Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT Woody's Works Garage

[Grumblebum]

Great work as always Dennis

Your lattice presentation looks great. I need to close off the underneath of my place also but had dismissed lattice thus far as an option, but with the two tone and frame border I think it looks much better.

Cheers GB.

 

[jon72vega]

Dennis,
Nice work on your house!
You have spruced it up nicely!

 

[bj383ss]

House looks great Dennis. It's amazing what a little effort, cleaning and paint can do. Just wish more people took pride in what they own as you do.

What an awesome feeling having the younglings in the shop with you. My youngest is always outside or in the shop with me, but my oldest not so much.

Headlights came out great. I have done this twice for my Camaro and they need it a third time already. Texas sun is brutal. Meanwhile the headlights on the 64' are older than the Camaro and still clear as can be. I too admire your paint guns. My looked like that when my dad gave them to me. Not anymore.

Bret

 

[Denwood]

GB, thanks for checking in I wish I would have tried out just vertical cladding. The lattice frames look good, however I suspect white vertical 1x6s spaced about a 1/4" apart might have worked a bit better aesthetically.

JON, thanks. It's coming along

BRET, looking at the before pictures I'm feeling a bit guilty about what it looked like last year!

My youngest is in the shop whenever she can, eldest not as much ..but still enjoys the time and attention. I'd like them both to have exposure to as much in life as possible, from horseback riding to using air nailers

I suppose with aero lenses in plastic everywhere, polishing them becomes part of almost yearly maintenance. It's either that, or applying 3M film to them.

 

[drivesitfar]

Woody: always fun checking in on you and seeing what you've been up to. great job on the house as per the norm and great to see your little one handling a nailer. also looks like she knows what she's doing. great work DAD.

so I'm only about 1/2 way through the ART of MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE and i had to turn the audio book back in and get back on the waiting list. it was published in 1974 and has several holds on it so it's in another capable person's hands for a while as i soak in what i have heard and learned. The facts with the ghost story is interesting to say the least and when my wife happened to be in my Honda Pilot while i was listening to it her eyes popped wide open looking at me in wonder when the author was talking about Church, Schools and Government goings on.

i'll keep you posted cause i'm going to finish it.

i read a book by Taylor Caldwell called Captains and the Kings back when i think i was 19 that sort of opened my eyes and i think i still have the book so i might read it again and see if it has the same effect. have you read it? i don't read a lot other than GJ lately, but i need to for a little change. thanks for the suggestion on the Art of Motorcycle maintenance book and maybe if i finish the audio and like it i might buy the book and add it to our library. i used to read all the John Grisham books as they came out, but they pretty much had the same sort of story after a while.

back to your garage. are you swamped at work with the new equipment or will you have time this winter to do that basement entertainment room?

 

[Denwood]

Drives, as always..thanks for checking in

The Zen book is indeed quite a piece to ruminate over, particularly as an audio book. I will look into the Captains book!

Work has been busy indeed..this was last week in Toronto, right before the Profusion Expo show opened. It was a busy week indeed as we introduced our new product Duzi 4 to the world.

I did manage some shop time on my return, taking some time to completely remove the fender liners on my Audi A3 TDI, and apply a corrosion prevention product called Mike Sanders Grease. It is a zero solvent, highly effective waxy product that is applied at 120C ( around 250F). Unlike the popular rust prevention products here like Krown and Rust Check, this product does not wash off..therefore is far more effective at protecting exposed areas. In warmer weather, it creeps into seems etc. I found it after a fair bit of research including this thread I started over at the Samba web site summarising a great deal of research: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=606491

I had a few liters of this kept hot in a crock pot, and had the heater as well on the gun to keep it hot. The key is applying it hot. I wore gloves as the gun body get's quite warm, even with some insulation applied over it.

I have a pretty complete cavity gun setup with a few wands and flexible 360 degree spray heads to get pretty much anywhere on a vehicle. I've found that the folks getting paid to "completely treat" a vehicle at most shops miss a lot of areas. My audi has been Krown treated twice, and I can confirm that there was zero product in any of the fender wells. Removing the wheels, and plastic fender liners (there are three pieces in each front wheel well!) is the only way to achieve coverage. Doing this also allows one to completely access the rocker panel areas to run an application tool down the entire length. Anyone owning an A3 with this body type will have guaranteed full rust damage to the rear of the front fender, as there are several cavities there I found packed with dirt/moisture. Not the best design.

This is the heat tape, wrapped around my cavity gun, which keeps the Mike Sanders material at temperature (hot!) in the gun. The version I ordered is model HSTAT101004 (4 ft long, 1 inch wide, 288 watts) 110V with a max temp of 400C from briskheat.com

Not pretty, but this "grease" will remain hidden under the fender liners, active particularly in warm weather, for the life of the car.

The rear suspension components, covered in a thin layer of Mike Sanders Grease. I found that the popular products here, namely Krown and Rust Check, wash off in some cases just a few weeks after application on exposed areas of the chassis. The Mike Sanders product in contrast is far more resistant to water and salt spray because at room temperature it's a waxy solid. They suggest a touch up every four years. The long term tests with this product done primarily in Europe put it at the top of most of the tests. I've linked to them in the Samba forum thread.

Applying Mike Sanders Grease A3 Audi TDI October 2016 at 75000 kms on the odometer.

 

[Dpmulvan]

We have a similiar product here called fluid film. It's been around for along time and was used primarily for steel cables in a saltwater marine environment. Apply with a Schutz gun. Garage looks awesome by the way, only thing missing is a 911.

 

[Denwood]

DP, thanks for your visit. I'd agree a 911 would be about right

Fluid film was discussed a lot in one of my old threads (about four pages worth of corrosion treatment discussion) at TheSamba: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=606491

Garagewarrior did an excellent post here with great results for fluid film: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4331816

Of the treatments discussed, the only one I could find that actually had anti-rust active ingredients was Noxudol 700. This cavity wax "won" the Classic Monthly 3 year test, and is mentioned in safety recalls issued by both Toyota (frame rust recall) and Isuzu (rear suspension sub-frame recall) to treat structural failure issues due to rust. Dylan ("insyncro" over at thesamba.com uses it to treat restored VW vans. A bit of research on Noxudol yields this: http://www.google.com/patents/WO2011120646A1?cl=en

Quote: According to one embodiment, a composition containing sulfonic acids, petroleum, overbased calcium salts in an amount of 10 to 30% by weight; fatty acids, tall-oil, polymers with isophthalic acid, pentaerythritol and tall-oil in an amount of 10 to 20% by weight; paraffin waxes and hydrocarbon waxes in an amount of less than 10%; base oil, distillates (petroleum), solvent- refined heavy paraffinic materials in an amount of 40 to 60% by weight, each percentage being based on the total weight of the wax component, may be used. This material is available as the commercial product Noxudol 700 from Auson AB, Kungsbacka, Sweden. This material is of waxy appearance and includes a liquid paraffin component.

A bit more research:

Sulphonic acids - rust cleaner
overbased calcium salts - oil additive to prevent rust
pentaerythritol - referenced in several corrosion inhibition papers.
polymers with isophthalic acid - referenced in corrosion resistance material
tall oils - used as a base for corrosion inhibitor products

It would appear that along with solvated paraffin wax, there are actually a few active ingredients in Noxudol 700 that react/slow rust. I've found zero evidence so far of any active/reactive ingredients in any other product I've looked at.

Long term tests were very hard to find, however the Mike Sanders grease performed best in this very extensive German long term test: http://www.afripix.de/Rostschutz.pdf

 

[Denwood]

...

They take 4 AA batteries..and given the shop unit in particular will see cold temps, I opted for these lithium versions instead of the rechargeables we typically use.

The batteries fit into a sled, which is slid into the top of this housing. If you're replacing existing dead bolts, installation is pretty straightforward..about 20-30 minutes.

Here is the official 6 month update on the Kwikset zwave locks and battery life. Using the lithium AA cells, the 3 locks are all still reporting 100% cell life. Two of the locks are programmed to auto-lock, meaning the lock motor runs every time the door is unlocked, then again during the auto lock sequence. There were a few user reviews online complaining of excessive battery use, however we're definitely on track to get 2-3 yrs out of each set of cells.

 

[bj383ss]

That's pretty amazing performance out of those batteries Dennis. They cost a pretty penny though. I think $9.97 for 4 here in the states.

Bret

 

[1/2 Cup]

Dennis, thank you for the update. Its always great to keep other members in mind..

 

[Denwood]

Bret, they are indeed pricey, however with our -35C at times winters, I figure worth it in terms of cold weather performance. I've been testing the Amazon Basics High Capacity AA cells, which are a quality Japan made, low self discharge, NiHh, 2400 mAh cell. I've been preconditioning a bunch that are testing out at up to 2700 mAh. These would be worth a look in terms of using rechargeable cells in the locks.

I also purchased a few of these La Crosse BC 700 chargers, an easy charger to recommend for anyone who uses a lot of rechargeable cells and wants them to last. Aside from individual cell charging, they also display voltage, mAh capacity, allow to you choose 3 charge rates (200, 500, 700 mA), have an automatic float mode, do an automatic "refresh" where cells are charged and discharged repeatedly until their mAh rating is max'd out, and finally a test mode to check mAh capacity.

1/2, a few folks had mentioned battery life concerns when I first posted about the install, so I figure it's always nice to update as appropriate

 

[Denwood]

The Missus' 2003 CRV got a synthetic oil change at 137000 kms, tire rotation and chassis Rust Check treatment today. The MaxJax hoist is seeing a lot of use this month.

I've found the journal is an excellent way to catalog service on the cars as a "live" service log with photos to reference later. These will come in handy when it's time to move them along to new owners. If the odd post seems a bit weird, now you know!

2003 Honda oil change and Rust Check 137000 kms.

 

[drivesitfar]

WOODY: great stuff as per usual. Since you were putting on that interesting rust preventative on your Audi are you or did you put it on your bride's CRV?

how long did it take you to do that rust preventative project? WELL DONE BTW!!

also in case you didn't see any of my Pergola pictures you mentioned that you might need something in front of your gate or maybe you already did that so here's a few pics of my pergola spiffed up.

i'll email you more if you PM me with your email address. i built it 4 years ago and had the posts sitting on the ground so decided to do it right instead of just restaining it and took it all apart, cut the bottom 2 inches off the posts, sanded it to like new, then re stained and bolted it back up. for size my posts started out as 6.25x6.25's and the beams are 2x12's and 4x4's on top.

 

[sublime68charger]

I've found the journal is an excellent way to catalog service on the cars as a "live" service log with photos to reference later. These will come in handy when it's time to move them along to new owners. If the odd post seems a bit weird, now you know!

Does the owner of the grape know of this thread to look at the working conditions that the grape had to endure? Not the place you turned your garage into but the start of it all way back when?

Just pulling your chain a little!

I reference my own build thread for how things looked or I did what when as well.

Great work!

 

[Denwood]

Drives, check your pms The pergola adds a lot of substance to the entry...a great idea.

I've applied the Mike Sander's grease to my Audi, as there's very little/no rust. On the older CRV, with surface rust on all the suspension components, I went for now at least with a few litres of Rust Check. This will likely wash off in a few months. I'm working on getting a few 5 gallon pails of the Noxudol 300 and 700 products (solvent free) which are likely far better products where there is existing rust. There is a surprising vacuum in terms of product testing out there, particularly considering a vehicle is such a huge expense for most folks.

This fellow did a suprisingly comprehensive review of 46 products, all in a search for protecting his gun collection: http://www.dayattherange.com/?page_id=3667 There needs to be more of this for vehicle treatments!

Sub, I have all of one photograph of the "old" garage which is in post 1 of this thread. One thing I definitely have learned by posting here is the value of a before/after picture when it comes to wife approval. The other selfish goal if you like is a pictorial record of vehicle maintenance which will be very handy for insurance, selling a vehicle etc.

The old shop was zero fun to work in. The cleaned up version is a much nicer place to hang out

 

[Denwood]

This little video clip (about 15 seconds) has set a new record (12.5K views in two days) on our Instagram account. I figured you guys might get a kick out of it My media guru Scott (who also created the edit) is the fellow in the foreground looking a bit apprehensive ;-) Basically we let gravity and our on board inertial dampener (flywheel) do the work to get this shot.

 

[1/2 Cup]

Dennis, that's cool and thanks for sharing..

 

[drivesitfar]

Woody: AWESOME video and cool stuff you make that is for certain.

i'll email you some pictures shortly of the Pergola and it's my design that never got written down. my bride helped with the cement work and i was having an issue trying to get the ends of the 2x12's looking good and she comes out and asks what I'm doing with a coup le jar lids and tools. i tell her and she free hands the SWISH i call it on a piece of cardboard and says she'd like it this way. so i cut out the cardboard and it's the pattern i used. it's great to have a partner with some amazing skills isn't it?

if you want something to put over rust is POR15 paint (more like epoxy) on your list?

 

[Denwood]

Sounds like the Missus has many talents!

Drives, I've tried out POR15, and basically not a fan. Anytime I've done bodywork, it's always down to bare metal. To protect an underbody, a self - healing product like Noxudol makes more sense in my book.

In terms of rust encapsulators (which I'm not a fan of regardless) this Epoxy Mastic product tested much better than POR 15 in a 3 yr test done by Classic Car: http://www.auson.se/sites/default/files/rusttest_noxudol_700_classic_monthly_uk.pdf

POR 15 was rated last in the list of 7 products. Having used it, I'd agree with the test results. The Epoxy Mastic might make good sense as a standalone chassis coating product, ideally applied over a chassis with no rust to start with.

On a surface rusted underbody you either remove all the rust with a full restoration, or try to slow it down. In a perfect world, the chassis would be coated with a product like the Epoxy Mastic as primary coating, then protected with Noxudol to prevent rust after stone hits, abrasion etc.

 

[Denwood]

If you've been following along this thread, you'll recall that I've been slowly plugging away at efficiency gains at both business and home. Our peak hydro rates are at 18c/kwh and climbing, so there are significant dollar savings to be had by looking at power use.

At the business, we've installed Ecobee3 thermostats, some automation to cut off hours power use, and LED 4" (Instafit 12watt) bulbs throughout the building.

At home, savings are primarily due to lighting automation, and some parasitic power reduction using smart power bars etc. Both sites use air conditioning, however our climate here does not require more than 3-4 months of use.

Power savings (and therefore carbon reductions!) range from 29% to 42% compared to the same period last year. Quite impressive considering the ease of implementing the changes, and the fact that there were zero behavioral changes required. If anything our light levels at work are actually significantly higher due the more efficient LEDs.

 

[drivesitfar]

Woody: thanks for the information about Por15 and the test results i'll take more time to read when i'm ready. your thread has almost become my GOOGEFU for a lot of things. thanks for taking the time to put them all up.

also i did send you an email, but since it had a lot of pictures not sure you received it. did you?

yes my bride is a keeper and she's cooking up some sort of egg dish as i'm typing this so i'll have some energy to clean up her garage and get her 2005 CRV back inside.

cheers and have a great weekend

 

[Denwood]

D, no pms in my inbox. Keep her happy!

 

[1/2 Cup]

Dennis, your efficiency gains are just absolutely outstanding.

Thank you fro the update..

Regards

 

[Denwood]

1/2, we've made excellent gains so far, but there's a fair bit more once the computer workstations/monitors are due for updates. If/when we do make the investment in solar panels, the system requirements will be a lot less than originally estimated.

Now on to a basement home theatre build...should be interesting. I'll need to remind myself to take a few before pics. The room in question is not large, only 10' x 18', but a 90" screen, 1080p projector and pile of Paradigm reference speakers should have the old house thumping. As my eldest heads into her teens, the need for a cool kid hangout has become evident. This should fit the bill

 

[Perfectstranger]

It sure should, good luck with that.

 

[Pythong]

I am jealous of your bills!

 

[G20-Budo]

Dennis,

How cow what a cool thread!! It took me about two days to get caught up on the year or so of posts I've missed (dang time flies by). You have got some VERY cool projects going on (all over the place).

The front AND back of the house look amazing. The deck turned out awesome, and is clearly functional (something the entire family can enjoy). Also, you should be very proud of the door. I really like that you restored it instead of buying a "new" door. That door has so much character and it looks GREAT. Earlier on in the thread I made comments about your garage, and it just keeps getting better! The dust collector setup now has me curious.

One of my co-workers is into the home automation stuff, and he uses the Amazon Echo and seems to like it. But having a home automation hub is what makes it all come together. You've also peaked my interest in the Ecobee. We looked at the NEST in the past, but it seems the Echobee has more functionality for networking them together (well at least the sensors). And the cost between the NEST and the Echobee look like they're about the same.

It looks like the investments you've made at home (and the office) are paying off in energy savings. And what I like is you TRACK IT! I'm an IT Analyst by trade, and love data.

Quick question.. So you switched to the LED bulbs in your 4' florescent lights at work and home yes? But I wasn't sure what you were recommending related to direct wire light housing? So you would recommend the entire LED setup lighting setup for the shop, or going with a standard florescent light housing and just putting the LED bulbs in it?

It's crazy reading through this thread now.. it seems like you just did all this in a short time, but it's been over a year.

Thanks for the thread, it's been cool reading through it and learning new knowledge.

 

[drivesitfar]

WOODY: REMINDER TO TAKE SOME BEFORE PICS OF THE BASEMENT otherwise you might have it done and we'll all think you bought the house that way.

sounds amazing and of course i'm JEALOUS.

cheers

 

[Denwood]

Perfect..I guess the kids will be the ultimate judges!

Python, I posted a fair bit about the efficiency process with the hopes that the process could be replicated anywhere. It's good for your wallet, good for businesses, and ultimately cuts one's carbon footprint a lot.

Drives..yes will for sure take before pics. I have a Visio floor plan I'll post up.

Kyle, you've made a significant time investment to review the thread! I'll do my best to answer your questions/comments.

The rear deck has become a work out / yoga spot for both my wife and daughter when weather permits. One thing about composite that most don't think about is that it's both clean, and more importantly free of splinters. I like the fact that the MoistureShield product is pretty much made of old garbage bags and recycled pallets too.

The refinished front door and porch has the Missus complaint factor at zero. Originally she was pushing for a tear down and new everything, so I figure, mission accomplished.

The dust collector/vaccum system is perfect for the shop..I'd highly recommend doing it if you're on the fence. I take the extra few minutes to connect up the table saw, radial arm saw, chop saw or sanders to the system which makes for a much cleaner work environment, and faster clean up too.

The Ecobee 3 stats continue to work flawlessly. I've added a few more automation events around them, like firing up the HRV when tenants disarm security etc. The Vera Hub and Ecobee stats have been 100% reliable so far. SmartThings as a hub is ok, but I've had a few hiccups.

My former career was working as an IT analyst with the federal government..so I'm guessing the analysis and tracking shouldn't surprise you

The shop still uses the TL-950 fluorescent, but the business is all LED. The shop lights are not on that much, and the high CRI is important there as I do paint work in there. None of the work lights are direct wire...they are all the 12 watt Philips Instantfit. For a new install, direct wire LED would be my choice. These are a moving target right now, but I'd start here as efficacy is climbing all the time: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278420&page=37

Comments like yours are quite motivating. It's nice to hear that my own learning and sharing is useful for others

 

[G20-Budo]

Awesome stuff Dennis!!

Thanks for the answers/inputs. Its got to bring you some sense of satisfaction knowing that your wife/daughter use the deck for working out/yoga, and of course that the family uses it for cooking, eating, etc. Same with the front door/entry way. That old saying "Happy wife, happy life" is no joke!

So, on the lighting topic.. I have two florescent lights hung in my messy garage now, and a third I could hang, then you posted the URL for the thread on best lighting ever above (where's the emoji for "forehead palm"!). Looks like I've got some reading to do.

The dust collector is going on my list to the wife. You've sold me on it.

Keep up the posts.. always great to see at least someone making good progress (even if it's not me).

 

[Denwood]

Kyle, I will indeed keep posting The home theater rabbit hole is already started with a gravitational vortex. I started the theatre project with a nice leather sectional find on Kijiji yesterday. It was 10 months old, and pretty much half price.

Over a few drinks last night, my sailing pal Dave (who's built several very nice media rooms) convinced me I should look at a 110" screen vs the 90" that is sitting in a box in my basement. It's a tight space, so every square inch counts. Here's a Visio mock up:

 

[Denwood]

The theater project official before pics. This is part of the basement to the home, which dates back nearly 100 yrs. Ceiling height is only 6 1/2 feet...

This wall is to be cleared of storage so the sectional unit can slide right back, and projector mounted:

This will be a storage wall with speakers hidden and integrated. The acoustically transparent screen will drop down to cover most of this wall, triggered by the projector. The wall is 10' wide, 6 1/2' high.

A fairly new sectional found used on the local kijiji buy/sell site. We need to use leather furniture as the beloved family cat "Kitty Purry" likes to claw fabric...

The original screen was going to be 90", however the room is deep (10'x18'). Going on a suggestion from my theater expert pal Dave, I hung a drop sheet across the screen wall, fired up the projector and had a look, canvassing the family for opinions. Given the viewing position will be about 16' back, we agreed the size below worked best. The image below corresponds to a 16:9 screen with 120" diagonal. The image quality on the sheet of muslin drop cloth is a pretty good indicator that the final look on a quality screen should be pretty amazing. The BenQ projector, speakers and sub are all already in inventory, so the budget is quite low for the entire project.

I'll likely build all of the cabinetry in the shop, but will source doors from Ikea or similar to keep finishing chores reasonable.

It was a busy day "dismantling" the other areas of the basement that will be redone to accommodate the re-tasked space.

 

[drivesitfar]

Woody: i've always wanted a MEDIA room ever since we saw one at a STREET OF DREAMS house about 30 years ago. i paid one of my clients to design a plan for a second story on our house that had a master bedroom, media room and a driving range and then we had twins and shelved the plans. who knows if we can't find a place we like better than ours maybe we'll dust the plans off and make that second story yet.

i for one and looking forward to the progress of yours and even with a drop cloth on the wall the picture looks AMAZING.

nice find on the couch too and i bet you lost a pound or two moving that into your basement. looks like a spot for you and your bride on the ends and the girls and their friends in the middle. or maybe since your garage is so nice now the new couch will become a GIRLS ONLY AREA.

cheers

 

[bj383ss]

Wow I would feel claustrophobic with that ceiling. But I am sure when you are done it will look amazing like all your other projects.

Bret

 

[Denwood]

Drives, the entire basement area is being reorganized, with about a third of it being redone to maximize functional areas. The laundry also moves down, creating an entry mud room...which is the first step in the kitchen remodel. The end result is a more usable floor space and a much cleaner floor layout.

Bret, 6 1/2 feet is sadly what we have to work with. Keeping max floor space, fresh warm air, and good lighting is the secret I think to keep it cozy. Acoustically, some treatments will be required.

Just finalized the new floor plan with the Missus. The laundry relocate makes a dryer vent very difficult, so our 20 yr old laundry applicances are being replaced with updated bits. The dryer uses a heat pump (and 75% less power!), so no venting is needed..just a drain.

 

[G20-Budo]

Drives, the entire basement area is being reorganized, with about a third of it being redone to maximize functional areas. The laundry also moves down, creating an entry mud room...which is the first step in the kitchen remodel. The end result is a more usable floor space and a much cleaner floor layout.

Bret, 6 1/2 feet is sadly what we have to work with. Keeping max floor space, fresh warm air, and good lighting is the secret I think to keep it cozy.

Just finalized the new floor plan with the Missus. The laundry relocate makes a dryer vent very difficult, so our 20 yr old laundry applicances are being replaced with updated bits. The dryer uses a heat pump (and 75% less power!), so no venting is needed..just a drain.

Dennis,

In regards to you having to get new appliances.. as a good car buddy of mine used to always say "While you're in there......"

I like the sound of lay out, and the fact that by moving the laundry down stairs, you clear up an entry area in the kitchen, allowing you to start on a remodel there.. more good stuff!!

 

[drivesitfar]

Woody: so you'll have a MUD ROOM at the front and back doors? i guess when it gets as cold as it does in your part of the world you need to make your house work best for them.

I for one know what it's like to make an old house work for your needs and good for you finishing up the basement and happy to hear at least you won't be hitting your head on a beam like I did in so many old basements i sold over the years. either people were a lot shorter 100 or so years ago or better answer was the equipment to dig out basements wasn't available to dig them deeper.

just curious does your have any water issues or did it? just asking cause a lot of them do or did.

have a great friday and hope your weekend is another good one.

 

[Denwood]

Kyle, the ventless heat pump dryer is about 75% more efficient than the typical hot air version, so it will further reduce our carbon footprint . Decongesting the rear entry really scores high on the wife approval rating.

Drives, the house is at a high elevation and on well drained soil, so thankfully no water issues. I'm making a few design/HVAC changes to increase basement circulation in summer. The Panasonic spot ERV I installed last year dumps fresh air into the basement staiwell. Those changes have really made the basement just as comfortable as floor 1 or 2.

 

[Denwood]

To relocate and organize for the media room, a few other minor items to address.

This area is a cramped disaster...addressed in the work in pic 2.

This area is to be completely re tasked. All you see here is being removed.

Because the furnace is now condensing high efficiency, and the large hot water tank replaced with a very compact on-demand unit, there is a lot of space to harvest. The brick chimney is no longer used, so will be exposed in my computer area/office nook for a bit of character

The end result will be a much larger laundry area, organized rear entry mud room...and a very clean 10x7 ft wall dedicated to media and audio. Seating for the media room will be about 16 ft back making the 125" screen about perfect.

The process has the entire family cleaning up, producing lots of clothes, toys and books to the local good will. You might say the garage "make every inch count" project has found new converts with the Missus and daughters.