as finished as possible. I figure I can find a little plastic cap of some kind to cover the hole
I was planning on painting the infill gray to match the concrete as well as possible. Now I'm seriously considering wssix99's concrete wallpaper. I'm not generally a fan of anything 'faux' but maybe it would work. Like I said I've never been thrilled with this part of the build - the whole thing just seems odd to me. Oh well, it was the best I could come up with. More to follow.
It is one of the first things you see coming down the driveway and when you step back, it looks like it should be a solid concrete mass supporting the chimney above. Not the best pic to give you perspective but the best I could find for some reason.
Making the challenge more difficult, it would be really nice to be able to access this area. At a minimum, the TV wiring goes through here and that will likely need to change. So this is what I came up with..
I fabbed up a big steel frame.
I used a 3x3x1/4 angle top and bottom with square tubing cut to be flush on the front.
Then I drilled some 1" round stock and attached it to the upper corners. I made the pins removable so I could get the frame into the opening.
After I carefully drilled a couple holes in the concrete to accept my pins and hung the frame, I attached some plywood to the face for rigidity.
So if you are wondering if the pins actually allow this thing to swing open for access........Yup it does! Did you really expect me to do something as simple as frame in the opening and call it good?
So how to lift the thing? Well we need removable eye bolts for lifting of course. One top.
And one bottom.
After a layer of exterior sheetrock and we are getting closer to a solution. We used a PVC strip around the perimeter to cover the raw edge and provide a rub surface when the panel moves.
Once it was finished and painted, we at least had the chase enclosed.
I welded on a little sleeve to the lifting insert that I could mud around to get it as finished as possible. I figure I can find a little plastic cap of some kind to cover the hole
I was planning on painting the infill gray to match the concrete as well as possible. Now I'm seriously considering wssix99's concrete wallpaper. I'm not generally a fan of anything 'faux' but maybe it would work. Like I said I've never been thrilled with this part of the build - the whole thing just seems odd to me. Oh well, it was the best I could come up with. More to follow.
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That would make a perfect screen for an outdoor projection TV.
Bib Overalls
Well-known member
Doug is back! 
Why am I always the last to know? 
Seriously, it really is good to see you back. Life is life and no one is immune to troubles. All of us get bit every now and then and the only cure is to face it straight on and never give up. Sounds like you have that fingered.
Why am I always the last to know? Seriously, it really is good to see you back. Life is life and no one is immune to troubles. All of us get bit every now and then and the only cure is to face it straight on and never give up. Sounds like you have that fingered.
Nice work, and its good to see your work again.
I agree that faking it with concrete wallpaper is less than ideal. Here's an idea to consider: Cover the panel with architectural perforated, laser-cut, or textured metal sheets mounted on standoffs.
Here's some ideas/inspiration based on some quick Googling:
https://mozdesigns.com/sheet-metal-metal/laser-cut/
https://www.hendrickcorp.com/architectural/products/arch-cladding/
This would give the wall panel depth and texture, and you can get these panels with just about any finish on them. You could even play with backlighting to make this area really pop as a night feature if you desired.
Another option would be to cover the whole thing with the stone veneer or limestone that you've been mentioning. Weight could be an issue with that plan, though.
Here's some ideas/inspiration based on some quick Googling:
https://mozdesigns.com/sheet-metal-metal/laser-cut/
https://www.hendrickcorp.com/architectural/products/arch-cladding/
This would give the wall panel depth and texture, and you can get these panels with just about any finish on them. You could even play with backlighting to make this area really pop as a night feature if you desired.
Another option would be to cover the whole thing with the stone veneer or limestone that you've been mentioning. Weight could be an issue with that plan, though.
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Beemer533
Well-known member
Fantastic build! Glad to hear you are doing well.
I use the Milwaukee sub scanner and it works quite well for rebar although it is overkill for just a stud scanner.
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/instruments/inspection-and-detection/2291-20
I think the kit is around $300? Not a "pro" tool compared to actual GPR, but not bad..
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wssix99
Well-known member
It would be an ironic addition to the home. Perhaps you could throw down the gauntlet to a local wallpaper professional and see if they could match up the seams so good that no one would know? It would be a great way to mess with visitors when they come to the house.
(Tell them that its real.)Have you ever worked with super-light weight polystyrene and/or glass aggregates? Instead of the steel/board panel, you could make a super-lightweight and thin pre-cast concrete panel to go in there.
The local concrete canoe folks will have great access and experience for this sort of thing. I've found that they are always happy to discuss their project, the latest technologies they are working with, etc. Maybe a few of them would be local and available for a summer project? https://umaine.edu/asce/concrete-canoe/
quattro_sinko
Well-known member
Doug: After seeing your "I'm back" post the other day, my curiosity was piqued and I started at page 1 on Friday night. I just finished post #2816 and here we are. Speechless would be an understatement.
Glad to see that you are still at it, and want to let you know how much I enjoyed reading your thread over the last 3 days. As a small time builder/remodeler/GC with a skeleton crew, and a better craftsman than business man, I cannot imagine how you found the time to wear all the hats you did, and consistently turn out such an informative thread. But I understand the passion, 100%.
Thank you.
Best wishes for 2018, buddy.
Glad to see that you are still at it, and want to let you know how much I enjoyed reading your thread over the last 3 days. As a small time builder/remodeler/GC with a skeleton crew, and a better craftsman than business man, I cannot imagine how you found the time to wear all the hats you did, and consistently turn out such an informative thread. But I understand the passion, 100%.
Thank you.
Best wishes for 2018, buddy.
green7racer
Active member
Outstanding!
Oh and by the way, Welcome Back.
Oh and by the way, Welcome Back.
Thirdyfivepickup
Well-known member
So glad to see this thread back up and running. This is one of the coolest and unique builds on here!
Thanks guys!
I like the metal panel idea. My goal has been for the entire mass to at least suggest it is concrete. A metal panel (with some cool lighting perhaps) over a gray background would do that without being overtly fake. I thought about the veneer but came to the same conclusion regarding the weight of the stone being an issue
Thanks for the suggestion. That unit looks pretty capable and overkill is just about right.
It would definitely be fun to see if people notice the wallpaper. Maybe I'll revisit the whole panel at some point and make one out of concrete but for now that exceeds my level of ambition by a fair margin. lol.
That is an epic feat indeed. I am very glad you found it interesting enough stick it out and I greatly appreciate the kind comments.
If you ever get the chance, I'd strongly recommend doing a similar build thread on the GJ. The motivation, support and encouragement you'll get from the fine folks here is well worth the effort.
Working on another update. It will be entitled 'why the hell do you need a welder to install kitchen cabinets'
I like the metal panel idea. My goal has been for the entire mass to at least suggest it is concrete. A metal panel (with some cool lighting perhaps) over a gray background would do that without being overtly fake. I thought about the veneer but came to the same conclusion regarding the weight of the stone being an issue
Thanks for the suggestion. That unit looks pretty capable and overkill is just about right.
It would be a great way to mess with visitors when they come to the house.
Instead of the steel/board panel, you could make a super-lightweight and thin pre-cast concrete panel to go in there.
It would definitely be fun to see if people notice the wallpaper. Maybe I'll revisit the whole panel at some point and make one out of concrete but for now that exceeds my level of ambition by a fair margin. lol.
That is an epic feat indeed. I am very glad you found it interesting enough stick it out and I greatly appreciate the kind comments.
If you ever get the chance, I'd strongly recommend doing a similar build thread on the GJ. The motivation, support and encouragement you'll get from the fine folks here is well worth the effort.Working on another update. It will be entitled 'why the hell do you need a welder to install kitchen cabinets'
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When I pulled my disappearing act we were working on the kitchen cabinets and it wasn't long before the sparks were flying.
In one corner of the kitchen, there are cabinets that form a small home office (desk, printer and file cabinets). There are two drawers under the desk that came from the manufacturer as two individual cases. There was a little more flex in the middle than I wanted so I fabricated a simple support;
I attached it to the adjacent cabinets to support the seam between the two drawer cases.
More steel reinforcing was called for on the kitchen island. I ordered the kitchen island surround from the cabinet manufacturer but it didn't have any provisions for the bar counter that extended all around the U shaped island
So back to the shop to build some steel shelf brackets.
The brackets slid down into the boxed side panels
Some solid blocking holds everything firmly in place
A couple layers of 3/4" plywood glued and screwed to within an inch of their life creates the base for the quartz countertops
A picture from below
One final iron working project was a fake steel column to hide the vent from the bar sink. The bar is located in a free standing cabinet I call a 'pod'. The pods contain back to back cabinets that separate the 'back kitchen' from what I dubbed the 'kitchen theater' More on this later.
There are two of these pods. One contains two steel building columns at the front but the other has one column and an empty corner.
Since I needed to vent the sink in the bar below, this was the perfect place to run it.
Now all I needed to do was install a matching steel 'cover' over the vent that matches the existing steel columns and I'd have perfect symmetry. Of course anyone familiar with steel shapes knows that to match the exterior dimensions of my 3x6 tube steel columns, I'd have to deal with their 3/8" wall thickness.
It was all my plasma cutter wanted but it got the job done
If you are really really sharp, and I'm not, you might have wondered about the outside dimension of my sched 40 vent pipe and the inside dimension of my structural tubes. Yup, had to notch the damn thing lengthwise. That was fun....
After that little exercise, I slid the two pieces over the vent piping and glued em together with JB Weld. I figured I could probably beat em apart if I ever needed to. After a coat of paint I was done.
Next up was getting the countertops installed and the appliances hooked up. Stay tuned.
In one corner of the kitchen, there are cabinets that form a small home office (desk, printer and file cabinets). There are two drawers under the desk that came from the manufacturer as two individual cases. There was a little more flex in the middle than I wanted so I fabricated a simple support;
I attached it to the adjacent cabinets to support the seam between the two drawer cases.
More steel reinforcing was called for on the kitchen island. I ordered the kitchen island surround from the cabinet manufacturer but it didn't have any provisions for the bar counter that extended all around the U shaped island
So back to the shop to build some steel shelf brackets.
The brackets slid down into the boxed side panels
Some solid blocking holds everything firmly in place
A couple layers of 3/4" plywood glued and screwed to within an inch of their life creates the base for the quartz countertops
A picture from below
One final iron working project was a fake steel column to hide the vent from the bar sink. The bar is located in a free standing cabinet I call a 'pod'. The pods contain back to back cabinets that separate the 'back kitchen' from what I dubbed the 'kitchen theater' More on this later.
There are two of these pods. One contains two steel building columns at the front but the other has one column and an empty corner.
Since I needed to vent the sink in the bar below, this was the perfect place to run it.
Now all I needed to do was install a matching steel 'cover' over the vent that matches the existing steel columns and I'd have perfect symmetry. Of course anyone familiar with steel shapes knows that to match the exterior dimensions of my 3x6 tube steel columns, I'd have to deal with their 3/8" wall thickness.
It was all my plasma cutter wanted but it got the job done
If you are really really sharp, and I'm not, you might have wondered about the outside dimension of my sched 40 vent pipe and the inside dimension of my structural tubes. Yup, had to notch the damn thing lengthwise. That was fun....
After that little exercise, I slid the two pieces over the vent piping and glued em together with JB Weld. I figured I could probably beat em apart if I ever needed to. After a coat of paint I was done.
Next up was getting the countertops installed and the appliances hooked up. Stay tuned.
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quattro_sinko
Well-known member
Nice work. You mentioned the cabinets were from north o' the border. Downsview?
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
BTW, how is the temperature control working out in the house and the garage?
OCD
Well-known member
In case you were wondering.....No, I haven't got around to filling those tie holes.
They look pretty good on that wall, like they belong there!!
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ranger101ran
Well-known member
I have been following this build from the beginning and I am amazed. I have never seen any house built like yours. The talent you have is amazing. Glad to see you back.
The kitchen cabinets were manufactured by ArtCraft. The designer was MariWoods in Portsmouth NH. I had the layout pretty well figured out but they both did a great job of executing the details.
If you recall, we drilled wells for a geothermal system that would supply hot water to our in-floor radiant for the winter months as well as a hot and cooled air system for the rest of the year. I built in the distribution (ductwork, tubing, etc) as we went but I still haven't installed the equipment (heat pumps & air handlers). It seems I spent all my money on concrete.
We are heating with the in-floor radiant and a little wall mount propane boiler that was originally going to be a back up. The place actually heats pretty well and is quite comfortable. The glass provides a significant solar benefit and the structure is very tight. We have an air to air heat exchanger that runs 24/7 to keep the air fresh.
I keep the garages at 45 just to keep stuff from freezing. Between the glass in the doors and the fact that it's mostly underground, I don't think the heat comes on all that often. I can usually work comfortably out there in a sweatshirt.
I plan to install 5 ton heat pump to take over the radiant heat duties this spring. I'll definitely let you know how that goes. After living here for a couple years, I'm really not sure I need the hot air/AC.
The plan is to fill the tie holes just shy of level with matching mortar. You'll still see them but they won't look like dark holes. I went to great pains to design the formwork so all the ties were symmetrical.
In hindsight, there is probably a very good reason for that.
Thank you for the nice comments.
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railroadjim
Member
Great to see the progress that was made. We were all hoping we'd see more!
I am sort of surprised that you're going with quartz countertops, instead of polished concrete countertops.
Glad to see the extra support on the edges for the extension. When we got granite countertops a few years ago, my wife wanted to extend our island out a few more inches for stools. The granite people said it would be fine strength-wise without extra support, but I knew I had a then six year old son who likes to break things. I anchored a few 3/4" solid steel bar stock supports to extend out from the box, and all has been well.
Doug,
You mentioned living in the Concrete Underground yet it's still a work in progress. The kitchen appears to be under construction also.
What amenities do you currently have in the home. I know it's a PITA to live in a place while trying to do a remodel so I feel for you man. Ever have days where you miss the camper ?
You mentioned living in the Concrete Underground yet it's still a work in progress. The kitchen appears to be under construction also.
What amenities do you currently have in the home. I know it's a PITA to live in a place while trying to do a remodel so I feel for you man. Ever have days where you miss the camper ?
casmurbax
Well-known member
That's a good question, did that create any issues with getting a certificate of occupancy, not being complete?
Sorry if I wasn't clear guys. Much of what I'm posting occurred over the last year or two. Most of the living spaces including the kitchen are substantially complete now. I've still got a few things to do (don't we all) but nothing too serious. As soon as I get you all caught up, I'll give you a tour!
Btw casmurbax, I live in a little town in rural Maine. They probably wouldn't know what a COO was if i asked.
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The quartz is much more durable and gave me the clean look I wanted. So before I go any further in the kitchen buildout, I thought I'd give you some perspective on the kitchen design. It is admittedly a little unusual but I gave it a lot of thought and lucky for me, I'm told it works great. 
We all know that the kitchen tends to be the center of activity whether it's family or a crowd so I wanted it in the physical center of the space with lots of room around it for people to hang out. The problem with this is that kitchens tend to be chaotic and messy. This gave rise to what I pretentiously refer to as the Kitchen Theater and an area I call the Back Kitchen.
The two areas are separated by the free standing room dividers I refer to as pods, which block sight lines but maintain the open feel of the space.
The Back Kitchen has a big counters, a huge cleanup sink, garbage/recycling drawers and a dishwasher. There are lots of cabinets for storage containers, dishes and service items. There is also a baking center with the wall oven. It is very easy to move all the mess generated by cooking and dining back into this area where it can sit, out of view until you have the time to clean up.
The Kitchen Theater is the working area of the kitchen. The big side by side frig/freezer flanked by pantry cabinets is up here along with the cooktop, a prep sink and a combination oven. There is plenty of counter space and storage for pots and pans, etc. There is seating at both ends of the U shaped counter and an additional seating area in front where I plan to install a big restaurant style banquette facing the kitchen.
I also wanted a separate area for beverages i.e. the bar, which keeps all that traffic out of the kitchen work spaces. The bar has refrigerator drawers,a built in coffee maker and a small dishwasher for glassware.
The Dining area is to the lower left with some wall mounted cabinets for additional storage and counter space. The Living Room with the Tv and gas fireplace is to the right. Here is a plan to help you envision what the heck I'm talking about.
I'm not sure how much more time I should spend on the kitchen. This is after all still a garage based site. The powers that be have been patient with my ramblings but there is a limit I suppose.
We all know that the kitchen tends to be the center of activity whether it's family or a crowd so I wanted it in the physical center of the space with lots of room around it for people to hang out. The problem with this is that kitchens tend to be chaotic and messy. This gave rise to what I pretentiously refer to as the Kitchen Theater and an area I call the Back Kitchen.
The two areas are separated by the free standing room dividers I refer to as pods, which block sight lines but maintain the open feel of the space.
The Back Kitchen has a big counters, a huge cleanup sink, garbage/recycling drawers and a dishwasher. There are lots of cabinets for storage containers, dishes and service items. There is also a baking center with the wall oven. It is very easy to move all the mess generated by cooking and dining back into this area where it can sit, out of view until you have the time to clean up.
The Kitchen Theater is the working area of the kitchen. The big side by side frig/freezer flanked by pantry cabinets is up here along with the cooktop, a prep sink and a combination oven. There is plenty of counter space and storage for pots and pans, etc. There is seating at both ends of the U shaped counter and an additional seating area in front where I plan to install a big restaurant style banquette facing the kitchen.
I also wanted a separate area for beverages i.e. the bar, which keeps all that traffic out of the kitchen work spaces. The bar has refrigerator drawers,a built in coffee maker and a small dishwasher for glassware.
The Dining area is to the lower left with some wall mounted cabinets for additional storage and counter space. The Living Room with the Tv and gas fireplace is to the right. Here is a plan to help you envision what the heck I'm talking about.
I'm not sure how much more time I should spend on the kitchen. This is after all still a garage based site. The powers that be have been patient with my ramblings but there is a limit I suppose.
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gasgas17
Well-known member
Um... well if a few garage journal folks were driving by on their way to go skiing at Sunday River and dropped in for a tour, I'm sure the kitchen would be part of it.......... so I wouldn't hold back on kitchen details as others may not have the same opportunity...........
shortykorte
Well-known member
Myself and I imagine others are interested in all things about your home. Great idea on the back kitchen especially if you entertain a lot, like when you have the NE GJ get together. I like your office area pod.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I believe that might be considered a woman's dream kitchen. What's the overall size of that kitchen ?
C_F
ALLIANCE MEMBER
No kidding, that's great!
red
Well-known member
Please, please spend as much time as you can afford to spend posting about your home . . . .
as to the "powers to be" with over 2 million views, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
And thanks again for coming back, and sharing your adventure.
BBChevro
Well-known member
Nice work, I like the symmetry of the faux column. 
Steve from Socal
Well-known member
Doug,
I agree with the rest, show as much of the kitchen as you like.
I am a gearhead through and through BUT, I also enjoy food AND making it. Working in the shop or kitchen are both satisfying and, tools are involved in both endeavors.
Steve
I agree with the rest, show as much of the kitchen as you like.
I am a gearhead through and through BUT, I also enjoy food AND making it. Working in the shop or kitchen are both satisfying and, tools are involved in both endeavors.
Steve
Notgrownup
Well-known member
To me the kitchen is the lifeblood of the home, I love to work on stuff but I do love to creat a good meal at the end of the day...I like your kitchen layout.
jack stand
Well-known member
Doug, I can't speak for all the other's here, but I feel quite confident that we ALL are fully involved with your project by this point, and are interested in all the details. Kitchen and all.
As usual, your project and planning leave me speechless.
As usual, your project and planning leave me speechless.
tonyciambrone
Well-known member
It's a pretty good assumption that everyone here who has a garage either has a kitchen or would like to have one. I personally am interested in all the details and process of your build. Are you posting a different thread on any other website?
Very cool house
wssix99
Well-known member
Please ramble on. There's no way to escape it - we all must have an auxiliary building for our garages where we can prepare nutrition.
I think many architects miss the finer points of modern entertaining and how people gravitate to kitchens, particularly in open-plan spaces.
My experiences support your sound design principles. We also have an open space and designed in a "kitchen stadium" area, separate beverage area (outside of the stadium), and an extra sink to add a second work triangle. (IMO - this is absolutely necessary to make most kitchens productive when more than one person are in it.)
We haven't done much entertaining, but have had some success with the plan already - people naturally hang out surrounding the stadium but the inside remains clear so the hosts can continue working, gathering from the main refrigerator, etc. (In our application, we raised that part of the floor by one step which also further discourages people from stepping up and into the stadium.)