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Update on Garage Improvement Project

autoist

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Gurley, Alabama
Many of you have followed along as I'm improving the entrance to my garage from the breezeway that connects it to the house and construction of a new full bathroom and upstairs grandson's gameroom/studio apartment/guy's hangout (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27185). Or, if you like, you can go to http://www.theautoist.com/garage-mahal.htm to just wander around through my ramblin' old garage to watch my progress.

Here are some photos of how it looks today - long way from just naked studs, rafters, and ceiling joists in the attic, eh.

1) This is now what you see when you open the door into the garage; wife's storage on both sides and the door to the new full bath. The panel that's open under the stairs is where we installed a 30-gal water heater devoted entirely to the garage.

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2) If you walk into the entryway & turn around, this is what you see looking back towards the breezeway. The floor is 1x1 tiles.

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3) It's hard to photograph a small room like a bath; mine is plumbed for a pedestal sink, commode, and small shower. Here's how we did the bead board paneling in the bath.

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4) Were you entering the entryway from the garage, this is what you'd see.

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5) Once you're upstairs, here's the view of the entry as you look down.

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6) Looking at the upstairs landing and the railing. The railing is made of smooth Western Cedar with conduit pipes; the stair handrails will look exactly like that railing (I borrowed someone's idea & mdified it a little) All wood will be sanded & clear varnished.

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7) The kitchenette area. From left to right: under the counter is a double door freezer/refrigerator, in the upper cabinet is a 37" HD TV that will be hooked to a Sony surround sound home theater (its sitting on the counter), under the counter is a 20" free-standing range with a vent hood and 20" microwave overhead, and finally the 15"x15" sink near the corner.

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8) Yes, I 'borrowed' someone else's idea about drawer and cabinet door pulls - Hot Wheels.

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9) An even closer look. I drilled a 1/8" hole in the top center of the Hot Wheels, inserted a long machine screw through the car, put the screw through a hole drilled in the appropriate place on the door or drawer, tightened it with a washer & nut and cut any extra bolt extending into the drawer/cabinet with a Dremel.

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10) Scanning around the room towards the dormer area. The door opens into the rest of the unfinished attic area over the garage.

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11) The 6' wide dormer.

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12) The corner where my HO scale train layout & my HO slot car track (replica of Watkins Glen down to the blue barriers on curves) will go.

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13) Heading back down to the entryway & garage (door on left is to garage; door on right is to bath).

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We're getting closer to the finish and can actually see the 'light at the end of the tunnel'. Wife has to pick out carpet for upstairs, I have to finish stairs, sand & varnish them, final plumbing, hanging surround sound speakers and then it is ready for interior decoration (train posters, car posters that are being framed, etc.).

Then, a Saturday morning work session downstairs on my MG's followed by a BBQ cookout on the "old cabin" outside kitchen that's also part of this project (haven't posted any photos of it since they're not garage related) and a football party upstairs!
 
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Boyd Who

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Very cool, and the Hot Wheels drawer pulls are a fantastic idea! Guess I gotta head up to my attic to dig a bunch down. :)
 

e-tek

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Saskatoon, SK
So, what's going in the area above - guessing from the HW pulls, it's a man's room/office/hangout? What kind of railing will you use? Is that cover on the stairs to protect them?
Great work making use of that space! Thanks for the look.
 
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autoist

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Yep, paper is to protect stairs until they're sanded & finished.

Railing is made out of smooth western cedar. Stair railings will be the same.

The room will be used by my grandson as a playroom when he visits. When he's not around, it'll be used for Saturday afternoon football games or when the guys drop over and as a place to hangout & discuss cars and garages. It's an area I didn't have room for on the ground floor of the garage due to my growing collection of MG's.

The downstairs entryway is used by my wife as a pantry, place for her freezer, bulk paper product storage, etc. Sometimes she sets up her ironing out there.

Anytime you're around, there's bound to be something cold in the frig!
 

Old61

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Nov 12, 2008
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followed by a BBQ cookout on the "old cabin" outside kitchen that's also part of this project (haven't posted any photos of it since they're not garage related) and a football party upstairs!
You best be posting those related pics! It's mandatory to have a barbeque at the completion of a project or just the end of the day.
Looks fantastic!
 

Omphaloskeptic

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Oct 11, 2008
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Location
Ultima Ratio, Wa.
"12) The corner where my HO scale train layout & my HO slot car track (replica of Watkins Glen down to the blue barriers on curves) will go."
Autoist - I thought for sure you'd include a scale model of 'Morris Garages'!:bounce:
 
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